St. John Baptiste celebrates 100 years

Designed on a Quebec model, it is called the most beautiful church west of St. Boniface

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez A statue of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of the parish, left, faces away from St. Anne and Mary as a child – all revered by French Canadians.

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Morinville

For 100 years the church of St. Jean Baptiste, a classic landmark with a high steeple and cross and a sturdy brick structure, has been the focal point of Morinville.

Proud parishioners marked the centennial of their church with a Mass and the unveiling at the church clock tower of a large medallion honouring its founder, Father Jean-Baptiste Morin.

More than 400 people, including local and provincial dignitaries, attended the June 24 noon Mass with St. Paul Bishop Luc Bouchard and retiring pastor Msgr. Robert Poulin.

The church's interior is renowned for its high, rounded ceiling and magnificent paintings.

Feeling of faith

Speaking at the end of the Mass, MLA Ken Kowalski said of St. Jean Baptiste, "There is a feeling of faith, there is a feeling of spirituality and there is a feeling of goodness."

Born in Quebec, Morin founded the town named after him in 1891 and brought almost 500 families to the area from their homes in Quebec and the U.S., including 43 adults who formed the Morinville parish.

The present brick church, which dominates 100th Avenue in the centre of the town, was built in 1907 by Father Arcade Ethier to replace an earlier sanctuary on the site which itself succeeded an original 1891 log chapel that was situated a few kilometres west of town.

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez St. Paul Bishop Luc Bouchard celebrated the 100th anniversary Mass for Morinville's St. Jean Baptiste Church.

Since 1974, the local landmark has been a designated Alberta historic site. In 2005, a 14-metre high white brick clock tower was built between the church and the rectory. A medallion of Morin, placed more recently in the tower, was unveiled after the commemorative Mass. A reception followed at the Morinville Centre.

Heavy debt

Construction on the church began in July 1907, and the first Mass was held in January 1908. The parishioners took out a loan for $13,000 to begin construction but, according to Sister Alice Trottier, a local historian, the church council was left with a debt of $1,200 after the church was finished.

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez St. Jean Baptiste Church parishioners marked the centennial of their prominent church with a Mass and the unveiling at the church clock tower of a medallion honouring its founder Fr. Jean-Baptiste Morin.

"This was considered a heavy burden to carry and caused a great deal of anxiety," Trottier wrote in Faith and Tenacity, a history of Morinville and the parish she authored in 1991.

The interior of the church was finished under Father A. Gauthier. In 1929 the brick exterior was added to the church. The rectory was built in 1895 and an addition was constructed in 1918.

"The church was built on a Quebec model and because of its paintings, it has been considered then and now as the most beautiful church west of St. Boniface," said Trottier, 85, who was born in Morinville and served as principal of Thibeault School.

Eustache Monty, a well-known artist, came from Quebec to paint the murals Trottier loves so much. Parishioners donated $50 in 1917 for each painting. "The paintings are really exceptional," the sister said.

Dan Blackburn and his wife Sandy said parishioners love their church and are committed to preserving it. They participated in several restoration and beautification projects around the centennial, from replanting trees to rebuilding the yard.

"This church is an ongoing project," he said.

"We keep it beautiful because this is our parish, our home, the place where we raise our kids," added Sandy.

Mary Hittinger, a member of St. Jean Baptiste Parish for 51 years, said in addition to having a beautiful church, the parish has beautiful people.

"Here everybody gets along and everybody contributes," she said. "It's a very welcoming community."

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