Holy Cross Church, Wikwemikong

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Holy Cross Church

Manitoulin Holy Cross Mission Seminar.JPG

Church entrance with the mission ruins in the background
Coordinates: 45°48′29″N81°42′40″W / 45.808173°N 81.711237°W / 45.808173; -81.711237
Location Wikwemikong
Country Canada
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Founded 1838
Founder(s) Society of Jesus
Dedication Feast of the Cross
Events Interior burnt in 1954
Architecture
Status Active
Functional status Parish church
Architect(s) Fr. Nicholas Point, S.J.
Groundbreaking 31 July 1849
Completed 25 July 1852
Administration
Diocese Sault Sainte Marie
Province Kingston

Holy Cross Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, north-eastern Manitoulin island. It was originally built in 1852. It has been served by the Society of Jesus since 1845. It is situated to the north of Wikwemikong on Wikwemikong Way, next to the Giizhigaanang Community Centre. A large residence was built next to the church. After a fire in 1854, the residence burnt down, but the external walls remain, and are used in the summer by the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group to host theatrical productions.

Parish church church which acts as the religious centre of a parish

A parish church in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.

Society of Jesus male religious congregation of the Catholic Church

The Society of Jesus is a scholarly religious congregation of the Catholic Church for men which originated in sixteenth-century Spain. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations. Jesuits work in education, intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes, sponsor direct social ministries, and promote ecumenical dialogue.

Debajehmujig / De-ba-jeh-mu-jig - Storytellers is a First Nations theatre group based in the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. Debaj is the longest running Indigenous theatre in North America.

Contents

History

Foundation

The first known European person to go to Manitoulin Island was a Jesuit priest, Fr. Joseph Poncet. He arrived in 1648. No one followed to sustain a European presence on the island. After the War of 1812, the Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes moved to the island. Further First Nation people also moved to the island after the Treaty of Washington in 1836. In 1838, a Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Jean-Baptiste Proulx, was asked to come to the island to serve the local Catholic population. In 1845, he left and the Jesuits continued in his place. They built a school, a residence, a sawmill and an agricultural training centre for the local people. [1]

Joseph Anthony de la Rivière Poncet was a French Jesuit missionary to Canada.

War of 1812 32-month military conflict between the United States and the British Empire

The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their respective allies from June 1812 to February 1815. Historians in Britain often see it as a minor theater of the Napoleonic Wars; in the United States and Canada, it is seen as a war in its own right.

Odawa Indigenous people of North America

The Odawa, said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the northern United States and southern Canada. They have long had territory that crosses the current border between the two countries, and they are federally recognized as Native American tribes in the United States and have numerous recognized First Nations bands in Canada. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe and Potawatomi peoples.

Construction

In 1848, plans were made to build a permanent church structure. One of the Jesuits there, Fr. Nicholas Point, was an architect and designed the church. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 31 July 1849. It was built using limestone bricks. The builders were local people. Construction finished nearly three years later and the church was opened on 25 July 1852. In 1899, the church steeple was built. [1]

Rebuilding

In 1954, both the church and the residence next to it were damaged by a fire. The church interior was burnt, and was rebuilt. The residence was more severely damaged. The building had to be abandoned. The interior was demolished, leaving only the exterior walls. [2]

Mission ruins

Since 1994, the ruins of the residence next to the church have been used by the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group. Every summer, between July and August, the theatre group use the empty space enclosed by the external walls as a venue to show theatrical productions. The first one was The Manitoulin Incident written by Alanis King. During the Good Friday Mass, the theatre group stage a production of the Passion of Christ for the parish community in the Holy Cross Mission Church. [3]

Good Friday Christian religious holiday, the Friday before Easter

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, and Black Friday.

Mass (liturgy) type of worship service within many Christian denomination

Mass is a term used to describe the main eucharistic liturgical service in many forms of Western Christianity. The term Mass is commonly used in the Catholic Church and Anglican churches, as well as some Lutheran churches, Methodist, Western Rite Orthodox and Old Catholic churches.

Parish

The church has one Sunday morning Mass at 11:00am. [4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Holy Cross Mission from Ontario Abandoned Places, retrieved 18 January 2015
  2. Wikwemikong mission ruins from Unique Ontario, retrieved 18 January 2015
  3. Holy Cross Parish Church from De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group, retrieved 18 January 2015
  4. Mass schedule from Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, retrieved 19 January 2015