THUNDER BAY -- In the century St. Benedict's Church has been standing, its locks have never been used.
"It has been a fixture of the community for a long time -- for 100 years," said Father Norberto Ayule, who is serving an eight-month stint as the church's spiritual leader.
"The church hasn't been locked since it was built. It has always been open."
Although the church on the corner of Highway 61 was open on Sunday, the its few pews couldn't hold the crowd that wanted to be there to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its construction. Thunder Bay Bishop Fred Colli presided over a traditional Catholic mass for the standing-room-only crowd under a tent next to the building that was being honoured.
"Let's remember this church was built precisely so that the people in this area could come together and celebrate mass to receive this holy and heavenly bread, which was essential for their spiritual life," Colli told the congregation.
The church community that came from townships all over the rural area south of Thunder Bay was certainly open to Catherine Manelick. The now-92-year-old moved to Boy Scout Road to marry a farmer in 1947. She can still name all the families who lived along the country roads at the time. Her best memories of the church were those of family.
"All my kids were baptized here. Most of them made their confirmation here. Some got married here," she said.
St. Benedict''s former organist pointed to the wall of trees surrounding the property as she recalled the congregation buying them as seedlings for $20 and planting them together. She saw the advent of electricity in the small building and the effort it took to bring people together to make it happen.
"It was up to the people more or less to look after the church in other ways. We finally got a furnace in there for the wintertime. Church was only once a month so we didn't have to keep it going steady."
Mass is still held weekly on Sundays over the summer and once every three weeks ago
