BRIDGTON — Nearly 200 people gathered on Saturday, Aug. 21, at St. Joseph Church in Bridgton for a Mass and eucharistic procession in celebration of a golden anniversary.

“It is a joy to be with you for this celebration of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of this St. Joseph Church and the establishment of a parish in Bridgton with a mission in Fryeburg,” Bishop Robert Deeley said, according to a news release from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

Parishioners filled the pews for the anniversary Mass much like they did back on Aug. 22, 1971, when Bishop Peter Gerety, the eighth bishop of Portland, blessed and dedicated the new church.

The South High Street church was built to serve a Catholic community that started to take root at the beginning of the 20th century and continued to grow. Members first gathered in homes and halls with a priest traveling from the town of Norway, when possible, to celebrate Mass. The Catholic community in 1924 bought a former Unitarian church. At first, Mass was only celebrated in the summer months, when Lakes Region vacationers caused the population to swell. But it soon became a year-round church, and before long, it became clear that a new worship site was needed.

“When we were downtown at the other church, there were so many people that they were out in the streets because there was not enough room in the church. And that’s one of the reasons this church was built,” said Pat McHatton, a long-time parishioner and president of the Women’s Guild.

In 1968, when Father Gilbert Patenaude became pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna Parish in Norway, of which St. Joseph was a mission, he proposed both building a new church and establishing St. Joseph as a separate parish.

Ground was broken in 1970 for the new church, designed by A.C. Pasquale and C.W. Curtis of P & C Allied Architects and Designers of New York City and Southwest Harbor.

It is an active parish, with parishioners involved in the church and in the community. Members of the Knights of Columbus work to maintain the church, including helping to keep it clean and safe during the pandemic. The Knights also hold a Tootsie Roll Drive every year to raise money for area agencies that assist those with developmental disabilities, help area seniors with yard work and other household tasks, and support the Mother Seton House in Fryeburg, a nonprofit that provides housing, education, counseling, and other support services for pregnant women and new mothers.

The Women’s Guild has been serving the community since before the current church was built. In addition to supporting parish activities, the guild gives out two $2,000 continuing education awards every year. Anyone seeking further education, whether it is a high school student going on to college or someone who needs to take a training course for a job, is eligible.

Members of the Knights and the Women’s Guild, along with Lay Dominicans and Lay Franciscans, were among those who led the eucharistic procession held at the conclusion of the anniversary Mass. Also participating were Father Edward Clifford, the pastor of the parish, Father Arockia Natha Prabu Magimaidass, the parish’s parochial vicar, and Msgr. Paul Stefanko, who formerly served at the parish.

During the procession, Deeley carried the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance, while parishioners holding candles followed. They processed to an outdoor altar, where prayers were offered, and then continued around the church, returning to the pews inside.

The parish’s 50th anniversary coincided with the celebration of the Year of St. Joseph, and just prior to the Mass, Clifford led the congregation in prayer, concluding a nine-day novena (nine days of prayer) to St. Joseph.

At the conclusion of the Mass and eucharistic procession, the Knights put on an outdoor barbecue.

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