A mill town’s mainstay celebrates its 125th anniversary

During the past century, the town of Millinocket has experienced periods of prosperity and times of uncertainty. But through them all, St. Martin of Tours Church has steadfastly stood as a center of faith and a beacon of hope.

“This is my lifeline. I love coming to church. I’ve always loved being able to come and spend time here. Our priests have always been the best,” says Sylvia Cyr, a parishioner for nearly 40 years.

“St. Martin’s was one of the major reasons my wife and I returned home,” says Matthew Bragdon, a parishioner and former town councilor. “The beauty of the church, the support of the people who make up this parish continue to surprise me — in times of grief and stress, how a small community can band together to help others.”

Bragdon and Cyr were among those who gathered with Bishop James Ruggieri on Saturday, May 18 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the St. Martin of Tours community.

St. Martin of Tours Parish, which merged in 2007 to become part of Christ the Divine Mercy Parish, was established in 1899 by Bishop James Healy, the second bishop of Portland. Bishop Healy had stopped in the area while heading south from northern Maine. Seeing the building of the Great Northern Paper Mill, he foresaw how that would transform the then mostly wooded area.

Father Martin Clary, who was chosen as the first pastor, arrived on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, so he put the new parish under the saint’s patronage. At first, Father Clary celebrated Mass in an abandoned shack, which had been a store for the Kimball Trading Company. But by Christmas Day 1900, the new St. Martin of Tours Church had been built.

As anticipated, the construction and operation of the paper mill brought an influx of workers. They came from countries such as Canada, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, and Poland.

“I had a grandmother who came from Italy. Her husband, my grandfather, was a bricklayer, so he came. They established their shacks over in Little Italy,” says Dot Howard, who researched the history of the church for the celebration.

The town grew so quickly, it was known as “The Magic City.” To serve the growing population, the parish opened St. Martin’s Parochial School in 1938 with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary as teachers. Sister Carole Jean Lappa, RSR, attended the school from kindergarten through 12th grade.

“I became in touch with the Sisters of the Holy Rosary through the church and through the school and felt called to enter religious life and had the honor of being able to profess my final vows at St. Martin’s with my family present,” she says. “I graduated in 1962 and entered right off. I professed my vows in 1965, on February 2.”

Sister Carole Jean became a second-grade teacher at the school and later taught religious education at the church.

“I’m just very full of gratitude. Millinocket being my home parish, I have a lot of connections with the parish in terms of my growing up and the sacramental life of the church,” says Sister Carol Jean, who traveled from Old Orchard Beach to Millinocket for the anniversary celebration.

Although the school closed in 1969, the parish community continued to thrive, and a larger church was needed. Designed to reflect the area’s natural beauty, it opened in 1970.

“The long, slender windows in the back were to represent light coming through the trees in the forest. The mossy colored carpet on the floor was intended to be the forest floor. And the skylights were the light sifting through the different branches onto the ground,” explains Michael Crowley, a parishioner.

While the area’s natural gifts remain, the town suffered an economic blow when the mill shut its doors in 2008. With fewer jobs available, the population declined. Still, the St. Martin of Tours community remains strong.

“It’s a mill town without a mill, just like a lot of towns in Maine, but the parish is very vibrant,” says David Labun, a member of Knights Council 680, who has attended the church for 56 years. “We have a lot of volunteers in the church, and the Knights are active.”

“St. Martin’s is a very caring community. A lot of people work together. We have a wonderful thrift store and a pantry that serves those in need without questions asked,” says Sandy Willard, whose grandfather served at the original church. “We have wonderful lectors and eucharistic ministers. It’s a very good community, very supportive. Our Knights of Columbus are the best!”

“It’s the most faithful community we have been in in a long time. It’s very important to us. We travel 40 minutes to get here on either Saturday or Sunday,” says Maura Quirk, who lives in Ebeemee Township. “You just become a family.”

“It’s my life. I’ve met so many great friends here,” says Bernadine Quartuccio, who attends daily Mass when it is celebrated. “The Eucharist is a beautiful gift that we have. We’re blessed to have that.”

“Everything revolved around the mill, which is gone now, but there is a lot of good activity here in the parish,” says Deacon Danny Watson. “It’s been a blessing to have Father Dominic [Savio] here. It’s incredible what he has done.”

That has included spearheading a drive to renovate the church, which was sorely in need of repairs. Father Savio turned to friends, parishioners, and the community for support, and they responded generously.

“It’s not only the people who are Catholics who donated the money,” he says. “There are many community people who are attached to this church because it was the first church in town.”

A capital campaign is ongoing, but two walls of the church have already been restored. There are new entry doors and a new cross on top, along with a new, weatherproof depiction of the Christ the Divine Mercy image on the exterior. Bishop Ruggieri blessed the image prior to the anniversary Mass, urging parishioners to reflect on its message: “Jesus, I trust in you.”

“Our faith is about trust,” the bishop said. “We trust in God through the good and through the bad, through the consolations and through the desolations.”

Bishop Ruggieri said that it is important to remember that through all the changes communities go through, there is one constant — the Holy Spirit.

“If your community discerns well, the Holy Spirit will speak, and although changes may be difficult, the Holy Spirit will give those beautiful gifts for community leaders to lead the community forth,” he said. “Let the Holy Spirit lead.”

Along with Bishop Ruggieri, the anniversary celebration brought together several priests with ties to the parish community, including recent pastors Father Bruce Siket, Father Richard Malo, and Father Joël Cyr.