KISgiOg"OF ST" ' MARY " Sour^ s The earliest dwellers in Souris village arrived there from St. Peter in 1810. They were soon followed "by some Acadiens from Arichat, and hy a family of McPhees who came to Souris in l£lU. Little Harbour , the eastern part of the parish was first settled "by three Highland families who went there in 130 S. The inhahitants of this portion of what is now the mission of Souris attended mass at St. Columha's East Point , previous to the 'building of the parish church, while the settlers of Souris village fceing nearer , depended for spiritual care upon the paster of that mission. Occasionally stations were held at the houses of Mr. Angus Camphell of Little Harbour , of Mr. Weil McLellan of Little Harbour , of Mr Angus McDonald (Hector) of Chepstow , and of Mr. Peter Chiverie of Souris . In 183 S the people "bestirred themselves and took steps toward "building a church; ground was "bought from Francis Chiverie and cleared hy the parishovmers, and upon this site the pioneer church was erected fey Messrs. Thomas Stone and Michael Bayley , The dimmensions of this church were sixty feet hy thirty five feet. The first elders were Donald Allan McDonald , Souris , Francais Lavie , Souris , Angus McDonald (Hector). The priest in charge of the mission at that time was the Heverend John MacDonald of G- lenaladale, who offered the first mass in Souris church in January 1839* In the month of June I8 U 9 a disastrous fire destroyed "both the church and a fine parochial house, which was just "being completed hy the Rev. Pius McPhee . Nothing daunted,the parishoners determined to proceed at once with the "building of a new church; they turned out in a "body, went to the woods, procured, and prepared the material for the frame. -cond church vac opened in *> " ^r 18^9; the "builder was Ronald ~ MacDonald. It is eighty feet in length hy forty five in width, and twenty two feet in height; the spire is a hundred feet high. The vestry is twenty four