A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
26th of February, 1843, ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Signay in
the Cathedral of Quebec, and returned to his native diocese the same
year. We have been told by an old friend of the family that when young
McIntyre first went to college, his father had accumulated quite a large
sum in Spanish dollars, and so was enabled to promptly make generous
remittances to his son and pay the college bills on presentation. The
same good friend also tells us that by the time young “Father McIntyre”
returned from Quebec the Spanish dollars were pretty low, but not
exhausted. May it not be that the generous manner in which his venerable
father furnished him with ample funds until he was able to provide for
himself, materially helped to form and develop those generous,
hospitable and princely traits of character which we all admire in
Bishop McIntyre. The first missionary duties of Father McIntyre were
performed as assistant to Father Perry. After a short time, however, he
was appointed to the charge of Tignish, Lot 7, the Brae and Cascumpec,
with his principal residence at Tignish. There he lived and laboured for
seventeen years; and it was there that he first gave evidence of his
talent for building. The Acadian French, who form the largest proportion
of the Catholic congregation at Tignish, were, at that time, neither
rich in this world’s goods nor counted enterprising. Yet to them belongs
the very great credit of building, under the direction of Father
McIntyre, the first brick church—if we mistake not, the first public
building of brick—ever erected in this province—a church which, at
this day, is one of the finest on the island. Inspired by their
enthusiastic priest, the poor French people made the bricks, hauled them
to the site, laid the foundation, and built the church. They had little
money, but much zeal; and they were led by a man of rare administrative
ability. To the church at Tignish was added a handsome parochial house
and a fine convent, both of brick. A church and parochial house were
also about the same time built at Brae. The talents and zeal of Father
McIntyre were soon recognized by a church which—whatever her faults—is
not slow to see and reward true merit. On the death of Bishop Macdonald,
he was appointed to preside over the Roman Catholic diocese of
Charlottetown, comprising Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands;
and on the 15th of August, 1860, he was solemnly consecrated Bishop of
Charlottetown. The ceremony was performed by the late Archbishop
Connolly, of Halifax, assisted by the late Bishop McKinnon and Bishop
Sweeney—the late Bishop Mullock, of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and
Bishop Dalton, of Harbour Grace, being also present. Under the
administration of Bishop McIntyre great attention has been given to the
education of the youth of the Catholic people and to the erection of
buildings in which to carry on the work of the church; and the bishop’s
talent for building has found scope. The first work of consequence which
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