North Harbour Sacred Heart Church

Our purpose: To preserve this sacred place of devotion and the practice of care for the resting places of ancestors that can be continued for generations to come.

Despite poverty and harsh conditions in the early years of the community, resilience and a deep-rooted faith flourished. The structure was erected by laboured hands who knew a sense of place thrived around gathering and respect for the ones born there and those who lay beneath the hallowed sod. In their foresight and honour, North Harbour Sacred Heart Church continues to embrace the community as the spiritual and social hub in a generational practice of welcoming and celebration.

Open and Accountable

Our corporation is committed to full transparency in how the church is governed and how its funds are managed. Our governing documents, financial statements, and bylaws are available to all community members and those connected to our church and cemetery. We believe that openness and accountability are the foundation of trust — and trust is the foundation of community.

In 2024, the St. John’s Episcopal Corporation transferred ownership of the local cemetery to be overseen by the North Harbour Sacred Heart Church Corporation. Since then, beautification efforts have included clearing trees and brush, parking lot updates, and overall general maintenance to the grounds.

While families continue to care for the resting places of their loved ones, the corporation will oversee improvement efforts of both the building and the graveyard through fundraising and donations that go directly to projects or upkeep.

We are pleased to partner with Shawn Power, who has spent years collecting and cataloguing information on the North Harbour Cemetery. Photos, including the church and individual graves, can be viewed on his site ↗︎. Please note you will be redirected to Shawn’s website, where he manages the content and privacy policies.

The North Harbour Sacred Heart Church Corporation is a federally-registered charitable organisation. Founded in 2023, it is accountable for the purchase, enhancement, maintenance and operation of both the church and cemetery in North Harbour, St. Mary’s Bay. Our organisation was founded following a decision by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s (the “Archdiocese”) to sell many of its properties, including churches and parish halls in small communities. Our church was one of them.

A group of North Harbour faithful wished to acquire the church and maintain it as the faith centre of the community. They generously donated sufficient funds to both incorporate our organisation, The North Harbour Sacred Heart Church Corporation, and purchase the church. Several months later, negotiations with the Archdiocese resulted in the transfer of the cemetery to our organisation.

Our corporation is dedicated to ensuring the ongoing practice of faith in our community, in an open and welcoming church; monthly mass, funerals, the annual cemetery mass, weddings, christenings, and other traditional religious ceremonies and activities are all part of what our church offers.

We are committed to the beautification and restoration of our cemetery to a state worthy of the respect of our loved ones buried there, and continuing to provide residents and extended members of the community with the means to care for individual grave sites.

Our church and cemetery are here for all of us, owned by all of us, and entrusted to all of us to ensure both will continue to stand the test of time.