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Page N Church alone i." BY SUZANNE HANSON It seems an unlikely location for a church, per- ched atop the hill; a lonely sentinel to guard the wind- swept fields that surround it, Perhaps it was the very location of St. Peter's Catholic Church that led to its eventual closure 10 years ago. But there was a day when the Catholic church, located in Norwich Town- ship, southwest of Newark, DAMP, uvuu...--- -_- _ F was supported by an active parish taking in families from Norwich, Mount Elgin, Burgessville and Otterville areas. CHURCH CLOSED Although the congregation disbanded when the church closed in the Spring of 1971, its parishioners scattering to join churches in Tillsonburg, Woodstock, Courtland, Delhi, Scotland and LaSalette, the Catholic Women's League of St. Peter's has continued to meet and has remained active throughout the years. There was a lapse in the operation of the CWL from the time the church closed in 1971 until 1974 when it was re- organized. Oddly enough, it was at the instigation of the St. Mary's CWL in Tillsonburg that the St. Peter's ladies resumed their meetings. The gavel ind charter of St. Peter's CWL was un- covered by the St. Mary's ladies one day and they encouraged the St. Peter's CWL to reorganize, The ladies had believed that the charter had been returned and that to re-organize would mean reapplying for a charter. With the discovery of the original charter and gavel they were able to continue and resumed with the encouragement of Father Spencer in 1974. Its membership of about 30 members (20 active) meets once a month, except for July and August. While it is basically "a social group, it does support the Tillsonburg and District Association for the Mentally Retarded and a family in India. In addition to its regular meetings, it Parishioner remembers Tune McNally. 83, of RR 1, Norwich, remembe when St. Peter's Catholic Church near 'il',,',':',':;",',':,',',,',',',','",', thriving Catholic congregation. The church was built on granted land, donated by Peter McNally, an ancestor of her husband. Mac McNallv. OIG Photo). ’7” section t THE NORWICH GAZETIE hosts a special get-togethers at Christmas and in the Spring for the entire family. In June the annual outdoor mass for the entire congregation is held. That mass is the only one still celebrated by the congregation of St. Peter's, Such get-togethers help to foster 1sense of community said Mignonne Trepanier, a member of the CWL. "If we didn't meet we wouldn't get to see one another," she said. Most of the former members of the St. Peter's congregation are now in- volved in different churches, different activities and different schools so it is difficult to maintain the contact they once had as a congregation. MISSES CHURCH She is one of the former parishioners who misses the presence of the church, which was so central to the Catholics in the Norwich area. But attempts throughout the years to have the church re-opened have failed. There was no support from the parish in Tillsonburg, to which St. Peter's had been a mission church in its last years, and some of the families themselves were opposed to the move. February 25, 1881 The church had been blessed with a large and active congregation and was financially stable when it was closed. The isolation of the church and the difficulty in reaching it during the winter months and the shortage of priests were all given as reasons for its closure. Being a mission church of the Tillsonburg parish, St. Peter's had no priest of its own and relied on the two priests from Tillsonburg to come out to conduct its masses. According to 1978 figures there are roughly 2,500 Catholic families "m what was then referred to as the "nounan's land" around St. Peter's. That church is central to the majority of those families, many of whom regret that more was not done to keep the church open. There are many who miss the sense of community fostered by the church and many who have wished it had been kept open because of the historical significance of the church. EARLY HISTORY The early population of the area around Newark was of Irish origin with such names as Furlong, Kirwin, Garvey, Duffy, Sheahan, Carlin and McNally common among the residents. Among the earliest in- in "ruraitan's" land Tune McNally, now 84 years old and a member of St. Peter's, remembers when she first came to the area of the Norwich church as the bride of Mack Me. Nally 62 years ago in 1919. Originally from Kelvin, she had always attended Our Lady of LaSalette, a much larger church than St. Petisr's. T "It was quite a change Mming to Norwich," she Perhaps Peter McNally the first (and only) pastor. Tillsonburg. did not like the idea of having But the glory of the Nor- The original frame church a church in Norwich, as in wich parish was short-lived. was replaced by the present 1854 he deeded a portion of Whether Father O'Donovan brick structure in 1894 and his land to the Diocese of couldn't stand the loneliness totmaiiy opened in October Toronto. It was on that land, of the Norwich Township of that year. (Continuedfrom Page 10) in the same year, that a in the vicinity, laying the church was built under the early foundations for the pastorate of Father Canyon establishment of St. Peter's of Ingersoll. parish. The Norwich congregation In 1853 the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Toronto pur- chased a lot in the village of Norwich, possibly with the intention of building a church on it. . . Lonely sentinel It's an unlikely location for a church - out in the middle of nowhere - and its isolation was part of the reason St. Peter's Catholic Church, near Newark, was closed by the Tillson- burg parish in 1971. (NG Photo). Searching for a place to make their home, they in- tended to journey to Penn- sylvania. But just at that time, a recent settler in Dereham Township, Frank Stroud, was in Buffalo where he had purchased a large flock of sheep. T dividuals to come to the area the McNally brothers, Peter were the McNally brothers. and Michael, who accepted V With their sisters they had his offer, 1 come from Monaghan, So pleased were they with Ireland to Buffalo in 1820. the locality when they Searching for a place to arrived, the two brothers T make their home, they in- immediately purchased _ tended to journey to Penn- from the crown the right to sylvania. But just at that settle on a section of land in time, a recent settler in North Norwich Township. Dereham Township, Frank They soon built themselves a Stroud, was in Buffalo where log home and sent to Buffalo he had purchased a large tor two of their sisters who flock of sheep. T . came tokeephouse tor them. In need of someone to drive the sheep back to his home, a distance of some 120 miles, he happened to meet She was a regular church- goer and an avid member of the CWL receiving her 50- year pin. She too was sorry to see the church closed. "We certainly had some good priests here, at Nor- wich," she said. St. Peter's is also able to boast having produced two priests, Father Dugan and Father Ronan. There were also three or four Sisters. said. The Norwich congregation had a brief rise to fame in 1863 when the territory was so divided that Norwich became a parish with Woodstock and East Oxford as its missions. Father O’Donovan was appointed the first (and only) pastor. Soon many others of Irish origin came to take- upland (Continued on Page 11) For many, the fellowship of the lonely church in "no- man's land" will never be forgotten. _ Newcomers to the parish years ago were impressed with the community spirit present. That Community spirit and sense of togetherness has not died despite the dispersal of.the congregation. The survival of the CWI, is testimony to that fact. surroundings or whether he was recalled is not known, but he returned to Ingersoll after a few' months and Norwich reverted to the status of a mission. It remained as such until it closed in 1970. Throughout its history, the Norwich church was a mission of Ingersoll, then Woodstock and finally Tillsonburg.