ALL SAINTS CHURCH 

The first Anglican service ever held in New Waterford was on September 8, 1908. It was conducted by Rev. Willoughby Goddard-Fenwick in a room at a hotel, which was used as accommodations for men engaged in opening up No. 12 mine. Rev. Goddard-Fenwick was the Rector of Dominion-Reserve Parish and lived in Reserve. He continued coming every second Sunday afternoon until in the fall.

The Goddard-Fenwicks were forced to leave this area because of the illness and subsequent death of Mrs. Fenwick which took place in the Laurentians in 1910.

Rev. Goddard-Fenwick returned to Nova Scotia and eventually became the Rector at Coxheath.

Only emergency services were held here until 1911, when Rev. Goddard-Fenwick received permission from the Bishop of the Diocese to begin a Mission Church in New Waterford. Regular services began on March 12, 1911 in a room of a building on the corner of King Street and Hinchey Avenue belonging to a merchant, W.J. Matthews.

One end of a company house, now No. 3452 Baker Street was obtained for a Rectory when Rev. Goddard-Fenwick promised the then Superintendent, Sandy MacEachern, to take two mine officials as boarders. As he could not get a housekeeper, Rev. Goddard-Fenwick was obliged to do the cooking, etc., in order to provide for his boarders.

A piece of land on what is now Ellsworth Avenue was purchased from the Dominion Coal Company and a Mission Hall was begun. 

First services in this hall were held September 3, 1911, almost three years after the first service held in the district.

The parish was hard hit by the First World War, when 36 of the men volunteered to serve their country. This made a difficult situation financially and it was only by the untiring efforts of those who were left that the mortgage on the Mission Hall was not foreclosed. Five of the men from the Parish gave their lives to the cause of their country in this first world conflict.

In 1918 a basement was placed under the church hall and in anticipation of a future church building program the site of the former Methodist church adjacent to the existing parish property was purchased in 1930. A new rectory was built on this site in 1936, and shortly after the end of World War II it was decided to go ahead with plans for a new church which was started in 1947 with involvement of a large amount of volunteer labor and widespread community support. The church was dedicated on Dec. 5, 1948 by the Most Rev. George F. Kingston, Archbishop of Nova Scotia and Primate of Canada. Bishop R.H.. Waterman consecrated it on All Saints Day in 1952 at which time the building had been completely paid for. At the consecration the Rector Rev. W.J. Phillips who had taken the lead in the building program placed a stone from Coventry Cathedral in the cornerstone of the new church. Over the years the church has been enhanced with addition of electronic chimes, a Hammond electric organ, new pulpit and lectern and stained glass windows have bee added to further the church since its completion.
 

CALVIN UNITED CHURCH 

As New Waterford marks its 75th anniversary and Calvin Church congregation marks its 80th, the focus of church activity is on erecting a new church to replace the massive edifice just 70 years ago and destroyed by fire early in 1986. The new church building is due for a construction start in early in the summer of 1988.

Antedating the community by five years, Calvin Presbyterian Church was established in the future town of New Waterford in September of 1908, with 37 adult members. The congregation has since grown to nearly 600 members and includes both the Town and the surrounding areas.

Calvin was one of the pioneer United Church congregations in Canada being formed in 1918 by members of the Methodist congregation of Calvin Presbyterian Church. Calvin congregation has had ten ministers since it was formed. Former Ministers include Very Rev. C.M. Nicholson, a former Moderator of Ministers who have served in Calvin include Rev. Norman McQueen, Rev. J.H. Hamilton, Rev. G.E. Whidden, Rev. D.M. Matheson, Rev. M.A. McMillan, and Rev. D.I. McIntosh.

Methodist congregation was formed in 1908 and was supplied from Sydney until 1911, when Rev. Percy Johnston came to the community . In 1913, the Church counted 40 adult members, 116 in the Sunday School. In 1918, during the pastorate of Rev. J. Jefferson Neale the members of the Methodist congregation in anticipation of national Church union decided to merge with Calvin congregation and effected Church union in New Waterford, seven years before the United Church of Canada was in 1925.

During the pastorate of Rev. M.A. McMillan, Calvin United Church built a large new hall and this has served as the focal point for an expanding program of social activities and religious education. Calvin has given a number of native sons to the Christian ministry and one of its daughters has been serving for many years as a missionary in India. The present pastor is Rev. Duncan Roach, a native of Glace Bay who succeeded Rev. D.K. MacLeod in 1971. In 1972 a former Calvin Pastor Rev. D.I. MacIntosh, was named Moderator of the Maritime Presbytery of the United Church of Canada. In recent years the Church has directed increasing attention to Youth and its problems and has been a leader with other local churches in a greatly increased Ecumential Movement.

A new manse was erected in the past decade and the Church Hall built in the 1950s continues to be a Center of Community Activity, and has in fact served as a church building since the destruction of the church.
 

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH 

Established just a year before the incorporation of the town of New Waterford, Mount Carmel boasts the largest and most long-standing formally organized congregation within town limits. As the parish begins its 77th year Rev. Vernon Boutilier, a native of the Northside area takes up duties as its ninth pastor succeeding Rev. John MacKinnon, pastor for the last decade.

Now one of the largest parishes in the Antigonish Diocese, Mt Carmel began in a small hall located near the shore. The original church hall was built in 1907 when No. 12 Colliery was opened. It speedily became apparent that a large community would grow up in the village then known as Barrachois Cove. After Fr. Nicholson became pastor at Lingan, he immediately prepared plans for a parish in New Waterford. In October of 1912 Most Rev. James Morrison established the new parish as a first act after becoming Bishop of Antigonish. The church was ready for service in 1912 but the interior was not completed until 5 years later and for a brief time the parishioners worshipped in the Empire Theatre on Plummer Avenue. One of the most imposing churches in Cape Breton, Mt. Carmel has been greatly enlarged and improved and in 1962 a complete renovation was carried out and two large wings were added at the time of the 50th anniversary of the Church. A conspicuous feature of the Church is its stained glass windows, memorials to pioneer members of the parish.

Counting almost half of the Town's population in its membership, Mt. Carmel has always taken an active part in the life of the community. In 1919 the parish purchased King's Theatre in Glace Bay and moved it to New Waterford where, as the Strand Gym it has served as a community centre for over forty years.

Besides the Strand Building, Mount Carmel owns the large school gymnasium auditorium. A very active program is carried on by the parish which is directed by a vigorous parish council established within the past decade.

Paralleling the foundation of the parish was the establishment of the parish school. Mt. Carmel School grew from an initial enrolment of 200 students when it was opened in rented quarters in 1913 to over 1500 in 1970 when the junior and senior high departments were transferred to the new Breton Education Centre. The parish school was originally staffed by Sisters of the Congregation de Notre Dame who were replaced in 1921 by Sisters of Charity.

Former pastors include Rev. J.H. Nicholson, Rev. Dr. A.A. Johnston, renowned historian of the Diocese of Antigonish, Rev. M.A. MacEachern who left here to become Bishop of Charlottetown, Rev. A.A. Beaton, Bishop George L. Landry, Rev. F.N. MacIssac, Rev. Bernard MacNeil, and Rev. John MacKinnon.
 

ST. AGNES PARISH 

St. Agnes Parish, only a year younger than the town, was formed in 1914 after having first been established as a mission of the historic parish of Low Point. It was the fourth parish to be formed by the late Archbishop James Morrison who named Rev. J.H. MacDonald, then curate in Glace Bay, as the first pastor. Rev. Fr. MacDonald subsequently became pastor of Sacred Heart, Sydney, Bishop of Victoria and Archbishop of Edmonton, from which city he returned to preside at the Golden Jubilee of St. Agnes Parish.

First services at St. Agnes were held in a small hall which had served the Low Point Parish as a mission hall. A larger hall was started near the mine and a parish church was also started. Renovated and enlarged many times over its almost 60 years, it remains one of the most attractive and impressive places of worship in the area. The St. Agnes School was opened under the Sisters of the congregation of Notre Dame in the fall of 1913 with Mother St. John, a later provincial superior of that order, as first superior. Sr. St. Mary Michael was the first principal. High School classes were taught from the start though few students were enrolled until the 1920s when high school enrolment reached 55. In 1921 the CND sisters were withdrawn and their place was taken by the Sisters of Charity.

The school was steadily expanded over the years with new buildings being erected by the parish in the 1930s and by the town in 1952 and 1955. In 1970 the junior and senior high departments were transferred to the new Breton Education Centre. Father J.H. MacDonald, the first pastor was transferred to Sydney in 1925. Rev. Myles Tompkins, who had won the Military Cross in the First World War, became pastor until his death on March 26, 1940. During his pastorate, Fr. Tompkins built an additional school. Rev. R.T. Campbell became Administrator of the parish in 1941 and was subsequently named pastor, holding this post until 1962 when Rev. F.A. Morley became the fourth pastor at St. Agnes. During Fr. Campbell's pastorate, a new high school and auditorium was built in co-operation with the Town of New Waterford. A parish camp site was developed and the parish built an outdoor artificial rink for the use of the community. St. Agnes has given a large number of sons and daughters to the religious life. The parish honour rolls testify to the generous response of its parishioners in two world wars.

St. Agnes has had an intimate connection with one of the town's greatest tragedies. On July 25, 1917, the parish church served as a temporary morgue for most of the 65 men who were killed in the No.. 12 Colliery explosion that day. The then pastor, Fr. MacDonald, was one of the first to enter the mine following the explosion. A few days later he officiated at the biggest of the mass funerals for the accident victims in his church. St. Agnes Parish has had the distinction of pioneering the Boy Scout movement in the Town of New Waterford. 

In recent years the parish after selling the former school building built in the late 20s to the town purchased this back and has turned it into a commodious parish centre. Following the second Vatican Council and its recommendation for more active lay involvement in the life of the church St. Agnes has organized a parish council to govern the church. Rev. James MacIntyre is the present pastor of the church and J.J. MacLellan is the current council president. Pastors of St. Agnes have been Rev. J.H. MacDonald, Rev. Myles Tompkins, Rev. R.T. Campbell, Rev. Francis Morley, Rev. M.J. MacSween, Rev. H.V. MacDonald, Rev. Reginald Currie and Rev. James MacIntyre.

On June 30, 1988, Rev. Raymond King took up duties as the ninth pastor of St. Agnes.
 

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, 
SCOTCHTOWN - RIVER RYAN

Newest of all churches in New Waterford and district is St Michael's Parish, Scotchtown - River Ryan, which also serves a large part of New Waterford itself.

The parish was established November 19, 1941, having previously been a mission of St. Agnes. Rev. Paul MacNeil directed the building of the basement church which still serves the parish. The parish plans eventual construction of a regular church. Pending this, the large basement edifice has been renovated and greatly improved. Fr. MacNeil directed the building of the parish school, rented to the County of Cape Breton as a public school. In 1961 the parish made money available to the country to build an additional school.

In recent years St. Michael's has erected a splendid new parochial residence and completely renovated its parish hall as a community recreation centre for the areas of New Waterford, Scotchtown and River Ryan, falling within its bounds.

Years of fund raising projects climaxed during the pastorate of Rev. Frank Gaul in 1983 when construction of a new church atop the former basement structure was started and completed.

In 1986 Rev. Anthony MacDonald took up duties as sixth pastor of the church. Previous have been Rev. Paul MacNeil, Rev. J.D. Edwards, Rev. J.H. MacInnis, Rev. John MacLeod and Rev. Frank Gaul.