Immaculate Heart of Mary parish / Riverview
Established in the 18th century
First church in 1959
First pastor 1959
In September 1953, a handful of Catholic parents assembled at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Horton to explore the means of knitting together the Catholic families in the communities of Riverview, Gunningsville, Bridgedale and other parts of the Coverdale Parish of Albert County. The initial project was assistance to the Sunday School, which up this time was taught in the basement of the Riverview School.
Beginning in November 1955, masses were celebrated in the library of the present Riverview Junior High School, but as the number of parishioners grew, it became necessary to move to the auditorium where two masses were now celebrated each Sunday. Saint Bernard’s Parish assured these masses.
In the late 1950’s, the Catholic Family Club decided to approach the archbishop with the view of establishing Riverview as a distinct parish. Shortly thereafter, Riverview was constituted as a parish, being a mission of Holy Ghost Parish, in Riverside.
In 1959, the first mass was celebrated in the new church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was built on a high plot of ground overlooking the entire Riverview area. Father Leo Hynes eventually moved from Riverside to Riverview, purchasing a residence on Fatima Drive. A new rectory was also built in 1965 to replace the house that had served as a rectory since 1959.
In 1976, it became apparent that the present church was inadequate to serve the needs of this congregation. A committee was formed to study the situation. The Archbishop, Msgr. Donat Chiasson, expressed a keen interest in the facilities. Construction took place between April 15, and August 15, 1977. During this period masses were held in St. John’s Anglican Church and at Trinity United Church. The renovations doubled the capacity of the church to seat approximately 500 persons.
It soon became obvious that a new church was needed in view of the ever expanding Catholic community. The new church was completed in 1992 and has a seating capacity of over 700 in the main worship area. The new church was dedicated and officially opened on May 10, 1993, by the Archbishop of Moncton, Msgr. Donat Chiasson.