August 4, 2002

Remembering 150 Years...

1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

Train Wreck in Almonte Kills 39: Up To 140 Injured

At 8:30 on the evening of Sunday, December 27, 1942, a troop train carrying soldiers from Alberta
smashed into the back of the Pembroke - Ottawa local jammed with holiday travellers returning to Ottawa
after spending Christmas with their families. The local train, delayed because of the volume of traffic and
an hour behind schedule, was taking on passengers at the Almonte Station when struck by the troop
express in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. Of the dead, many were from Renfrew, including six
members of the St. Francis Xavier Faith Community.
On December 31, a funeral Mass was held for Miss Marie Green, Miss Mary Kelly, Pte. Michael
Laplaunt, Pte. Stanley O’Link, Mr. Emerson Roach, and Miss Dallas Sullivan. His Excellency Bishop
Nelligan was to have celebrated Pontifical Requiem Mass but was delayed by a blizzard as he journeyed
from Ottawa. He arrived in time to deliver a sermon to the congregation and offer his sincere sympathy
to relatives and friends of the deceased. The Mass was chanted by Flight Lieutenant M.J. Wingle and
assisted by Rev. M.J. Hass and Rev. J.J. Lynch. Also present was the St. Francis Xavier Pastor, the Rt.
Rev. W. Dooner, Rev. T.P. Wingle, and Rev. J. Kelly.

“What in the hell happened?” asked

the soldier as he emerged from the
haze of semi-consciousness.
Nearby, in the snow, sat a young
wom an. A stranger to the soldier,
she appeared oblivious to her
injuries as she surveyed the carnage
around her. “I don’t know” she
replied at last. “But whatever it is,
it’s something terrible.”
 Grade 7: 1924-25
Pictured above is a group of Grade Seven students from St. Francis Xavier School. In the
back row are Merle Goulet, Shirley Gilles, Gertrude Klaman, Eva Letang, Christina
Kuretski, Helen Green, Annie Bowers, Hannah O’Brien, Kaye Zyvitski, and Mary
McKean. In the third row are Edmund Ritza, Charles Dupuis, Paul Zyvitski, Edmund
Levesque, Steve Lemenchick, Sylvester Hunt, Angus Brennan, John J. O’Shea, and
Garfield Miller. Making up the second row is Mona Lemenchick, Isabel Preen, Bridget
Kenopic, Marie McGee, Ada Hunt, Grace Burns, Evelyn Bates, Mona Leskie, and June
Lindsay. In the front row are Oral Desjardins, Pat Villemere, Mark Lynch, Bernard
Wadsworth, Bernard Ritza, and Austin Morris.

Father Michael James Ryan was born May 10, 1928 in Renfrew, the son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. William Patrick Ryan. He was raised and educated in Renfrew
before moving on to studies at St. Patrick’s College in Ottawa. Entering the Oblates,
he continued his studies at Holy Rosary Scholasticate in Orleans in 1951. Ordained
on June 9, 1956 in Ottawa, Father Ryan celebrated his first Mass at St. Francis Xavier
in June of 1956.
Father Jim taught at St. Patrick’s College and later served as Bursar of St. Peter’s
Oblate Province for over ten years. He returned frequently to assist at St. Francis
Xavier, particularly at Christmas and Easter.
Father Ryan died suddenly of a heart attack on February 18, 1979 while cross-
country skiing. His Funeral Liturgy was celebrated at Canadian Martyrs Church in
Ottawa while a Memorial Mass was celebrated at St. Francis Xavier in May of 1979.
Michael James Ryan is survived by siblings Joseph, Father Bill Ryan, S.J.,
Theresa Moore, and Helen Hanniman. Deceased siblings are Bernadette, Eileen,
Catherine, and Robert.
 August 11, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Taken in 1951, the photograph below shows the cast
of an Irish play. From left to right are director Phil Our
Bolger, Pat Bolger, Dorothy Gagne, Ray Litkey, Joe
Murphy, Hubert Vice, Joan Pecore, Tom Bolger, people.
Joan Gray, C.J. Shannon, dancers Jerry Cloutier,
Wayne Moran and Mary Moran, and Eulalia Rice, Our
Irene Hanniman, Pat Clemen and Bill Freamo.
history.

Parents Foundation
Continues With
Fundraising Support
For S.J.H.S.
In this 1981 photo, Nancy
Bailey and Joe Plasczek
discuss plans for the
upcoming Lottery ‘81.
This fundraising event was
sponsored by the Parents
Foundation of St.
Joseph’s High School.
 Pictures of the first stone
church, built in 1873-74,
show a pulpit of stately
appearance with a
carroussel roof topped with a
cross. It was located in the
seating area and erected
high on the first pillar of the
left side. It could be reached
by using a winding staircase.

When the church was renovated in 1919-20, a new pulpit was installed in the Sanctuary
floor. It was sunk into the floor and operated upwards and downwards by cog wheels
driven by a motor. Before the homily, the sexton ( for many years a gentleman named
Leo Gareau ) would lift back the trap doors, press a switch and set the pulpit into motion.
As the pulpit moved upwards into position the cog wheels could be heard creaking away
until the complete elevation was attained. As the pulpit would now be standing high up
on a pedestal, a portable ladder was then unfolded so that the priest could mount the steps
into the pulpit. When lowered back into the floor at the conclusion of the sermon, the
pulpit would remain, essentially, in the church basement until called upon again.

By the mid-1940's, Father

Sloan likely grew tired of
creaking cog wheels, trap
doors, and portable ladders.
He decided instead to
mount the entire pulpit on
the first pillar to the right,
taking it from the Sanctuary
and returning it to the
seating area. Here it would
remain until destroyed by
the fire of 1964.
 August 18, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

P March 1922: Frequenting

In this photograph, Sister Claire Gallagher
accepts a bouquet of roses from St. Joseph’s
High School head girl Ann Walters and Peter
Skebo. The flowers were accepted on behalf
of the Sisters of St. Joseph and were
presented as a symbol of appreciation for all
that the Sisters had done for the local Catholic
high school.
public dance halls is not to be
commended at any time but
more especially during the Holy
Season of Lent.
P January 27, 1935: Dancing is
to be frowned upon as it is a
grave matter.
( In a letter from the Bishop )

From The Announcement Book...

“ More than half the families in the parish have no pew and pay no pew rent. Next
Sunday an extra collection will be taken up after Communion at the 8:00 and 9:15 AM
Masses. Each one is expected to contribute 10¢ a sitting. Those who cannot afford
this will have seats just the same without charge so that this will not be an excuse for
standing or of missing Mass.”
May 21, 1922
Members of the staff of St. Francis Xavier School gather for a Christmas party picture in 1955. In
front are Mrs. Green, Mrs. Lila Prince, Mr. G. Barry, Lucy Lepack, Mr. Green and daughter
Rosemary, Mrs. Sheahan, Mrs. L. Bolger, and Mrs. McAdam. In the back row are Sister St.
Gemma, Sister Catherine, Sister Francis Ann, Grace Lunney, Sister Vivian, Sister Enda, Sister
Miriam-Hilda, Sister Patricia Jean, Sister Columban, Sister James, and Sister Leonard-Joseph.
P The first organ is not recorded as being
purchased, unless it was recorded in French and
missed during research. Our first parish priest,
Father Bouvier, was French and made his register
entries in that language, as did Father Rougier.
As well, it is quite possible this first organ was
donated.
P The second organ was purchased September 25,
1881 for $70.00 with the trade-in of the first organ.
Pipers had to be trained.
P The third organ was purchased in 1896 for $268.52
plus $$2.23 freight. An organ blower was
required.
P The fourth organ was purchased September 3,
1910. The retail price of $450.00 was reduced to
$200.00 as $250.00 was allowed for the trade of the
old one. A pumper was required for this organ.
P The fifth organ, obtained April 16, 1927, was a
Sister St. James and the pipe organ from Cosonant Bros., purchase price
Fifth Organ
$8015.00. As no other organ purchases are
recorded after this, it follows that this would be
the organ destroyed in the church fire of 1964. A
foot pump organ was used in the vestry after the
fire but there is little information about its origins
or where it might have ended up.
P The sixth organ is the one currently in use at St.
Francis Xavier Church. It is a transistorized
electronic organ made by Allen.
 August 25, 2002
Remembering 150 Years...
1852 St. Francis Xavier Parish 2002

Our
stories.
Our
people.
Our
history.

Inter-Faith Clergy Night: 1973

P.J. Howard, Father Flynn, Father McNamara
and Father Harrington involve themselves in
heavy discussion during an informal inter-faith
clergy night in May of 1973. Seated in the
background is SFX parishioner Bill Keon.

As it appeared in the bulletin of February 10, 1924.

“Next Thursday, February 14th at

10:30 a.m., a Pontifical High Mass
will be sung by Rt. Rev. Bishop
Ryan, after which will take place the
solemn investiture of Father French
and then will be made the address
and presentation made. A number of Rev. Brady McNamara talks with
Rev. Harrington of Calabogie in
front pews will be reserved on both this 1973 picture. Father
sides of the centre aisle for clergy, McNam ara would serve as
military officers, and visitors.” Pastor of St. Francis Xavier
Church from 1998 to 2000.
 The Renfrew Community
Concerts Association
prepares for their one-week
campaign of 1971. Pictured
above are, from left to right,
Herb Rusheleau, Publicity
Chairman; Msgr. S.P.
Owens, President; Mrs.
Bernard English, Captain;
Marjorie Lindsay, Campaign
Secretary; Mrs. D.W.
Stewart, Membership
Chairperson; Ken Cochrane,
Co-Chairman of
Membership; and Gertrude
Silver, Community Concert
Representative.

P Building permits for

November of 1965 As it appeared in the bulletin of July 13, 1930.
were $239,800 with “Your prayers are requested for the
St. Francis Xavier repose of the Soul of Rev. Father
Reynolds formerly curate of this parish
Church the largest and late Pastor of Killaloe Parish,
funeral tomorrow in Killaloe at 9 a.m.”
at $194,000.
(note: Father Reynolds was an uncle of Father J. Quinn)

This July 1958

photograph shows
some of the
campers attending
that summer’s Girl’s
Camp held at the St.
Francis Xavier Youth
Camp at Lake Clear.