Our Lady of Assumption Church in Arichat, Nova Scotia has a long religious history dating back to the first French missionaries who arrived in 1611. The first chapel was built in Arichat in 1786 and was replaced by the present church building in 1837. In 1844, Arichat became the seat of the new Diocese of Arichat, with the church becoming its cathedral. It housed important religious artifacts purchased by the bishops, including a pipe organ, paintings, statues and stained glass windows. The church has undergone renovations over the years but still serves the community today.

1. Our Lady of Assumption Church

2. In the beginning...
 First religious orders arrived in Cape Breton from France in 1611
 Eastern Nova Scotia belonged to the Diocese of Quebec from 1657-1829
(excepting the years 1817-1820)
 Presently, we are all a part of the Diocese of Antigonish
 Arichat is the oldest parish in our present day Diocese.

3. Introduction
 Arichat, one of the first ports in Canada,
was thought to be one of the finest ports
in all of Canada in the mid 18th century.

4. `
 The name Arichat derives from the Mi’kmaq word
“Neliksaak” meaning “Split rock”. Many spellings
and pronunciations derived, since it was never
really written. Examples included: Arischat,
Narischaque, Neireichak, Narichat, Anarichak,
Anarowchack, Naurawchak, Narachaque,
Anarichaque, and Annaréchaque.

5. First Inhabitants
 Before Isle Madame was inhabited by any Europeans, in
the 17th century there were hundreds of shipwrecks in
Cape Breton. It is believed that these took place on Isle
Madame, and since many of these vessels had Jesuit
Missionaries on board, it means that Isle Madame
contains the first Christian cemetery in what is now known
as the Diocese of Antigonish.

6.  The first populations on Isle Madame were poor
beyond belief, and most people were employed by the
firm Charles Robin and Co., who monopolized the
fishery, and kept pay very low to their workers.

7.  The first Priest ever to live in Arichat was Father
Bailly de Messein, a native of France serving for
the Diocese of Québec, sent to Nova Scotia to
minister to the Mi’kmaq people.
 In 1771 he visited Arichat on a missionary tour
from August 7th-18th, visited other areas of Cape
Breton, then stayed on Isle Madame from
September 22nd until November 4th.

8.  In the census of 1811, the population of Arichat
was 1703 people. There were 93 people over the
age of sixty, 755 between the age of fourteen and
sixty, and 835 people under the age of fourteen. In
this year, there were 105 ships, 21 horses, 800
head of cattle, and 1301 sheep.

9. First Church
 First chapel in Arichat built in the spring of
1786 under the direction of Father Bourg.
 Father Bourg, a French
priest of Acadian descent,
was the one who gave the
orders to the inhabitants of
Arichat to build a place to
worship their faith. The
church was built to the
East of Babin’s Hill.

10.  At this time, the population of Arichat (then
Annaréchaque) was about 140 families,
and a large number of them were French
Acadians and the rest were a large number
of Roman Catholic Irish people.

11.  Replaced the church in 1837 with the one still
seen today, built by Father Jean Baptiste
Maranda, saying the first mass on October 15th
1837
 The church seen today has also undergone
several structural changes over the years.

12.  The original church had two independent rows of
single story plain windows. Now, the windows
extend to the second floor, and are stained glass.
 In the past, the church had one single steeple,
now it has two cupolo belfries. (Alterations made
between 1900 and 1907)

13.  The inscription on the church’s bell.

14. Sa Sainteté Pie X Pape – A.D. 1913
S.G. Mgr. James Morisson Évêque
Le Rev. A. E. Monbourquette Curé
Église Notre-Dame de L’Assomption
Arichat N.É. Canada

15. Diocese of Arichat
 In 1844, Nova Scotia was split from one
diocese to two. Arichat was chosen to
become the seat of a new diocese that
incorporated most of eastern Nova
Scotia, because it was the most centrally
located town in a time when the main
method of transportation was by sea.
 The church officially became a Cathedral in
that year and Maranda was its first rector.

16. Diocese of Arichat
 There were three Bishops during the time from
1844-1886 when our present day diocese of
Antigonish was known as the Diocese of Arichat:
 Right Rev. William Fraser, D.D. (1844-1851)
 Right Rev. Colin Francis MacKinnon, D.D.
(1852-1877)
 Right Rev. John Cameron, D.D. (1877-1886)
 Bishop Cameron moved the seat of the diocese
to Antigonish in 1886.

17.  The three Bishops of Arichat.

18. Items in the church
- Pipe Organ
- Paintings
- Statues
- Stained glass windows

19. Pipe Organ
 Brought in by Bishop C.F Mackinnon, our
second bishop in 1858.
 Purchased from the Berger company in
Philadelphia.
 Only three of its kind ever made.
 Used for special masses (weddings; Christmas
mass)
 Several concerts have been held to raise funds
to maintain the organ.
 Converted to electrical bellows in 1956.

20. Pipe Organ

21.  Man playing Violin at benefit concert for
the Organ.

22. Paintings
 Over 20 paintings can be found in the church
 Some are very valuable;
 Famous artists
 Dome paintings, and the other paintings on the
walls were painted in 1954 when the church was
redecorated by a Montreal firm.

23.  One of the dome
paintings on the
ceiling of the
church.

25. Painting Over the Altar
 Another one of Bishop MacKinnon’s
purchases.
 Brought from Rome at about the same time
the pipe organ was purchased.
 Painted by the Italian artist Appollonio. (not
an original)
 Brought to Arichat by Capt. Dominique
Gerroir.
 Frame is lined with gold leaf trim, and was
donated by Anne Hubert, heir of Arichat’s
wealthiest family at the time.

27. Statues
 Almost all purchased by the second Bishop of the
Diocese of Arichat, Right Rev. Colin Francis
MacKinnon.

30. Stained Windows
 Installed in 1960
 Gave the chapel a cathedral-like appearance