[, P.E.I.? :

"N.B. This was copied from a history of the Church written by Rev. A.E. Burke, D.D . in 1885, and updated by the late Professor Henri Blanchard, of Prince of Wales College, and published in the Charlottetown Guardian in 1954. A few words have been added. A.M.D.G ." p.4

(P.E.I.) History.

When in 1755 the dastardly edict went forth which commanded the the expulsion of the Acadians from Grand Pre on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, six families, more fortunate than the others, managed to keep together. They suspected treachery underlying Captain Murray's proclamation which was set for them at Grand Pre, They did not repair to the church, but concealed themselves in the woods and from their hiding place they witnessed their homes burned and their flocks scattered, Having prepared some large canoes, they made their way across the strait to "lie Jean" and landed at Point Prim. These people were John and Ambrose Bourque and their families, Joseph Pitres and family, Honore Michel (Black smith) and wife, no family, — Leblanc and family, — Chaisson and family. When they arrived at Point Prim, they knelt down and gave thanks to God for having delivered out of the hands of their enemies, and for bringing to a place of refuge. After which, so tradition says, they made the best feast they could to cheer every¬ body. Finding after a short sojourn at Point Prim that they were net safe from the English, who at that time were stationed at Port-la-Joie, they took their canoes and paddled up to 3ay Fortune where they were joined by five or six families from Peter's Harbour.

When in 1755 the dastardly edict went forth which commanded the the expulsion of the Acadians from Grand Pre on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, six families, more fortunate than the others, managed to keep together. They suspected treachery underlying Captain Murray's proclamation which was set for them at Grand Pre, They did not repair to the church, but concealed themselves in the woods and from their hiding place they witnessed their homes burned and their flocks scattered, Having prepared some large canoes, they made their way across the strait to "lie Jean" and landed at Point Prim. These people were John and Ambrose Bourque and their families, Joseph Pitres and family, Honore Michel (Black smith) and wife, no family, — Leblanc and family, — Chaisson and family. When they arrived at Point Prim, they knelt down and gave thanks to God for having delivered out of the hands of their enemies, and for bringing to a place of refuge. After which, so tradition says, they made the best feast they could to cheer every¬ body. Finding after a short sojourn at Point Prim that they were net safe from the English, who at that time were stationed at Port-la-Joie, they took their canoes and paddled up to 3ay Fortune where they were joined by five or six families from Peter's Harbour.

When in 1755 the dastardly edict went forth which commanded the the expulsion of the Acadians from Grand Pre on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, six families, more fortunate than the others, managed to keep together. They suspected treachery underlying Captain Murray's proclamation which was set for them at Grand Pre, They did not repair to the church, but concealed themselves in the woods and from their hiding place they witnessed their homes burned and their flocks scattered, Having prepared some large canoes, they made their way across the strait to "lie Jean" and landed at Point Prim. These people were John and Ambrose Bourque and their families, Joseph Pitres and family, Honore Michel (Black smith) and wife, no family, — Leblanc and family, — Chaisson and family. When they arrived at Point Prim, they knelt down and gave thanks to God for having delivered out of the hands of their enemies, and for bringing to a place of refuge. After which, so tradition says, they made the best feast they could to cheer every¬ body. Finding after a short sojourn at Point Prim that they were net safe from the English, who at that time were stationed at Port-la-Joie, they took their canoes and paddled up to 3ay Fortune where they were joined by five or six families from Peter's Harbour.

Some of the women of Bay Fortune determined to evade the injusticej as fast as the grain was threshed, they would conceal a portion of it in their clothing and carry it away to the woods where they would hide it and thus secure an extra store. After some years, seeing that there was no other course open to them they submitted to the inevitable, took the oath of allegiance and wer$graciously permitted to have undisputed possession of the fruits of their industry. They, however, made one proviso, that they should never take up arms against the King of France,

The greater number -went to , but about fourteen families 3ourques, Pitres, Chaissons and Peters removed to wh(;re they purchased lands from the late John Cmmbridge upon which they settled in the year 1801 or 1802. Two families of Longue-epee went to Souris, where the Chiveries of Little River removed some years later. The old burial ground at Bay Fortune is still discernible on the property of Mr Charles Aitken,

The greater number -went to , but about fourteen families 3ourques, Pitres, Chaissons and Peters removed to wh(;re they purchased lands from the late John Cmmbridge upon which they settled in the year 1801 or 1802. Two families of Longue-epee went to Souris, where the Chiveries of Little River removed some years later. The old burial ground at Bay Fortune is still discernible on the property of Mr Charles Aitken,

There had been in the time of the French Occupation a Catholic Church at Bay Fortune, but it fell into ruins and was never replaced by the Acadians, 'Travelling missionaries frequently held stations in thesettlement in the house of Honore Michel who was a prosperous blacksmith without a family. The first priest of whom there is mention made as having served these Acadians is Monsieur Magdandj then came a Monsieur Ledru whose letters to the Bishop of Quebec may be seen in the Archives of the Diocese of Charlottetown.

There had been in the time of the French Occupation a Catholic Church at Bay Fortune, but it fell into ruins and was never replaced by the Acadians, 'Travelling missionaries frequently held stations in thesettlement in the house of Honore Michel who was a prosperous blacksmith without a family. The first priest of whom there is mention made as having served these Acadians is Monsieur Magdandj then came a Monsieur Ledru whose letters to the Bishop of Quebec may be seen in the Archives of the Diocese of Charlottetown.

After Monsieur Ledru's departure the next priest to visit Bay Fortune was the Abbe de Calonne who, sent by the Bishop of Quebec to make Inquiries as to the state of the Church in lie Jean, established himself near Port-La-Joie, on what is now called the Warren Farms, whence he started on various missions throught- out the Island.

After Monsieur Ledru's departure the next priest to visit Bay Fortune was the Abbe de Calonne who, sent by the Bishop of Quebec to make Inquiries as to the state of the Church in lie Jean, established himself near Port-La-Joie, on what is now called the Warren Farms, whence he started on various missions throught- out the Island.

Bay Fortune fell ill of the small-pox, A messenger was dispatched

After the Abbe Calonne, came Abbe Gabriel Champion and then Father Aeneas Bernard MacEachern, afterwards first Bishop of Charlottetown, under whose direction was built the first log chapel in the year 180^. At this time there were but eighteen families in the parish and they all assisted in the building of the little church which was but thirty feet in length by twenty in

The second church was built in 1824, The builder was Bartlett Dunphy. The third church was built in I653 by Lawrence Murphy and Lawrence Peters It stood on rising ground overlooking one cf the fairest landscapes of Prince Edward Island until it was replaced by the present inspiring structure in 1930. On this spot, the line of vision is broken by two beautiful bays, the points of land that separate them being high and well wooded in parts, while the farms thereon give evidence of great fertility. This church was sixty feet in length by forty-two in widths the height of the wall was twenty-two feet. Between 1870 and I872 a sanctuary and vestibule were added to it. The high altar which came from Montreal was delicately though profusely colored in blue and gold with touches of pink, grey, and brown, The frontal was carton plerre, a representation of the Last Supper In bas-relief, Above the altar was a fine stained-glass window representing the Holy Family, (Ihis window is now above the altar in New Zealand Mission Church which was built in 1932 to servo the people of that area,).

This parish possesses several relics of the past, the dearest among them which is the bell, Long ago in the dim past the English govern¬ ment being determined to get rid of the French Inhabitants of the then populous little town of Pierre situated on the harbour of that name, sent three hundred of the French adrift in a leaky vessel avowedly with the intention of transporting them to France, Before . leaving, these poor people as was the custom of the Acadians buried such things as they considered too sacred to fall into the hands of the English, among which was their church bell. In 1870 a Mr Garret Barry of Peter's Harbour while ploughing in his field struck some object that gave a metallic .soun^ and which proved to be the bell of the old church of Pierre which had lain unharmed in the earth for ome hundred fifteen years, Mr Barry presented his treasure trove to the parishioners of Morell who exchanged it for a new bell with the people of , The old relic was rapturously welcomed by the descendants of its first owners and was trilled by kindness. Everybody wanted to ring it and everybody did ring it; in consequence it was oroken and had to be ecast. In 1882 it was placed in the tower of the old church and, when the present church was built, it was placed in its tower there to call the faithful to Mass and devotions,

N« B, This was copied from a history of the Church written by Rev, A. E. Burke, D,D,, in 1885, and updated by the lat« Profess or Henri Blanchard, of Prince of Wales College, and published in the Charlottetown Guardian in 1954, A few words have been added.