PARISH HISTORY

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The development of St. Michael's Parish on Bell Island reflects the dynamic character of the island's history. With Bell Island's growing prosperity, St. Michael's Parish soon evolved from a single chapel to a community of churches and schools. Although Bishop Thomas J. Power, officially established St. Michael's Parish in 1875, it wasn't until 1903 that the foundation stone of St. Michael's Church was laid. Four years later, Bishop Michael F. Howley consecrated the church. These events coincided with the beginning of Bell Island's ore mining industry that led to a period of prosperity and population growth on the island. In the following years numerous churches were erected in the parish. In 1912, St. Peter's Church was built on the area known as "The Green" to serve the growing population of Wabana. In 1938. St. Peter's was replaced by St. James Church in the "Town Square". In the mid 1940's, Sacred Heart Church was erected in Lance Cove and in 1954 Immaculate Conception, was constructed over the site of St. James Church in the "Town Square". This church was destroyed by fire in 1969. and replaced in 1972. By 1966, with closure of the ore mine, the population of Bell Island experienced a decline, and many of the Roman Catholic churches began to close.

 

EDUCATION ON BELL ISLAND

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With a growing community of families, schools formed an important part of St. Michaels' parish. By 1878, the first Roman Catholic schools were in operation on the island, twenty years before the appointment of the first Roman Catholic school board. In 1901, the Sisters of Mercy began opening schools and at its' height, the parish supported seven schools: St. de VONN Edward's, St. Michael's Boys School at "the Front", Immaculate Conception on Town Square, St. Kevin's Boys School at "the Mines" Sacred Heart at Lance Cove, St. Cecelia's at "the West Mines", and St. Theresa's at "the East End". Declining population and fire disasters led to the reduction of the Roman Catholic Schools in the 1960's. The Immaculate Conception Convent closed in 1969 and amalgamated with St. Edward's Convent and gradually many closures followed. Eventually, only two Roman Catholic schools remained - Immaculate Conception and St. Michael's High School. As a result of denominational education reforms in 1997, these schools are no longer under church control and now belong to the new integrated school system, St. Michael's established an appointed Parish Council shortly after the reforms of Vatican Il to assist in the administration of parish affairs. Today, St. Michael's remains an active and vibrate parish and maintains close

relations with a number of lay