St. Dunstan's Basilica - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Church of Charlottetown dates back to A.D. 1721 when two missionary priests came to minister to the spiritual needs of the early French …More
St. Dunstan's Basilica - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Church of Charlottetown dates back to A.D. 1721 when two missionary priests came to minister to the spiritual needs of the early French settlers. A small church was built at Port la Joye, an early French settlement located across the harbour from Charlottetown. This settlement, including the little church, was destroyed during the English invasion in A.D. 1758 and the inhabitants were deported to France.
In A.D. 1772, religious persecution in Scotland prompted a number of Catholics to seek refuge in the New World. At the time, the Maritime Provinces were included in the Diocese of Quebec. The Bishop of Quebec granted Father MacEachern permission to administer to the native Scots in eastern PEI and the Acadians west of Malpeque. Before long, his parish included all of PEI, the Magdalen Islands, Cape Breton Island and the Northumberland Shore of Nova Scotia.
The primitive wooden church built on this site in A.D. 1816 and dedicated to St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury became the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlottetown. It was replaced by a new larger wooden cathedral in A.D. 1843.
The cornerstone for the third of four cathedrals, the first built of stone, was laid in A.D. 1896. When this fourth cathedral was completed in A.D. 1919, it was the largest and most fire-resistant cathedral in the Maritimes. One decade later, for the 100th anniversary of the Diocese of Charlottetown, the pope honoured the enormous financial sacrifices Islanders made to resurrect this house of God from its ashes by granting St. Dunstan’s the title of Basilica. Only 20 in Canada bear this honorary title.
www.stdunstanspei.com