1970-1971 : Rev. Justin MacDonald (assistant pastor)
1975-1985: Rev. Engelbertus van de Ven (pastor)
J an.-J une 1986: Rev. Francis P. Aylward (administrator) 1986-1990: Rev. J. Leo Trainor (pastor)
1988-1989: Rev. Austin Bradley (administrator) 1990— Rev. Arthur J. Pendergast (pastor)
Father Trudelle, as the first resident Pastor, will be given more atten- tion in this chapter. Father Azade J. Trudelle was a native of St. Gregoire de Nicolet in the province of Quebec. He had spent some time at St. Dunstan's College as a teacher and, at the same time, made preparation for the priesthood. He was ordained by Bishop MacIntyre in the Cathedral at Charlottetown on May 28, 1863. After his ordination, he continued teaching at the College and later served as Assistant at St. Dunstan's Cathedral with Very Rev. Dr. MacDonald. While at the Cathedral, he took on the duty of organist and choir director.
In November of 1865, Father Trudelle was transferred to the pas- toral charge of Cascumpec and Egmont Bay which had been left vacant by Father Roy's departure for Quebec. In October of 1868, he was trans- ferred to the Magdalen Islands. Five years later, in 1873, he was appoint- ed the first resident Pastor of Hope River. Father Trudelle served as Pastor at St. Ann's from 1873 until 1881.
In 1875 he supervised the building of a new church 75 feet by 40 feet, but, unfortunately, just about the time it was finished, at least exteri- orly, it burned to the ground. Nothing daunted, Father Trudelle and the parishioners set about rebuilding with the same dimensions and it was said to be one of the prettiest churches in P.E.I. The architect was John Corbett. This church represented the fifth church that the young parish had erected.
With the church gone, Mass was held for a time at the farmhouse of Felix McKenna while the church was rebuilt. This is now the home of Jimmy and Caroline McAleer.
Things went along well enough until 1881 when the parochial house burned down in April and the parish records up to 1881 were lost in the fire. Were they the records from 187 3 or were there records kept at Hope River before 1873? It seems likely that the records went back some time before 1873 since there is a scarcity of records referring to St. Ann's in
the Rustico records in the years just prior to 1873. Trouble was not over for Father Trudelle. In late June, 1881, he was thrown from his horse which had been frightened by a wild driver of a
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