CV NEWS FEED // Debra Majer, a visiting archivist invited to sort through the archives of the Canadian diocese of Charlottetown, in Prince Edward Island, has unearthed unexpected treasures over the past three weeks.
“I have been organizing the layers of history that have accumulated over many, many, many years and even now centuries,” Majer told Canadian public outlet CBC News. She notes that the archive preserves the stories of those who have long been pillars of support for the Church on Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island is known as “Canada’s Maine,” for its proximity to the US most Eastern state and similar weather. The local diocese is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial.
Among the artifacts found by Majer are items dating back 200 years. One such item is a carved wooden cross from Lennox Island First Nation, the largest community of the Mi’kmaq people, who have inhabited the area for over 10,000 years.
Another 200-year-old item uncovered in the archives is a fragment of the boat once used by Bishop Angus MacEachern, who emigrated to Canadian shores from Scotland in 1780 and later became the founder of the diocese in 1829.
“It’s crazy, it’s amazing, it’s absolutely overwhelming that that still exists,” Majer says.
Majer’s efforts mark the start of an ongoing project, with the diocese appointing a part-time archivist dedicated to working on the collection leading up to the 200 year anniversary of the diocese in 2029.
Father Chris Sherren, the diocesan chancellor in Charlottetown, expressed a desire to welcome academic researchers interested in conducting studies on the history of Prince Edward Island and the diocese. He states, “I think people interested in Catholic history in general, the history of Canada, the history of Prince Edward Island will find something here.”
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Author: Rachel Quackenbush
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