Baie-Comeau, 1939 - Father Louis-Philippe Gagné is on edge. He has just received a response to the letter he sent his superior, Mgr Labrie, asking for his opinion on the plans for the future Sainte-Amélie Church. He is reluctant to open the envelop. What if his answer isn’t the one he was hoping for?

Father Gagné is hugely involved in the design of the church. As the first parish priest, he wanted everything to be perfect. For two years now, he has had to make do with a purely functional building which is a far cry from the ideal church he had in mind for Baie-Comeau.

Father Gagné was eager to have his own place of worship, all the more so because the Anglicans had built a lovely wooden church back in 1937. For the past two years, their beautiful building with its carved-wood interior had served merely as a reminder of the dullness of his own makeshift building.

But all that was now behind him. In December 1938, he received confirmation that his church would soon be built! Gaston Gagnier, a young architect from Montreal, was currently working on the plans and specifications. Father Gagné was closely monitoring the work being carried out and had made it his duty to keep the bishop informed on the project’s progress. 

On this day in April 1939, the letter Father Gagné holds in his hand is of utmost importance as it will determine what happens next. He opens the envelop and, on reading the first words, breathes a sigh of relief:

I like the façade of your church. 

He excitedly continued reading:

But don’t you think that your bell tower would be better on the other side. Where it is now, it will look good from the sea, but I fear it may hide the façade of your church. Given the direction it is facing, I believe that the overall effect would be better if it were to the left of the church. Discuss it with your architect, before it’s too late.

Oh no! Mgr Labrie was asking for major changes. The letter went on to criticize the shape of the roof, the steeple and the windows. Father Gagné needed to quickly contact the architect before the plans had been completed. It was imperative that everything be perfect!