St. Kevin's Parish (Roman Catholic), Goulds (NL)

St. Kevin's Parish is located in the Goulds, a rural community that was amalgamated with St. John's in 1992. Established as a parish in 1948, St. Kevin's had been a mission of St. Joseph's Parish in Petty Harbour (est. 1884). Prior to the erection of St. Joseph's, the Catholic residents of the Goulds were served by priests residing in the districts/parishes of Bay Bulls and St. John's.

The first Roman Catholic church was built in the Goulds sometime during the 1870s. This original structure served the community until the present church was erected in 1944. It was blessed and formally opened on 21 June 1945 by Illebrando Antonutti, Papal Delegate to Canada and Newfoundland. In 1949, the Sisters of Mercy took up residence at the newly erected Sacred Heart Convent, located next to the parish church, and assumed responsibility for education in the community.

The activities of St. Kevin's Parish, like most Roman Catholic parishes, were intertwined with the operations of local Catholic schools, integral components of any parochial organization. References to the establishment of a Roman Catholic school in the Goulds as early as 1848 exist; however, details are sketchy. In 1913, Rev. Roger Tierney, parish priest of St. Joseph's and administrator of St. Kevin's, oversaw the construction of a one-room school in the Goulds. In 1961, Rev. John J. Murray, parish priest at St. Kevin's, also oversaw the construction of a new school (completed under Rev. Murray's successor, Rev. Albert P. Slattery). Today, St. Kevin's Elementary and St. Kevin's High serve the community, but they are no longer under church control due to denominational education reforms passed by the Provincial Government in 1997.

In October 1981, a Parish Pastoral Council Steering Committee was established to oversee the creation of a Parish Pastoral Council. The Steering Committee stated that the Council's mandate should be the co-ordination, encouragement, and promotion of apostolic activity through the parish community. The first election of officers occurred on 15 June 1983, shortly after which the Council initiated several committees to review areas of parish activity. Past and present committees at St. Kevin's include Finance, Liturgy, Family Aid, Cemetery, Parish Hall, Youth, and Services committees (this list is not exhaustive). The committee structure was created to be flexible, allowing for the dissolution and creation of new committees as were deemed necessary. In addition to the Parish Pastoral Council and the various committees established at St. Kevin's, parishioners are active in lay societies and organizations such as the Catholic Women's League, the Knights of Columbus, and the St. Kevin's Altar Servers Association (SKASA).

Pastors who have served the parish since its establishment include: Edward J. Rawlins (1948-1949); J. Loyola Lacey, Administrator (1949); John J. Murray (1949-1962); Albert P. Slattery (1962-1970); John McGettigan, Administrator (1970); John F. Wallis (1971-1977); William Pomroy (1979-1982); Dermot McGettigan (1982-1987); John Maddigan (1987-1991); Jerome Hann (1991-1999); Kenneth F. Walsh (1999-2001); and Paul Lundrigan (2001- ).

Created - May 6, 2013

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