Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site No. 36

Ste. Thérèse Roman Catholic Church
SE 24-6-9 WPM
Cardinal

Ste. Thérèse Roman Catholic Church, a landmark in the Cardinal area, is a quality example of ecclesiastical architecture in the French and Quebecois classical tradition, as characterized by its symmetry, large nave and formal tower soaring above its surroundings. The wooden structure also symbolizes the fierce pride and commitment of parishioners, who, desiring to establish their own identity and confident in their community's prospects, persevered with the challenges of fundraising and church construction even though this broke with their tradition of attending mass in nearby Notre Dame de Lourdes. Their 1927-29 chapel, expanded a decade later to include a sacristy and tower, was dedicated to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and featured a wooden altar crafted by Francois Blain. Closed in 1960 at a time of Cardinal's decline, the church found new life in the early 1990s when descendants of the area's early residents mobilized to save it with a complete restoration.