New France
The British conquest of New France started in 1756. They successfully took the fortress of Quebec City in 1759 and by 1760 with the capitulation of Montreal, the British had effectively won the war. Britain's success in the war forced France to cede all of Canada to the British at the Treaty of Paris. The Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763 by King George III of Great Britain set out the terms of government for the now former New France, as well as outlining its geographic borders. England’s message to their conquered subjects meant you will become both Protestant and English although pains were taken to insure the Québécois retained their lands and fur trade status. French-Canadians were subordinate to the English-speaking population in political and culture interests. The French answered with La Survivance.
La Survivance literally means the survival. It was the survival of a people, their way of life, their customs and their religion. They protected their Catholic faith, agrarian heritage, and distinct Canadian French in the midst of British influence on all sides.
The Quebec Diaspora
Between 1840 and 1930 roughly 900,000 French Canadians left Canada to immigrate to the United States. In the 19th century, the United States emerged as one of the most industrialized and prosperous nations on earth. The Québécois were fleeing poverty, unemployment and back-breaking subsistence farms for U.S. factories and the promise of good jobs. They arrived in the states to encounter an industrial world alien to them by virtue of its language and culture. La Survivance was a mindset carried to their new home.
The Franco-American
And some of the biggest drivers of La Survivance were the Cure’s or French Catholic priests, these men not only brought the Catholic Faith to the Québécois, they were also the ones who answered the needs of their flock. Perhaps the most influential of all of these Cure’s was, Monsignor Pierre Hevey whose story is briefly covered in the parish history timeline below.
1880- Ste Marie founded by Fr David Joseph Halde,
1880- First Mass-September 19
1881- July 3 – official dedication of the chapel by Diocesan Bishop,
James A. Healy
1881- bought land to found Mt Calvary Cemetery
1882- first rectory built
1882- Fr Halde reassigned to Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec
1882- Fr Pierre Hevey appointed second pastor
1883- purchased vast parcel of land from Amoskeag Manufacturing
Company for the building of Catholic institutions as circumstances
dictated
1884- founding of the Diocese of Manchester
1885- Le Couvent des Saint-Anges was constructed (here)
1885- arrival of Sisters of Charity from Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec
1886- Ste Marie school for boys -L’Ecole Sainte Marie- was built
1888- Bishop Brady's Visitation to the parish
1889- Les Dames de Ste Anne was established
1890- Ste Marie Parish was divided into Ste Marie and St George
1890- Fr Hevey was elevated by the Holy See to Protonotaire Apostolique
by the bishop of Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec and the first monsignor in
New Hampshire
1890- On October 16th Ste Marie Parish church burned down
1890 the Marist Brothers arrived from St. Genis-Laval, France
1891- present Ste Marie church building was started with services being
held in the basement —now called Montminy Hall
1892- Msgr. Hevey founded Salle D’Asile on Cartier Street
to house orphans and senior citizens
1893- Notre Dame de Lourdes hospital was founded in the spring
1895- arrival of the Sisters of the Presentation
1896- Notre Dame orphanage for girls was established
1899- Ste Marie Church was dedicated on November 30th. It was the wish of Msgr. Hevey that this new church on the hill be visible from the mills on the other side of the Merrimack River.
1902- Saint Peter’s orphanage for boys was founded and opened in 1903
1905 construction for the Marist Brothers residence on
Cartier Street
1906- the benediction of the bells in Ste Marie bell tower and here,
1906- organized the Third Order of St Francis
1907- constructed the convent for the Sisters of the Presentation
of Mary
1907- Msgr. Hevey celebrates the golden anniversary of his ordination
1908- On November 24 St. Mary’s officially opened its doors as La Casse
Populaire, Ste-Marie or The St. Mary People’s Bank and became the first
credit union in the nation. Msgr. Hevey founded St. Mary’s Bank,
to fulfill the needs of the Franco-American population (see original letter here
and the translation here).
1909- Msgr. Hevey retires on the feast of the Holy Name of Mary
1909- Fr Isidore Hermenegilde Cyrille Davignon is appointed 3rd pastor
1910- Msgr. Hevey dies suddenly at Notre Dame Hospital and at his request
Msgr. Hevey was buried on the grounds of the hospital. Msgr. Hevey's WIll
1911- Fr. Davignon built existing parish rectory for $30,000
1911- replaced L’ecole Sainte Marie with Hevey School for $100,000 and
he bought land on Notre Dame Ave to house the Cercle Ste. Marie-a
parish recreation hall for the benefit of all young people of the parish
1921- Fr. Davignon retired
1921- Fr. Alphee Joseph Leclerc named fourth pastor
1923- arrival of the Jean d’Arc sisters who served for 75 years in the parish
1924- Fr. Leclerc founded Ste Marie High School
1927- Fr. Davignon dies and is buried in a crypt under
Calvary Monument at Mt Calvary Cemetery which he had helped
build.
1931- 50th Anniversary of the parish
1931- Fr Leclerc restored the interior of Ste Marie for the 50th Anniversary
(here), (here), (here) (here) of the church. The 50th Anniversary Statue of the Virgin
1940- Fr Leclerc died and was buried in a crypt under the Calvary
Monument at Mt Calvary Cemetery
1940- Fr. Louis Philippe Routhier is appointed the fifth pastor of Ste
Marie, he known for his administrative skills, successfully tackles and
reduces the heavy parish debt
1940-45 World War II years at Ste. Marie Memorial Day Mass, Girls HIgh School graduation class of 1942 (here), (here), (here)
1954- Fr. Routhier died
1954- Msgr. Joseph Ernest Vaccarest is the first American born pastor
and the sixth pastor
1956- Fr. Vaccarest died suddenly in the Rectory on January 6
1956- Msgr. Wilford Albert Chartier was named the seventh pastor
1960- Msgr. Chartier commissioned the painting of the ceilings (here)
(here) (here) (here) and the Sanctuary and (here) of Ste Marie and
the angels on the Sanctuary ceiling (here), (here), (here), (here), (here)
1962- installation of the stained glass windows (here) started
1964- the Mausoleum at Mt Calvary Cemetery was built and named
Chapel of the Holy Rosary.
1966- Ste Marie High School renovated and gymnasium added
1968- Msgr. Chartier resigned due to ill health
1968- Fr. Albert Gerald Baillargeon became spiritual director and temporal administrator of Ste Marie Parish
1968- Presentation of Mary convent restored
1968- sandblasted and repointed brick on the church
1969- established the first parish council
1970- built office/garage complex for the cemetery
1975- purchased the building on Manchester Street for St Vincent de Paul
1975- built addition to the mausoleum
1978- inaugurated parish devotion of Eucharistic Vigils, all night vigils
on the first Friday of the month
1978- Dedication of CMC
1980- parish centennial celebrations
1981- the statue of the Blessed Virgin that had survived the 1890 fire was
discovered in a niche in the Holy Angels Building and placed in
the south transept of the church
1982- Rivier Center Kindergarten started
1983- instituted public recitation of the Rosary before Mass
1983- Fr. Baillargeon was reassigned after 15 years of service
1983- Fr. Leonard R. Foisy was named the new pastor
1984- transformed the sacristy into the Chapel of the North American
Martyrs
1986- Ste Marie Day Care established from existing kindergarten
1986- Joseph House was founded by Fr. Marc Montminy
1988- Fr. Foisy was reassigned
1988- Fr. Marc Montminy became the tenth pastor of Ste Marie Parish
1988- the pastoral council was formed to take the place of the parish
council
1989- The Bookstore at Ste. Marie was started
1989- the Ste Marie Evangelization office was established
1993- restoration of the organ began (here), (here)
1995- Msgr. Chartier died
1995- Ste Marie was highlighted in John Paul II and the New Evangelization
1996- the new baptismal font was built
1997- established the Perpetual Adoration Chapel
1998- 100th anniversary of the current church building
2001- dedication of the new Msgr. Hevey Courtyard and newly landscaped
campus making the church beautiful and welcoming. (here) (here) (here)
2005- Fr. Albert Gerald Baillargeon died
2005- 125th Anniversary of the founding of Ste. Marie
2006- Preserving the Promise fund raising for the refurbishing of the church
interior (here), (here), (here), (here) For an indepth look at the renovation of the
altars please click here.
2009- Fr Marc was reassigned to St. Michael's in Exeter after 26 yrs at Ste. Marie
2009- Fr. Moe Larochelle named the Eleventh Pastor of Ste. Marie Parish
Stay tuned-this history is yet to be written