The Little Church That Could
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Amidst a mostly Catholic community, a small tiny Anglican church offers more to the community of Placentia than people may think, and holds many connections and history to the rest of the world.
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Amidst a mostly Catholic community, a small tiny Anglican church offers more to the community of Placentia than people may think, and holds many connections and history to the rest of the world.
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St. Luke's is built on the site of the oldest Catholic church in Newfoundland, and is the successor to a number of different buildings of many different religions over its long history. The current building was built between 1906 and 1908 and was rumored to be the site of the smallest church in Newfoundland up until renovations were made to extend the church some time in the 1950s and 1960s to account for the influx of residents from the resettlement program, and the American base in nearby Argentia.
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The site is home to an original church built by the Recollect friars in 1689 and was likely continued to be used once England took control of Placentia from the French in 1713. Prince William Henry, later King William IV was stationed in Placentia in 1786 and gave money to build the old St. Luke's, and presented a silver communion service, a coat of arms, the communion service now located in St. John's, and the coat of arms still hanging in the church today. Surrounding the church are a number of gravestones, some dating back to as early as the 1660s, a few of which are now on display in the O'Reilly House museum. Its deep history attracts many visitors to view one of the oldest graveyards in Newfoundland, and possibly North America. - heritage.nf
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