Saturday, July 23, 2016

Saint Raphael's Ruins

Saint Raphael's Ruins stand to the south of Country Road 18, just west of Frog Hollow Road in St. Raphael's, Ontario, about 11.5 kilometres south of Alexandria, west of Country Road 34. The following quotations and song lyrics are from a brochure produced by Friends of the Ruins of St. Raphael's Inc.




"Across the Heart of Glengarry some miles inland from the St. Lawrence, the historic King's Road runs east and west along the highlands. This high road, named for King George III, is an inverted riverbed left behind by a decaying glacier. Its broad sloped back has felt aboriginal moccasins, borne the cannons of war, and witnessed the rise of a nation..."

"Au cœur de Glengarry, dans les terres à quelques miles du Saint-Laurent, l'historique chemin du Roi longe les highlands d'est en ouest. Cette route bombée nommée en l'honneur du roi George III, fut formée par le recul du glacier. Cette chaussée a vu passer les moccassins des autochtones et les cannons en plus d'avoir été témoin de l'essor d'une nation..."


"From the edge of old Quebec, crossing over the Military Road at Sandfield's Corners (the "Brown House) and through Indian Lands on the western boundary of Glengarry, the King's Road runs past one of the most imposing historic structures in Eastern Canada. Begun on the eve of Waterloo, the majestic walls fo the church of St. Raphael's overlook the green fields below.

"These silent walls proclaim the dignity of our ancestors. The harmony of the place is that of Highland people: gentle in peace, fearsome in battle.

"But why here? And what manner of men and women were these settlers of St. Raphael's?"


"Près de l'ancien Québec, croisant Military Road à Sanfield's Corners (« Brown House ») et passant par les terres indiennes sur la frontière ouest de Glengarry, le chemin du Roi défile devant une des structures historique le plus imposantes de l'Est du Canada. Amorcés la veille de la bataille de Waterloo, les murs majesteux de l'église de Saint-Raphaël surplombent les verts pàturages.

"Cette enceine silencieuse annonce la dignité de nos ancètres. L'harmonie de lieu reflète celle du peuple des Highlands : doux en temps de paix, redoutable au combat.

"Pourquoi ici? Et qui étaient ces colonisateurs de Saint-Raphaël?"


"They were the sons and daughters of the clans who were defeated with Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden, of the loyal Scots from the Mohawk Valley of New York, and of the Glengarry Fencibles of the Irish Rebellion of 1778 and of those who rallied to the fiery cross in the war of 1812.

"Regrettably, the great St. Raphael's Church burned in August 1970 leaving only the majestic walls remaining."


"Ils étaient des fils et des filles des clans défaits à Culloden avec Bonnie Prince Charlie, des Écossais loyaux de la vallée Mohawk de New York ainsi que des soldats Glengarry Fencibles lors de la rébellion irlandaise de 1798 et ceux qui se rassemblaient sous la croix de feus lors de la guerre 1812.

"En août 1970, un incendie détruisit la magnifique église de Saint-Raphaël ne laissant que les murs."

ST. RAPHAEL'S RUINS
LES RUINES DE L'ÉGLISE ST. RAPHAEL

The extraordinary ruins of this church recall the early history of
Roman Catholicism in Upper Canada. Begun in 1815,
St. Raphael's Church originally served as the centre of the
colony's largest and most important parish, and the
administrative headquarters for the first Roman Catholic bishop,
Alexander Macdonell. Situated in the heart of a historic
Highland settlement, the parish was the cradle of Catholocism in
Ontario. The ruins left standing after the fire of 1970 serve as a
testament to Bishop Macdonell's determined efforts to forward
the interests of his faith.

Ces ruines évoquent les premières pages de l'histoire du
catholocisme dans le Haut-Canada. Commencée en 1815,
l'imposante église St. Raphael, centre de la plus importante
paroisse de la colonie, accueillit le siège administratif du
premier évêque catholique de la province, Mgr Alexander
Macdonnell. Située au cœur de ces établissements historiques
écossais, la paroisse fut le berceau du catholicisme en Ontario.
En 1970, un incendie a réduit l'église à ces ruines, qui
continuent de témoigner des efforts soutenus de Mgr Macdonell
pour réandre la foi.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Government of Canada - Gouvernement du Canada
1999






LA MÉMORABLÉ ÉGLISE SAINT-RAPHAËL

CONSTRUITE EN 1821
DONT L'INTÉRIEUR FUT RAVAGÉ PAR LE FEU EN 1970
ET EN 1974 LES MURS CONSOLIDÉS
ET LE TERRAIN AMÉNAGÉ PAR

LA FONDATION DU PATRIMOINE ONTARIEN

AVEC LA COOPÉRATION DU
CANTON DE CHARLOTTENBURGH ET
DE LA PAROISSE SAINT-RAPHAËL

DÉCLARÉE MONUMENT HISTORIQUE POUR RAPPELER
LE PASSÉ AUX CITOYENS DE L'ONTARIO

HISTORIC ST. RAPHAEL'S CHURCH

BUILT IN 1821
GUTTED BY FIRE IN 1970
STABILIZED AND LANDSCAPED IN 1974 BY

THE ONTARIO HERITAGE FOUNDATION

WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF
THE TOWNSHIP OF CHARLOTTENBURGH AND
THE PARISH OF ST. RAPHAEL'S

DEDICATED AS A HISTORICAL LANDMARK FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS OF ONTARIO


HERITAGE CONSERVATION EASEMENT SITE
SITE PATRIMONIAL PROTÉGÉ PAR UNE SERVITUDE


Le caractère historique
et l'intégrité de cette
propriété sont protégés
par un accord juridique
entre le propriétaire
et la Fondation
du patrimoine
ontarien

The heritage
character and
integrity of this property
are protected by a legal
agreement between
the owner and the
Ontario Heritage
Foundation

ONTARIO
HERITAGE
FOUNDATION

FONDATION DU
PATRIMOINE
ONTARIEN


A not-for-profit agency
of teh Government of Ontario
Un organisme à but non lucratif
relevant du gouvernement de l'Ontario




MENEELY'S WEST TROY, N.Y. 1859




















THIS PLAQUE IS ERECTED
IN MEMORY OF

Rt. Rev. JOHN MACDONALD V.G.
1782-1879

BORN IN KNOYDART, SCOTLAND, AND
CAME TO CANADA IN 1786 WITH HIS PARENTS
JOHN ROY MACDONALD AND NANCY MACGILLIS
FATHER JOHN WAS ORDAINED TO THE PRIESTHOOD IN 1814
AND SERVED IN ST. RAPHAEL'S PARISH 1814-1832
PASTOR OF ST. JOHN'S PARISH, PERTH 1838-1871
AND AGAIN PASTOR OF ST. RAPHAEL'S 1838-1871
A RESOLUTE GENEALOGIST
FATHER JOHN DIED IN LANCASTER, AGE 96 YEARS
IN HIS 65th YEAR OF PRIESTLY SERVICE
BURIED WITHIN THESE HALLOWED WALLS


This memorial replaces the original destroyed by
the fire of August, 1970

The Friends of St. Raphael's Ruins Inc., 2016




FOR THEIR LOVE & DEDICATION
OF THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

DUNCAN A MACDONNELL 2007
JOAN P MACDONALD 2009
MARVYN MACDONALD 2012



"In 1994 a committee called the Friends of St. Raphael's Ruins was formed with the determination to stabilize the walls that were sorely in need of repair. By 2005, through matching heritage grants, fund raising and generous donations from loyal supporters, the committee met their goal after raising $1,400,000. With the stabilization complete the stately Ruins will remain for those who love the heritage and the beauty of the structure."


"Les Friends of the St. Raphael's Ruins, un comité formé en 1994, étaient déterminés à stabiliser ces murs qui avaient grand besoin de réparation. En 2005, grâce à des subventions, des collectes de fonds et de généreux dons de la part de loyaux partisans, le comité atteignit son objectif en amassant plus de 1 400 000 $. Une fois les murs stabilisés, les Ruines imposantes seront là pour les amoreux du patrimoine et de la beauté de l'architecture."












"At a ceremony on 15 September 1999 the ruins were officially designated a National Historic Site. A historical plaque reminds us that the original church remains 'the cradle of Catholicism in Ontario.'"


"Les Ruines furent officiellement désignées Lieu historique national lors d'une cérémonie tenue le 15 septembre 1999. Une plaque historique nous rapelle que l'église originale demeure « le berceau du catholicisme en Ontario »."


















The Burning of St. Raphael's

An August night some years ago
Most of the Glen was sleeping;
The word went around, "Come fight the blaze,
St. Raphael's Church is burning."
Into the sky the flames shot forth
As all looked on astounded
And noiselessly the three bells fell
No death knell had been sounded.

They did their best to stop the fire
That started without warning;
With saddened hearts, they knew they'd failed
Come that grim August morning.
A century and a half it stood,
Renouned for age and beauty;
Its grand interior quickly lost
To fire that fearsome enemy.

No altar for His Holy cup,
No pews to seat His children;
Just cold and grey the walls of stone
Reach up to God's own Heaven.
No stained glass windows for His house
The once was proud and glorious
But still it stands, a monument
To those who came before us.


Written by Rob and Irene Taylor.
Performed by the Brigadoons.