Wilfred Albert Chartier was born in Nashua in 1901. He was schooled in Nashua and attended seminary in Montreal. He was ordained at St. Joseph Cathedral in Manchester on May 29th, 1926 and went on to obtain his doctorate. He presented his thesis, The beginning of Human Salvation, at the Angelicum in Rome.
Before the second World War Fr. Chartier served as an associate pastor at Ste. Marie Parish. He served as a military chaplain in the Army from 1944-45 and the pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Hooksett from 1946 until 1956 when he was appointed the pastor of Ste. Marie Parish.
Fr. Chartier also served on the Marriage Tribunal starting in 1946. In January of 1956 he was elected Papal Chamberlain and was Diocesan Counselor. In 1957 Venerable Pope Pius XII elevated him to Domestic Prelate with the title of Right Reverend. On March 21, 1962 St. Pope John XXIII declared that Msgr. Chartier was given the title of Protonotaire Apostolique with his own coat of arms.
In addition to his work for the diocese of Manchester, Msgr. Chartier will be remembered for his monumental work in the beautiful painting of Ste. Marie as well as stained glass windows starting in 1962. In 1964 Msgr. Chartier, as director of Mt. Calvary cemetery, began the construction of a mausoleum today known as the Chapel of the Pieta. And in 1966 he added a gymnasium onto Hevey School.
After a tenure of almost 12 years Msgr. Chartier resigned due to ill health yet Ste. Marie Parish would always remain his primary residence. He died in Florida on February 26, 1995 and was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery.