The St. Louis Catholic Church in Mossbank celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, August 27 with a Mass and celebration. The Mass was held at the cemetery among the shade of the trees on this hot day. Former members of the congregation came from as far as Ottawa and all over Saskatchewan to attend this memorable event. In addition, members of other churches in Mossbank joined the St. Louis parishioners for the day.
Archbishop of Regina Donald Bolen sent a letter of heartfelt congratulations that was read at the event. “As someone who grew up not so far away, in a mission church on the West side of Gravelbourg, I appreciate the perseverance and resilience as you worship God and practice the faith in your region,” he stated.
The St. Louis Catholic Church building was built in 1917 and is not only still standing today, but it is also still being used. When it was first built, it consisted of the main part of the church. Once the Second World War was underway, the RCAF built the Bombing and Gunnery training school nearby in the 1940s. The population of Mossbank grew to thousands and there was a big demand for its amenities. St. Louis’ congregation swelled. They added a sacristy on the back and a porch in front at this time.
Bolen commended the parish for its excellent leadership which guided it through many improvements. The parish put in new stained-glass windows, altar and pews, which they acquired from Assiniboia when the parish there built a new church. Heating sources evolved from wood to oil to a natural gas furnace over the years. In the 1970s, they replaced the siding and put on new asphalt on the roof. They also had power installed.
Since its founding a century ago, Mossbank’s parish never had its own resident priest. It was served as a mission parish over the years by a number of pastors. Mostly, the priests came from Mazenod and some would come from Gravelbourg. Over the years, lay readers had led worship on the Sundays without scheduled services.
Despite its small size and lack of a resident priest, the parish was never overlooked by the Church hierarchy. They received episcopal visitations in the past such as by Bishop Lemieux back in the 1940s. And recently installed Archbishop Bolen plans to make a visitation some time in the future as part of his goal to visit every parish in the diocese. The St. Louis parish is presently served by Fr. Denis Remot who also serves Assiniboia and Willow Bunch. He serves Mass on Sunday and a lay person leads worship on Saturday night.
The congregation is made up of people living in Mossbank and the surrounding area. After the Mazenod parish was closed, some of those parishioners began attending worship services in Mossbank. Over the century, the St. Louis parish has been holding its own in terms of numbers. Now, they are experiencing a revival in their congregation with more children and young families attending. The St. Louis parishioners continue to celebrate Mass in Mossbank every other Sunday.
The story of the hundred-year history of the St. Louis Catholic Church is a remarkable one. It speaks to the resoluteness of the parishioners during the early years of the settlement of Saskatchewan. The parish’s tenacity reflects the reliance on faith by many generations of Mossbank residents to see them through the challenges of pioneer living.
