Notre Dame de Fatima Parish / Collette
Established circa 1875
First church in 1914
First priest : 1954
Collette’s development is due to the construction of the ‘Intercolonial’ railway and its first settlers arrived around 1875. The name Collette is from its first settler Hosea Collette. The first settlers came either from Prince Edward Island, Saint Alexis of Matapédia or from Richibouctou. Common family names include Pitre, Richard, Maillet, DesRoches, Daigle, Cormier and Doucette. Other families arrived later.
The history of this parish is closely linked to that of Rogersville and consequently with the life of the great Acadian patriot Most Rev. Marcel-François Richard.
He was the one to have the first church built in 1914 in the northern part of his parish.
The first mass was celebrated on September 20, 1914 while the church was still in construction. The priests of Rogersville as well as the Trappists served the mission in Collette.
Lightning struck the church in 1954 and caused considerable damage. The church was renovated and the basement as well as what now serves as the sanctuary were added.
On November 28, 1954 Collette became an autonomous parish and would be known as Our Lady of Fatima.