"According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it." — 1 Corinthians 3:10
The Early Years
Sometime between 1845 and 1847, Father John Grant, at that time listed as parish priest for the Strait of Canso, joined with ten trustees of St. Joseph's Parish, Ship Harbour, in signing a petition to Bishop Walsh of Halifax. The petition stated that they had partially completed a chapel forty feet by thirty feet. This building stood on Granville Street and Old Sydney Road. A small graveyard is all that remains today. This is the first recorded instance of a church and parish in honour of St. Joseph within the present diocese of Antigonish.
In 1847 or 1848 Father Grant seems to have departed from the parish. Ship Harbour was then served as a mission from Cregnish. The parish did not get a resident pastor again for 15 years. By that time Ship Harbour had been renamed Port Hawkesbury.
In October, 1871 Father Archibald MacKenzie moved from Cregnish to Port Hawkesbury and there he resided as pastor for 16 years. The church was then situated at the southeastern end of the village and there has survived only a vague indication of the date of its erection. A brief newspaper item stated that a supper and tea would be held on February 12, 1873, for the purchase of a bell for Father MacKenzie's new church. It has served the spiritual needs of people in the Port Hawkesbury area since that time with leadership from many priests, religious and lay supporters.
Saint Joseph Parish serves the residents of the town of Port Hawkesbury and the surrounding areas of Point Tupper, Port Hastings and Troy and welcomes all visitors from near and far.
Joseph's Catholic Church 1891 – 1979
Growth and Renewal
The St. Joseph community has witnessed many historic community and family events including the opening of the Canso Causeway in the 1950s, the industrial developments in the 60s and 70s which resulted in an influx of families to our community. On the morning of February 23, 1979, at 3am, a disastrous fire swept St. Joseph's church, destroying it almost completely. The parishioners were forced to move to their parish hall to conduct their weekly masses and the other activities of the parish.
Then on June 1, 1979, fire struck again, this time gutting the parish hall and the adjoining former St. Therese School, at that time being used as offices. With the generous permission of the pastor and congregation of St. Mark's United Church, the people of St. Joseph's moved to their church on Saturday, June 23, 1979, for their weekly masses and other parish activities.
The breaking of ground for the new church took place on May 12, 1980. On Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1981, the church held its first mass. The dedication and blessing of the new church took place on Sunday, March 22, 1981, with Bishop William Power officiating.
The fires of 1979 which destroyed our Church and soon after our Parish hall gave way to a community spirit of faith, revitalization and renewal in the 80s. St. Josephs has supported the faithful during family celebrations of marriages, growing families and in also in times of loss. It has been one of the pillars on which we rely to support our faith journey.
It is also a source of pride and a hub within the Diocese of Antigonish. Because of our central location in the Diocese, the Church and hall are frequently used to host events for the Diocese. Once again we are at a crossroads. Since the building of the church in 1981, the necessary maintenance and ongoing repairs have been undertaken. However, after 40 years some major work is needed to meet the standards of today and to go into the future with an accessible and safe facility.
Since the sale of the former glebe house (around 2009), the administrative offices for the parish have been housed in what was once the convent which was until 2023 maintained by the local council of the KoC. Currently the parish is responsible for that building. It does not meet any current accessibility requirements and renovations would be cost prohibitive.
A second graveyard was developed in the years after the church moved and is located on the other end of Old Sydney Road. The parish hall which is in the basement of the church building serves the entire community. The CWL, KoC and the parish fund raising committee keep the hall busy and have already undertaken to maintain and update the kitchen to keep it up to acceptable standard.