St. Mary’s parish, the first parish to be established in the St. Mary’s Bay area of Southwest Nova Scotia, is a catholic community of the Diocese of Yarmouth. Its boundaries encompass the Acadian villages of Grosses Coques, Church Point, Little Brook and Comeauville. The parish church, Église Sainte-Marie, is located in Church Point next to the Université Sainte-Anne campus.
Religious services are held in French with weekly celebrations of mass on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. During the academic year, we are pleased to welcome the university students as members of our congregation. Once a month these students join with other young parishioners for a more active participation in the Sunday mass. The contribution of their musical talents is particularly appreciated.
The church, with its steeple rising 56.4 m (185 feet) above the ground, is the largest wooden church in North America. Built over a period of two years, from 1903 to 1905, it was the fifth church to be built in the parish.
Since the year 2000 this breathtaking structure is also a registered museum. A historical place of worship, it is a favorite stop for tour busses. We are wheelchair accessible and a "loop" system has been installed to assist the hearing impaired. We offer the services of bilingual tour guides. A large parking lot provides ample free parking.
To help with the high maintenance costs, there is a modest admission fee of $2 per adult or $5 per family. We are open to visitors daily from mid-May to mid-October between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Contact info:
Tel: 902-769-2832 (Rectory)
902-769-2378 (Church)
Fax: 902-769-0048
Email: museestemarie@hotmail.com
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