250 Main Street

​Derby Line, VT 05830

Local Contact Person:

Andy Ricard: Ph: 802-873-3474

St. Edward the Confessor
Historical Recollection

Fr. Armand Fortin, founder and first priest (1946-1960), arrived in Derby Line in the summer of 1946.  Soon after, the property, called the Frank O’Rourke house, built in 1869, was purchased from Slyra and Jennie Favreau.  With the help of the Morin family, a local carpenter, and others the house was transformed into our first church with living quarters for our priest on the 2nd floor.

The first mass was celebrated in the village hall on July 14, 1946.  This lasted for about a year until November 23, 1947 when mass was offered for the first time in our newly overhauled church. The first midnight mass was held at the Haskell Opera House in 1946, and celebrated in 1947 within the new St. Edward’s church.

Fr. Fortin started religious instructions, CCD and CYO, which were well attended.  The choir was started with Hubert Lussier, acting as the director, his sister Irene playing the organ and Leo Lord directing the girls’ choir from 1952 to 1960.  Hubert continued for many years with Denise Gaudreau taking over as organist.  Choir area in north end on easterly side and the toilets in north end westerly side.  Extra coats and hats hung on hooks between the two areas.

Because of increasing attendance, it soon became aware that a new rectory and church would soon be needed.  A building fund was started; donations and pledges soon got the account balance to around $40,000.00.  The present rectory building built by Levi Spaulding in 1843 was purchased from Mrs. Jenkins in December 1958.  A building committee chair Roland Roy, assisted by Rufus and Abel Patenaude, Gene Boisvert, Raymond Petelle, Paul and Hubert Lussier was elected in 1960 after the arrival of Fr. Joseph Daussault (1960-1967).  School bus garage brought from Tony Blais in Holland and set up in back of old church.  Shed was also added on the back of church for lawn tractor, tools, wheel barrow, BBQ grills, salts, etc (1960).

Part time work done on rectory building and full time from 1962-1963 by Alphonse Roy and helpers made this possible.  During this time Roland Whittier from Burlington designed our new church plans with bids accepted.  In 1963, the contract was awarded to Maran Construction Company of Colebrook, NH for $104,000.00.  Meanwhile, Fr. Daussault moved into the new rectory.

The new church was finished and dedicated by Bishop Robert Joyce on April 12, 1964.  When digging was started an old foundation on the church lot was uncovered.  The former home of John Weare, Esq. built in 1815 and either tore down or burnt in 1874.

Fr. Daussault, working alone, didn’t want to miss any phone calls. Leading to many phone jacks added in the rectory, old rectory and one phone jack still exists in the old confessional!

Many gifts were donated to our new church.  One in particular, the present candle holders on the main and side alter were donated by Racine Funeral Home, once located across Main Street from the rectory.

During this same period of time, old 1st floor of church was being transformed into a useable hall.  Some pews reused in the new choir loft above altar, while others were stored in the basement.  A kitchen was added and another bathroom where the choir had once been.  Room upstairs being used by CCD, which was taught by certain parishioners that would donate their time.  Later, as the number of students increased a coordinator had to be hired to oversee the programs.  In 1952, the Holy Name Society was started to help with other committees.  Ladies of the Altar Society also begun in 1952, started with 1st president, Mrs. Betty Roderer.  The Ladies did a much needed work, special meals, cleaning altar area.  Cecile Gaudreau was asked to gather some women together to put on a meal after a funeral.  With her dedicated crew, this went on for years.  Food baskets and Christmas parties at Michaud Manor were also done.  

The land between our church and rectory, from Elm Street to Beach Street had a deep depression.  Alphonse Patenaude, while donating his time, using fill from Bernard Daggett’s pit, which was also donated, began filling this area which is now our parking lot and lawn area.

The choir, by the use of a large mirror on the top of the cry room, could see the priest and knew where we were in the mass.  During this time, with our own choir money we purchased our present organ.

Because of our church debt, donations and pledges were once again asked for.  Bingo was started in the early 1960’s to pay this debt.  Raymond Gobeil and his very dedicated crew manned the bingo for many years.  Upstairs, in the present hall building, all classrooms were redone, walls changed around, new lighting so all classrooms were very modern and could also be used for oversized bingo crowds.  

Around the late 1960’s, the steeple needed to be painted after six years of existence.  The building committee decided to have it covered with white aluminum siding.  This work was done by a husband and wife team.

Fr. Edward Desrosiers (1967-1968)

Fr. Joseph Connolly (1968-1971)
Because of Fr. Connolly’s poor eyesight, the bell or bullet light fixtures were added on the ceiling beams.

Fr. Ron Benoit (1971-1977)
The CCD classes during this time was girls separated from boys.  Janet Walch and Evelyn Gilbar donated about 7 years of their time for this.  Also the folk group started in 1973 with Sr. Aline Paris and Evelyn Gilbar in charge.  Many children sang, a trio broke off once in a while, Diane and Lucy Gaudreau and Ruth Ann Haselton.  For a while, we had adults singing and playing guitars, Ben Batchelder and others.  This all went on for a number of years.  In 2005, the group had a 30 year reunion with good attendance including Fr. Benoit.

Fr. Donald Roy (1977-1984)
Some things done during this period. Present heating baseboards added and piped around sides of church.  Original hot water pipes were in the floor cement and when having troubles, the floor had to be dug up.  The open dove tails on the main altar base proved to be a hazard so Fr. Don had them squared off with cement and everything rugged, floor and all.  Mrs. Evette Veburst picked the color.  All the gray granite on the altars came from the quarry in Derby.  The black from Quebec.  The side altar on the easterly side of the church was redone and the black legs became our present baptismal font and podium.  

Black plastic tape was installed around pew leg bottoms by Fred Murphy.  Water from mapping original tile floor had caused cracking of the wood.  A peep hole in the sanctuary door was installed.

Bingo was closed down and the machine was sold to Paul’s Sugar House.  Adoration started and has never stopped but has slowed down on hours and people.  Many past members now in St. Edward’s Cemetery.  

The choir was removed from choir loft and repositioned in front on east side of church.  The outlet still remains under baseboard for organ.  

Fr. Don had custom fit storm windows added in the front over the stained glass.  We even had a live horse in church on Palm Sunday.  Knights of the Altar started.  Occasional processions on park.  Lawn tractor purchased to mow our own lawns and remove snow from sidewalks.

Rectory basement finished off by Gordon and Shawn Austin.  Used for meeting room.  Later finished with dividing walls with original altar.  Adoration started here.  At Christmas time, Altar area could have as many as 6+ trees with the large main tree placed on top of the cry room.  

Knights of Columbus Chartered – June 24, 1981 Alphonse Patenaude, Grand Knight.  Since then, the council has been awarded many times – Star Council Award 1994-95 with Gilles Blais as Grand Knight, Star Council Award 2004-05 and 2005-06 with Art LaPlante as Grand Knight.  We were awarded a Double Star Council Award for 2006-07 with Robert Fotter as Grand Knight.  This was the first ever to be awarded in Vermont in 110 years; it is mounted in front of the cry room.

Fr. John Hamilton (1984-1990)
When Fr. got ready to leave, he had never fully unpacked from his arrival.  During this period, the church had summer cookouts, on westerly side of hall, with horse shoe and other games.  Men had their own BBQ grills and a tent was rented from derby Lions Club.  Very well attended and enjoyed.  Fr. Hamilton started funeral meals whether families could afford them or not!!!  Different areas of our parish were starting to go downhill.  Cement steps were slowly breaking up and exposing rebar, this turned out to be a ten year problem.  Original rug was wearing out, with sections ripping and looking poorly.  Inside also needed a paint job.  Our attendance at Mass was still fair to very good.  

Over the years, we have had a very reliable lady that worked under our priests.  Sometimes part time and some times more, also helped our sisters when needed.  Thank you, Annette Chenette.  Many other things have happened during our history, some are making banners for side altars, masses at cemetery, preparing meals, sometimes on a very short notice, special music by several music directors and many committees that were manned over the years.  Our CCD programs, with many helpers and teachers.  Thank You!!!

Fr. James Lawrence (1990-1992)
Fr. was a good guy and very well liked.  Needed very few altar servers, they made him nervous.  Cecile Wheeler trained and supplied altar servers to all the masses for many years.  Many times, washing and altering their robes.  

Extra lighting was added at church doors and also on fire escape on hall.  A new updated sound system was installed by installer recommended from Burlington.  Much money, not much gain.

Fr. Ernest Passero (1992-2000) came in with a bang.  A twenty-year Navy man, retiring as a full Commander, with a motto – If it moves salute it, if it doesn’t, paint it.  Work was started in different directions at the same time.  Rectory had some updates, painting, rugs, and furniture.  Fr. Passero did most of this with his personal money.  Some of the projects listed may not be in the proper order.  Choir temporarily moved to in front of the cry room.  West side confessional removed for stairs leading to our new choir loft.  Pews in choir loft, back one is St Edward’s original, 2nd one is Protestant and back one is from St. Benedict’s in West Charleston.  Rug removed from the altar.  George Daugmeault worked three days trying to remove glue from granite.  Gilles Blais and helpers recapped altar base with granite tile.  Merle and Cecile Wheeler sanded and painted cement dovetails black.  Sometime later, cement was removed by Gilles Blais and son, Patrick, and replaced with present, curved blank granite.

During this whole period, with Fr. Passero’s pushing, Cecile Wheeler instructed with Ann Randell aiding, the altar boy numbers grew too well up into the thirties.  School bus garage sold and removed, present location is 2229 US Route 5.   

South side of the church resided with vinyl by Paul Patenaude.  Some of the rectory’s siding changed.  Front door facing north removed.   Garage renovated with door through maid’s quarters into kitchen.  A chapel with pews and altar from original church used for daily mass and adoration is opened.  Stained glass side windows in church with Triptec in old south choir loft, B&D Construction with Kevin Mager, main carpenter.  

During this time, our attendance grew to full church with folding chairs added each Sunday around cry room.  Benches were added around church’s outside walls by Fred Murphy, Craig Lefebvre and George Dagineault.  Sacred Heart statue outside, redone by Ann and Mike Randall.

Outside cement steps and flower boxes removed and replaced with wide handicap ramped sidewalks.  Gilles Blais, Merle Wheeler, Albert Patenaude, Russell Sykes and many other took part in project.  Sidewalk in front, along Elm Street, moved closer to church to gain another lane for parking.  Gilles, Merle and Bard Weissen, along with Brian Fletcher from Village crew in a joint effort.

Before lane put in, every Sunday many cars parked on the Derby Line Park.  Leo Ducharme wearing his police uniform directed cars until the habit of parking in our own parking lot was developed.

Church ceiling was painted by Tim Hinman and crew walls and new choir loft areas by Maurice Chenette.  Main door outside entrance cement and raised and leveled cry room by Shawn Austin and crew.  Once had a sunken area of floor for baptisms, curtains installed by Betty Fletcher.  New inlaid rugs installed everywhere by Brad Dudley of Converse Company in Orleans.  Fr. Passero picked color (red=holy spirit).

During this period, the moving of the Tabernacle to the center of the church, if possible, was started by the diocese.  Gilles Blais and Merle Wheeler with the help of Tom Richie, from Canada, who was instrumental in the construction of the original altars, came up with an idea for design and placement.  With help of Gilles Grenier and his carpet tractor, we were able to get the granite into church and into place as you now see it (we have pictures).  Altar was paid by members of the families whose names are now engraved on legs.

Fr. Passero had been talking for a long time about wanting a new hall.  He said we had $65,000.00 in Derby Line bank and if Betty Murphy could get 100 families to donate $1,000.00 each that we would get started.  Well, she did!!  With the help of Dan Daggesse from B&D Builders, Rick Isabelle (President of the building committee) and Mark Stewart, a design soon came up and we started.

To make the neighbors happy, on our west side, we agreed to install a wall 6’ tall and 120’ long to insure his privacy.  All the post holes were dug through the tree roots free of charge by Vermont Electric Co-Op (2 trucks and crews for 2 days).  Old church building dismantled by Mario Paul Inc. with Robert Pare running the excavator and putting everything through a barrel grinder.

Rick Isabelle and Dan Daggesse, after many trips to Burlington with meetings we finally finished.  We ended up spending around $430,000.00, all donated and paid, with our original $65,000.00 still in the bank untouched.

The hall was dedicated in honor of Fr. Passero. Fr. had often asked parishioners to pray that we would be donated a large sum of money or we hit a jackpot or something.  Oddly enough, money did come but only after Fr. Passero had been transferred.  Virginia Holbrook, who had been living at Michaud Manor, left us $800,000.00.

After hall was done, Fr. Passero had Barb Baelett and Betty Fletcher install a meditation garden between the hall and church buildings.  Marc Haselton with help from the Knights of Columbus and others took over grounds, mulch, weeding, etc.  After this Claire Pouliot did this for many years, mainly alone.

Other projects being done at about same time.  New wooden cross at our cemetery by Ben Blais and Vic Fortin.  New granite entrance to the cemetery donated by John Guy Gaudreau and his wife, Denise.

Roma Pelletier of Derby, a master welder, built an iron cross for our front lawn.  1st one too small to suit Roma, so it ended up in West Charleston.  2nd cross much bigger.  He also made entrance gates and fire escape on old hall, all donated.

The original light fixtures and cross from the old church, now inside alcove in entrance of our new hall.

With the finish of Fr. Passero’s time with us, I finish also.  Many more projects with Fr. Yvon Royer (2000-2009) to name a few: Rectory Roof, Church metal Roof and new boilers for both church and rectory.

Signed by Merle Wheeler
October 24, 2017