Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish

Established January 1, 2007

On January 1, 2007, Bishop Richard J. Malone, Th.D. canonically supressed the parishes of Saint Ignatius, Martyr, Holy Family, and Notre Dame de Lourdes and established the new Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. This decision came after a three-year process in the Diocese of Portland based on Bishop Malone's pastoral letter Telling Anew the Story of Jesus. The Catholic faithful were asked to gather with local parishes to determine what models of Church governance and use of parish resources and property would best serve the needs of parishioners and allow an opportunity to evangelize local communities.


Under the leadership of Father Timothy Nadeau, the first pastor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, the newly formed parish began the challenging work of coming together. The East Side/West Side distinction in Sanford began to ease. A Mass schedule was established, and the best usage of parish buildings was determined. A parish staff was formed and the sharing of gifts and traditions paved the way for a new future.

Father Robert Lariviere was named the second pastor in 2009. It had become apparent that keep three churches for worship was not necessary nor a good use of resources. After much deliberation and consultation, the decision was made to close Saint Ignatius, Martyr Church, as its location and structure made it more saleable. The final Mass was celebrated there on October 30, 2010. 

In 2012, Father Philip Tracy was named the third pastor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. He realized the importance of Saint Thomas School. Working collaboratively with parishioners and the school's administration, staff, faculty, families, alumni, and consultative boards, Saint Thomas School increased by nearly 40 students in four short years.

In 2017, Father Tracy was named pastor of Saint Matthew Parish in Limerick while continuing as pastor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. At that time, Father John (Jack) Dickinson was named parochial vicar of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish and Saint Matthew Parish in Limerick to assist in the pastoral work of the two parishes.

In 2019, Father Wilfred Labbe was named the fourth pastor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. Ordained in 2020, Father Alexander Boucher succeeded Father Jack Dickinson in August 2020.

Under the patronage of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, our parish community continues to seek the "Little Way" of using God's gifts for the good of all people.
 

Priests of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish

• Father Timothy J. Nadeau | Founding Pastor (2007-2009)
• Father Claude J. Albert | Temporary Administrator (2008)
• Father Robert D. Lariviere | Second Pastor (2009-2012)
• Father Philip A. Tracy | Third Pastor (2012-2019)
• Father John D. Dickinson | Parochial Vicar (2017-2020)
• Father Wilfred P. Labbe | Fourth Pastor (2019-Present)
• Father Alexander R. Boucher | Parochial Vicar (2020-2022)

Holy Family Church

Established March 21, 1923

Due to the increasing Catholic population, a hall was rented on High Street as a temporary worship space during the summer of 1922. In the fall of that year it was learned the bishop had acquired a large piece of land at the corner of North Avenue and Cottage Extension and it would serve as the site for Sanford’s new Roman Catholic parish. 

On March 21, 1923, the bishop officially founded the parish, chose Holy Family for its name, and assigned the Fr. Joseph F. H. Kalen as the first pastor. On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1923, Fr. John J. McGinnis, pastor of St. Ignatius Parish, announced his parish had been officially divided. The following Sunday, April 8, Holy Family’s new parishioners assembled at Town Hall for Sunday Masses. 

The division of St. Ignatius meant families living on the right-hand side of Brook Street and the streets beyond in the direction of Alfred, the town of Alfred, as far as Lyman and Waterboro to Route 35 on the Biddeford Road, and New Dam and Witchers Mill Road, east of Kennebunk Road, Route 99, would be part of the new parish.

April 12, 1923, was memorable for parishioners, for this was the day the construction of the brick parish edifice began. It was designed to include a basement, parish hall, school and church. The temporary church would seat 800 and the school would have eight classrooms.

The doors of the chapel, located on the first floor of the building, opened on Octover 14, 1923. The great celebration of the Mass took place and the chapel was where all parish devotions and activities would take place.

In May of 1923 the first parish census was taken: 364 families and 1,700 souls registered. One year later, in April 1924, a second census, or parish visitation was taken and it revealed the new parish had grown to 450 families and 1,900 souls. There were 402 children enrolled in the parish school, 90 baptisms were held, and 34 marriages. 

For 25 years Fr. Kalen was an exemplary shepherd to his flock. He died on September 4, 1947. Fr. Rosario E. Ouellette was appointed to succeed Fr. Kalen as Holy Family Parish’s second pastor on September 24, 1947 and served until 1969.

With the need for more classrooms at the school, there was need for a separate church building. The site selected was on North Avenue, on the lot beside the present-day rectory.  Once the church was finished, the remodeling of the school began; the much needed room would soon be available. The floor which had been the church was converted into modern classrooms and the second floor was also remodeled. 

In October 1969, Bishop Peter Leo Gerety, eighth bishop of Portland, appointed Fr. Roland Patenaude as Holy Family’s third pastor. He immediately began planning a new youth program. Plans were made to hold a YLTC in the parish. Many adults and youth attended and a Catholic Youth Organization, or CYO, was organized. The group participated in numerous parish activities, including folk Masses, cake sales, whist parties, visiting the sick and assisting parishioners.

In April of 1983 Fr. Patenaude died. On June 22, 1983, Bishop O’Leary appointed Fr. Louis F. Berube as Holy Family’s fourth pastor. He served in this capacity until 1992.

In May of 1992, Fr. Richard P. Rice accepted the pastorate of Holy Family. As one parishioner observed: “He is the fixer-upper of souls and buildings.” Fr. Rice affirmed, raised up and strengthened God’s people in their gifts, talents and abilities so they could serve one another, the parish, and the larger Sanford and Springvale community. 

As the parish looked ahead to the days of fewer priests, Fr. Rice noted Holy Family’s people are well equipped to play an active role in maintaining their parish as a vibrant, viable parish community. The heart of Holy Family was always its members, people willing to live out their Baptismal call by giving of themselves whenever a need arises.

Notre Dame de Lourdes

Established 1887
 
Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish of Springvale was the first Catholic parish in the Sanford/Springvale area. A vital community in the vineyard of the Lord, whose dedication to Christian family growth and development upholds its long pioneering tradition. A steady and continuous increase of faithful members since its inception as a mission church in 1886 is indicative of the devotion and dedication of its spiritual leaders from our very first pastor, Reverend Moise Denoncourt in 1887.
 
As we reflect on the roots of Notre Dame Parish, as it is commonly called, our parish family senses the strength and determination of our fore fathers in their quest to unite and worship as family.  We note the courage of the pioneering priests who assumed the responsibility of building the three churches our growing parish mandated.
 
The concept of a parish in Springvale began in 1882 when the Springvale Mills Company donated 2 parcels of land to the diocese for a cemetery and a church to serve the 80+ Catholic families employed by the cotton mills.  Reverend Urbain Lamy, a curate at Saint Joseph’s Parish in Biddeford, was directed to assume charge of the Catholics of Springvale and environs.  He had just started to gather building materials to construct a church when the local mills closed creating a local depression.  This forced many Catholic families to leave town and to seek employment elsewhere.  The congregation was so depleted that church construction was abandoned.  Father Lamy was sent to found a new French-Canadian parish in Rochester, New Hampshire, as the diocese of Portland comprised the states of New Hampshire and Maine.  Father Lamy continued to minister to Sanford and Springvale Catholics until the diocese was divided in 1884; then priests from Sacarappa (Westbrook), who could make easier connections by rail, were sent to the Springvale mission monthly to serve the needs of the remaining families.
 
In 1887, Bishop James A. Healy of Portland sent Reverend Moise Denoncourt to organize a parish in Springvale.  The small mission consisted of 12 French-Canadian families and a few English speaking families.  They had survived the industrial crisis of 1882.
 
Father Denoncourt’s “rectory” was in the home of Narcisse Pelletier where he resided with the family.  At first, Father Denoncourt said mass in the home of Henri Gauthier.  The number of parishioners gradually increased as a few mills increased productivity.  A grange hall located on Oak Street, (present sight of the Springvale Fire Station) was converted for worship and became known as “The Roman Catholic Chapel” where the little congregation gathered to celebrate.  Our records indicate the first baptism to be performed in our parish by Father Denoncourt was on Christmas Day, 1887, when 2 year old Almert Joseph Perreault, son of Israel Perreault and Azilda Laroque, became the first parishioner initiated into Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish.
 
In February 1888, Cyprien Asselin and Elise Petit were the first to exchange marriage vows in this yearling community.
 
In February 1889, Reverend Alexandre Dugree succeeded Father Denoncourt as pastor and immediately set his task to building a church.  The parish, having grown to 40 families, extended its care as a mission to the spiritual needs of the growing populations of Sanford, formerly called Phillipstown, Kennebunk and as far as Milton Mills, New Hampshire.  With the generous cooperation of his people, Father Dugree realized the amount of money necessary to purchase a parcel of land on Pleasant Street and to construct a church building.  The contract was given to Mr. D. J. Butler who began construction in June 1889 and completed it on October 20 ^th of the same year.  On the following day, the faithful left the hall on Oak Street and moved into their new church where Father Dugree sung the first mass.  On Memorial Day 1890, the church building was officially dedicated to “Notre Dame de Lourdes” as Bishop James A Healy blessed this new house of God.  Immediately after the dedication of the church, Bishop Healy confirmed 42 boys and 45 girls all sponsored by Mr. And Mme Jean-Baptiste Aubain.  The church was built as a cost of $4,000, had a seating capacity of nearly 500 and featured a handsome stained glass window high above the altar donated by the Rickers of Springvale.
 
During the construction of the church in Springvale, Father Dugree leased the former Baptist Church on Church Street in Sanford and converted it for Catholic worship for the residents of Sanford.  The Church was dedicated to Saint Ignatius Martyr.  It appears that he celebrated the first mass therein on May 5, 1889.  Father Dugree, who resided near the railroad station in Springvale, was in charge of the entire population and held services in both churches.
 
1891 heralded the return of former Catholic residents at the resurgence of the cotton industry in Sanford and Springvale.  The “Ledger” dated April 23, 1892, indicates that the French population of Sanford numbered 655 within 73 families and 624 in Springvale within 61 families.  Families of 12 and more children were not rare since there were 19 such families in Sanford and 24 in Springvale.  Father Dugree realized the need and the desire of the parishioners of Sanford for a resident priest and for their own parish.  His petition to the diocese to separate his parish was favorably received.  Reverend Michael Healy was assigned as pastor of Saint Ignatius Parish.  He and Father Dugree worked diligently to increase their flocks and share the Good News.
 
In 1894, a rectory was built behind Notre Dame church on Pleasant Street increasing the property’s value to $6,000.  A group of 25 children received first Holy Communion in June of 1889, the beginning of many more memorable community receptions.  Father Durgree, who suffered severly from arthritis, was forced to be absent frequently to undergo treatments and was succeeded in 1901 by Reverend Philip Desjardins who remained until 1902.
 
Notre Dame de Lourdes parish flourished in the early 1900’s membership increased.  Societies were formed to attach the people more strongly to the church.  By 1908, 89 families with nearly 500 members made up Notre Dame parish.  In 1917 Reverend Joseph Casavant, pastor from 1902 to 1919, perceived the growing need for a parochial school for parish children, an area for social gatherings, and the potential need for a larger church building.  Overcoming much opposition, he purchased property on Payne Street, a site more centrally located and better suited to the needs of the parish.  He then began designing a building that would encompass all the essential needs of the parish under one roof.  Father Casavant’s plan became a reality.  The building comprised of a large chapel on the main floor, a parochial school on the top floor and a community hall in the basement, a major accomplishment in those days.  Notre Dame School, grades 1 through 8, opened in 1916 under the direction of the Urseline Sisters of Waterville whose dedicated service was to extend until 1954.  Construction was completed in the fall of 1917 and the second Notre Dame de Lourdes church/chapel was blessed by the bishop.  The new facility provided seating for approximately 600 worshipers.  The original church property on Pleasant Street was then sold to the Farmers Union and was demolished in 1934.  The old rectory, once occupied by Father Dugree, is still standing on the original site.
 
Another significant accomplishment attributed to Father Casavant was his development of Notre Dame cemetery.  After 17 years of hard work, Father was transferred to St. Augustine’s in Augusta, leaving Notre Dame in sound financial condition.  Parish records indicate a long list of pastors and administrators during the next 25 years.
 
Father Casavant’s tireless efforts, foresight and wisdom continues to serve Notre Dame today.  Under the direction of another pioneer, Father Armand R. Neault, our present pastor, the parish has initiated the restoration of this building.  The second floor classrooms have been modified and restored.  On March 8, 1987, an open house was held to dedicate Notre Dame’s new Religious Education Center.  The basement of this building continues to serve as our parish hall and has been completely renovated.  The main floor, that once housed the church is being converted into additional classrooms and a large parish function room with a stage.  The church has been relocated and replaced by a beautiful modern church, designed in the form of a Maltese Cross, a cross having four equal arms that expand in width outward.  The church measures 90 by 90, with a seating capacity of 700, a masterpiece of stone and glass, it is completely air-conditioned, with lofty wooden ceilings, a glass enclosed Blessed Sacrament chapel and a soundproof family room, built at a cost of $300,000.  The corner stone for this beautiful edifice was erected in 1961 by Reverend Joel Bouchard, pastor from 1952-1962.  On the morning of June 30, 1963, the first mass was celebrated and the parish re-dedicated to Notre Dame de Lourdes.  The Sisters of Saint Anne, from Marlboro Mass., assumed the administration of Notre Dame School and the teaching of its 142 students from 1955 until 1966.
 
In 1953, Father Bouchard also completed the dream of his predecessor, Reverend George Dandonneau, pastor from 1946 to 1952, to build a new rectory and a convent for our teaching Sisters.  Father Dandonneau, who died before the construction began, was a thrifty and capable organizer who is credited with accumulating the necessary funds for these projects.
 
Reverend Alban Michaud became pastor when Father Bouchard retired in 1962 due to ill health.  Many parishioners remember Father Clement Thibodeau and Father Marcel Robitaille as young priests who served with Father Michaud adding their own dimentions to our spiritual growth.  The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary from the Manchester, New Hampshire province, administered the school until its closing in 1967.  Father Michaud, although partially paralyzed, remained in the parish and continued his spiritual ministry with the assistance of Father Lucien Grondin until replaced by Reverend Henri St. Amand in 1968.
 
Father St. Amand was a beloved pastor whose prayerful leadership was a quieting effect on those turbulent years of changes within the church.  A visible force for Jesus, manifested by his daily stroll around the church, deeply absorbed in his rosary.  His robust voice, as he lead our congregation, singing his favorite song, “Ave, Ave, Maria”, is still a beautiful, resounding memory.  Father St. Amand passed away on March 14, 1984.  Father Marcel Robitaille served as administrator until Father Neault was assigned to Notre Dame in June.
 
Sister Homerine Soucy, S.C.I.M., a Good Shepherd Sister, directed our Religious Education program for seven years until her departure in June of 1985.  Her tremendous effort and dedication strengthened and expanded our C.C.D. program.  Sister Homerine organized our adult, teen and children choirs that continue to fill our celebrations with joyous praise.  Parishioners have a very special place in their hearts for this beloved and gifted Sister.

As we gathered data for this centennial directory, discovering and remembering Notre Dame’s roots and prestigious pioneering history, we realized that this spirit is very much alive in our parish today.  Father Armand Neault will commemorate 35 years as a priest on the seventh of June of our centennial year, his leadership assures greater innovative involvement of our parish in providing a wider range of services to our 725 families and to our local community as well.  Our parish council maintains better than 85% attendance at business meetings resulting in productive and effective programs.  The women of Notre Dame Parish have united and formed a forceful group known as W.I.N.D., Women Involved in Notre Dame, 99 members to date, dedicated to serve the needs of our parish family.
 
Our centennial celebration began Sunday, February 15, to be followed by a year-long
calendar of events.  We believe this celebration will renew and reinforce the spirit of those apostles of Jesus whose lives of total service and dedication to our beloved Notre Dame established a model of Christian Family Unity to be cherished and preserved.  We honor their memory as we proclaim our centennial theme “OUR PAST INSPIRES OUR FUTURE”.

St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish

Established November 1, 1892

The beginnings of our Franco-American parishes are intimately associated with the industrial development of New England villages.
 
The growth of the village of Sanford, formerly called Phillipstown, began in 1867 when Thomas Goodall erected the first building of what was called the Goodall-Sanford Mills.  Progress was soon manifested by the need for larger mills which, in turn, created the need for more workers. The proprietors recognized a precious element in the first French-Canadian families that had ventured south to Lewiston and Biddeford and they encouraged them to come to Sanford to work in their mills. The resulting increase in Catholics caused James A. Healy, Bishop of the Diocese of Portland, to send Father Cournoyer to make inquiries into the conditions of Rochester and Sanford. As a result Reverend Urbain Lamay was assigned to form the new parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Rochester, N.H.
 
During these early years the Catholics of Springvale and Sanford were shephered by Father Lamay during his trips from Rochester.  When the diocese was divided in 1884, the priests of Westbrook who could make easier connection by rail, attended to the needs of the parish.
 
The first Masses in Sanford were held at the home of Mr. Henri Gauthier which was situated on Main Street, near Lebanon Street.  In Springvale the services were held in a house on Oak Street.  These villages continued to hold their religious meetings as regularly as a priest could visit until the end of 1887.  At that time Bishop Healy sent the first resident priest, Reverenc Morse Denoncourt, to Sanford, where he served for thirteen months.  In February of 1889, Reverend A. Dugre was named the pastor of the small but growing parish of Notre Dame in Springvale.  During that time the Catholics in the territory of Sanford proper were ministered to by pastors assigned to Notre Dame.  Reverend Dugre, therefore, was also responsible for the village of Sanford where he leased the former Baptist Chruch on Church Street for religious services and where he celebrated the first Mass on May 5, 1889. Two yeaslater, on October 19, 1891, the church and the adjoining lot were bought for $1,500.  This building was used for several years.
 
Father Dugre, who resided near the railroad station on Pleasant Street, was in charge of the entire population in both Sanford and Springvale, and he held services in both churches.  The number of Catholics was rapidly increasing.  The Ledger, dated April 23, 1892, stated that the French population of the area then numbered 1,279 – almost equally divided between Springvale which had 61 families and a population of 624 with Sanford with 73 families and a population of 655.
 
From these statistics one can easily lunderstand the desire of the Catholics of Sanford to have their own resident priest.  A delegation was sent to Portland to make that request.  One month later Bishop Healy appointed Reverend Michael J. Healy to serve in that capacity.  He needed a rectory and had the good fortune to buy one of the new houses on Elm Street for that purpose.
 
On the Feast of All Saints Day, November 1, 1892, a new parish under the title of “St. Ignatius was formed.
 
Father Healy bound his parishioners by grouping them into parish sodalities, including the Ladies of St. Anne and the Children of Mary, as well as by initiating catechism classes.  He administered his parish of 100 families so successfully that he handed it over to his successor in a state of prosperity when he was recalled to his native diocese.  He had served the parishioners of Sanford during the years 1892 to 1895.
 
The young priest whom Bishop Healy sent to Sanford as pastor in 1895 was the Reverend John J. McGinnis who had been curate of St. Mary’s at Bangor.  He seemed to possess the characteristics of the two apostles whose name he bore:  zeal and charity.  The needy of the parish found a father in him.  Realizing the necessity of a parish school for the children of the French language, he sought out to hire French faculty.
 
The depression of 1897 marked especially by the closing of the cotton mills in Springvale, forced the people to relocate elsewhere.  So much did the population decrease, that the Bishop decided to transfer Father McGinnis to North Whitefield and to place both Sanford and Springvale once again under the direction of Father Dugre.  Since the greater part of the population had remained in Sanford, Father Dugre resided in the rectory on Elm Street and administered the two parishes until October of the same year.  When the depression was over the population returned to the parishes, and Father McGinnis was recalled to St. Ignatius to the great joy of his parishioners.
 
With the recurring expansion of the mills came an even greater increase in the population, and a doubled number of parishioners made a new church a necessity.  Father McGinnis, therefore, bought the property of Increase S. Kimball, on Wentworth Street, on September 15, 1898, for $6,500 and remodled the house for the rectory.  The exterior of the new building was erected, and the basement with a seating capacity of 400 was ready for occupancy.  The average Sunday attendance at Mass in 1899 was 750; by 1917 the average attendance was 2,400 and there were five Masses held every Sunday.
 
As soon as the upper part of the new church was finished the capacity was expanded to 600, and the basement was transformed into four classroom that accommodated about 120 children replacing a room which was located above a store on Main Street.  By 1917 the number of students would grow to more than 650 children.  For five years the teaching in the parish was assumed by laywomen.  Father McGinnis later invited the sisters of Mercy in Deering to contract for the education of his young parishioners.  The Superior General consented to send a few of the sisters to take over the direction of the St. Ignatius Parochial School.  A new two-story convent, situated on the corner of Wentworth Street and Riverside Avenue, awaited the sisters when they arrived on September 8, 1903, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin.  The training that the Sisters of Mercy had received at their mother house prepared them to labor among mostly English-speaking populations; and since these parishes became more numerous after the First World War, the Superiors of the Order, in 1919, recalled the sisters from Sanford to send them elsewhere.
 
Informed of this decision, Father McGinnis applied to the Ursuline Nuns of Waterville for sister to replace the Sisters of Mercy in his school.  Teaching was the principal work of these religious who had consecrated their lives to the education of youth.  Twelve sisters arrived at the end of August, 1919, to assume the direction of the classes that were to open in the schools of St. Ignatius of Sanford and Notre Dame in Springvale.  Ten sisters were assigned to Sanford and two to Springvale, but all lived in the convent that had been built sixteen years before and expanded to three stories in 1916.  This arrangement lasted until 1922 when the Springvale sisters moved to the former Notre Dame rectory that had been transformed into a convent.
 
Due to an increase in the school’s enrollment additional classes were held at the former Leavitt Theater, and three or four years later still other classes were opened on Mechanic Street.  The pupils became so numerous that the sisters had to employ lay teachers to help them in their work. As a result of this and of Father McGinnis’ zeal, initiative, and unlimited generosity, a two-year commercial high school was opened in 1923 for eighth-grade graduates.
 
Twenty-five years had passed since Father McGinnis had arrived in Sanford, and during this time, the number of families had increased ten-fold.  In 1923 there were more than 1,00 Catholic families at St. Ignatius, and the church that some people had deemed too large when `it was built in 1899 was overcrowded every Sunday.  As a result of this expansion His Excellency, Bishop Louis S. Walsh, chose to divide the parish territory and to form another parish on the east side of the river.  It was consecrated to the Holy Family and Father Joseph Kalen was named its first pastor.  He took official possession of his parish on April 8, 1923.
 
After having devoted nearly thirty years of his life to the faithful of St. Ignatius, Father McGinnis passed away quietly in his rectory on October 26, 1924.  His last wish was to be buried with his parishioners in that land that the Goodall Company had given him in 1902 for a Catholic cemetery.  His body rests at the foot of the large granite cross located on the cemetery grounds.
 
Reverend Wilfred Ouellette was named administrator of the parish until the new pastor, Reverend Raoul Bourbeau, arrived from Fort Kent on October 17, 1925.  Upon examination Reverend Bourbeau felt the church was too small, the classrooms overcrowed and scattered in different buildings.  He made a quick decision; he paid off the parish debt and drew up plans for a spacious and fireproof building whose ground floor would serve as a church with two other stories providing classroom space.  This was completed at the ultimate cost of $132,00.  During the last week of April, 1926, excavations were begun, the foundation laid, and on September 12, the cornerstone was blessed.  A handwritten note from Mr. Donat Du Bois explains:
 
“In the spring of 1926 Father Bourbeau announced that the parish was going to build a new church, and that volunteers would be needed.  Edgar Roux, Arthur Dupont, and I came to the service of the church as truckdrivers for St. Ignatius’ new foundation.  Father purchased three Model T Ford half-ton pickups.  I was in charge of checking oil and maintenance each evening.  The church was built by hand – there were no bulldozers – we used a horse and scoop to dig the foundation.  The truckdirvers would work every evening ‘till dark and on Saturdays.  We were paid $.35 an hour.  First the St. Ignatius School was torn down.  It was right next door to the new proposed church.  We hauled the earth from the new site to fill in the old school’s foundation hole.  After the foundation was completed, the brick was done by contracted masons with volunteers helping.  As was the carpenters’ work contracted with parish volunteers assisting.  When it was time to put in the floor (hardwood), I assisted and worked ‘till the building was done.  The church was completed and Father Bourbeau contracted his three trucks and his three truckdrivers to the town to build the road from South Sanford to North Berwick (route 4).  The whole next summer we worked on it and the parish, and we three men made $.35 per hour.  I was 18 years old then.  Later Father sold two of the rucks when the road was completed.  One was used by the parish to go to the cemetery and to complete some parish duties.”

On Christmas Day in the year 1927, Midnight Mass was celebrated in the basement of the new church where more than 1,500 person crowded in the seats and in the aisles of the chapel that could normally seat 1,000 persons.  On New Year’s Day, 1928, at three o’clock, Bishop Murray erected the Stations of the Cross. The complete chapel and the school were blessed on the eleventh and twelfth of November, 1928.  It was a day of great rejoicing for all the parishioners and especially for the pastor who was equally proud of his school.  The school was made of brick, stone, and concrete; it contained sixteen well-ventilated and modern classroom which could accommodate all the children of the parish.

Because of his robust constitution one could not have foreseen that death would so soon snatch Father Bourbeau from his congregation.  Feeling fatigued he planned a trip to the Province of Quebec with the intention of visiting La Gaspesie, a spot always enjoyed by tourists.  During the automobile trip he suddenly felt indisposed and returned to his home in Victoriaville.  There he had to undergo an operation from which he never recovered.  He went to God on Sunday, October 13, 1935, at the age of fifty-nine.  His remains lie in the family lot in the cemetery near the church of Sainte Victoire.
 
Reverend John J. Curran, who was serving as curate of St. Ignatius, was named administrator of the parish until a new pastor was appointed.
 
Five weeks after the death of Father Bourbeau, Father L. A. Renaud was named the new pastor of St. Ignatius Chruch by Bishop McCarthy.   He took possession of his parish on November 24, 1935.   By now the parish had grown to 680 families.  Father Renaud was a man of discernment and had a fine appreciation of beauty.  He had also been an interior decorator, and all these talents together with his experience augured a successful administration at St. Ignatius.  His accomplishments included the organization of a Boy Scout troup and the donation of a number of first-class orchestra instruments for the developing Drum and Bugle Corps.  It was he who restored the parish hall to a modern, comfortable, and beautiful setting.  A heart stroke caused his death on Tuesday, December 15, 1936, at the age of sixty-three.  It was his last wish to have his body taken to the St. Francis de Sales cemetery in Waterville.
 
Reverend Joseph M. Leguennec was transferred from St. Joseph’s parish of Old Town to St. Ignatius on January 17, 1937, by Bishop McCarthy.  His nervous temperment and his excessive activity had brought on several heart attacks that caused him intense suffering and threatened him constantly.  Upon the doctor’s advice he retired from the active ministry and later entered the hospital where he died.  He was buried on Good Friday, 1939, in Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.  During his years in Sanford, Father Leguennec had made important repairs to the school.  Stained glass windows had been installed in the church, and these made the atmosphere of the chapel more conductive to recollection and piety.
 
On December 7, 1939, after leading the people of Sainte Croix parish of Lewsiton for ten years, Father Edouard Nadeau assumed his new Sanford pastorate.  After studying the situation, he formed plans for the future.  He made extensive repairs to the rectory and the school.  Some of the classrooms were too large, so he transformed them into classes of ordinary size by solid partitions.
 
In June, 1940, he entered into a contract with the Brothers of Christian Instruction for the care of the boys of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades was well as the comercial high school. The old Knights of Columbus home on Winter Street was bought from W.K. Emery for $6,500.  The house was renovated and became the home for the brothers.
 
In 1941 Father Nadeau realized his ambition of a complete four-year high school for the young men and women students of his parish.  The commercial school was completed and St. Ignatius now had a standard high school approved by the Department of Education in Augusta.  A public speaking system was later installed that allowed for communication between the principal’s office and each of the classrooms.
 
To accommodate the future increase of teachers, improvements had to be made to the convent.  A two-story wing was built containing a large refectory, a community room twice the size of the former one, and several other needed rooms.  The kitchen and the heating system were modernized.
 
As the fiftieth anniversary of the parish approached, Father Nadeau, aware of food and gas rationing and the absence of the parish’s young men in the service of their country, decided to have as suitable a celebration as circumstances would allow.  Grouped volunteers directed by enterprising captains were needed.  After several enthusiastic meeting these captains launched their campaign with the slogan: “Fifty Thousand Dollars for the Fiftieth Anniversary”.
 
During the summer of 1942 the front of the church was remodeled, giving the edifice a more stately appearance and a more convenient entry and exit.  All of the church property received considerable improvement both exteriorly and interiorly in preparation for the Golden Jubilee.  The celebration should technically have occurred on November 1, 1942, but was postponed to Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, May 30, 31, and June 1, 1943.
 
The solemnity of the three-day celebration began at the 7:30 Mass, when a group of little children received their First Holy Communion.  As a tribute to the deceased of the parish a parade to the cemetery was formed at 2 o’clock, at Mill Square; it then passed before the church property on its way to the cemetery on Berwick Road where a special ceremony was held.  In the evening the parishioners met again in the church to attend a solemn benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  After the religious service the crowd went to the hall that was cherished by the older members of the parish because it had been the old church built in 1899.
 
A Solemn Mass was celebrated by His Excellency, Bishop McCarthy, on the second day of the celebrations.  May 31^st.  The sermon was given by Reverend Romeo Doiron, grandson of one of the four delegates who had been sent to Bishop Healy to request a resident priest for Sanford.
 
A banquet followed the service and Reverend Nadeau acted as Master of Ceremonies.  Maurice J. Maurice, one of the Selectmen of Sanford, voiced the sentiments of the entire population by expressing his appreciation of the moral strength and influence of a parish upon this milieau. Following the banquet 138 boys wearing red arm bands and 135 girls dressed in white received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
 
On Tuesday, the last day of the celebration, a Solemn Mass was celebrated for the priests, religious and parishioners who sleep in St. Ignatius Cemetery.  Later, a special field day was held at Goodall Park for the children of the parish.
 
During the first three years that Father Nadeau was in Sanford he became aware that several of his predecessors had dreams of constructing a new church, independent of the school.  Eager to do his part, he determined to take advantage of the fiftieth anniversary of the parish to promote this enterprise.  The parishioners gave their wholehearted cooperation, and the plan soon materialized.  A committee of influential men was organized.  The committee appointed as leader Mr. Morse Barrieau, Editor and proprietor of the Franco-American paper, “La Justice de Sanford,” who was well-known for his experience in simular undertakings.  However, a decision was later made to build a gynmasium instead of a new church; and while the decision was not without controversy, construction of the gym began in 1951 and was completed for the graduation exercises of St. Ignatius’ class of 1953.  The modern cafeteria, in the basement of the gymnasium, allowed the more than 400 students of the school to participate in the National School Lunch Program.  Since its construction, the gynasium has also served as the parish hall for the many functions of the church.
 
In the early 1960's the Brother of Christian Instruction withdrew, and the Ursuline Sistrs were faced with the burden of additional students on the junior high level.  The boys’ high school ultimately became staffed by laymen under the direction of Reverend Gerard Proulx, while the Sisters continued to staff the girls’ department under the direction of Sister St. Gilbert Lemieux.
 
In 1962, spacious rooms in the convent that had served as dormitories were partitioned into small but private bedrooms for the Sisters.
 
In 1963, after twenty-three years of a faithful career to his parishioners, Father Nadeau was succeeded by Reverend Adrian H. Palardy who continued the fine work of his predecessors.  During his pastorate St. Ignatius church was completely renovated to accommodate the changes of Vatican II.  The sanctuary of the church featured a table altar designed so that the celebrant now faced the congregation.  A modern interior with a seating capacity of 1,030 was realized.  The balcony in the rear of the church was removed, and the seating plan was changed to include a cross-aisle in the center.  A new confessional, lowered ceiling, decorative paneling, recessed heating units, and carpeting throughout contributed to the beauty.  Rededication of the completely renovated church took place on Saturday, May 8, 1971, with Bishop Peter L. Gerety officiating.
 
In September, 1966, because of the shortage in religious vocations and of other resources, all three Catholic parishes in town, St. Ignatius, Holy Family and Notre Dame, began contributing to the support of the high school, and its name was changed to St. Ignatius Regional High School. 
 
By 1969, however, it became evident that even the collaborative efforts of all three parishes would not suffice to bear the financial burden the high school imposed.  On March 9, 1969, the Bishop directed that announcements of the closing be made simultaneously in all three parishes.  On June 9, 1969, graduation exercises were held for the last class – 89 boys and girls – ironically, the largest graduating class in the history of St. Ignatius High School.
 
Two years later, in 1971, the junior high classes were eliminated from the program; and in 1972, the Docese of Portland agreed to consolidate the three elementary schools into one unit, St. Thomas School, to be housed in the former Holy Family School building.
 
Even since St. Ignatius School was established in 1923, classes had individually reunited every so many years to recall and celebrate the memories and values garnered in classrooms of long ago.  In 1986 all alumnae were invited to return home, and several hundred joined faculty and classmates in a happy remembrance of the “The Way We Were “ at St. Ignatius High School.
 
After eleven years as head of the parish and forty-four years as a priest, in 1973, Reverend Palardy announced he would retire to make his home at Old Orchard Beach.
 
On Friday, September 14, 1973, Reverend Louis J. Fortier assumed his pastorate at St. Ignatius parish to shepherd his new flock.  This person of the cloth was also a man of action.  Father Fortier’s first concern was with the sisters, and he soon engaged craftsmen of all kinds to refurbish the convent.  Without further delay his interest extended to repairs of all five buildings, including the gymnsium’s heating system, painting, and shrubbery.  The annex was leased to the public schools for a few years, and a parcel of land was sold to the State of Maine for highway extension.  Calling himself a “glorified janitor”, he held a giant garage sale to eliminate unused items.  It was he who financed the project of the parish library.  He revivied traditional devotions such as a Holy Hour on the eve of the first Friday of the month and the recitation of the Rosary before Sunday Masses and during the months of October and May.  New Stations of the Cross were installed on either side of the church, rather than in the back as they had been previously.
 
An interest very close to Father Fortier’s heart was the cemetery.  Through the generosity of a parishioner and Father’s inspiration, a new receiving vault was built of brick and polished granite along with a 340 foot wall and entrance pillars, all of which were dedicated on May 30, 1977.
 
Father Fortier gave the gift of himslef and left an indelible mark on the congregation when he was transferred to a smaller parish, St. Mary’s in Wells, because of ill health.
 
Reverend Raymond D. Auger joined St. Ignatius parish July 15, 1977.  Like Father Fortier he took it upon himslef to assure that each building under his care be maintained in good order – these included the convent, rectory, church, and parish hall.  All of this was accomplished as finances allowed, and they were updated to assure the comfort and conveniences of the parishioners.
 
In 1979, a capital campaign was undertaken to raise the funds necessary to completely remodel the entrance to the church.  The new brick addition provided the building with a totally new look – one which distinguished the building as a place of worship.
 
Father Auger commissioned the installation of the Way of the Cross at the cemetery which was blessed on May 27, 1985.  During the same year a statue of St. Ignatius of Antioch was donated to the parish.  This was the first time that a statue of the parish’s patron saint was permanently located in the church.  The statue was carved in Bolzano, Italy, by Gerog Moroder.
 
A campaign to completely refurbish the convent was undertaken in 1986.  Parishioners joined in by equipping the convent with simple but beautiful new furnishings.  Unfortunately, due to decreasing interest in vocations, the Ursuline Sisters were forced to end their academic stay at St. Thomas School in 1991.  Even so, the parish was pleased that they continued to occupy the convent on Wentworth Street.
 
Father Auger’s concern with the spiritual was always intense and evident.  It was difficult to imagine more vitality in a parish than existed at St. Ignatius.  This was represented by scores of activities such as reteats, dances, church services, coffee gatherings after Mass, day trips, cruises and journeys to Europe and the Holy Land.  He also had the ability to translate the liturgical year calendar into a series of inspiring and celebrative religious events.
 
It was with this same enthusiasm with which Fr. Auger led his parishioners in the celebration of the parish’s centennial anniversary.  A Mass commemorating the opening of the celebration was held on May 26, 1991.  It was followed by a display of centennial memorabilia which was exhibited in the parish hall and viewed by hundred of parishioners.
 
The blessing of the new outside altar at St. Ignatius Cemetery was held during a special Memorial Day Mass.  A family picnic was held in June where parishioners, young and old, enjoyed music, food, and games at the recreational center in Springvale.  A special centennial float was entered into Sanford’ Fourth of July parade where it won several awards.  Several activities for the young of the parish were held during the year including liturgy followed by pizza parties, trips and entertainment.
 
A special bookmark with a centennial prayer was distributed to parishioners and a new Coat of Arms was designed for the parish.  There was a Centennial Ball on New Year’s Eve, 1992, and, after the Easter celebration, a special Forty Hour Devotion was held.
 
The year-long celebration continued with a special centennial Mass of Thanksgiving on Friday, May 22, 1992, with Bishop Joseph J. Gerry as the principal celebrant and with more than forty con-celebrants.  A banquet to commemorate the celebration was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland with 550 parishioners in attendance.
 
So it was with prayer, parish gatherings, and joyous celebrations, that St. Ignatius, Martyr Parish of Sanford, Maine celebrated one hundred years of service to Christ and His Church, and it is with that same enthusiasm and faith that the parish begins its second century of service to the Lord.