Conference tallis::celt

1451.0. "St. James Church Destroyed" by POLAR::RUSHTON (տ�) Tue Jan 31 1995 13:32

Another tragedy has struck the eastern Ontario (Canada) village of
Eganville.

St. James Roman Catholic Church burnt to the ground on the morning of
Sunday, 29 January, 1995.

Some background might pique your interest.

Eganville is a village of 1300 souls from Irish and German descent. 
It was first settled as a lumber town with a number of saw mills
centered around the Fourth Chute (falls) of the Bonnechere River in
the Upper Ottawa Valley (about 125 Kms west of Ottawa/Kanata).

The lumber baron who owned the mills was a Co. Wexford man, John Egan
who started the emigration of Irish workers to this area in 1854.  The
area (the Ottawa Valley), at this time was predominately Irish.

A log structure became the first church for some of the settlers who
began to attempt to farm the cleared forests (the soil is sandy and
filled with rocks).

In the 1880s there was a large influx of German immigrants who set
about to build a Lutheran church on the opposite side of the
Bonnechere River from the Catholic church.

About 1890, the current St. James church was erected and remained a
striking landmark until this past Sunday.  From no matter which
direction one enters Eganville, St. James could be visible from 10s of
kilometres away.

The church was the parish centre for such hamlets and settlements as
Shamrock, Griffiths, Letterkenny, Cloyne, McGrath Corners, Kelleys
Corners, Bolgers Corners.

The interior was famed for the intricate woodwork (made from local
pine) on the walls, ceiling and pews.  Of particular note were the 
stations of the cross and the stained glass windows.  The exterior
walls were of local limestone.

In 1992, the Lutheran church (Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church) burnt
to the ground.  During that congregation's rebuilding period, the
parish of St. James offered their church for the Lutherans to hold
their Sunday Services.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, 29 January, 1995, St. James
church caught fire.  At 12 noon that same day, the new Grace Lutheran
Church was the site of the St. James' Sunday Mass.  The Pastor of
Grace Lutheran, the Rev. Doug Rabble pledged his congregations'
committment to the re-construction of St. James' church.  Bishop
Bernard O'Brien  shared the joy of all present at that Mass to hear of
the close fellowship that has bonded these two congregations.

Both churches have a great signifance to me and my family.  We all
went to Mass and confession at St. James, my brothers went to school
at St. James Separate School, and it was here that my younger brother
Chris made his decision to become a priest.  My girlfriend (who became
my wife) went to Grace Lutheran where we were married (with my brother
the priest in attendance, mind).

The people in this area would certainly welcome messages of encouragement.

If you would like to send a message, please send it to the head of the
St. James' Church Board at this address:

	Mr. Gerald Tracey
	c/o The Eganville Leader
	EGANVILLE, Ontario
	CANADA



Pat

Footnote - Today, 31 January 1995, a man was arrested by the Ontario
Provincial Police for setting fire to the church.