Description of Historic Place

The statue of Father Camille Lefebvre, a bronze sculpture on a granite pedestal, is located in front of the former Collège Saint-Joseph on Centrale Street in Memramcook.

Heritage Value

The statue of Father Camille Lefebvre is designated a Local Historic Site for the huge contribution made by this member of the Holy Cross Congregation to the educational and religious institutions of the Memramcook region.

The sculpture by artist Philippe Hébert offers a lifelike resemblance of Father Lefebvre who appears to welcome passers-by with his outstretched arms. The statue was erected in 1914 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Collège Saint-Joseph by Father Lefebvre. The statue pays tribute to the man who, after arriving in Memramcook in 1864, spent the last 30 years of his life there as the pastor of the parish of Saint-Thomas de Memramcook and superior of the Collège Saint-Joseph.

In 1870, Father Lefebvre had a girls’ academy built. It later became the Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur convent, where a congregation was founded under the same name in 1924.

Two other facts relating to religion deserve mention. Highly regarded in his own religious community, Father Lefebvre served as the provincial superior of the Holy Cross Congregation for Canada, from 1871 to 1880, while continuing his duties as parish priest and college superior. During his stint as provincial superior, his efforts resulted in the founding of the Petites Sœurs de la Sainte-Famille, whose convent was located quite near the Collège Saint-Joseph.

Source: Village de Memramcook- dossier de lieu "Statue du père Camille Lefebvre"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of this work of art include:
- lifelike representation of Father Lefebvre in bronze;
- location in plain sight across from the main entrance leading to the former Collège Saint-Joseph;
- granite pedestal on which the dates “1864-1914” are inscribed, in memory of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Collège Saint-Joseph by Father Lefebvre.