ORGANIZATION AND FUND RAISING

Although there would be much volunteer labour, some people with specialized skills and experience would have to be paid, such as the foreman, Dunstan Martin of Tignish. Windows would have to be bought, in some cases imported like the Rose Window brought from Newcastle, N.B. So a special effort was made to pro- mote the Annual Parish Picnic of July 21, 1891 as the Summerside Pioneer of July 6, reported:

“The parishioners of Palmer Road intend holding their tea (which we previously announced) at DeBlois Station on Tuesday, the 2lst inst. This tea promises to be a grand affair and as a special train goes from Summerside upon which greatly reduced fares will be given, there will in all probability be a big gathering. The object of the tea is to raise funds to build the church to replace the one consumed by fire last year...”

There is no evidence of the success of the 1891 Picnic but we have a record of one in 1889 which took in $1,200 and of the 1894 Picnic with $1,300. The foundation was probably put in place in the fall of 1891 to allow it to settle and to get an early start in the Spring of 1892.

CONSTRUCTION

We know that the intended foreman, Dunstan Martin was occupied at Miscouche through 1891 as indicated by a report in the Pioneer of April 20, 1891 that the cornerstone at Miscouche would be blessed on July 8, 1891 and in the Charlottetown Examiner of March 3, 1892 that work had begun on the interior of Miscouche Church. By August 15, 1892 construction at Palmer Road had progressed to the point that the cornerstone could be blessed. The description in the Charlottetown Examiner of Monday, August 22, 1892 is gem of journalistic conciseness:

“New Church — At the laying of the cornerstone of the new Roman Catholic Church at Palmer Road, which took place of the 15 inst., the Pioneer reports that sub- scription to the amount of $1200. was secured for sit— tings [pews?] and $300.00 was realized by the tea in connection.”

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