CHARLOTTETOWN (St Dunstan's Cathedral) As a Catholic community the Charlotcetown core developed slowly. When Bishop Plessis of Quebec visited here in 1812 there was no church. He ordered that one be built and dedicated to St. Dunstan of Canterbury. This first church, on the site of today's basilica, was erected in 1816 and twice enlarged. After the Island became a diocese in 1829 the St. Dunstan's churches became cathedrals. In 1843 construction of the second wooden cathedral began on the same lot. It was a beautiful church for its day with its front entrance facing the water. jiii IP In 1896 the building of a large imposing cathedral in stone got underway. Taking a few years to complete, it was considered one of the most magnificent churches east of Quebec . However, in the winter of 1913 all was lost when fire reduced it to ashes. Before long the present cathedral, an even larger one, rose in its place and had a great solemn opening in 1919. Ten years later, the centennial year of the diocese, this great church was raised to the dignity of a basilica. The first rectory dates to 1825 and the second to 1862. The present one, formerly referred to as "the palace", was built in 1875 with a west wing added around 1915. Here the bishops lived until 1963 when a new bishop's residence was built on Road. Since the mid 1980s this latter building has been the Diocesan Pastoral Centre with the bishop's residence since then being at York Point . In the early days the parish burial ground was the front part of today's Anglican Cemetery on St. Peter 's Road. In 1843 a new one was begun almost next door to today's Birchwood School. In 1883 the present Catholic Cemetery opened. Cathedral boys' choir 1960 Second cathedral and palace Our Parishes 51