Saint-Joachim Parish

With the kind permission of Mr. Ron Pickersgill, director of communications for the Diocese of London, as well as that of Mrs. Rose-Marie Roy, editor of the French page of the Diocese of London, Ontario site, discover part of the history of the parish of Saint -Joachim founded by the Reverend Ambroise Lorion.

Reverend Ambroise Lorion

“I unearthed a multitude of facts, sometimes almost heroic, of sacrifices, of misery endured, of poverty suffered, of stubborn work almost never rewarded on the part of the first pioneers of this parish and especially the first priest, whom I recognize incapable of writing to do them justice. » extract from the History of the Saint-Joachim parish, by Father Joseph Emery, 1943

Around 1824, there were already settlers in the region which would later become the parish of Saint-Joachim. These settlers, originally from Quebec, lived in the middle of the woods. MM. Louis Quenneville and Isidore Carré are considered the first inhabitants. Around 1880, there were three establishments there: one on the Grand' Ligne (French Line), one in Deerbrook at the mouth of the Ruscom River and one in Sainte-Claire near Lake Sainte-Claire, on the Boucher line.

The ever-growing influx of new pioneers, some attracted by the beautiful fertile land, others by the work provided by the construction of the railways, aroused in them the great ambition of founding a parish.

In fact, to get to the church either in Belle-Rivière or Pointe-aux-Roches, these brave people had to travel by “buggy” or sleigh on Tecumseh Road which then ran alongside the lake and which was impassable during the bad season.

MM. Désiré Dupré from Deerbrook and Honoré Trottechaud from the south of the future parish were delegated to meet the Bishop of London, Mgr John Walsh, at the home of Father Joseph Girard in Belle-Rivière. After much discussion, it was decided that a church would be built on the current site, which would be much more central.

The bishop is said to have said: “Build yourself a church and I will send you a priest.” Under the direction of Mr. Elzéar Jacques de Tecumseh, the pioneers set to work in the fall of 1881. In March, the small rustic church erected according to the plan of a barn, was ready for the worship service.

Father Ambroise Lorion, a native of Epiphanie, from the Assomption county of the province of Quebec, was designated as founding priest of the new parish. Ambroise Lorion is the son of Ambroise and Victoire Poitras Trechemin. He was born in Assomption on December 16, 1846. He is the 6th child of this couple who have 12 children.

Church of the Assumption

The first mass took place on March 5, 1882 and the blessing of the church took place on the following June 17 by Mgr JM Bruyère, Grand Vicar of the diocese. The same day, he also blessed the first stone of the new presbytery. The church was placed under the protection of Saint Joachim, the name the village also took. At the church pew sale that same year, there were 90 families.

In 1883, construction of the presbytery and church outbuildings was completed. The English bell with the sound of “la” was blessed that same year and given the name of Joachim and Anne. (This bell had to be replaced in 1947.) Father Lorion purchased three acres of land west of the presbytery for a cemetery. After 29 years of dedication, this priest died on March 21, 1911 and was buried in the cemetery of Saint-Joachim, near Calvary.

Father Edmond Courtois, a native of Gentilly, in the county of Nicolet in Quebec, succeeded him. Upon his arrival, he took a census of his parish. There were “164 households and 875 souls”. He died suddenly on April 4, 1912.

The following priests followed in succession: Abbots Charles Laliberté (1912-1928), Alfred Emery (1928-1930), Joseph Emery (1931-1952) and Charles Lanoue (1948-1952). Mgr Augustin Caron (1952-1963) was responsible for the construction of a convent for teaching nuns as well as the Saint-Jean-Baptiste parish hall. Then came Fathers Roméo Lefaive (1963-1967) and Edgar Robert (1964-1970).

Father Roger Bénéteau (1970-1985) was the priest when the parish brilliantly celebrated the centenary of its foundation on July 3 and 4, 1982 following an anniversary mass celebrated on March 5 of that same year. The parish then welcomed as priests Fathers Linus Bastien (1985-1991), Laurent Poisson (1991-1993), Gérard Bédard (1993), Raymond Masse (1993 -1995), Gilbert Simard (1995-1998).

In 1953, at the request of the school board, the teaching nuns of the Gray Nuns of the Cross moved into the convent newly built for them. They remained there until 1972, when the Motherhouse decided to remove them from the Saint-Ambroise school (school which was built in 1962 and which bears the name of the first priest).

St-Ambroise School

This parish, deeply rooted in faith, gave many of its sons and daughters, too numerous to name, to the service of God, through the priesthood or religious life. Over the years, several societies were formed and today, the following groups still exist: the Women of the French Canadian Federation, the Catholic Women's League and the Ladies of Sainte-Anne.

Over the years, our small church has undergone several transformations to become what it is today. However, with the growing lack of vocations to the priesthood, the silver bell tower that can be seen from miles away must remain silent. For four years, our parish as well as two neighboring parishes, the Annonciation of Pointe-aux-Roches and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes of Comber, have been part of a grouping, under the tireless dedication of the current priest, Father Dwayne Adam, who leads these three French-speaking parishes towards the call of the future. (Information taken from the parish book.)

Text provided by Marie Laurion, Blonay July 2005