St. Simon & St. Jude Church (Tignish) Facts for Kids

St. Simon & St. Jude Church
The church in 2010
46°57′11″N 64°02′11″W / 46.952995°N 64.036438°W / 46.952995; -64.036438
Location	Tignish, Prince Edward Island
Country	Canada
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Weekly attendance	under 2,500
History
Founded	19th century
Consecrated	1860

St. Simon & St. Jude Church is a very old and important building in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. People often call it Tignish Church. It's a Roman Catholic church built in the 1800s.

This church is the largest in Prince Edward Island. It stands about 56 meters (185 feet) tall. You can see it from far away, even from 10 kilometers (6 miles) on flat land or from the sea.

The church is one of the few old buildings still standing in Tignish. The local post office is another. Many people from nearby areas also come to this church for services.

History of the Church
See also

History of the Church

People in Tignish have held religious services since 1799. But they didn't have a special building for worship until 1801. That year, the Acadian settlers built a log church. It was about 9 meters (30 feet) long and 7.6 meters (25 feet) wide.

Even without a priest, they gathered there every week. They would read prayers from the Gospel. In 1826, this log church was taken down. A bigger church was built in its place, measuring about 18 meters (60 feet) by 13.7 meters (45 feet).

In 1844, Tignish became a parish. A new priest, Peter MacIntyre, arrived. He was the first resident priest for the parish. He made many changes inside the church. He served as priest for 16 years, from 1844 to 1860. In 1851, he brought in a church organ. He also helped move the church to a new spot near the Dalton Schoolhouse.

Building the Current Church

The church you see today, St. Simon & St. Jude Church, started being built in 1857. Many volunteers from Tignish and nearby areas helped. The outside of the church was made of brick. The inside was made of wood.

The church has twelve tall, large columns. Each column was made from a single huge tree. These trees were brought from Center Line Road using bobsleds and horses.

The main construction of the church was finished in 1860. It was also officially opened for services that year. André Roy was the parish priest at the time. He was soon followed by Dugald M. McDonald in 1861. A photographer named Henry J. Cundall visited the church in 1862. He took pictures of it after climbing the spire a year or two earlier.

The Church Organ

In 1882, a large church organ was installed. It has 1,118 pipes! Priest Dugald M. McDonald bought it for $2,400 in 1882. Today, it is estimated to be worth about $1 million.

This organ has been featured in many documents and news stories. It used to be played by hand pump. But when electricity came to Tignish in 1959, it was updated. The organ is still in the church today.

Church Renovations

The church has been renovated, or updated, several times over the years.

1888 Renovation

In 1888, people felt the church's inside needed a new look. They wanted lighter colors to make the church feel brighter. About $3,100 was collected locally for this work. Many new decorations were added.

A painter from Montreal, François Meloche, was hired. He painted life-sized pictures of the Twelve Apostles. He also worked on the stained glass windows and the Stations of the Cross paintings. He stayed in Tignish until September 11, 1888, doing touch-ups. Other artists also worked on the church until 2001.

2001 Renovation

In 2001, the church's inside was renovated again. This time, the goal was to make it look more like it did originally. A copy of the first main altar was built by local craftspeople. It was placed near the restored original pulpit and baptismal font.

The carpets in the main area were removed. They were replaced with beautiful hardwood flooring. The ceiling was repainted a lovely blue with shining stars.

Reported Sightings

In March 2006, a church member named Angela Callaghan reported seeing something special. She believed she saw the face of either Jesus or Mary, mother of Jesus, in a decorative cloth during the Easter celebration. Local news crews came to the church to report on this event. The story appeared in all the Prince Edward Island newspapers. Some people said they felt changed by what they heard about the vision. The church's pastor at the time, James Willick, said he had no explanation for it.

Later in 2006, another church member reported seeing an image of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. This image was said to be in the wood of a cross inside the church.

St. Simon & St. Jude Church (Tignish) facts for kids

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