Relics of old St. Romain
by Mary Ducharme (April 2015)
Fourteen Stations of the Cross were recently uncovered in the basement of St. Romain by one of the Board Members of the Archives, Leonard Priest. The Stations, Chemin de la Croix, are coloured prints illustrating the final hours in the life of Jesus, from when he was condemned to death to being laid in the tomb. They were once displayed in the old St. Romain Church which was replaced in 1894 by the building now a familiar landmark of the village. The prints, not seen in public for some 120 years, retain good colour, and their frames are in good condition though requiring some repair. Mr. Priest thought that something should be done with these 19th century artifacts.
He made a request to the diocese through Father Lanthier, parish priest, if he would be allowed to clean and repair them, and then donate them to the Hemmingford Archives for long-term preservation. Permission was granted, and while the framed prints were being restored by Donald Hébert, Mr Priest also commissioned, at his own expense, a wooden case to hold the collection. The casket was beautifully crafted by Jamie Patenaude. This extraordinary acquisition for the Archives will be exhibited for the first time on April 25, at the home of Pamela Stirling. Father Lanthier will be in attendance.
St. Romain’s Catholic Church in Hemmingford, with its spire the high point in the village skyline, was constructed 122 years ago. Alongside paid labourers, hundreds of volunteers organized “work bees” to transport stones seventeen miles from a quarry in Chazy, New York. The cost of construction was $12,000 for materials, half the cost accumulated over years of fund-raising, with the balance to paid off as a loan. Some people opposed the design as too big, too elegant for a community of limited means. However, obstacles were overcome because of the perseverance of key advocates, particularly Mr. le Curé Jean Ducharme, Patrick Leahy, Patrick Tobin, John Ryan and Mrs. Henri Bourdeau. Though the exterior was not quite finished, and the first Mass would not be celebrated until December, the cornerstone of the church was of- ficially consecrated in May of 1894 in a massive ceremony conducted in French and English. The St. Remi College Band provided music for the hundreds in attendance, including Catholic clergy from Montreal and many other parishes, as well as Protestant clergy. Colorful bunting and flags snapped in the breeze, farmers arrived with their teams of work horses, their wagons filled with visitors from the outskirts of the village. It was truly a celebration for the entire region. In May, a year later, Monseigneur Fabre, Archbishop of Montreal officially consecrated the new place of worship.
The new church, twice the size of the old, had 100 pews with seating for 350, reflected a growing population. The older church, located between the present convent and church, had been completed in 1844 and five years later the first resident parish priest arrived, Father Anthony O’Malley of Sher- rington. The old church had been named St. Romain because it was consecrated on the feast day of this soldier of the Roman Legion, and the name carried through to the new building.
In the earliest records, there was a succession of itinerant missionaries who celebrated Mass in private homes. Early church records were in English because Irish and Loyalist Catholics outnumbered French parishioners, but over time, the French speaking population balance tipped into a majority for Catholics in Hemmingford.
One source refers to an even earlier Catholic church, next to a cemetery north of Fisher Road on Route 219. While the cemetery is known, records are lacking for the existence of a church at the location. Could this be the mysterious “St. Jerome” mentioned in an old Ryan family bible? If anyone has further information, please contact the Archives.
Another Hemmingford artifact of the late 19th century, the same vintage but unrelated to the St. Romain relics, will be unveiled on the same day. An 1895 oil portrait of Julius Scriver by artist W.A. Sherwood is the only known portrait of this long-serving Member of Parliament and a proud son of Hemmingford. Julius was born in the house now owned by Pamela Stirling, which was built by Colonel John Scriver. The painting was donated by Dr. Charles Scriver, great-grandson of Julius. Dr. Scriver, renowned pediatrician and geneticist, will be also in attendance at this event on April 25.