J.D. Potié
CAMPBELL’S BAY
Aug. 24, 2019
On Aug. 24, around 40 people gathered in the basement of St. John’s the Evangelist Parish in Campbell’s Bay to celebrate a century of . . .
worship at the church.
Hosted by the Catholic Women’s League (CWL), the event was an opportunity for church members to congregate while celebrating such a momentous milestone for the parish.
After the usual Saturday service at 5:15 p.m., folks got up from their benches and convened in a hall located in the church’s basement where around 15 tables were set up and a golden banner on the wall read “100th anniversary”.
Around ten CWL members worked the kitchen, fixing up trays of sandwiches and finger foods, as well as a variety of iced cold beverages. Plus, attendees were able to feast on a cake celebrating 100 years of operations at the parish.
All of the food and drinks on hand were provided and prepared by the members of the CWL.
Attendees served themselves freely from the buffet, topped with a wide selection of delicious delights; others sat at their respective tables and socialized with friends and family.
According to CWL President Theresa Dagenais, the actual centennial date was on Aug. 8. But CWL members originally believed it was on Aug. 23 and since it was a Friday, they decided to push it one more day.
A Campbell’s Bay native through and through, the parish has held a prominent place in the community and her life for as long as she can remember.
“I was born and raised here,” she said. “I was baptized, [I did my] church communion confirmation. I got married here 50 years ago. It will be 50 years next Friday.”
While the turnout was not as high as she would have hoped for, she understood noting that people are not as invested in religion as they used to be, even in the Pontiac.
“There could’ve been more [people]”, she said. “A lot of people don’t attend church anymore.”
