October 6, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish
stories.
people.
history.
Aniela Sklepowicz takes possession of a letter
delivered personally by the Most Rev. Brendan
O’Brien, Bishop of Pembroke. The letter,
concerning justice and peace, was sent out to all
secondary school students in the province.
Bishop O’Brien was visiting a class at St.
Joseph’s High School when this photograph was
taken in 1996.
2002
Our
Our
Our
The Beginning of the
Renfrew Separate
School
Pictured is the Renfrew Separate
School, the educational facility built
and opened in 1912 to serve the
needs of Catholic elementary
students in the Renfrew area.
Prior to this, boys were educated
at a school on Lochiel Street while
the girls attended school at the
convent school on the corner of Barr
and Quarry Streets.
The new school, to be run by the
Sisters of the Holy Cross, was a
three-story building containing eight
large classrooms, four on each of
the first and second floors. On the
third floor was a large room with an
eighteen foot stage at one end.
In 1931, eight additional classrooms
were added to the Separate School
with a large, modern auditorium
being added in 1932 that would also
serve as the St. Francis Xavier
Parish Hall. This latter arrangement
came about as a result of a promise
made by the pastor. Rev. Francis L.
French pledged to pay out $2000.00
annually from parish funds for a
period of thirty years.
 There’s a definite parish
influence to be seen in this
photograph of the 1956-57
Barker’s Motors Bantam hockey
team. Pictured are, in the back
row from left to right, Carl Reitz,
George Hill, Andy Vanderande,
Bill Kuseler, Ken Crozier, Kevin
Crozier, and Brother Daniel,
coach of the team. In the front
row are Garry Ferguson, Garnet
LeClaire, Ron Ferguson, Mickey
McArthur, and Frank Schutt.

PARISH STATISTICS
1987-89

BAPTISM MARRIAGES FUNERALS FIRST CONFIRMATIONS

COMMUNION

1987 1987 1987 1987 1987

36 19 35 38 46

1988 1988 1988 1988 1988

32 14 42 53 49

1989 1989 1989 1989 1989

40 21 50 29 NA

The Summer of 1948

Pictured at right
are the wedding party
and the families of a
parish bride and
groom after their
wedding ceremony on
July 14, 1948.
St. Francis Xavier
Church can be seen in
the background.
 October 13, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

During the years 1947-57, the former St. Joseph’s Academy building served
as the local Catholic High School for boys belonging to the two Renfrew parishes.
It was Rev. T.J. Sloan that initially made a request to the Motherhouse in
Pembroke for someone to come to Renfrew and and set up a classroom for
Grade 9 boys. In response, Sister St. Philip was dispatched in 1947 and followed
the next year by Sister Alexis and in 1949 by Sister St. Peter. This fledgling staff
was augmented by the contributions of Rev. H.J. Maloney in the first two years,
and Rev. Lorrain Gauthier, who worked tirelessly with the boys to develop a
legitimate athletics program.
In 1950, the Christian Brothers assumed the operation of the Boys’ School
and they were to remain in Renfrew for the next sixteen years. Through the
years 1951-56, boys in Grade 13 were taught in St. Joseph’s Academy, but after
1956 the Brothers assumed that role as well.
The former Bishop Ryan School, which was dedicated in 1957, was built for
the boys under the guidance of Rev. R.J. Roney and Msgr. R.M. Clarke, the two
parish priests of Renfrew at that time.
The old Stewart residence, which at various points in its history had served as
a private home, hospital, school, orphanage, and school again, was eventually
demolished a few years after the establishment of Bishop Ryan High School.
In 1966, St. Joseph’s Academy and the Boys’ School were amalgamated to
form the first St. Joseph’s High School, with Sister Eileen Allison as principal.
This would remain the Catholic high school for the Renfrew area until the
completion of the modern St. Joseph’s High School in the early 1990's.
 Year of the Family
Recognized
Following a Sunday Mass
in February of 1994,
Bishop Brendan O’Brien
presented a calendar in
recognition of the Year of
the Family. Accepting on
behalf of St. Francis
Xavier were the Bennett
family. From left to right
are Bryce, Broyden,
Bishop O’Brien, Earl,
Norma, and Bryan.

Rev. Henry J.
Maloney as he
appeared in a
1948
photograph.
Father Maloney
was instrumental
in assisting with
the development
of the local
Catholic Boys’
High School in its
first two years.

Rev. Lorrain (Lornie) Gauthier in

a 1949 photo. As the
background of the picture
suggests, Father Gauthier spent
countless hours at the local rink
and other athletic venues.
Through his work, a small,
fledgling Catholic high school
was able to compete
successfully against much larger
rivals.
May of 1988
Mrs. Josie Villemaire, a former
parishioner, donated a piano to be used in On Friday, Bishop Lorrain left for Pembroke as the
the Small Hall.
“Msgr. Narcisse Zephris Lorrain, for the past two
years the Vicar-General of Montreal, was
consecrated in the Church of Notre Dame,
Montreal on Thursday last. The ceremony was
performed by Bishop Fabre of Montreal, assisted
by Bishop Duhamel of Ottawa and Bishop
Waddens of Ogdensburg. There was an
attendance of 15,000 people to witness the
ceremony, ten bishops independently of the newly
consecrated one, and 500 clergymen were present.
Bishop of the new Vicariate-Apostolic.”
 October 20, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

Harold Bolger, principal of St. Thomas the Apostle

School, retired in June of 1995 after serving for 26
A Monument
years. On May 28, 1995, Mr. Bolger was
honoured with a parish luncheon following the 11
To The Unborn
a.m. Mass. In the picture above, Harold poses Bishop Brendan O’Brien looks
with two special guests, his aunt, Sister Claire on as a monument is unveiled
Gallagher, and Sister St. Stephen. dedicated to the unborn children
killed by abortion. Revealing
the monument is Knights of
Columbus Grand Knight Bruce
Rev. Joseph Bouvier, the first parish priest of St. Golden and Master of
Francis Xavier Church, was also responsible for Ceremonies Earl Bennett.
the building of a stone church in Springtown. The Many members and supporters
church was blessed and the Stations of the Cross of the Pro-Life Association
erected on January 20, 1854. Springtown was a attended the ceremony at St.
mission of St. Francis Xavier until 1913, when it Francis Xavier Cemetery.
became a mission of Calabogie.
Pictured above is the Grade 9 Choir of the former Boys’ School as they appeared in a
1949 performance. From left to right are C.J. Shannon, Hubert Vice, Jack Roberts,
Benny Malloy, Norman Rousselle, Michael LeClaire, Herb Kluke, Danny Roach, Tuck
Morglan, Donny Pulcine, Bill Becket Jimmy Brown, Ed Moran, and Ron Asselin.

Le Theatre Bel Espoir

Presents Henri Gheon’s

The pain and suffering of Jesus Christ was relived

on the altar of St. Francis Xavier Church during a
presentation of Henri Gheon’s The Way of the
Cross, a production of Le Theatre Bel Espoir. In
this photograph, Andre Gauvreau portrays Jesus.

Book 51
From The Parish Accounts... April 20, 1892

It was agreed that the parish would fund half the cost of a mural tablet honouring the
memory of Rev. James Burns, Curate of St. Francis Xavier who died in 1884, and
Rev. Paul Agnel, a former Curate who died in 1888. The tablet was obtained for
$100.00 but cartage and installation costs pushed the total to $104.85. The parish,
therefore, would be responsible for $52.42 of this amount.
 October 27, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

Accounts
P July 24, 1881: A bill of
$7.00 is paid for roof
repairs and the taking down
St. Thomas the Apostle School honoured its of the old sacristy.
graduating class of 1998 with a ceremony at St. P April 3, 1882: A bill is paid
Joseph’s High School. Recognized for their to J. Beauvet and A. Giroux
outstanding achievements were, from left, Lucy for taking down the old
Wade (Esther H all Memorial Award), Curtis church. This work was
Shepherd (General Excellence Award), and Bryan done for $9.50.
Lemenchick (Catherine Gollinger-Lorente Award).

Corpus Christi
Procession
1948
Father H.J. Maloney
leads the Corpus Christi
Procession as it makes
its way from St. Francis
Xavier Church to St.
Joseph’s Academy.
Members of the St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School Choir entertain an audience
sometime around 1950. Unfortunately, not all of the participants have been identified
as yet. Those we know are as follows: In the front row, from left to right are, Emmit
Gray, Ronny Vincent, Oscar Pigeon, Louis Rousselle, Tom Fisher, Bert Bennet, and
Not Sure. Second row, George Moran, Not Sure, Bob Nesbitt, Gerry Lemenchick,
Raymond Blimkie, Not Sure, Gerry Mosco, Zyvitski, and Jack Finn. Back row,
Hubert Vice, Terry McManus, Ray McMahon, Gerrard LeClaire, Not Sure, Frank
Prudhomme, Mickey LeClaire, Gerry O’Donahue, Jimmy Donahue, and Reitz.

The Knights of Columbus

held a Clergy Night in 1954
to honour past and present
clergy serving at St. Francis
Xavier Church. In front,
Fr. T.P. Brady, Tom
Bowes, Msgr. Clarke, Jim
Foy, Not Sure. Second,
James A. Maloney, Brother
Claudius, Brother Daniel,
Fr. Hass, James Preen, Fr.
Stan Flynn, Phil Bolger, Fr.
Maloney, Not Sure
(Wingle?), Brother
Hilarian, Dr. Brown. Third
row,Not Sure
(McNamara?), Father
Lynch, Fr. Adrian Flynn,
Not Sure, Not Sure, Fr.
Dennny Harrington, Not
Sure (Legris?), Not Sure,
Not Sure, Rene Newman