Museum Highlights: The Angel Statues

Over the summer, we here at the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum plan to highlight some of our artifacts. Of course, a few posts over the summer will never cover all of the amazing artifacts that we house, but will simply showcase some of our favourites. Most of the artifacts in the museum have been generously donated by people and groups in the community, and for that, we are grateful.

Up first, the angel statues in the Church section of the museum.

Angel statue. 997.5.1a

Angel statue. 997.5.1b
Two of the most prominent pieces in the Church section of the museum are these two angel statues. They are candle holders that were part of the original alter of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Outer Cove. The church was built in 1918, and prior to its construction, Catholic parishioners in Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove attended the Cathedral (Basilica) of St. John's the Baptist or Holy Trinity Parish in Torbay.

St. Francis of Assisi Church in the town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove. Photo by Lisa M. Daly, 2016.

Appointed as the first priest of the newly formed parish of St. Francis of Assisi for Logy Bay, Middle Cove and Outer Cove, Father Daniel P. O'Callaghan (commonly known as Father Dan) decided to build the church on a hill overlooking Outer Cove. The cornerstone was laid in 1918 and volunteers from the parish worked to build the church. The first mass was a Christmas Eve midnight mass held in 1919, before the church was completed. Scaffolding was still in place during the service. The church was completed the following year.
"Interior of Outer Cove Chapel, Near St. John's, Newfoundland." 997.25.5
The alter was donated by the Kennedy family of St. John's, who were friends of Father Dan. The angels can be seen on either side of the alter in the above photograph. The alter was renovated in the 1960s to meet the requirements of Vatican II and the angels were removed.
A closer view of the angels in the above photograph. 997.25.5
The angels were donated to the museum by the St. Francis of Assisi Parish and the picture of the alter was donated by Bernadette Cahill. It is an undated picture that belonged to her mother, Annie (Nance) Croke.



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