Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

This Church dates from 1950.  The first Catholic mission in Potton, known as La Mission de Saint-Cajetan et du Précieux-Sang de Mansonville, was established in 1880 by the parish's first resident priest, Pierre Mathieu.  Curé Mathieu was here from 1880 to 1883.  His tenure led to the official erection of a parish in 1890 by Monseigneur Antoine Racine, the archbishop of the Diocese of Sherbrooke.  The Church was baptized Saint-Cajetan.  Civil recognition of the Church in Potton came on January 22, 1891.

The first wardens of the Church were Isaie Guillette, Léandre Duclos and Joseph Rousselle, elected February 15, 1891.  Louis St-Onge, the first sacristan of Saint-Cajetan, was paid an annual salary of $30.00, and was elected on June 14, 1885. 

About the Parish of Saint-Cajetan of Potton, Taylor reports the following from “ a statement given in January 1921, by the then residing parish priest, C.L. Dubé: The present brick church was built in 1919.  Our Catholic population is 897 in 162 families.  We have now six Catholic schools with 212 pupils. »^[1]  Taylor goes on to name the list of parish priests from 1880, when the first Catholic Church in Mansonville was erected, to 1930.  (See plate # 127 in Potton d'antan, Yesterdays of Potton.)  In 1919, a new Church replaced that one (plates # 128-129).  It burned on March 17, 1950 (plates # 134-135) and was immediately replaced by the present building.  The architect Denis Tremblay designed the Church, with its distinctive bell tower and lintel. 

Saint-Cajetan Church suffered another close call on February 22, 2012 when a fire broke out around 8:30 in its steeple.  The ranks of Mansonville's firefighters swelled to forty as they were assisted by teams from nearby Austin, and from south of the border – Troy, North Troy and Newport, Vermont.  The suspected cause of the fire was electrical, and seemed to be sourced in the automated bell ringing system installed but a few years ago.  The steeple itself was heavily damaged and required removal.  On October 13^th, 2012, a new one was hoisted into place and Saint-Cajetan Church was again whole, with its new steeple rising into the sky above Potton. 

Should you be interested in learning about who Saint Cajetan was, the following details are extracted from Wikipedia: Saint Cajetan (1480-1547) was born Gaetanto deil Conti di Tiene, and is a Saint of the Catholic Church.  He was founder of the Order of the Clerics Regular, better known as the Theatines, an order devoted to recalling the clergy to an edifying life, and the laity to the practice of virtue, while working for the eradication of Lutheranism, beginning to burgeon in Scandinavia, Germany and other countries in proximity, especially in Italy.  Gaetanto seemed to be predisposed to great faith, encouraged largely by his very pious mother.  Cajetan studied law in Padua, receiving his degree in civil and canon law at the age of 24.  He worked as a diplomat for Pope Julius II, and was ordained as a priest in the year 1516.  Following the death of his mother, he founded a hospital for incurables in Vicenza, though his interests were as much or more devoted to spiritual healing.  The death of Pope Adrian in 1523 led him to withdraw from the Papal Court, and it was then that he founded the Oratory of Divine Love, a congregation that was canonically erected by Pope Clement in 1524, and grew at a fairly slow pace.  In 1533, Cajetan founded a house in Naples, which aided those who wished to check the advances of Lutheranism.  The year 1540 found him in Naples again and from there he extended his work to Verona.  He died in Naples August 7, 1547 and was beatified on October 8, 1629 by Pope Urban VIII.  On April 12, 1671, Cajetan was canonized.  Saint-Cajetan's feast day is celebrated on August 7.  He is known as the patron saint of the unemployed, gamblers, job seekers and good fortune.  His remains are in the church of San Paolo Maggiore, in Naples.^[2]