Description of Historic Place

Sainte-Thérèse-d'Avila Parish Roman Catholic Cemetery is located on Acadie Road, across from Robichaud Street in Cap-Pelé. It contains the tombstones of pioneer families from the region, as well as those of many figures who left their mark on Acadian history.

Heritage Value

Sainte-Thérèse-d'Avila Parish Roman Catholic Cemetery is designated a Local Historic Place for its location and for being the final resting place of Acadians from the village of Cap-Pelé.

In 1842, Marcel LeBlanc and Simon and David Cormier, pioneer families from Cap-Pelé, ceded to the Cap-Pelé mission, which came under the Grande-Digue parish, a piece of land for the site of a church and cemetery dedicated to Sainte-Thérèse-d'Avila.

The 164-year-old cemetery contains a Calvary, as well as the tombstones of many figures who made a mark on local and provincial history through their contributions in the political, educational, religious, and intellectual spheres. These include the tombstones of three locally significant priests of the 20th century: Mgr. Philippe Hébert, native of the parish who was ordained in 1907, Father Donat Robichaud, parish priest from 1927-1957, and Father Camille Léger, parish priest from 1957-1980. The Malenfant family tombstone marks the burial place of Anna Malenfant, notable Acadian songstress. It also contains the tombstones of the region’s pioneer families. The cemetery is a symbol of the community spirit of Acadian pioneers, united by their common origins, their faith, kinship, and shared experiences.

Source : Dossier no. 5 des lieux patrimoniaux - Édifice municipal, Village de
Cap-Pelé

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Sainte-Thérèse-d'Avila Parish Roman Catholic Cemetery include:
- Calvary;
- variety of styles, materials, and symbolism represented by the tombstones;
- elegance and high quality of certain tombstones, some of which being one of a kind;
- variety of mature trees.