AUGUSTA---Just over 100 years after Bishop Louis S. Walsh, the fourth Bishop of Portland, blessed and set the cornerstone for a new church in Augusta, Bishop Robert P. Deeley, the twelfth Bishop of Portland, will celebrate a centennial Mass to commemorate the 100 ^th anniversary of St. Augustine Church, located on 75 Northern Avenue.

The Mass is scheduled for Saturday, November 19, at 4 p.m. and will be offered in English and French to honor the French Canadians who left rural areas of Québec and traveled to the Augusta area in hopes of a better life in the late 19 ^th century.

St. Augustine Parish was established in 1887 and the parish’s first church was opened on Washington Street in August of 1888. The wooden structure accommodated a French Catholic population of 218 families. During the early 20 ^th century, Fr. Alphonse LaRiviere was appointed pastor and became determined to build a new church for his growing parish family. Fr. LaRiviere died in 1914 but by the time of his passing, he had already accumulated $20,000 to serve as a financial base for a new and larger church.

The task of building the new church was assumed by Fr. Zenon Decarie. On June 4, 1915, the foundation was laid on land donated by the Edwards Manufacturing Company on the ridge of Sand Hill. Initially, architects refused to continue building the foundation on the site he chose because they feared the heavy church would “sink” into the sand. It was said that Fr. Decarie kept an all-night prayer vigil with hands outstretched to form a cross in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. The next day, builders found the ledge they needed.

The beautiful building, made with Hallowell granite, was the first stone church erected by Franco-Americans in Maine and accommodated over 1,300 people. The Roman architecture was enhanced by the church’s main steeple measuring more than 100 feet, serving as a permanent and recognizable landmark on the Augusta skyline. On Christmas Day of 1916, the first celebration was held at the church: a Mass of praise and thanksgiving. St. Augustine Church was ultimately completed in 1918.

Following the anniversary Mass on November 19, a reception will be held in the church hall. A commemorative book featuring a complete history of the church will be given to attendees. All parishioners, community members, and media members are encouraged to gather together on this special day. For more information, contact Dave Guthro, Communications Director for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7810 or [email protected].