Saint-Louis-des-Français Parish / St. Louis
Established around 1796
First church 1810
First pastor 1840
The first Acadians settled in this region around 1796. These settlers received the first missionary to visit this part of the country in 1798. A first chapel was built in 1810 and having become too small, the construction of another one will begin in 1828. The residing priests of Richibouctou-Village served this region until the arrival of their first residing pastor in 1840.
St-Louis-de-Kent is the birth place of the great Acadian patriot, Msgr. Marcel-François Richard. He had the third church built in 1876. It burnt down in 1974 and the current church was built in 1975.
The nuns of the Congrégation of Notre-Dame arrived in St-Louis-de-Kent in 1874. Their convent had a remarkable influence on the education of Acadian women. On August 29, 2009, a monument giving homage to these religious women was unveiled, during the celebration of the 135thanniversary of their arrival in St-Louis.
In 1878, Msgr. M.-F. Richard had a replica of the Lourdes Grotto built in St-Louis. This monument is still visited today.