Description of Historic Place

The Shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi is comprised of a small 19th-century wood frame chapel situated in an isolated spot within a pastoral setting. With the shrine and its collection of religious statues and artefacts, the site has been a place of worship since circa 1865.

Heritage Value

The Shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi was designated a Provincial Historic Site to commemorate the construction of a place of worship by Irish Catholic settlers of the area circa 1865. The shrine is located on farmland that was part of the former Howard Settlement. The design of the small chapel is austere, save for the shamrock details that adorn the interior and exterior of the building reflecting the Irish origins of its builders. The building is mainly constructed with beams hewn out of the surrounding forest.

The Shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi is also recognized for commemorating the 17th-century Franciscan Mission to the Wolastoqiyik people. Originally named after St. Joseph, in 1923 the chapel was dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, to celebrate relations between the Franciscans and Wolastoqiyik people.

This location still is a place of devotion and pilgrimage and holds significant religious import to Irish, Wolastoqiyik peoples and others of the Catholic faith. Credited with healing the sick and infirmed for almost a century, the Shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi is the site of an annual Pilgrimage on Shrine Sunday, the second Sunday of August. A collection of statues and other religious artefacts on site are displayed for these events as well as for other religious events.

Source: Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport - Heritage Branch - Site File: Vol. VII-76

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi include:
- its isolated pastoral setting;
- the architecture of the chapel, with Gothic arch and shamrock trim details reflecting its Irish builders;
- the construction of the chapel, made from beams hewn from nearby woods;
- collection of religious statues and other religious artefacts;
- its association with a 17th-century Franciscan mission, reflecting the connection between the Franciscans and the Wolastoqiyik people in New Brunswick;
- use of the site for an annual pilgrimage, healing and gathering.