Paroisse St. Denis Parish
St. Denis Parish History
The first church was built in 1909. The first priest was Father Maurice Pierquin (1909-1913). At his pastoral visit in June 1917, Msgr. Arthur Béliveau, Archbishop of St.Boniface, it was noted that there were 52 Catholic families in Haywood, and some parishioners had to stand outside during Mass, therefore, a new church, the present one, was built in 1919. The notes indicate that the cost was $6,000.00. Father Cyrille Allaire was pastor (1913-1921) then.
In January 1937, 114 households with a population of 585 were reported.
In 1941 the church was enlarged by adding two lean-tos, two bell towers and a sacristy. Mr. Pierre Dedieu and Mr. Gaston Bernard of Haywood were the directors / overseers. Electricity was brought to the church and furnaces were installed also in 1941.
In 1945 the new modern liturgical style altar along with the Way of the Cross were put in and blessed by Msgr. Georges Cabana. The new pews were installed in 1947 and two confessionals came in 1948.
A fire caused by lightning destroyed the parish rectory in 1988 and many records were lost. A new rectory was built but in 2000 we lost our resident priest so the rectory was rented out as a home. Using the existing office in those premises was at times inconvenient for both the tenant and the parish personnel so a parish office was created in the space used as a chapel in the sacristy of the church.
There are now approximately 200 Roman Catholics in the Haywood area. There are about 60 persons who attend Sunday Mass regularly.
On August 1st 2019, we were ecstatic in welcoming a newly ordained priest from Vietnam, Father Peter Lê Văn Ngũ who resides in St. Claude but serves our parish as well. This has allowed us to have Sunday mass regularly at 9:00 AM and adoration and confessions every Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 AM followed by mass at 10:00 AM.
Priests of St. Denis, Haywood
Maurice Pierquin
Cyrille Allaire
Alfred Chamberland
Edmond Lavoie
Jean-Marie Gagné
Gédéon Montminy
Louis Bédard
Joseph Choiselat
Florent Labonté
James Scharinger
Rosaire Gagné
Lionel Thibeault
Marcel Chaput
Rhéal Forest
Antoine VoVanHoa
Armand LeGal
Rodrigue Bouchard
Jean-Jacques Serceau
Mgr. Roger Bazin
Célestin Malengu Mubaya
Marcel Carrière
Guy Lavallée
Louis Légaré
Mgr.Bazin, Fr. John, Bishop, etc.
Solomon Arthur
John Tê Nguyen
Peter Lê Văn Ngũ
1909 – 1911
1913 – 1921
1921 - 1925
1925 - 1935
1935 - 1952
1952 – 1958
1958 – 1962
1962 – 1966
1966 – 1978
1978 – 1980
1980 – 1981
1981 – 1983
1983 – 1988
1988 – 1995
1995 – 1998
1998 – 2000
2000 – 2003
2003 – 2004
2004 – 2005
2005 – 2009
2009 – 2012
2012 – 2014
2015 - 2016
2016 – 2018
2018 - 2018
2018 - 2019
2019 -
1st resident priest
resident in St. Claude
resident in St. Claude
resident in St. Claude
resident in St. Claude
resident in St. Claude
priest-moderator from Winnipeg
priest-moderator from Winnipeg
various replacement priests
resident in St. Claude
priest-moderator from Holland Monastery
resident in St. Claude