Immaculate Conception Church (Palmer Road)

Immaculate Conception Church, known colloquially as Palmer Road Church is a 19th century Roman Catholic church located in Palmer Road, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was constructed in 1892, [http://www.peicaps.org/~palmerroad/page3.html Palmer Road CAP site] — site now defunct, reference taken from cached version.] and serves the communities of Palmer Road, St. Louis, Miminegash, Pleasant View, Skinner's Pond, southern Harper Road and other communities. The church is located at the intersection of Routes 155 and 156, across from the "Palmer Road Community Center".

In 2007, it was proposed by overseeing Bishop Vernon Fougere that the Immaculate Conception parish be dissolved and merged with nearby St. Simon & St. Jude parish due to declining church attendance. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/11/05/parish-amalgamation.html CBC News: Bishop proposes church amalgamations] ] This proposal was largely rejected by Immaculate Conception pastor Fr. Arthur Pendergast and parishioners alike. [ [http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=130465&sc=98 The Guardian | Churches need to be more open] ]

History

The original church at the site was built in 1867, and was originally known as the St. Thomas Mission, a mission of the St. Simon & St. Jude Church in nearby Tignish. In 1878, the church separated from St. Simon & St. Jude and became its own parish.

In 1890, the original church burned down, and was replaced by the now-existing church in 1892. The church is a wooden Gothic structure, and is the oldest wooden church on Prince Edward Island. Since the early 1990s, the parish priest has been Reverend Arthur Pendergast, who formerly served with St. Simon & St. Jude Church, Tignish.

ee also

*St. Simon & St. Jude Church
*List of pastors at St. Simon & St. Jude Church

References