|
The Builders of our Church
 |
| Father Louis
LeDuc |
Father Louis LeDuc (1853 - 1894) was
pastor of
Notre Dame du Sacré Coeur in
North Adams. The French-Canadian
community of
Williamstown was entrusted
to
him
as his mission. A native of Montreal,
he
entered
the Theological Seminary of St. Sulpice
in the
same city, and was
ordained
in 1878.
After
serving as curate in several Canadian
and U.S. parishes
he was
appointed pastor in
North Adams
in 1886.
His Church in North Adams was already
under construction
and was finished under
his direction. His experience in church building
served
him well when it came to
erect a new
church in Williamstown.
His health was delicate since his early
youth. He died of pneumonia in his 41st
year and was buried in the Cathedral of
Montreal.
The construction of the church was done
by
Porter
and Hanum of North Adams.
The prominent firm consisted of
E. R. Porter
from
Deerfield, and S.W. Hanum
from
Williamsburg, MA who joined
in a partnership
formed in 1887. Our church
was among their early major
projects, but during the first ten years of their
business activities they
actually built all the major
banks, churches, schools
and industrial building
in the area. They employed 100 to 300 skilled workers,
many of them French-Canadians.
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