Saint Alphonse Church

With its hand painted murals Saint Alphonse Church is one of the most breathtaking places of worship in the area. The residents of Chéticamp-de-Clare, Bear Cove, Cape Saint Mary, and Mavillette used to attend church in Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Salmon River or Stella Maris Parish in Meteghan. The residents established their own parish church dedicated to Saint Alphonse in 1921. The name of the parish eventually replaced the village names of Chéticamp and Bear Cove.

In 1946, Joseph Pius LeBlanc created the murals that adorn the walls of the sanctuary of the church representing themes from the New Testament.

Along the wall can be seen images of The Good Shepherd, The Annunciation, The Holy Family, and Christ Lamenting Over Jerusalem. Local carpenters constructed the Altar and the wooden grotto. Through Father Maximin LeBlanc was born in Saint Alphonse a great devotion to Notre-Dame de Lourdes.

In the church was built a wooden grotto carved and painted to look like stone. The grotto resembles the one in Massabielle, Lourdes where the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to Saint Bernadette. Miraculous water from the sacred site in Lourdes was added to the grotto's water source and continuously flows across the grotto.

Guided tours of the church are available July-August.