St. Simon & St. Jude Church (Tignish)
| St. Simon & St. Jude Church | |
|---|---|
The church in 2010
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| 46°57′11″N 64°02′11″W / 46.952995°N 64.036438°WCoordinates: 46°57′11″N 64°02′11″W / 46.952995°N 64.036438°W | |
| Location | Tignish, Prince Edward Island |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Weekly attendance | under 2,500 |
| History | |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Consecrated | 1860 |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Richard Grecco (2009–present) Vernon Fougere (1992–2009) |
| Priest(s) | Brendon Gallant (2011–present) James Willick (2003–2011) Albin Arsenault (1990–2003) |
| Assistant priest(s) | Timothy Broderick (2011–2012) Eddie Cormier (2005–2010) |
St. Simon & St. Jude Church, known colloquially as Tignish Church is a 19th-century Roman Catholic church located in Tignish parish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. As of 2006, it is the single largest church on Prince Edward Island, measuring 185 feet high. It can be clearly seen for 6 miles on flat land, and for many more miles at sea. It is perhaps most famous for its widely publicized apparition of Jesus event.
The church, along with the local post office, is one of the few original structures in Tignish remaining in excellent condition. Surrounding churches include Immaculate Conception Church located 6 miles SW of Tignish in Palmer Road, as well as Greenmount United Church located 5 miles S of Tignish. Many from outside the official parish, such as those in Palmer Road or Alberton parishes, will attend the church.
Although religious services were held in Tignish by its residents since the very foundation of Tignish in 1799, an established place of worship was not produced for a further two years. In 1801, the Acadian settlers of the community built a log church that measured 30 by 25 feet. Although they had no priest, the settlers would gather at the church and read prayers from the Gospel every week.
In 1826 the log church was destroyed to make way for a new, larger building. This building measured 60 by 45 feet and was located in the same area.
It was in 1844 that the area of Tignish was finally construed as a parish. With the arrival of new priest Peter MacIntyre, the church received major indoor renovations and MacIntyre became the first resident parish priest of Tignish. He is considered one of the most prominent and iconic religious leaders of the Tignish area, and one of the most favored priests, he also served the third longest as priest, from 1844–1860. In 1851 MacIntyre introduced church organ into the establishment and in the same year the church was hauled from its location to a new location near the Dalton Schoolhouse.
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Wikipedia