Parish of the Precious Blood Parish of the Precious Blood       Prior to 1858 there were not many Canadian families in Holyoke. Among the earliest to settle here were the Terriens, the Benoits, and the Prews. In 1860 quite a number of Canadians came. Among them was John St. Onge, who afterwards became a missionary to the Indians in the West. It is to him that Monsignor Boulet, mentioned above, owed his missionary vocation. In 1869 the Canadians of Holyoke were numerous enough to require the service of a priest of their own nationality, hence the parish of the Precious Blood was formed. Its first pastor was A.B.Dufresne. Precious Blood Church       The new parish was not without troubles, on May 29, 1875, the church took fire during service, and many lives were lost. It was during this fire that the present head of our fire department displayed the heroism which has made him ever since the hero of fire-fighters.       Father Dufresne, though saddened by this disaster, was not discouraged. He was a man of great zeal and energy. He labored for the erection of a new hose of worship for his people. He was ably seconded, and, in 1878, the present beautiful edifice was dedicated to the service of God. Rev. Charles Crevier       On My 14, 1886, Father Dufresne died. He was succeeded by Rev. H.O. Landry, who built the convent. In 1890 he died, and September 15, Rev. Charles Crevier became the pastor of the Precious Blood.       Father Crevier is one of the most amiable of men. He is a zealous priest and a careful administrator. He opened on September 18, 1894, the present parochial school building. It is attended by 1,002 children who are taught by twenty-five Sisters of St. Anne. Father Crevier also built the rectory, one of the finest of the diocese. The following curates have assisted in the building of the Parish of the Precious Blood and in the maintenance of its spiritual life: Rev. Michael J. Howard, Rev. M.A. Deroschers, Rev. H. Hamelin, Rev. William Hickey, Rev. J.E. Chicoime, Rev. I. Lord, Rev. J.H. Deroschers, Rev. P. Roy, Rev. A.G. Brousseau, Rev. E.A. St. Onge, Rev. J.O. Comptois, Rev. J.A. Fredette, Rev. Stanislaus Guillette, and Rev. J. Laurent. | Previous Page | Holyoke's Churches | Next Page | | People & Organizations | Allyn's Sketch of Holyoke | | Selected Advertisments | Churches | Surname Index | | HolyokeMass.com | Hampden County Page | | Western Mass History & Genealogy | © Laurel O'Donnell 1996 - 2005, all rights reserved This document may be downloaded for personal non-commercial use only and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.