Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church
In 1794, Prospect was the
site of the first Catholic church on the Eastern Shore. This was due to
the effort of Rev. James Jones who then had charge of the Missions in
Nova Scotia. The erection of the first church at Prospect was the
source of great joy and consolation to those faithful souls who had
come from Ireland, and settled in a village that was to play such an
important role in the life of the Church and in the realm of the
history of Nova Scotia (taken from Fourteen Decades in Prospect
1794-1929 ).
Cemeteries
The following are the listings for the cemeteries of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The listings for the "new" and "old" cemeteries were contributed by George Newbury.
- The "Old" Cemetery
- The "New" Cemetery
- Kelly Point Cemetery
- The Original Prospect Cemetery (circa 1794)
Records
Church record keeping in Prospect began in September 1823 and are still being kept today. There are a number of gaps in the records, specifically the 1840s. Other records that should be consulted for research of Prospect families are St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church and St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Halifax. St. Peter's records are good for research between 1800 and 1823. Scattered throughout the records are a few burial records. The internment records have not been indexed, though an effort to have them represented here is being made.
Church records for other denominations should also be consulted. Records for St. Paul's Anglican Church in Halifax, St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Chester and some of the Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist church records have records pertaining to families in the Prospect area.
These indexes were originally transcribed by Brenda Keddy . They have been updated by Nathaniel Smith, October 2006 . The newly released records for baptismal, marriages and internments, 1910 - 1920, have been transcribed by Nathaniel Smith.
Baptismals
- Volume 1, 1823 - 1830
- Volume 2, 1833 - 1835
- Volume 3, 1836 - 1868
- Volume 4, 1868 - 1897 (incomplete)
Marriages
- Volume 1, 1823 - 1830
- Volume 2, 1833 - 1835
- Volume 3, 1836 - 1868
- Volume 4, 1868 - 1897 (not in file)
First Communion
Ryan family Baptismals
- 1823 - 1888 (contributed by Sheila Tanner)
Other Information
- 200th Anniversary
- An in-depth look at the mass commemorating the 200th anniversary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish.
- The Pastors
- The complete listing of pastors who served in Prospect from 1828 to 1993.
- The Sisters
- A detailed look at the Sisters of Charity who began serving the community of Prospect in 1876.
- Church Bell
- Information and photographs and of the church bell.
