St. Patrick's Parish Heritage Committee

07/30/2026

Make sure to drop by The Convent Café for a treat and to learn a little bit about the building's past life as part of St. Patrick's Parish!

07/25/2026

Heritage NL is at St. Patrick's Hall from 1PM to 4PM today for our photo scanning party! Come by and share your photos and memories with us! We're looking forward to seeing you!

07/12/2026

Life in the Parish: Marysvale

In 1935, St. Patrick's Parish expanded to Marysvale, with the building of the first Our Lady of the Snows church. Since then, Marysvale has seen great joy and disaster. Just like St. Patrick's Church in Brigus, both Our Lady of the Snows churches saw, and continue to see, many celebratory events. Some of the photos attached to this post are proof of that!

That doesn't mean Marysvale hasn't seen its share of hardships. Both of the community's Our Lady of the Peace schools burned to the ground, the first in the early 1960s and the second in 1986. After that students were sent to Brigus to attend school. That didn't stop the community from continuing to be a pillar of the parish, with the current Our Lady of the Snows and the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto still maintained and used to this day.

Did you grow up in Marysvale? Have any memories or photographs you'd like to share? Feel free to comment on this post! Or you can come to our upcoming photo scanning party, hosted by both St. Patrick's Heritage Committee and HeritageNL (more details coming this week!).

Information on each of the photographs will be added soon!

07/05/2026

Now with summer well underway, it may be easier to imagine how the first Roman Catholic Church of the Parish once stood on the corner of Chapel Lane and Irishtown Road. While only the headstones and tombs of some of the Parish's oldest residents are visible now, it still remains a cornerstone for Brigus and the Parish as a whole.

Consecrated by Bishop Fleming in 1835, the first St. Patrick's Church held Sunday service, weddings, funerals, missions, and was also the first hall of the Parish, hosting lectures and many forms of entertainment (such as concerts). It was in use until the building of the second St. Patrick's Church and hall in 1885.

Many of the headstones you can see surrounding the first St. Patrick's church, in the black and white photograph attached to this post, are still visible today. They date from 1819 to 1872. In the 1870s, the Parish began to bury their dead in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery, located on the aptly named Cemetery Road in Brigus.

The Heritage Committee are slowly, but surely, continuing to care for and grow the Chapel Lane Cemetery into a space for not only those of the parish, but also visitors to Brigus and the surrounding communities. Now that the grass is green and the days are hotter, we invite you to visit Chapel Lane Cemetery! Enjoy walking among the graves and trees, and feel free to spread a blanket on the grass and take a break as you explore Brigus. Please remember to be respectful, and take any garbage that you bring back with you!

The Committee has also put up our information panels for another season, one of which is located within the cemetery. For more information on where to find these panels, please send us a message or leave a comment!

06/28/2026

Life in the Parish: Brigus

With the coming of summer, those of the Parish are starting to see the hustle and bustle that defined Brigus as the center of the Parish throughout most of its history. Fundraising events, bazaars, concerts in the hall, and simple walks along the roads have long defined the town's place in the Parish.

While some events in these photos have been talked about on this page before (such as confirmations and schooling), you may recognize a couple of social events that haven't been! For years the Parish buildings of Brigus served as the center for not only a person's spiritual life, but also as the center for entertainment and community learning.

In March 1903, 'The Vindicator' (Brigus) reported that the Brigus Lad's Brigade and "young ladies of the town" offered singing and drill demonstrations to a packed hall that "was a decided success in every way." Then in February 1926 'The Guardian' (Bay Roberts) spoke of a lecture given by the Department of Agriculture: "The hall was packed and everyone came away [with] the feeling that they had learned something." In the the 60s and 70s, fundraising and concerts were frequent (just look at the photos for more info!).

And today? There always seems to be something new happening around town! For instance, stay tuned on our page in the coming weeks for more information on our upcoming Photo Scanning Party with HeritageNL! Do you have any photos of your or your family's life in the Parish? We would love to see them!

06/07/2026

Another headstone feature from the Chapel Lane Cemetery. And another Ireland native who moved here and called Brigus home! Bridget Mandeville was likely one of the women who brought the open practice of Catholicism to the area.

Her inscription reads as follows:

"Bridget Mandeville
1804-1855

Sacred
To the memory of
BRIDGET MANDEVILLE
A NATIVE OF
CARRICK ON SUIR IRELAND
DIED
JANUARY 16 1855
AGED
51 years

May She rest in peace
Amen"

06/02/2026

Nice to see our Convent history panel is being enjoyed. The Convent is not only rich in history (see our last post to learn more), it's now rich in food and drink too!

P.S. Our exterior information panels in Brigus, Cupids, and Marysvale will be back up soon!

Does the RDF (Rain, Drizzle, Fog) have you chilled to the bone yet? Rainy days like these call for a warm mug-up at Convent Cafe. Drop in and heat up with our fresh brew, crafted with premium beans from Gros Morne Coffee Roasters! ☕️✨

Mug handcrafted by Coastal Gems Glassblowing & Pottery

05/31/2026

On September 11th, 1861, Mary Barron - a nineteen year old, recent postulant of the Sisters of Mercy - travelled aboard the 'Ellen Gisborne' from St. John's to Brigus. Alongside her were three other sisters, all under the age of 26, who had been tasked with establishing and maintaining the first Sisters of Mercy foundation on the island, outside of St. John's.

One year previous to this, Reverend Edward O'Keefe had overseen the building of a convent. Upon landing in Brigus, the sisters - Mary Theresa Slattery, Mary de Chantel O'Keefe, Mary of the Angel Banks, and our young postulant, Miss Barron - made quick work to establish one of the highest educational standards in the area.

Throughout the Covent's long history as a school, many nuns went on to serve the parish, particularly the children, through their rolls as teachers. According to the Sisters of Mercy Archives, the sisters spoke French fluently and had several French classics within their small library. A fee was charged to students looking to study French, piano, solo lessons in singing, drawing, or painting. For general education (including writing, reading, history, and needlework), no fee was charged. By 1887, the average enrollment was sixty students. Despite their small size, the students accomplishments were frequently cited by the diocese and within local newspapers.

Do you have any memories of St. Joseph's? Were you educated by the Sisters of Mercy? Let us know!

05/10/2026

Life in the Parish: Cupids

For many the church was a centerpiece in their lives growing up. You would go to church every Sunday, you knew your community by seeing and talking to them in church, events would be held in a parish building, and if you lived in smaller communities within the parish, you would often go to school in the same place your Sunday service may be held.

Therefore, these collection of photographs often show the second Sacred Heart School and Chapel, despite the people in them just going for a walk or posing in their best dress. Stay tuned for a future post with more information about the schools and chapels of Cupids!

Many of these photos feature families who lived in and around the Riverhead area in Cupids. The Hurleys and Laracys in particular make an appearance in all of these photographs. Details about each photo are in their captions and can be seen when you click on the photos! Do you recognize anyone?

Did you grow up in Cupids? We would love to see some more photos and read any stories you have!

05/02/2026

This piece of beautiful woodwork once called the Palace in Brigus its home. Crafted by self-taught furniture maker Henry William Winter, who made many pieces by hand and with simple machinery (such as a foot operated lathe), you can now go see a piece of St. Patrick's Parish history at The Rooms!

William Winter was born on August 12th, 1864, and died June 12th, 1936. He is buried in the All Hallows Roman Catholic Cemetery in North River.

This beautiful sideboard was crafted by Henry William Winter, one of the province’s most accomplished furniture makers. It was made for the Roman Catholic Rectory in Brigus around 1900.

It can now be seen on display in the Level 4 museum. Drop by and experience the craftsmanship and traditions that shaped everyday life in Newfoundland and Labrador.