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St. Andrew's "By the Sea" Roman Catholic Church is located in beautiful Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada. Our Church has a proud history that we are pleased to share.
It is not known exactly when the first church was constructed in St. Andrew's Parish - but we suspect it was more than 170 years ago. The sod was turned for our current Church on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 3, 1926. On Sunday afternoon, August 29, 1926, the cornerstone of the church was laid by the Most Rev. E. J. McCarthy, fifth Archbishop of the Church of Halifax. By December 9, 1926, the Solemn Blessing and official opening took place (although some work remained to be done on the interior). The first child was baptized in St. Andrew's on January 23, 1927. We celebrated our first marriage in the church on June 14, 1928. We have enjoyed many more celebrations in the years since.
The surrounding islands of McNab's, Lawlor's and Devil's housed many families in the early days of St. Andrew's - although all are uninhabited now. It was common to see parishioners arrive by boat for Mass. Parishioners had a desire to have their children educated in the Catholic faith. So, in 1931, a parochial school was built and staffed by the Sisters of Charity, then living in St. Peter's Convent in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In 1950, St. Andrew's constructed a convent of its own. Tragedy struck Eastern Passage on December 5, 1942 when an oil spill in Halifax Harbour rested on the shores of the community. Someone lit a match and carelessly threw it in the water at Quigley's Corner. A small fire grew into a towering inferno because of high winds. Many families were left homeless. Fishing equipment and pleasure boats were destroyed. It is said the church was in the direct path of the flames. All moveable furniture was taken out. But prayers were answered when the wind suddenly changed direction. On August 4, 1946, Father Anthony Francis was named the first Pastor of St. Andrew's, ending over 100 years as a Mission church. The priest resided at Immaculate Conception Convent until the rectory was built in 1948. During the late 40s and early 50s, classes were held up to Grade 11 at St. Andrew's School. Students continued their studies at St. Peter's in Dartmouth. So many students were enrolled by the late 60s that children were only accepted up to Grade 6. The school closed on June 20, 1969 after 38 years in operation. During the 1960s, there was talk of building another church as more than 300 families were worshipping at St. Andrew's by then. But it was finally decided to renovate and add a few more pews. In the spring of 1973, the stained glass windows which grace St. Andrew's today were installed, and the final touches of the renovation were completed. Parish Priests of St. Andrews: Fr. Anthony Francis, 1946-1963 Fr. James Hayes, 1963-1975 Fr. John DeLouchry, 1975-1978 Fr. Basil Carew, 1978-1980 Fr. Joseph Mills, 1980-1987 Fr. Ross Legere, 1987-1991 Fr. John Mills, 1991-2000 Fr. Thomas Thekkekara, 2000-2005 Fr. Gerald David, 2005-
Some of the groups formed over the years in our Parish:
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