Sunday Church Feature
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Mill Bay, B.C.

"St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, built in 1887 and consecrated in 1889, is the oldest building in Mill Bay. It was built to serve the French Canadian workers at the mill in Mill Bay on land donated by Mr. Gabereau. The church was consecrated in 1889 by Bishop John Lemmens, bishop for the west coast from Oregon to Alaska. Travel was difficult so visits by the Bishop were infrequent. The oldest gravestone dates to 1891." (Link 1.)



"Mill Bay is a commuter town of about 3,200 people located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada about 30 km (19 mi) north of Victoria, British Columbia, the capital.

"Mill Bay was founded in the 1860s with lumber and milling as its primary industries, done at the mill on the bay. It is known for its ferry to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula and the historic Malahat Drive, which is also a source of criticism due to frequent closures from either automobile accidents or weather conditions.^{[citation needed]} Numerous suggestions have been made by various groups regarding a 'bypass' route (possibly a bridge), though as of 2007, the Brentwood-Mill Bay Ferry and the Malahat remain the only routes to Greater Victoria from the rest of Vancouver Island. The MV Mill Bay that has served the ferry route since 1956 is named for the town." (Link 2.)

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is at 790 Kilmalu Rd., just off Highway #1 leading north from Victoria, the capital of B.C.  It is also near the town of Shawnigan Lake.

Photos: Taken in 2005 by SW.
Link1:http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM697X_St_Francis_Xavier_Church__Mill_Bay_B_C
Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Bay,_British_Columbia