December 4, 2024, Little Brook, NS: The Municipality of Clare is saddened, but understanding, to learn of the demolition plans for Saint Mary’s Church in Church Point, Nova Scotia.
Commonly known as the largest wooden church in North America, Saint Mary’s Church has been a staple of our community for nearly 120 years.
Completed in 1905, this grand structure was built in only two years by master carpenter Leo Melanson, helped by 1,500 parishioners. Its design is inspired by the famous castles of France’s Loire Valley, and boasts a 185-foot (56.4m) steeple.
Following Saint Mary’s Church’s last mass on Christmas 2019, the Catholic Archdiocese started seeking applications from parties interested in acquiring Saint Mary’s Church due to the costly repairs that were required to keep the building operational. A group of determined individuals formed a society, the “Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de La Pointe”, and accepted the challenge of saving this sacred structure. Shortly thereafter, the Covid-19 pandemic made fundraising efforts difficult and inflationary pressures quickly increased the anticipated rehabilitation budget of the church.
The church has been listed for sale for over a year and has attracted little interest and much uncertainty as to its future.
While this news is unfortunate, the church’s condition has deteriorated to a point where it must be demolished or repaired, the latter seeming increasingly impossible. The current state of the church, coupled with strong winter winds and inclement weather ahead, means that it has unfortunately become a safety hazard. While the Municipality of Clare has not played a crucial part in the decision-making process, we did issue an order to the archdiocese to remove a spire from the former church in October, as it was at risk of falling. Public safety is paramount, and the Municipality of Clare respects what we presume was a difficult decision that had to be made by the archdiocese.
The absence of Saint Mary’s Church will surely leave a void in our community, both physically and emotionally. For more information about the former church, we invite you to view this video.
Please direct questions and inquiries to the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Office.