68 It Happened in Iona inscribed 'Tor the poor". It was the "poor box" and whether or not it ever contained much money, this little box and its message made a deep impression on me. The main church was heated by a coal furnace and large steam radiators generously placed throughout. To say the church was heated at all would be an overstatement since the high rafters above absorbed most of the furnace warmth. As well, the main doors opening to the unheated hilly north made sure that what heat there was got habitually replaced by frigid air. Just the same, the black smoke from the chimney and the sizzling of the radiators gave the impression of heat and had a good psychological impact on the worshippers. Included in the church's construction was a roomy side chapel on the east which was plastered and finished throughout. It was a most practical addition and much used, especially in colder weather. It was furnished with smaller-type pews, glass- framed stations of the cross, neat wooden altar and ample cupboards for vestments and other liturgical necessities. It also contained the one and only confessional with green curtained doorways. In the centre of the room was a wood stove with generous lengths of pipe giving the place a homey atmosphere. The side chapel was used for daily Mass most of the year, for baptisms, for Lenten devotions, for catechism classes, for funer¬ als in winter and on occasion even for Sunday During my formative years our only priest was Father Charles McCarthy , a native of Souris West , who served Iona from 1933 to 1952. While possessing his share of human weak¬ ness, he was a gentle and friendly man, above all an excellent catechist who explained things easily and clearly, even though the catechism of the day was the question-answer type. Parish youth would assemble with him either in the main church or side chapel, Butler's catechism being the official text: the short catechism with twelve chapters for the younger children and the long catechism with thirty chapters for the older ones. This was supplemented by a text called "Bible History", well illustrated with fascinating stories from scripture, a gentle introduction to God's Word, although perhaps unnoticed by us at the time, most of the answers in Butler had a marked reference from the Bible. Each June there was a "catechetical Sunday" when at the end of Mass youth who had successfully passed the diocesan senior exams would be called to the front to receive their certificates from the pastor. It was a proud moment wrapped in such public recognition. These certificates were greatly treasured and often