the church was repainted; in the same year, the Bishop of Charlottetown officially blessed the forty-three year old church.

On the ledgers of 1925 appears a bill for the building of a new barn. This was an important part of the life of Reverend P. D. MacGuigan. He kept a herd of cows and a few horses. To show just how well he ran the farm. he led all patrons in the cream supply for Lake Verde factory for that year. In 1928, lights were installed in the parish hall and parochial house. The same year a new furnace was bought for the church. The house safe was purchased from J. J. Taylor in 1929.

After 1929, a series of repairs form the history of both the church and the parochial house. House repairs were done in 1930 and again in 1935; the cost of rebuilding the walls of the house was $1,325.58. Further repairs to the house had to be done in 1951.

In 1950 the church was repainted and reshingled in preparation for the celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the building of the church. On August 8, 1954, a solemn high mass, commemorating the occasion. was celebrated in the church by Reverend K. C. MacPherson, the oldest living native priest, who had also witnessed the opening of the church. Deacon for the mass was Reverend Frank MacDonald, S.J.; and sub-deacon was Reverend O. P. Wood, the youngest priest at the time in the parish and also the last priest to date to come from Vernon River Parish. The sermon was preached by Reverend James Rooney of Oklahoma, formerly of the parish. Reverend Urban Gillis was the parish priest at the time of this celebration.

In 1969 extensive repairs were made to the interior of the church. Again, in 1971. the side chapel, known as St. Ann’s Chapel, was completely renovated. In the past few years, the kneeling benches in the church have all been replaced.

The parochial house was repaired again in 1968-69, and it was redecorated inside and outside at that time also. In 1973 the main church was redecorated and renovations were made to the sanctuary which was extended twelve feet. In place of the side altars a baptismal font was in- stalled on one side and a repository for the Blessed Sacrament on the other. Extensive repairs were also made to the tower at this time.

The official re-opening following renovations took place on May 29, 1973, with Bishop Francis J. Spence celebrating the Mass at 8:00 pm. and delivering the homily. Many priests of the diocese attended, and as in 1879, the church was filled to overflowing. This time however, the

stylish buggies and utilitarian carts gave way to motor vehicles of all kinds.

Vernon River is a parish which in its earliest years gave many sons and daughters to the service of Christ as priests and religious. Twenty-

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