booklet

2 - Our Lady of the Cape: a Parish for Cape Cod

Table of Contents

1 The church of Our Lady of the Cape: ......................................................................................3 Beauty becomes Reconciliation and Communion ........................................................3

2 Historical Profile: ..........................................................................................................................6 Our Lady of the Cape, December 8th 1961 - 2012 ........................................................6 The small chapel in East of Brewster: Immaculate Conception .........................7 The Missionaries of La Salette serving at Immaculate Conception...... ...........8 December 8th, 1961: the beginning of Our Lady of the Cape ..........................9 October 11th 2002: starting the new church.........................................................11

3 Architecture and Theology: ......................................................................................................12 Retelling the Bible through art and Architecture ............................................................12 Introduction ..............................................................................................................13 Our Lady of the Cape: a church retelling the Bible ............................................14 The Symbol of the fish ...................................................................................14 The Symbol of the la salette cross ...............................................................14 The Symbol of the scallop ............................................................................15 The Symbol of the pineapple ......................................................................15 Our Lady of the Cape: a space welcoming the quest for God .............16 Our Lady of the Cape: a space of reconciliation with God and man ..16

4 The “mother church”: 25 A short history of Immaculate Conception Chapel .......................................................25 Memories from the “mother church” ....................................................................26

Our Lady of the Cape: a Parish for Cape Cod - 3

Fr. Flavio is an Italian Priest. He studied Bible, Biblical Archaeology and Jewish

Tradition in Jerusalem and Rome. He has also guided various international groups around Israel, giving biblical and archaeological ses-sions. In Italy he has taught Bible, Semitic Lan-guages and Jewish Exegesis in Naples. During the last two summers Fr. Flavio was at Our Lady of the Cape for a series of biblical lectures. To know more about his activities visit the website Digbibweb at www.digbib.com

Preface

1The church of Our Lady of the Cape:Beauty becomes Reconciliation and Communion

byFr. Flavio Gillio

http://www.digbib.com


This e-booklet is basically a reworked edi-tion of the flayer written by the Pastor

of Our Lady of La Salette Parish, in Brewster, MA, Fr. Bernard Baris, M.S.

I visited for the first time the Parish in occa-sion of a series of biblical lectures that I

gave during the summer 2011. When Fr. Bernard Baris M.S. guided me through the church, I was amazed by its beauty and by the symbolic mean-ing hidden behind every detail. With pleasure I admired how architecture and art can actually become “narra-tive texts”, filled with spirituality, evok-ing the mystery of God and embed-ding the History of Salvation.

While walking inside the Church guided by Fr. Bernard Baris

M.S., simply Bernie for his parishio-ners and friends, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s words kept on resounding in my mind: “Beauty will save the world”. Indeed, visiting the church of Our Lady of the Cape means, at once, to experience Beauty and Reconciliation. The two terms are deeply interconnected: beauty should be always reconcil-ing, and reconciliation should always bear an aesthetic value, enabling us to see the world from a different per-spective, i.e. with the eyes of God.

Walking through the inner spac-es of the church has been, for

me, more than a simple contempla-tive exercise; it has been a journey. Well rooted in the context of Cape Cod through various decorative ele-ments, the Church invites its visitors to reach the Sea of Galilee with the lat-eral windows of the main nave and then to reach the small village of La Salette, thanks to the two “La Salette Windows” displayed in the east and

A typical lighthouse in Cape Cod

“Walking through the inner spaces of the church has been more than a simple contemplative exercise: it has been a journey ...”


west naves that remind the good news announced by Mary to Maximin and Melanie on September 19th, 1846.

A journey aimed at remembering: remembering that God is the

“Emmanuel”, the God-with-us, thanks to various artistic elements referring to the Old and the New Testament; re-membering that in God there is a moth-erly side, witnessed by the “La Salette Windows”, that constantly beseeches: “Come closer my children, don’t be afraid”; finally remembering that you and me, we are not disconnected from those who preceded us: indeed the church also displays elements that link its visitors with the members of this wel-coming community that, through their faith, generosity and perseverance, made the existence of Our Lady of the Cape possible. In this sense, Beauty is, at once, Reconciliation and Commu-nion.

Fr. Flavio Gillio

Our Lady of the Cape Parish, 468 Stony Brook Road, Brewster, MA


2Historical Profile:Our Lady of the Cape, December 8th 1961 - 2012

by Fr. Bernard Baris M.S.

Pastor of Our Lady of the Cape Parish

Fr. Bernard Baris, M.S., has been the Pastor of Our Lady of the Cape Parish for

15 years. Fr. Bernard is also responsible for the mission the parish community supports in Haiti, in the Dessaline region.


The small chapel in East of Brewster: Immaculate Conception

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Catholics began to move to Cape

Cod in greater numbers, finding work in fish-ing and farming. Many young Irish girls found employment as servants in the homes of sea captains. Their spiritual needs were met by the few priests in the parishes of Sandwich and Harwich. As the Catholic population grew, other Cape parishes and chapels were established.

In 1908, Bishop Daniel Feehan, Bishop of Fall River, gave permission to the pastor of Holy

Trinity Parish in Harwich to build a small cha-pel in East Brewster to minister to the needs of the Catholic population in this area. Per-mission was granted to Father George Ma-

guire to build the chapel under the condi-tion that the cost of construction would not exceed $875. How things have changed! Property was purchased on Route 6A from Mrs. James H. Payne. The Church was built by Brewster men and was dedicated to Im-maculate Conception in August 1908. In 1947, Immaculate Conception church be-came a mission church of the newly formed St. Joan of Arc parish in Orleans.

Over the decades, priests from Har-wich, Wellfleet and Orleans came

to Immaculate Conception Chapel in East Brewster to celebrate Mass and to prepare the children for the sacraments.

Immaculate Conception Chapel, Brewster, MA


The Missionaries of La Saletteserving at Immaculate Conception

In 1942, the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette purchased Fieldstone Hall also in East Brewster. This property was the former

estate of Roland C. Nickerson. Now, it is known as Ocean Edge Resort. During the many years that LaSalette Seminary operated, the Missionaries of LaSalette often served at nearby Immaculate Conception Chapel. When Bishop James L. Connolly decided to establish a parish in Brewster, the pastoral care of this new parish was entrusted to the care of the Missionaries of LaSalette. Father Joseph A. Nolin was named its first pastor. The new parish, estab-lished on April 19, 1961, included the Town of Brewster and the parts of Dennis and Harwich north of Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway.

Immediately, it became clear to Father Nolin that Immaculate Conception Chapel was not suitable for the parish church of the

new parish. It was located in the east end of the parish and was not central to the greater population of the parish. A larger church was also needed with enough land for a rectory and more park-ing. In the early years of the parish, Sunday Masses in the summer had to be held in four different locations: Immaculate Concep-tion Chapel in East Brewster, Worden Hall in East Dennis, Carleton Hall in Dennis, and on the front lawn of LaSalette Seminary when weather permitted. At this point, the parish was called Immaculate Conception.

When Bishop James L. Connolly decided to establish a par-ish in Brewster, the pastoral care of this new parish was en-trusted to the care of the Missionaries of LaSalette. Ocean Edge today, Brewster, MA


December 8th, 1961:the beginning of Our Lady of the Cape

As consequence, Fa-ther Joseph A. Nolin

set about to find a piece of property located in West Brewster or East Dennis for the new parish church. A suitable prop-erty of 28 acres was soon found on Stony Brook Road in West Brewster. The asking price was $30,000. Bishop Connolly imme-diately gave permission to Father Nolin over the phone to purchase the property. Ground break-ing ceremonies for the new church was held on December 8, 1961. Bish-op James L. Connolly as-sisted by Harold Ellis, Mary Walker and Radford Mc-Cormick, presided. It is at this occasion that Father Nolin suggested that the new parish and church be named Our Lady of the Cape. Bishop Con-nolly gave his approval enthusiastically. Servic-es were held in the East Brewster church and Car-leton Hall in Dennis until a new building was erect-ed. The new parish con-sisted of Brewster, Dennis and Pleasant Lake. Work on the church began in

early 1962. It was built by local contractors and parishioners. As soon as the floor decking was in place, Father Nolin began say-ing Mass in the unfinished structure. The church was finished in March 1963; but the “first official” Mass was celebrated at Mid-

Aerial view of the property of the parish

The rectory of the parish today


night on Christmas 1962. Bishop James Connolly presided at the Dedica-tion Ceremonies on July 14, 1963. The seating ca-pacity of the church was 550. In 1965, the present rectory was built and the Parish Center was fin-ished in 1988.

The rectory was start-ed on the hill be-

hind the church in June 1965 and Fr. Nolin, who had been using the La Salette seminary (pres-ent Ocean Edge Build-ing-Rt.6A) as his rectory, moved into the house on December 8, 1965. The formal dedication of the rectory by Bishop Connolly took place in August 1966.

As the parish grew, the area became

overly crowded and a parish center was con-sidered. This dream was realized in 1989 when a beautiful, multi-pur-pose parish center was built. Bishop Daniel Cro-nin dedicated the new building on October 29, 1989.

“As the parish grew, the area became overly crowded and a parish center was considered. This dream was realized in 1989 when a beautiful, multi-purpose par-ish center was built...”

The Parish Center today


October 11th 2002: starting the new church

A decade later, a study to expand or

rebuild Our Lady of the Cape Church which no longer met the needs of the growing parish com-munity was launched by Father Bernard Baris M.S., soon after he completed the restora-tion of the Immaculate Conception Chapel –even though the Cha-pel was expanded over the years (the east wing was added in 1923 and the west wing in 1969), it was completely restored soon after Father Ber-nard B. was named pas-tor in July 1997. Meet-ings of parishioners were held, an architect was selected and plans were drawn up.

On October 11, 2002, the parish

gathered with Bishop Sean O’Malley, then the Bishop of Fall River, for the ground-breaking ceremony of the new church. The last Mass celebrated in the 1963 church was on Sunday, January 19, 2003. Dur-ing construction, liturgies were celebrated in the hall of the Parish Center.

On April 7th, the first concrete was poured for the new founda-tions. On September 11, 2003 - the anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York - the new steeple was raised and set in place. The sun was bright and reflected radiantly on the gold cross. This glorious day and event reminded everyone of the power of the cross over evil.

Ever mindful that it was God’s temple being built, the whole construction process took place within a context of prayer.

As Psalm 127 says: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain the builders toil”. For two years, the Prayer for Rebuilding was prayed by the congregation at the conclusion of the Prayer of the Faithful. The parish community was well aware that a church was being built and that the parish community was also being spiritually transformed in the process. The new Our Lady of the Cape Church was blessed and dedicated by Bishop George W. Coleman on Sunday, May 2, 2004.

Besides, Fr. Nolin, eight La Salette priests have shepherded the parish. Fr. Henry Durand was second, followed by Fr. George

Morin, Fr. Roland Bedard, Fr. Rene Gelinas, Fr. René Caissey, Fr. Richard Lavoie and Fr. Bernard Baris.

Bishop G. W. Coleman and Fr. Bernard Baris S.M., May 2, 2004


3 Architecture and Theology:retelling the Bible through art and Architecture

byFr. Bernard Baris M.S.



“The structure of the church reflects Cape Cod architecture in every way with its white clap-board broken with natural cedar shingles and “onion lamps” by the doors...”

Traveling down Stony Brook Road in West Brewster, a typical winding Cape Cod back road, you happen upon Our Lady of the Cape Church sitting

on the crest of a ridge sculptured long ago by a retreating glacier. Everything on this property says “Welcome.” The two main staircases leading up to the church are like outstretched arms inviting us. The structure of the church re-flects Cape Cod architecture in every way with its white clapboard broken with natural cedar shingles and “onion lamps” by the doors.

Before opening the mahogany doors, you might notice the symbols paint-ed and fired into the glass. These four symbols are actually better seen

from the interior. They represent who we are as a parish. They are the parish’s Mission Statement in symbols.

Introduction

A view of Our Lady of the Cape Parish


Our Lady of the Cape: a church retelling the Bible

ThE SyMBOL OF ThE FISh

First, there is the FISh which is the oldest symbol for Christ. Before

all else, we are a Christian Commu-nity.

The Greek word for fish is ichthus representing the initials for Jesus

Christ, Son of God, and Savior.

This monogram is found in the catacombs and the fish symbol

became the secret symbol for the early Christians during the times of great persecution.

The fish is also emblematic of the apostles who were fishermen and whom Jesus would make “fishers of men (Mark 1:17).”

ThE SyMBOL OF ThE LA SALETTE CROSS

The second symbol is the LASA-LETTE CROSS. It is through the

cross of Christ that we are saved. This LaSalette cross also identifies our par-ish as a “LaSalette Parish,” founded by and entrusted to the pastoral care of the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette.

The cross on the doors is envel-oped with swirls of light as Mary

was surrounded by light during her apparition at LaSalette in 1846, Sep-tember 19th.

We are invited to enter into this mystery of Light. We are a

Marian community called to be reconciled and to reconcile.


ThE SyMBOL OF ThE SCALLOP

The SCALLOP ShELL, the third symbol, is a sign of our Baptism.

The theme of water is predominant throughout the church. It is through baptismal water that we find LIFE.

A scallop shell is often used in baptismal ceremonies today

to pour water over the head of the baptized.

In the Middle Ages, it was also a symbol of pilgrims walking to Jeru-

salem, Rome or to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We are a pilgrim people walking life’s journey in faith.

ThE SyMBOL OF ThE PInEAPPLE

The fourth symbol is the Cape Cod symbol for welcome and

hospitality.

In the 18th & 19th centuries, sea captains from Brewster and Den-

nis traveled the world. When they returned home, they would bring ex-otic gifts to relatives and neighbors.

Among these gifts was the new-ly discovered delicacy - the

PInEAPPLE. As returning captains shared this fruit with others, it soon became the local symbol of friendship and hospitality.

The pineapple is often seen today in architectural decora-tive designs and appointments although its meaning is often

forgotten.

The pineapple also decorates the door pulls on the church doors.

“Before opening the mahogany doors, you might notice the sym-bols painted and fired into the glass. These four symbols are actually better seen from the interior. They represent who we are as a parish . They are the parish’s Mission Statement in symbols...”


OuR LAdy OF ThE CAPE: A SPACE WELCOMInG ThE quEST FOR GOd

At Our Lady of the Cape, we welcome all. Here at Our Lady of the Cape Parish, our doors are open to all who seek God, Community and Reconciling Love. There is no

“cry room” in the church. We believe that the place for children is within the assembly. In the east and west naves, there is a rocking chair for parents with infants. These rockers in the church speak boldly of the place of children and families in our parish.

In the seating area, there are several open places which can accommodate wheel chairs, and there is a row of arm chairs in the naves for those needing help to rise from

their seat. Behind the Presider’s Chair, there is a ramp enabling people who cannot climb steps to enter the sanctuary. All these design innovations were incorporated to welcome all to our parish.

OuR LAdy OF ThE CAPE: A SPACE OF RECOnCILIATIOn WITh GOd And MAn

Our parish is firmly rooted in the past. In the east and

west vestibules will be found historical items: an altar crucifix (circa 1908) from Immaculate Conception Chapel; a candle holder in the shape of an an-chor from the 1963 church; a Memorial Book in the east vesti-bule includes the names of do-nors and founding members of the first church; and finally, the list of all Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette and permanent Deacons who have served our parish since 1961 is part of the commemoration plaque of the 50th Anniversary of the parish’s founding (1961-2011). The altar stone placed in our main altar is from the original altar of Im-maculate Conception Chapel. We build on the vision and faith of those who precede us.

The narthex or main ves-tibule is the gathering

place. Off of this space is found the Vestry where priests vest for weekend liturgies. This is also a room where bridal parties can assemble before weddings. Two restrooms, which are also handicapped accessible, are found off of this area as well as the stairs and elevator leading to the lower level of the church.

On the west wall of the narthex is the Memo-

rial Book of donors who have made this new church a real-ity through their generosity. The names found in this book represent much sacrifice, dedi-cation and love on the part of hundreds of parishioners and friends. Also on this wall is the Cross of Blessing bringing the blessing of Christ Jesus to all who enter this sacred space.

“At Our Lady of the Cape, we welcome all . Here at Our Lady of the Cape Parish , our doors are open to all who seek God, Com-munity and Recon-ciling Love...”

“Our parish is firmly rooted in the past... We build on the vision and faith of those who precede us


The double-sided crucifix

The altar

As we enter the main body of the church or the nave, we immediately face a

unique double-sided crucifix. This crucifix was carved of linden wood in Italy in 1962 for the old church. It is said that the carver was so emotionally taken up with his work that when it was time to nail the body of Christ to the cross he could not do it. He had an assistant nail the corpora.

Why is this crucifix hanging in the aisle and not over the altar? This marks the

exact spot where the altar was located in the old church. But more importantly, the main aisle is the processional way to the altar. It is there, at the altar, that we celebrate the liv-ing and resurrected Christ in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments. But before we can enter into Christ’s resurrection, we all must first walk through Calvary. The placement of this historical crucifix is a reminder of that reality. There can be no Easter unless there is a Good Friday. If we want to follow Christ and be his disciples, we must also bear the weight of his cross (Mt 10:38).

Beyond the cruci-fix is the sanctu-

ary and a magnificent stained glass window. The theme of this dy-namic window is taken from Psalm 31: “The Lord is my rock”. To the right in the window is the rock represent-ing Christ which is just above the taberna-cle and the sanctuary lamp. The rock repre-sents the presence and strength of Christ bat-tered by wind, gale,


The magnificent stained glass window

rain and crashing seas.

In the left comer of the window is the wild rose (rosa rugosa) which

grows wild all over Cape Cod. It is in-comprehensible how such a beauti-ful fragrant rose can actually thrive in sand and salt. Likewise, each one of us is challenged to bloom where the Lord plants us.

The sky is that of early dawn and the light in the upper left is that of the Morning Star, the last star of night

which has guided sailors to safe port for millennia. This light is a clear chunk of pure crystal embedded into the window. Mary’s titles include Morning Star (Stella Matutinis) and Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). She guides us to the safe port of her Son. The movement of wind, color, power and peace speak to us of God’s spirit hovering over the waters of life (Genesis 1:2). This window is dynamic because no matter how often one looks at it, it will never be the same. Each hour of the

“In the left comer of the win-dow is the wild rose (rosa ru-gosa) which grows wild all over Cape Cod. It is incomprehensible how such a beautiful fragrant rose can actually thrive in sand and salt”.


day brings different color, movement and meaning.

Throughout the church the themes of water, spirit, creation - as seen on Cape

Cod - are represented in wood, sculpture, bronze, paint and glass: yes, even the car-peting. The blue carpeting of the aisles rep-resents the sea lapping the golden sand-col-ored carpeting of the sanctuary. The ceiling beams and wood remind us of the ribs and planking of a great ship - the bark of Peter.

Faux or Trompe l’oeil are French terms

meaning “false” or “illu-sion.” In the old church, the ceiling which is now over the central nave was painted a blue-green. The roof over the new areas is natural wood. How to blend the two ceilings? Long hours of discus-sion were spent on this problem. Finally, it was decided to hire artists from Boston to paint the old ceiling plank-ing to make it look like natural wood matching the new ceiling. What you see over the central nave is a “piece of art.” It is paint, not natural wood. The artists succeeded superbly.

The Baptismal Font is a natural shell and is located just to the right of the altar. It

is through the waters of baptism that we be-come members of the Church. This shell has been used as the Baptismal Font since 1962. The base is new. The bronze casting includes shells, horseshoe crabs, seaweed and other

symbols of the sea. The base of bronze and Cranshaw granite, as well as the six Holy Wa-ter Fonts at the entrances, were sculptured and cast by a local artist in Truro.

The interior architectural detail is inspired by elements of the old church which

included wood paneling. The original altar had fluted columns at the comers. Our new church is finished in beautiful oak paneling which adds much warmth to the structure. The altars, reredos and shrines are accentu-

ated by fluted columns, pediments-, capi-tals and cornices giving a classical dimen-sion to the church.

Five statues come from the original church and were carved in Italy. Father

Nolin designed the statue of Our Lady of the Cape standing on Cape Cod. Barefoot, she walks the beaches of Cape Cod with hair and mantle blown by the wind. Father Nolin described our Lady as “having one foot in

The ceiling of the church reminds the visitors of the ribs and planking of a great ship


Dennis, the other in Brewster and a big toe in Harwich!” All carved in linden wood, like the crucifix, the other statues of Saint Joseph, the Sacred Heart, the Infant Jesus and Saint Jude hold places of honor in their shrines.

A statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta was commissioned for the new church. She is a saint for our times and a tireless apostle for life. She stands for the values of

simplicity and love. She is a prophet in our time against consumerism, secular-ism and total lack of human respect. Two other new statues were also com-missioned and carved in Italy: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Peter the Fish-erman.

The Shrine of Intercession is unique. It is decorated with a wood carv-

ing of the Pentecost event. On the shelf beneath the carving is a book in which people are invited to inscribe their prayer petitions and the com-munity is urged to remember in prayer these petitions.

The Stations of the Cross, also carved in Italy, were restored. They

hang on one side of the nave windows. On the opposite side of the windows are found the “Words for Life.” These scriptural passages were chosen by parishioners and are done in gold leaf on marble. This is a unique addition to a Catholic Church. Christ comes to us through the Sacraments and through his Word. These Words for Life inspire us and emphasize the importance of scripture for our faith.

All the original stained glass win-dows of 1962 were removed,

restored and even enlarged. In the fourteen original “Jesus Windows,” the

motif of the sea and Jesus’ relationship to water is ever present as New Testament accounts portray Jesus preaching by the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. The window of Our Lady of the Cape on the front of the Church is illuminated at night inviting all passersby. The windows of Saint Joan of Arc, Holy Trinity and Saint Pius X

The statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta


honor the patrons of our neighboring parishes. The last window from the old church is that of the coat of arms of Bishop James Connolly who established the parish and dedicated

the first church.

Several new windows for the church were also commissioned. The main window over the

altar has already been described. In the center nave, three new windows were created to make the link between the New and Old Testaments through the symbolism of water found throughout scripture. The Book of Genesis describes creation and says that “land was separated from the wa-ter.” The first window on the left depicts the cre-ation of Cape Cod. This unique Cape Cod win-dow shows how the retreating glaciers formed Cape Cod some 10,000 years ago leaving behind land, sand and those huge rocks which dot our campus. These glacial boulders originating from Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire were un-earthed during the excavations.

At the end of the nave over the door is the Marian Window. The predominant color is

blue and includes symbols of Mary: the Fleur-de-lis, the Crown of Mary’s victory, the lily of purity, the water jars of Cana and Mary’s intercession, and in the middle, Mary’s monogram (AM- Ave Maria).

At the end of the east and west naves are two beautiful LaSalette windows. The one to

the east portrays the first moments of Mary’s ap-parition at LaSalette on September 19, 1846. She is seen enveloped in light, seated on rocks, her head in her hands weeping over her children - us. Mary is seen seated on a rock but the rock in this win-dow is not of glass. The rock is actually made up of five flat stones taken from the very site of the ap-parition in France. The stones can be better seen from inside the east vestibule. Mary’s first words at LaSalette were: “Come near, my children, be not afraid. I come to give you good news”.

The west LaSalette window depicts the final moments of the apparition when Mary tells Maximin and Melanie, the two shepherds of LaSalette, to “make this message known

to all my people”. Our Lady of the Cape Parish is a LaSalette parish. Mary’s invitation to rec-

The La Salette window on the the east nave portraying Mary seated on rocks

The west La Salette window depicting the final moments of the apparition with Mary, Maximin and Melanie


onciliation is ever present in all our ministries. Mary’s consoling words “Come, fear not”, in-vite all to join our parish community - a community of sinners seeking reconciliation through Mary’s intercession.

The nave windows also include historical, theological and geographical documenta-tion of who we are as a Catholic parish on Cape Cod. Included in the windows are

illustrations of Immaculate Conception Chapel (1908), Fieldstone Hall or LaSalette Seminary (1942) and our first parish church (1963). The windows include the seals of the Towns of Brew-ster, Dennis, Harwich and the Diocese of Fall River. The coat of arms of Bishops O’Malley and Coleman are included because through them the new church was built and dedi-cated to serve the people of the Fall River Diocese. Symbols for the seven sacraments are included. The character of Cape Cod is well represented: sail boats, fishing boats, seagulls, docks, ships, beach balls, sand dollars, clam diggers, cranberry rakes, Scargo Tower and Pilgrim Tower, gristmills, lighthouses, herring run, whales, lobsters, shells, fish, artists’ easels and the Sagamore Bridge, gateway to the Cape. These Cape Cod vignettes not only situ-ate our parish in a definite milieu; they also define who we are - our history, our faith, our community.

Near the taber-nacle on the wall

hangs a beautiful im-age of Saint Claire of Assisi. This piece of art was created by Laura Paccamiccio of Assisi, Italy, and was added to our church in 2010. The image of Saint Claire reminds us of our close relationship to our sister parish of Saint Claire in Dessalines, Haiti. For more than 25 years, Our Lady of the Cape has been twinned with Saint Claire’s. Many parishioners have visited Dessalines over the years. Parishioners and our friends have been most generous in supporting a food lunch program that feeds more than 3,000 students daily. Two schools, a high school, three chapels and a laboratory for St. Claire’s Clinic have been built through the generosity of our parishioners and friends.

Outside the church, extensive landscaping includes two Prayer Gardens. The Peace Garden is the more formal of the two and is located directly behind the church. It

features a round bed of flowering plants with a white marble statue of Our Lady of Fatima

Students in haiti having their lunch


as its center. The sec-ond garden is located to the left of the rec-tory. The centerpiece of this rustic garden is a large bronze statue of the Good Shepherd. This statue was cast in Italy. The garden includes two carved natural stones with the words of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shep-herd, I shall not want”. The original 18th Century farmer’s stone wall has an opening. The Good Shepherd invites us to enter the gate and the sheepfold beyond (John 10). Two benches are located in this peace-ful setting for prayer and meditation.

In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary

of the founding of Our Lady of the Cape Par-ish (1961-2011), Bishop George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, pre-sided at a liturgy on May 15, 2011. During the mass, he dedicated and blessed the six Russian icons found in the east nave of the church. The icons were purchased in Jerusalem by Father Bernie. The theme of this commemorative shrine is taken from the opening verses of the Gospel according to Saint John: “the Word made flesh...and lives with us”. The two top icons depict the Archangel Gabriel and Mary at the Annunciation, when Jesus became flesh through Mary. The bottom four icons repre-sent the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the Word that continues to feed us.

The two Prayer Gardens: The Peace Garden and the Good Shep-herd garden (below)


A parish is not a collection of beautiful buildings. Our Lady of the Cape Parish strives to be a reflection of God’s presence in our world today. We grow and

are nurtured by the Sacraments and by Scripture. We bring God’s presence and love to one another. We hear “the cry of the poor” as we extend our help to our brothers and sisters both near and far. We are a Community of Christian Faith, Hope and Rec-onciling Love.


4 The “mother church”:a short history of Immaculate Conception Chapel

byFr. Bernard Baris M.S.



The heart and soul of a par-ish are the individuals who

form the community of faith and worship - who raise their children in the faith from one generation to the next. One hundred years ago, a few Cath-olic families requested that a small chapel be constructed on the north side of Cape Cod so that they would not have to travel to Harwich for Mass each Sunday. The request was made to Father George McGuire, a Priest of the Sacred Hearts, Pas-tor of Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich. In 1908, permission was given to build a chapel by Bishop Daniel Feehan, Bishop of Fall River, under the condition that the cost was not to exceed $750! The central part of the chapel was built and dedicat-ed in honor of the Immaculate Conception in August, 19081. Later on, the chapel became a mission of Saint Joan of Arc Par-ish in Orleans.

Over the years, there have been many additions to

the original structure. In 1912, the front entrance was en-closed and the belfry added. In 1931, the East Wing was added; and then in 1962 the sacristy was put on. Construction on the West Wing began in 1968. Under Father A. Joseph Nolin, the sanctuary was renovated

Memories from the “mother church”

“The heart and soul of a parish are the individu-als who form the commu-nity of faith and worship - who raise their chil-dren in the faith from one generation to the next...”

Immaculate Conception Chapel circa: 1908

From window of present Our Lady of the Cape Church


to comply with the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. The last major renovations occurred in 1999 when Father Bernard Baris undertook the restoration of the whole interior.

The 1999 renovation included the restoration of the sanctuary to the Gothic lines of the original chapel. New sanctuary furniture, altar, tabernacle, crucifix, lectern and sacred

vessels were donated. The original Stations of the Cross were restored. A new sound system was installed and work was done to solidify the building itself.

In 1942, the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette opened a Novitiate and Seminary at Fieldstone Hall, the former estate of Roland C. Nickerson, which is now the Ocean Edge

Resort. Since that time, the Missionaries of LaSalette have served the Immaculate Concep-tion Chapel.

In 1961, when Bishop James Connolly decided to establish a new parish to serve the faith-ful of Brewster and Dennis, this new parish was entrusted to the care of the Missionaries of

LaSalette. Father Joseph A. Nolin was named the founding Pastor.

Because there was no room for expansion at the site of the Chapel in East Brewster, 30 acres of land were purchased near the Brewster-Dennis line. Construction began on a

new church in 1962 and soon after, the rectory was also built. The new parish was named Our Lady of the Cape Parish. Immaculate Conception became a Mission Chapel once again; but it will always be the “mother church” of our parish.

Restored interior of Immaculate Conception Chapel (1999)

booklet

Documents

simple contemplative

stony brook

ocean edge

white clapboard

la salette

natural cedar

parishs mission

immaculate