The little St. Ann’s statue was donated by May Gallant and Mr. and Mrs. Dally Thibodeau.

The first janitor was Will MacCormick, followed by Everett Wedge, and at present Mabel Thibodeau. Lloyd Butler and Fred Thibodeau were the first collectors and they held the position for a long time.

First altar boys were Adrian Doucette, Earl Murphy, Bill Wedge, Harvey Callaghan and Lawrence Burke.

First choir consisted of Joe Doucette, Anthony Gallant, Henry Hustler, Chester Hustler, Wilfred Tremblay, Auldine Wedge,

Delores Jones, and Marge Murphy. The only funeral mass at Miminegash was the burial of

Joseph J. Gallant on January 1, 1952. First marriage was John Carragher (Jr.) and Louise Wedge on November 18, 1967. There have been a few weddings since then.

The outside structure of the church has remained the same except for the addition of a porch. A wheel chair ramp has been added to the back entrance. The interior has basically retained its original style except for the removal of the confessionals. One was located in the vestry and the other was near the entrance of the church. The latter has been converted to a crying room for babies and young children. The wood floor has been covered with rug carpeting.

Our Lady of the Assumption Church has fulfilled the needs of the people of Miminegash and surrounding districts.

Of all the mission churches on P.E.I., Our Lady of the Assumption Church has the largest congregation. It continues to be a very important aspect of community life.

PASTORS AND EARLY MISSIONARIES

The first missionary in what is now Palmer Road Parish was Rev. Sylvain Ephrem Poirier, who looked after the missions of Egmont Bay, Mont Carmel, Cascumpeque, and Tignish from his headquarters at Miscouche. The first Island Acadian priest, and a Tignish native, was ordained in 1828 the same year he started vis- iting Tignish on his Mission tour. His name is commemorated in the SE. Perry (Poirier) branch of the St. Thomas Aquinas Society of West Prince with an office at St. Louis (old school). He was succeeded in 1843 by Rev. Peter Maclntyre, the first resident pas- tor at Tignish, who later became bishop of Charlottetown.

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