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An Appeal to Help Preserve the Legacy of St. Patrick’s Church in Whiteside on Cape Breton Island

An Appeal to Help Preserve the Legacy of St. Patrick’s Church in Whiteside on Cape Breton Island

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Please Consider a Donation to The Whiteside Church Preservation Society (St. Patrick’s), Cape Breton Island

Preserving our past in memory of all our ancestors.

Dear Friends of St. Patrick’s Church,

It is with sincere thanks that we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who have generously supported St. Patrick’s over the last 10 years. Financial donations, donations of labour for preservation, assistance with our annual summer and St. Patrick’s Day Masses and lunch celebrations, and memorial bequests on behalf of your loved ones have been greatly appreciated. The Whiteside Church Preservation Society was established in 2014 because so many of you recognise the importance of preserving local heritage and honouring our ancestors.

Today we are reaching out to you for your help. The church windows must be repaired, and we are launching a fundraising appeal to cover the cost of this historic restoration. The $28,000 restoration will be completed by Sherbrooke Village. Our goal is $30,000, and any donation, large or small, will help with the restoration. Donors will receive a charitable receipt for donations over $20.00, and all names (not amounts) will be published on our Facebook page to recognise your generosity.

Perhaps you prefer to give a gift of your time. We would love to see you reach out to all your relatives near and far, to organize and sponsor a window in memory of a family ancestor. A permanent dedication plaque will be located below the window. This church has served as a faith and community foundation to our ancestors bearing the names of Doyle, MacDonald, Cameron, King, Morgan, Shannon, Scanlan, McNamara, Proctor, White, Walker, Cogswell, Fougere, Morash, Welch, Johnson, Meagher, Boudreau, MacCuish, Hearn, Ferguson, Hayes, Malcolm, McCarthy, Arsenault, and many others.

Now is the time to honour our Cape Breton ancestors, who built this church through hard work and sacrifice. St. Patrick’s Church is an integral element of the history, identity, and culture of Cape Breton Island. See below how you can help. Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.

Kindest regards,
The Whiteside Church Preservation Society

Did you know?

  • The first church on St. Patrick’s site faced westward and was built in 1865. The current church was built in 1919 and blessed by Rev. Angus D. Beaton. During the first Mass, Fr. Beaton also blessed a new bell donated by Mrs. Timothy White of Whiteside and four statues donated by Miss Mary McCormack of Cleveland.
  • St. Patrick’s Church is designated as an Official Historic Property and has Municipal Heritage Status.
  • With honour and respect, we proudly recognise that St. Patrick’s sits on the Mi’kmaq traditional ancestral homelands.

How can you help?

  1. Sponsor a family or ancestor window for $2,000. A permanent plaque listing names will be placed under the window. Example:
    In loving memory of Joseph and Elizabeth Carlton.
    Donation by: Joe and Mary Jones, David Smith, Carol Green, and families.You may also wish to sponsor a window in honour of a family ancestor name (e.g., “O’Leary Family”) or dedicate it to something meaningful, such as:

    • “To Our Irish Ancestors”
    • “In Memory of our Indigenous Ancestors”
    • “In loving memory of all those who perished at sea”
    • “Dedicated to all nurses, past and present”
  2. Make any size donation and be recognized for the “In memory of Ancestors of St. Patrick’s” window.
  3. Give a gift of time to help spread the word of our fundraising appeal through social media, email, and other forms of communication.

New Volunteers Welcomed
No experience needed. Time commitment is just a few hours a year to assist the executive committee with various small tasks (many of which can be done remotely). The society is well-established, and now is the time to join. Don’t be shy. Email or leave your name with one of our members:

  • Brenda White
  • Paul and Lorna Tyrell
  • Elaine and Richard Cook
  • Karen Walker
  • Frank Meagher
  • Marilyn Demers
  • Michelle Hayes

Donation Details:
Cheques may be mailed to:
St. Patrick’s Church Preservation Society
Module 3, P.O. Box 7, 1621 Whiteside Rd., Whiteside, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, B0E 1J0

Or send an e-transfer to: stpatrickswhiteside@outlook.com

Get updates on our appeal via our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhitesideChurch

Join our Facebook community group: www.facebook.com/groups/whitesidechurch/

All donor names will be recognized on our Facebook site (names only) unless you indicate you wish to remain anonymous.An Appeal to Help Preserve the Legacy of St. Patrick’s Church on Cape Breton Island

In Memory of Mrs. Geraldine (Gee Gee) MacLeod

In Memory of Mrs. Geraldine (Gee Gee) MacLeod

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The Whiteside Church Preservation Society wishes to extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Mrs. Geraldine (Gee Gee) MacLeod upon hearing of her passing, which occurred on Monday January 28th at Milford Haven Home for Special Care in Guysborough. She was the wife of John A. MacLeod, of Evanston, and formerly Point Tupper. A Memorial Mass for her will be held at 11:00 o’clock on Friday at St. Francis de Sales Parish. St. Patrick’s Church in Whiteside is very honoured that she has directed Memorial Donations to the Whiteside Church Preservation Society. She will be remembered in all our Parish Masses.

May her soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace.

“Come Home to Your Roots!” July 13-14, 2019

“Come Home to Your Roots!” July 13-14, 2019

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Save the Date!
“Come Home to Your Roots!” July 13-14, 2019.

St. Patrick’s Church will be celebrating its 100th anniversary and there will be a special Mass on Sunday the 14th of July 2019 to honour our ancestors. Do you have roots in the Whiteside, Lower River, Evanston, Walkerville area? We hope to see you, so tell all your family and plan now to attend. More information will follow this fall.

A very special thank-you to so many!

A very special thank-you to so many!

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A very special thank-you to so many!

What a wonderful summer Mass and luncheon it was on Sunday, and there are so many people who made it all happen.

* to all those who participated in the liturgy: Carol White MacCallum, Jackie White, Richard Cook, Frank Meagher, Barbara White Malcolm, Paul Tyrell, Tom Chisholm, Francis White, Joan MacDonald Arsenault, Betty McNamara King, Duncan White, and Billy Proctor.

* to Roddie and Michelle Hayes for ensuring the grounds of the church and cemetery looked so nice

* to Father Duncan for officiating. What a wonderful homily!

* to Richard and Elaine Cook for preparing the programs and arranging Mass participants

* to the Whiteside Church Preservation Society for preparing the hall and church, and providing food donations

* to Elizabeth Finnigan for leading the congregation in the Rosary before Mass.

* to Marilyn Demers for the lovely window flowers in the church

* to all those community members who cleaned the church last week

* to Frank Meagher for a donation to offset the cost of the luncheon

* to the Riverdale Community Centre for the hall rental. What a fabulous facility!

* to Kay Jeffery and Marie King for set up and management of the luncheon

* to all those who were involved in the music ministry for the Mass (Wayne Mcnamara, Terry McNamara, Elizabeth McNamara, Richard Cook, and the St. Francis De Sales Choir) The music, as always, was beautiful!

* And most importantly, to all of you who attended and made the day so memorable! We thank you and can’t wait to see you at next year’s summer Mass.

Thank you!

Thank you!

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A wonderful thank-you to Elizabeth Finnigan for the donation of a beautiful statue of St. Joseph. The statue has been placed in the church for all to see.