Description of Historic Place

The Father Lafrance Monument consists of a statue of Father Lafrance on a square stone pedestal. It is located on the property of the Tracadie-Sheila Church.

Heritage Value

The Father Lafrance Monument is designated a Local Historic Place in recognition of Father Lafrance, the first pastor of Tracadie.

Father François-Xavier Stanislas Lafrance was named the pastor of St-Jean-Baptiste parish in 1842. It was through his efforts that Tracadie obtained its first stone church. Five years after his arrival, Father Lafrance sent his recommendation to the local Bishop that a church be built in Tracadie. He was not in favour of expanding the Pointe-de-Pré church but instead encouraged the construction of a new stone church measuring 110 feet long by 55 feet wide. The work on the first stone church was started in 1873 and was finally completed in 1895. During his stay in Tracadie, Father Lafrance was responsible for the construction of a school, probably the first one in the area. He was also one of the main persons responsible for moving the lepers from Sheldrake Island to the Tracadie lazaretto. The Father Lafrance Monument was blessed on August 19, 1962.

Source : Town of Tracadie-Sheila, heritage file # 24

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Father Lafrance Monument include:
- location near the church;
- stone pedestal;
- statue of Father Lafrance;
- plaque describing the life and achievements of Father Lafrance.