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JAY –“This is where I belong.”
To Terry Viotto, a member of St. Rose of Lima Parish since she entered the Catholic Church in 1987, the parish is like a second home. “It’s the most peaceful place in my life I think,” she said. “I love St. Rose.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many who came together on Saturday, Aug. 24, to commemorate the parish’s 125th anniversary.
“When you’ve been here as long as I have, everybody is family,” said Julie Maurais. “Sometimes, we don’t fully know their names, but it’s OK, we’re friendly just the same.” Maurais was baptized in the church 81 years ago.
Hundreds filled the pews of the church for the anniversary Mass, celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley. Concelebrating with the bishop was current pastor, The Rev. Paul Dumais, along with former pastors the Rev. Joseph McKenna, the Rev. Roger Chabot and the Rev. Thomas Lequin.
“There is much that is good that we celebrate in this anniversary. We honor the memory of the building of this church and the establishment of this parish. It was here to serve the needs of the people of the area in the living of their faith. Such a community needed a church and a priest. With God’s help, what was begun 125 years ago has continued,” Deeley said in his homily. “The need is no different today. For these 125 years, the life of the parish has continued, and the Mass continues to be celebrated here, and those who come continue to draw spiritual strength from it. That truly is something to celebrate.”
St. Rose of Lima dates to 1881, more than a decade before the parish was established, when the first missionary priest began serving a community that was rapidly growing with the rise of paper mills along the Androscoggin River. With a church not yet built, Masses were celebrated in homes or halls.
In 1894, St. Rose of Lima Parish was established, with the Rev. N. Joseph Horan its first pastor.
Horan oversaw building the first church, in the village of Chisholm, part of Jay. The church had a seating capacity of 200, but when a mill in nearby Gilbertville shut down, those workers came to Chisholm seeking employment. The church was cut in two, using timbers and rolls pulled by teams of oxen to pull it apart. A new section was then inserted in the middle, doubling the church’s capacity.
The church expanded again six years later when two transepts were built, increasing seating to 550.
The parish also oversaw construction of a chapel in Riley Village on land donated by International Paper. Our Lady of the Assumption Mission was blessed by Bishop Louis S. Walsh in 1916.
Starting in 1910, children were taught in a small building adjacent to the church. Inn 1920, a large, brick schoolhouse, St. Rose Parochial School, was built for students in grades one through eight. A convent was also built for the Ursuline Sisters, who taught until 1945, when the Sisters of St. Joseph took over. The school close in 1970.
St. Rose of Lima Church was renovated in 1946, but parishioners would have little time to enjoy it. On April 4, 1948, the church was destroyed by fire. The Blessed Sacrament was saved by the Sisters of St. Joseph. They and parishioners were also able to carry out the movable items in the church.
Volunteer laborers came together to build the foundation of the new church, with much of the materials and concrete donated by International Paper Co., where many of the parishioners worked. The volunteers used small cement mixers and then pulled carts and pushed wheelbarrows to transport the cement. The process saved the parish around $50,000.
The new church was designed by the Alonzo Harriman Co., of Auburn, and the cornerstone was blessed by Bishop Daniel J. Feeney in November 1949, with the first Mass celebrated Dec. 10.
The church was renovated again in the 1970s. It still stands on the same hillside, welcoming people with “Hic Domus Dei” above its doors.
“We give thanks today for the good that has been done in this community through 125 years,” Deeley said. “It is a community which has worked to become the ‘house of God.'”
The parish said it’s committed to continuing that work. A new director of parish social ministry is increasing outreach to the community. A free store, open Saturdays, operates out of the parish hall, and the Knights of Columbus serve a free meal there monthly. The parish also hosts an annual Catholic Rural Life Festival and Farm-to-Table Supper.
St. Rose and St. Joseph Parish in Farmington are also paired with St. Laurent Parish in the Diocese of Les Cayes, Haiti, through a parish twinning program, helping that diocese to build a new school and health clinic, as well as pay teachers and clinic staff.
The anniversary Mass included the presentation and reading of a papal blessing bestowed upon the parish and Dumais.
