Notre Dame du Mont Carmel

There has been a church in this spot since 1812 on Prince Edward Island. This is the third building, here since 1898. Known as Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, this church is an islander, made of red brick from the island.

The catholic church sits in the Evangeline region of Prince county, home to many Acadians. It was designed by Rene Lemay, an architect and son of Pamphile Lemay who translated the epic poem, “Evangeline,” by H. W. Longfellow into French, in 1865, almost twenty years after it was written. 

The church is on the coast in Mont Carmel, behind a stone archway. The Northumberland Strait in the background was frozen when we visited.

There are two bell towers at the front of the Victorian era building and the traceried windows are inspired by Gothic design.

The statue of Mother Mary and Child Jesus is prominent inside the archway. 

The cemetery alongside the church is behind archways as well, one separating the cemetery from the church 

and one from the roadway. Inside the cemetery is a stone mausoleum. 

The archways amaze me, not only for their grand design and craftsmanship, use of natural elements and positioning. Rocks such as these are a rare commodity on the island. It is common for garden centers to sell rocks. For the construction of breakwaters and causeways, rocks are brought in from other provinces. We have never seen rocks such as those in the archways. 

The exterior beauty of this church makes us want to see the inside again. 

Next time.