LARGE MEMORIAL PLAQUE IN THE THE ROSEAU CATHEDRAL : BISHOP R.M.C POIRIER AND THE FIRST VATICAN COUNCIL

                                                                                                      by Bernard Lauwyck

The large marble memorial plaque, fixed to the walls of the Roseau Cathedral, immortalizing Bishop R.M.C. Poirier’s attendance at the First Vatican Council (1869-1870) and his full support for one of its main decrees : Papal Primacy and Infallibility.                               (photo credit B. Lauwyck)

The text is in Latin and reads (translated) : To the perpetual memory of Bishop of Roseau, Renatus Maria Carolus POIRIER’s  attendance (assistance) at THE EUCUMENICAL VATICAN COUNCIL and his support for the definition of THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE ROMAN PONTIF, VICAR OF CHRIST.  And his successful return to his diocese.                                         The 8^th of December 1870.

This is an important part of the History of the Bishops of Roseau which was neglected and overshadowed in THE ECCCLESIASTICAL BULLETIN OF ROSEAU (EBR) ’s  History of the Diocese by the local troubles caused by an Italian priest, Claud Sebastiani. Rev.Fr Sebastiani, an Italian missionary, gave Bishop Poirier much grief and caused irreparable damage to the local Catholic Church.  The EBR called it “ the darkest page in the annals of the parish of Roseau” (Ros., 1931). So Bishop Poirier left Roseau with a heavy and troubled heart but at the time he could not foresee the troubles which awaited him caused by wars in France and Rome.

Bishop Poirier photo from Vatican I         
                                                                                                     source : ACTES ET HISTOIRE DU CONCILE OECUMÉNIQUE DE ROME  MDCCCLXIX,  1689   Biographies, portraits  et autographes des peres de Concile premier au Vatican –  Publiee sous la direction de Frond PILON  –   Lemercier Primeurs   Paris 1871 (free Google books)  page  64,

I am knitted and stitched this important part of the diocesan history from numerous different sources.

Vatican Council I, held in St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time, began on December 8, 1869 and ended on September 1, 1870. Approximately 700 religious men attended the first session on December 8, 1869.  A total of 800 cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, abbots, and religious superior generals from all over the world participated in the sessions over the nine months. (Pilon, 1871) (O’Malley, 2018)

The attendance of prelates from all over the world was only possible due to recent progress in the means of transportation namely the steam ship and the rail ways. Still compared to modern times communications, travelling in the 19^th century was very time consuming and not without risks.

The EBR (Ros., 1931) gave us some of the dates of Bishop Poirier long journey to Rome. . He left Dominica for France in June 1969.  We assumed he took a paquebot (as the french mail steam ships of the Compagnie General Transatlantique (CGT) were called)  to St. Nazaire in France.  On November 17, 1969 he was still in France, maybe visiting family or waiting to  join up with fellow bishops to cross France by train.  He arrived in Rome on December 2, 1869, six days before the official opening ceremony of the first Vatican Council, which took place on Dec 8, 1969.

The opening ceremony of the first Vatican Council in the grand nave of  St. Peter’s Basilica   Rome.   source : Le Concile oecuménique de 1869-1870 illustré. P.124.              published in Lyon : Chez les éditeurs ; in Paris : a la librairie Bouquere

update on the new HOLY FAMILY chapel in MAHAUT April 2021

The works were progressing well till the ring beam was completed in April 2016.

The structural steel frame was delivered  six months after .

The works  to put a roof on this building have not resumed since the the passage of hurricane MARIA in September 2017, a hurricane which caused enormous damage to the island and its population but not to the new chapel building.

Attempts to raise funds for the completion are ongoing at this time. 

This chapel will be approx. the size of the OL of Fatima church in Newtown as it will serve the fast growing communities of Jimmit, Belfast and Mahaut.

The downstairs will accommodate catechetic classrooms, toilet facilities and a parish hall.   

 

Have a look at the window treatment below.

A JOYOUS DAY in LOUBIERE TODAY : The HOLY SPIRIT Chapel rededication after repairs since hurricane Maria

More than three years after the chapel was flooded during the passage of hurricane Maria on September 18, 2017, the efforts of this catholic community paid off and the chapel will be re dedicated and put back in use.

Below are some images of the newly renovated chapel :

renovated front elevation

Calvary at Loubiere : Jesus’ mother and St John under the cross

meeting room at Loubiere chapel

new altar, ambo and recovered tabernacle

In a post below you can find images of the damage done by hurricane Maria in 2017

churches and chapels in 2017

Sts Peter and Paul chapel at CALIBISHIE

St. John and St Louis church at PORTSMOUTH

St Ann church at MASSACRE

Our Lady of La Salette church In POINTE MICHEL

 

destruction by hurricane MARIA on September 18, 2017

Hurricane Maria, a superior category 5 hurricane, devastated Dominica on September 18, 2017.

The following churches and chapels were severely affected :

• St. Patrick’s church at Grandbay
• Holy Trinity chapel at Bagatelle
• Epiphany chapel at Pichelin
• Holy Spirit chapel at loubiere
• Sacred heart church at La Roche
• Good Shepherd chapel in CONCORD
• Our Lady of Martyrs chapel at Mahaut River
• Martyrs of Uganda chapel at Upper Penville

I am creating a link named ” destroyed by hurricane MARIA 2017″

 

 

destruction of Sacred Heart chapel in LA Roche, by hurricane MARIA on September 18, 2017

 

 

SACRED HEART CHAPEL in LA ROCHE

 

 

LOUBIERE CHAPEL

 

The chapel at MAHAUT RIVER below

Upper Penville chapel

The history of two chapels in CALIBISHIE

by Bernard Lauwyck

 July 4^th 1972 was a festive day in Calibishie, as their brand new church hall or multipurpose building was official opened by Bishop Arnold Boghaert.  A large crowd gathered, “including truckloads of visitors from as far as Soufriere and Giraudel”, according to the Dominica Chronicle.

The chapel in CALIBISHIE before hurricane Dean in August 2007

The building was adored with a mural done by Lennox Honychurch, based on a design of Gilda Thibaud Nassief, with the theme “casting the net” which was an appropriate image for a chapel dedicated to St. Peter.

“casting the net” mural in the Calibishie chapel before 2007

Frs. Henri Brennan FMI, parish priest and  Jean- Baptiste Villeneuve FMI, the builder, concelebrated with the Bishop.

This building sustained damage with each passage of a hurricane , in 1979, in 1980 and in 1995. Even as repairs were done after the damage the building kept deteriorating: the steel structure, exposed to a lot of seablast lost its structural integrity; concrete foundations were cracking; the roof developed more and more leaks; a branch of a breadfruit tree fell onto the roof; the chapel flooded several times. 

As a result Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, in consultation with the parish priest at the time, Fr. Celsus Auguiste, decided that a new chapel building was needed.

Fundraising for this new chapel was in full swing when Hurricane Dean hit on the morning of August 17, 2007 and lifted & rolled up the roofing. The parishioners had no choice but to look for an alternative place to worship: first at the government school building and later, when that building was also declared unsafe for the public, a local restaurant.

On August 24, 2010  I presented my design for the new chapel  to Fr. Celsus Auguiste and his Calibishie Chapel Reconstruction Committee and it was accepted.

Rev. Fr. Celsus is very happy with the new design

On September 26, 2010  Bishop Gabriel Malzaire performed a ground bearing ceremony with a large crowd in attendance. I had the opportunity to explain the design and its liturgical symbolism. Sadly Fr. Celsus could not attend this important event as his mother died a few hours earlier. 

The technical drawings were approved by the Physical Planning Division on November 17, 2010.

Requests for tenders went out, but as the available funds were insufficient, only a section of the building could be started. The construction of the foundations and the erection of the galvanised steel frame were started in August, 2012. Once that was done, the works could only continue as funds were limited: the concrete floor was cast with volunteers between January 11-12, 2013; the concrete blocks were installed with self help in April 2013.

Status January 2013 : concrete floor cast with coud de main by parishioners

It was slow going but the catholic community, under the leadership of Fr. Conan Shillingford and a hardworking building committee, was determined to finish their chapel.

Rev Fr. Conan Shillingford conducts Holy Mass in unfinished Calibsihie chapel

Finally all their efforts were rewarded when they moved into an unfinished chapel, still under construction, late 2013. The building at that time had no windows nor doors.

The Divine Mercy and patron Saints images and angel murals were installed in 2014. 

Artist Caesar CATIN at Calibishie chapel Sept 2014

The works and fundraising continued and finally, the chapel was ready for the official blessing on July 2, 2017.  Bishop Gabriel Malzaire in the presence of Fr. C. Sebastian Robert MSFS, parish administrator Deacon Alvin Knight and a large gathering solemnly dedicated the new chapel to Sts. Peter and Paul.

Sadly Fr. Conan could not attend this moment he had work so hard for, as he was on sick leave.

Procession to the new chapel July 2, 2017      (photo courtesy Deacon Alvin Knight)

What remains to be done is the construction of a tall bell tower, with toilet facilities and a vestry under neath.

see other articles on this chapel in this blog (below).

update Roseau Cathedral roofing SEPT 2017

view from SMA gate in Turkey Lane

view from the East

DEDICATION of the new chapel at Calibishie, July 2, 2017

by Bernard Lauwyck

The chapel in Calibishie was dedicated and solemnly blessed on July 2, 2017  by Bishop Gabriel Malzaire .                                     Its patrons are Sts Peter and Paul.

THE SANCTUARY OF THE NEW CHAPEL AT CALIBISHIE July 2017

This new place of worship replaces the previous building which was severely damaged by Hurricane Dean in 2007.

The sanctuary furniture was donated by the Joseph family from Calibishie through the initiative of Mr. Simeon Joseph. Countless people and several organisations made contributions to the construction of this chapel.

This was a community project which was started by Fr. Celsus Auguiste, built when Fr. Conan Shillingford was parish priest and  blessed during the administration of Deacan Alvin Knight.

I personally spent countless hours at Calibishie , day and nighttime, to move this project forward.

The Main contractor was Ronald Bedneau.

A lot of work was done by local free labour, coud-de-main.  We need to commend the parishioners of Our Lady of La Soie and especially the ones at Calibishie for their untiring efforts and devotion.

 

 

Coloured windows include representations of the patron saints Sts Paul and Peter and THE DIVINE MERCY of Christ.

click on  Calibishie chapel link on the right side (churches under construction) to find out more about the design and construction of this chapel.

update on the works at Roseau Cathedral June 2017

The roofing works continue slowly

June 2017 update on the new Portsmouth church

June 2017  : windows and doors completed

façade facing West with window depicting the DESCENDING DOVE, the two patron saints and the beautifully carved entrance doors in local mahogany timber ( donated by Jacqueline Douglas).