ORIGINALLY a part of the old Parish , this area became a parish of its own in 1936. In 1920 the people built a small church here and in 1945 enlarged is considerably, making it much as it appears today. They dedicated it to Mary under the title of " Stella Maris " (Star of the Sea). In 1937 a nearby house was moved and became the rectory. convent and more. In the 1980s the parishioners designated an area in the church basement as the " McNeill Room " in remembrance of their founding pastor. North Rustico is a busy little village. The fishery is a major occupation out of North Rustico Harbour and into the plentiful waters of the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence . In 1940 the Sisters of Notre Dame arrived in the parish to teach. Soon a local house was moved close to the church for a convent. The sisters brought a quality of educational excellence and have been a great blessing for the parish where they still maintain an active presence. Two natives of the parish had the honor of serving as Prince Edward Island 's Lieutenant Governor . Dr. Aubin Doiron and Marion (Doyle) Reid discharged these duties with dignity and grace during five-year terms in the 1980s and 1990s. Father Doug McNeill, the first pastor, deserves mention here. During his twelve years in the parish he was a leader along many fronts including liturgy, school, fishery, co-op, Slightly over 300 families make up Stella Maris Parish today with a wide range of employment activities in practice. Being so close to the splendid North Shore and , tourism is a major enterprise. Our Parishes 77