5 Remarkable Catholic Sites Not To Miss in Maine

The depth of Maine's Catholic history is surprising, considering that it was part of anti-Catholic Massachusetts until the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

From Aleteia

By Theresa Civantos Barber

Every state has its own unique Catholic history, but Maine’s may be one of the most fascinating owing to its deep roots.

Every state has its own unique Catholic history, but Maine’s may be one of the most fascinating owing to the Catholic faith’s rapid spread among the Native American people. 

Maine is the only New England state with such a deep-rooted Catholic history. As early as 1604, long before the Pilgrims landed, Catholic missionaries brought their faith to Maine’s Abenaki people, who quickly embraced it.

After the British took control of Maine in 1690, no priests visited Maine for over 70 years. But through all this time, the Abenaki did not forget about their Catholic faith. They kept it alive in their hearts and asked again and again for a priest to come to them, until finally a priest was permitted in 1779.

You can read the history of these early Maine Catholics and about the strong connection between the Abenaki traditional beliefs and Catholicism. This connection made it easy for the Catholic faith to take root among them.

Maine’s Catholic history continues strongly today with some 286,095 members, about 21% of the state population. Here are some of the places where they worship and pray. Each would make a wonderful pilgrimage destination, especially in this Jubilee Year.

1BASILICA OF STS. PETER AND PAUL, LEWISTON

In the mid-1800s, an influx of Catholic French Canadians came to work in Maine’s textile mills. Their arrival created the need for a French-speaking priest, and eventually this parish, which was dedicated in 1873. It is one of the few Maine churches that still offers Mass in French, a delightful nod to the parish’s origins.

The current building was constructed beginning in 1934, replacing the original 1871 church. This Gothic Revival church, built high on a hill, is a defining landmark and oasis of beauty in the midst of Lewiston.

2ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PORTLAND

The good people of Maine went through a lot to get this cathedral built! When the Diocese of Portland was established in 1853, its first bishop, David W. Bacon, was eager to build a cathedral for his growing flock. After all, a cathedral is the heart of a diocese.

The cornerstone was dedicated in 1856. But before he could see his cathedral finished, he dealt with some serious challenges:

• The outbreak of the American Civil War led to a severe labor shortage, so work on the cathedral ceased entirely for several years.
• Construction began in earnest in 1866, under prominent Catholic architect Patrick Keely. Its walls were almost complete when the Great Fire of Portland struck on July 4, 1866. By the next day, the new walls of the cathedral—plus the nearby school, convent, and entire cathedral campus—lay in ashes. “Nothing of any value was saved,” Bishop Bacon wrote.
• Funds were gone from building the cathedral the first time, so Bishop Bacon went on a fundraising tour through the Northeast and Canada to raise money to rebuild. 
• Thankfully, the sad story moved hearts, and people were generous. With a remarkable influx of funds, a reconstructed chapel was completed by Christmas and construction on the new cathedral began in 1868. The cathedral was dedicated on September 8, 1869, but the trials weren’t over yet. The night of the dedication, a storm knocked down the steeple! 

That was the last of the trials, thankfully. The steeple was rebuilt quickly and still stands today.

The red brick cathedral is an architectural marvel and a prominent feature in the city skyline with its asymmetrical bell towers and elongated spires. 

3ST. PATRICK CHURCH, NEWCASTLE

You can’t miss a visit to St. Patrick’s, the oldest Catholic church in New England. It was built in 1807 and dedicated in 1808. Among the historical artifacts in the church are a bell cast by Paul Revere & Sons and the original altar used to consecrate the building.

A dedicated group of Irish Catholic immigrants willed this parish into being, a story well worth reading. We honor the memories of James and Sarah Kavanagh and Matthew and Lydia Cottrill, who founded the parish in 1796. The Kavanaghs’ son, Edward, became the seventeenth governor of Maine.

The Kavanagh family made their home a center of hospitality for the fledgling Catholic community, hosting traveling priests in their homes for at least a decade. Both families paid for construction of this church, which was built with brick made across the Damariscotta River and hauled across the frozen river in winter. 

When you visit, think of the early settlers who poured so much time, effort, money and prayer into bringing the Catholic faith to their new home. May we imitate a fraction of their zeal and devotion!

4CHURCH OF THE HOLY REDEEMER, BAR HARBOR

Joseph Sohm

Another remarkable testament to the faith and devotion of early Maine Catholics, Holy Redeemer is actually the third church to stand on Bar Harbor—but with quite a gap between the first two.

Initially, French Jesuits established a mission on the island in 1613, but it was destroyed by English attack. 268 long years passed before another Catholic church took its place. 

A small church called St. Sylvia's was built in 1881, but the community quickly outgrew it and wanted a larger building closer to downtown Bar Harbor. The current Holy Redeemer Church took its place in 1907. 

The neo-Gothic stone church was constructed from granite blocks quarried from Washington County, Maine, with felled local cypress trees supporting the roof and walls. It is a beautiful landmark in the town that is a gateway to Acadia National Park, and a popular church for the many tourists who visit each year.

5ST. ANN CHURCH, INDIAN ISLAND

St. Ann Church is the oldest continuous site of Catholic worship in New England. The original church was built in 1688 after members of the Penobscot Nation traveled to Canada to request that a priest come to live among them in their village. 

That first church was burned by the British in 1723. The current church was built between 1828-1830, making it the third oldest Catholic church in Maine. 

The church includes a painting of Jesus' crucifixion, which a Native American artist crafted using all-natural ingredients. The painting is at least 200 years old.

Bonus Site

Bishop James A. Healy Burial Site and Monument, South Portland

Calvary Cemetery in South Portland is the burial site of many notable Maine Catholics, but Bishop Healy was an especially fascinating historical figure. He was the oldest of the famous Healy family, 10 siblings who were born to an enslaved mother, Mary Eliza Clark, and the white landowner who was her enslaver. 

Despite this situation, their father, an Irish immigrant named Michael Morris Healy, strove to give his children the best possible chance to succeed. The children were sent to boarding schools in the North and given a top-tier education — at a time when it was illegal to teach enslaved people to read, much less send them to school. All were able to integrate fully into Northern society identifying as Irish Americans. 

What makes them so famous, though, is how remarkably successful all of the Healy children were. James, the oldest, became the first known Catholic priest and bishop of Black descent. His brother Patrick entered the Jesuit order, earned his PhD, and became president of Georgetown University. Another brother, Michael, was a prominent Coast Guard captain. And their sister Eliza entered religious life and became Mother Superior of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal. 

I have to warn you: If you are a history fan, wait until you have some time on your hands to Google the Healys. Their story is absolutely unreal and you won’t be able to stop reading about them. I’m hoping for someone to write a book or make a movie about these brave siblings who forged a brilliant path for themselves against terrible odds.