musee culturel du mont-carmel

A wood-framed , twin-steepled church rises above the village of Lille, Maine. It stands as a testimony to the faith of the French-speaking parishioners of Acadian and Quebec descent. This former Roman Catholic church celebrated her first mass on New Year's Day 1910. The last religious celebration took place in the Fall of 1978. It is an impressive building as one drives down US Rte.1 between Van Buren and Madawaska, Maine. It's stature and magnificence is clearly visible from Hwy 144 across the border in New Brunswick, Canada. A non profit group has been painstakingly restoring this magnificent building for over thirty years. The old white paint with silver steeples has been converted to the original forest green with cream trim and gold steeples. The two seven-foot archangels on the steeples are of Gabriel and Michael. Both played significantly in the life of the Virgin Mary, of whom this church is dedicated. The outside angels, along with statues of Our Lady of Mont-Carmel and St. Joseph, are by the famed Quebec artist, Louis Jobin. Restoration has uncovered a lost inner treasure that was covered with zinc coated panels a decade after the church's opening. Intricate stenciling of garlands, flowers and gold maple leaves once graced the interior of this basilica-styled building. The wooden Corinthian columns were hand-painted to assimilate marble. The balustrade was destroyed during post-Vatican II renovations. Two spindles have survived and are being used as models to reconstruct the altar rail..The main and side altars were also modernized in the pre- and post-Vatican II era. They are being reconstructed to their original elegance. There are over thirty statues in the building. The twelve apostles are situated thirty feet above the main floor in the clerestory. Windows niches above the cornice were added from the original plans to incorporate them. This historical place once served as a religious mecca for two villages and several concessions in the middle of Maine's Saint John Valley. It is now a cultural center with live performances and social gatherings. There is no admittance but goodwill donations are accepted during visiting hours.

I drove to the Mont-Carmel Church in Lille, Maine. Built in 1909, this church is on the National Register of Historic places because it is the most intact and architecturally significant of the surviving historic wooden Catholic churches in Maine. The historic Acadian style of the church include its wooden structure, clapboard exterior, simple wooden moldings, and hand‑marbleized interior columns. The twin Baroque-style belfries of the church house two 7' archangels blowing trumpets sculpted in 1908 and face Canada in order to 'call' people in their homeland. Today, Mont-Carmel is held by a non profit organization, which is restoring the church building as a museum and a performing arts center. It's worth the visit, though there is nothing else of interest in the area. Be sure to check their website for musical events. When I visited they held a concert of traditional Gregorian chant music which was very good.

The old church is amazing. How such a small community could build such a huge church is beyond me. A resored exterior and mostly original interior. The two archangels sculptures are truly amazing...from a famous Quebec Sculpture artist. The president of the association is friendly and extremely knowledgeable, Don Cyr. He has, in the church, a number of fine artifacts of items that come from the valley. Don also has cultural events going on here. This place is a treasure for the valley.