That must be the rectory/office address, as the main entrances to the edifice were directly on Branch St. as indicated in the paragraph below I used to walk by it on my way to and from high school,We lived in the Highlands (That was before everyone got bused to school ) I was shocked when I returned to Lowell some time later and found that it had been torn down, What a shame.............. Edd ----- Original Message ----- From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> To: "edbld" <ees@prodigy.net>; <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 4:45 PM Subject: Re: [MAMIDDLE] French-Canadian Church in Lowell > Hi Edd, > > I just did a quick search and found this web site mentioning the church is > on Smith Street. I checked my map and Smith St. is off of Branch St. > > http://ecommunity.uml.edu/scouting26/church/ > > Here's another page which gives a better description of the church's > history: > > http://ecommunity.uml.edu/scouting26/church/ndlvisitors.html > > Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish was founded in 1908 in order to minister to > the > Franco-American Catholic who had settled in the South Common (lower > Highlands) area of the city of Lowell. Our first church building was > located > on Branch Street in what was formerly the Branch Street Baptist Church > (Tabernacle Baptist Church). Since our foundation our parish has been > staffed by the members of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the > Northern Province (St. Jean-Baptiste Province.) Our first house of worship > was blessed on August 6, 1908, the feast of the Transfiguration. At the > time > of our foundation there were about five hundred families in the parish, > and > our first pastor was Rev. Michel Dubreuil, O.M.I > > > > Here's the beginning of an article which seems to have been published in > "the Boston Herald" in 2004: > > Four Catholic Lowell churches receive their orders to close > > Monday, June 28, 2004 > > > E-mail article View text version View most popular > > There's been plenty of room in the pews at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in > Lowell for years, but official word that the parish would be closed along > with three others in the city still hurt, its pastor said yesterday. > > > > ``The attendance has been way down for probably the last 10 years. It > was obvious... > > > Betty > > P.S. I did a Google search for just "church, Lowell, Massachusetts," > and found a page mentioning the Baptist Church in Downtown Lowell, and it > looks like it was opened the first year Lowell was incorporated as a > separate town ! > > http://www.fubc.org/ > > As I said in a previous posting, the men who originally designed the > "planned Mill Town" in what was to become the Town of Lowell - wanted all > the millworkers' needs met ! So, they arranged for churches to be built, > also ! But, that area was already (what was then) the "East Chelmsford" > part of the Town of Chelmsford, so there was probably already a church or > two in that neighborhood. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "edbld" <ees@prodigy.net> > To: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net>; <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 4:17 PM > Subject: Re: [MAMIDDLE] French-Canadian Church in Lowell > > > Hi Betty and all listers: > When I was growing up in Lowell and attending LHS class of '50 There was a > "French Church" on Branch St, east of School St., where it connects with > Middlesex St. and opposite the park that is now called Clemente park. > > I think it was called Notre Dame De Lordes. (spelling ????) > > Edd Sinnett > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> > To: <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 7:42 AM > Subject: [MAMIDDLE] French-Canadian Church in Lowell > > >> Hello, >> >> Within the past month or so, someone was asking about a Catholic Church >> in >> Lowell which was for the French-Canadian population ! >> >> In this morning's "Lowell Sun," there is an article, entitled "Acre >> group >> staying positive in bid for church." >> >> www.lowellsun.com >> >> The article starts out: "Officials from the Coalition for a Better >> Acre, a local neighborhood activist group ... are continuing to press >> their bid to acquire the closed 'Nuestra Senora del Carmen Church' from >> the Archdiocese of Boston. ...." >> >> Further on, the article says, "Opened in 1890, Nuestra Senora del Carmen >> was previously known as t. Jean-Baptiste and was Lowell's first >> French-Canadian parish. It was rechristened as the Archdiocese's >> first explicitly Hispanic church in 1994. Archdiocese officials >> closed the church in Aug. 2004. >> >> The huge granite edifice on the fringe of downtown, its ornately painted >> interior hall and its soaring, tiered balconies are considered cultural >> icons to many in the city, particularly in the French-Canadian community. >> ....." >> >> >> I don't think you can see the photos which go along with articles in "The >> Lowell Sun" via the on-line version, but there is a picture in the >> newspaper. >> >> I am familiar with this church as it sits right beside the "St. Vincent >> de >> Paul" thrift shop which I shop in occasionally. It's quite a large >> church situated directly next to the sidewalk on Merrimack Street. >> Continuing down the street (away from Downtown Lowell), you come to the >> intersection with Pawtucket Street - where the buildings formerly housing >> "Saint Joseph's Hospital." And, taking a left on Pawtucket, you will >> shortly arrive at the long-standing, still open French-Canadian grammar >> school ---- which I can't think of the name of right at this second. >> >> (The "French-Canadian area" of Lowell was larger than people might >> realize.) >> >> Betty (near Lowell, MA) >> >> >> >> >> >> ============================== >> Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >> last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >> http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >> >> >> >> -- >> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.5/147 - Release Date: >> 10/24/2005 >> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.5/147 - Release Date: 10/24/2005