Luxury getaways to the ocean's edge
So maybe I’m cheating a little – today’s post isn’t exactly a church, just the land surrounding one (St. Michael’s). Flatrock is a little town just outside St. John’s, where some of my nephews grew up, and is home to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, the biggest in eastern Canada. Pope John Paul II prayed here in 1984.
After that prayer, the Pope also went to a neaby lookout to offer a homily and bless the boats in the harbour. The Blessing of the Fleet site is marked by this plaque below. 
Happy Mother’s Day, all! Since we’re busy celebrating, this is a quick, but pretty, church blog. Here’s Whiteway’s own picturesque St. Andrew’s United Church – another important and integral part of our new community. Enjoy!
If you remember, I started my Sunday church blogging ritual to celebrate the different churches I’ve photographed along the way in the many different towns around the island – Newfoundland is a day-tripper’s paradise, and most of my church posts so far have been from past trips.
But I finally got out to take some shots of closer churches, which leads me to today’s: St. George’s, Whiteway’s Anglican church. The earliest records of Anglican churches in the area go back to the 1800s. Today, the 4 in the immediate area share a single vestry, and are an integral part of the community.
And if you were lucky, maybe you got St. George’s Day off a few weeks ago – it’s still an official holiday in Newfoundland! 
(Note: The Spring Hare was fabulous yesterday – will post pictures tomorrow!)
Today’s church is the Pouch Cove Memorial United. Pouch Cove is just outside St. John’s, features lots of beaches and walking trails (really, where in Newfoundland doesn’t??) and is said to be the first to see the sun rise in North America. And non-Newfoundlanders are advised we call it ‘Pooch’ Cove – be prepared for lots of ‘unusual’ pronunciations around here if you come!
Today’s great Newfoundland church is Corner Brook’s First United. Presbyterians in the area began meeting for worship in family homes as early as 1876, and then this church was built in 1889. I got this shot on a sunny day a few years ago, and it really was lovely.
Corner Brook is of course on our island’s west coast, and is a great city with lots to offer. It’s a long drive from the cottages, but a lot of tourists who come here like to rent a car and hit the road – a good choice!
I’ve been using my Sundays posts to highlight churches in different communities, and today I’m going slightly off-island with the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, in St. Pierre, which I love. This cathedral was rebuilt after a fire in 1905, on land which had housed a church since the 1600s. In researching this post I learned that this Roman Catholic church is built in the Basque style. I especially like how the stain glass windows and door handle celebrate Saint Pierre’s connection to the sea and fishing – just like ours.
Saint Pierre is a short ferry ride from Fortune, Newfoundland, which itself is about a 4 hour drive from the cottages. It’s a really fun way to soak up a little bit of French culture in between your Newfoundland road trips!
Meet The Fergusons, just like I had the pleasure of doing this weekend as they took advantage of our April Special. They enjoyed themselves at The Osprey and on our ATV, and we enjoyed having them.
Jackie and Dave checked out Sunday morning, on their way to the Salvation Army Church in Twillingate, which recently celebrated its 125 year of ministry. Their regular church is the Pathway Community Church in Paradise, which has services every Sunday at 11 o’clock at the Rotary Paradise Youth Centre.
The Salvation Army has a rich history and great tradition of helping out the poor of this province, and while I am not a member I certainly respect what they do, and was happy to meet these soldiers (church members). In researching this blog post I learned that Newfoundland boasts the largest per capita numbers of Salvation Army soldiers in Canada, and they still carry out outreach work today.
I’ve always been a people-person – that’s why I’ve excelled as a business- and salesman. I have been more than thrilled that my new job as Happy Innkeeper allows me to continue to meet people and hear their stories on such an intimate level. I can’t wait til the summer for our high-season to really kick in.
Placentia, a little town less than a two-hour drive from our cottages, makes a great day trip for its beautiful scenery and great archaeological history, including the Castle Hill National Historic Site. And since today is Sunday, and my new mission is to highlight Newfoundland churches in my Sunday posts, here are two great ones.
The first is St. Luke’s Catholic Church, whose construction began in 1886. There is currently a campaign to determine the fate of this great building, so please check out their Facebook page. Here are some shots I took a few years ago (that’s my daughter, Emily, in the second pic – she’s a great day trip partner!):
The Anglican church in Placentia, St. Luke’s, also has its fair share of history. Turns out on my last trip I only got a shot of the graveyard out back – but going through these old pictures makes me think a little trip down ‘south’ might be in the cards this summer!
Newfoundland is a road-trippers’ paradise, with countless little towns dotting our bays, all with their own unique history and beautiful landscapes, and, most often, their own churches. And since I have been lucky enough to have visited virtually every corner of this island throughout my life, I thought a Sunday series of church photos showcasing different communities might be interesting (and, make for a light blogging day on the Sabbath for me!).
So I’m starting with St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Twillingate. And nearby, here are some graveyard shots that I think are an excellent example of how Newfoundlanders have quite literally carved our lives into the rocky cliffs. Stunning!
