Researched and Compiled by William J. Dorgan III
There is a Book written entitled "A Pilgrimage of Faith" by Galgay and McCarthy, an excellent History of Renews, Newfoundland.
The following are transcribed tidbits of History of Renews, courtesy of Tammy Lawlor:
Renews: Jacques Cartier (1536) referred to the area as Hable Rougnose, which is associated with the French word rogneux, meaning rugged or scrappy shore.
In 1610, London and Bristol Company propose a settlement in Renews, however, due to the presence of the pirate Peter Easton, settlement is delayed.
1618, Richard Whitbourne moves six colonists from William Vaughan's failed colony at Aquaforte to Renews.
1620, the Mayflower stops in Renews for supplies on its way to America.
1836, populationis 601, making it one of the largest settlements in Newfoundland.
1854, the steamer City of Philadelphia is stranded off the coast of Cappahayden in Chance Cove. The crew and passengers camp out on the beach and are eventually rescued.
1867, William Jackman, a seal fisherman born in Renews in 1837, is credited with single-handedly rescuing 27 people after a shipwreck at Spotted Island in Labrador.
In 1868 he was decorated by the Royal Humane Society and given the name "Jackman the Hero".
1886, Arthur Jackman of Renews accompanies Robert Peary on his first Arctic voyage.
1918, the Florizel sinks off Cappahayden with a loss of 94 lives.
1967, the community of Renews-Cappahayden is incorporated.
1970s, Chance Cove Provincial Park is created.
The community of Renews has existed since the early sixteenth century. In 1506 Jean Denys, a French explorer left boats in Renews, or Rougenoust as it was then known (English) and in 1536 Jacque Cartier completed his second voyage to Newfoundland by leaving boats in the harbor (Rowe 62).
To some researchers the leaving of boats by these two men suggests that there may have been wintering inhabitants in Renews as early as this time. Official attempts at settlement in Renews began in 1612 under John Guy and when that failed it was tried again in 1616 under Sir William Vaughan. However, in 1620 Vaughan sold the land to Viscount Falkland.
Around the same time Sir George Calvert, later known as Lord Baltimore, was attempting to establish a colony at Ferryland, a short distance from Renews. This colony, legend has it was intended as a "refuge for the Calvert's and their fellow Catholics" (Lahey "Religion" 7-8).
Settlement continued in Renews during these first troublesome years to the point that it was established as such an important port that in 1620 The Mayflower stopped there on her voyage to the New World to replenish her supplies (Winter 1576).
The population of Renews continued to grow and by the early 1700's the number of Irish Catholics settling there was growing rapidly. This was the time of penal law in Britain and many Irish Catholics may have come to the new world to escape the persecution they faced in their homeland. They soon found, however, that the laws same in Newfoundland. In fact, the orders given to the governors from 1729 to 1776 were:
You are to permit a liberty of conscience to all, except Papists, so they be contented with a quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the same, not giving offence or scandal to the government (RoIlmann 64).
Most of the time these laws were not strictly enforced. In fact, there may have actually been a church in St. John's as early as 1754 (Howley 181). However, around the mid 1700's there was a crack down on the practise of Catholicism. In 1743 the governor of the time, Smith, wrote to the magistrate in Ferryland, John Benger, instructing him to be mindful of the "Irish Papists" in the area and to attempt to send as many as possible out of the country.
When William Keen, the chief magistrate of St. John's was killed by a group of Irishmen in 1752, penal laws were enforced to the full extent for the next thirty or forty years (Howley 179). Court documents from the Renews area in the 1750's show there was growing concern over the number of Irish Catholics living in the area and there was a fear of insurrection (Barnable 9).
Long before the 1750's, though, the servant fishermen in Renews had proven they had no loyalty to the resident planters. In November of 1696 the French war ship Profound attacked Renews where there were seven residents and one hundred and twenty servant fishermen, many of whom would have been Irish. These servants are recorded as not caring who owned the place (Prowse 230).
There is no doubt that these feelings remained or perhaps even worsened with the increased oppression of these people into the eighteenth century. It was in this climate of fear and persecution that fascinating events are said to have taken place in Renews. These events have lived on through the legend of the "Mass Rock."
THE PRIESTS OF RENEWS
Priests played a large role in the community of Renews and Fermeuse and all over the Avalon Peninsula. Here is an incomplete chronologicaI list of the curates and pastors who served Holy Apostles Church, Renews.
REV WILLIAM R. FORRISTAL
1820-1894
Born: 1820 - Mooncoin, Ireland
Ordained: 28 December 1844 - St. John's
Died: 8 September 1894, Age 74 - St. John's
Rev William R. Forristal was born in Mooncoin, Ireland in 1820. He was educated at St. John's College in Waterford. At the request of Bishop Fleming he went out to St. John's in 1844 and was ordained by Bishop Fleming in St. John's on 28 December 1844 at age 24. He initially was assigned as curate to his older brother Rev John Forristal in St. John's. In 1846 he was assigned to Placentia and Kings Cove for Rev Waldren but the bad climate affected his health and he returned to St. John's.
While in Placentia he was on the RC School board and founded a Commercial School in Placentia. His brother, Fr John died in St. John's in 1850 and Fr William remained in St. John's and assisted at the Cathedral and was a Teacher and Director at St. Bon's.
In 1856 he was appointed first Vice-President of St. Bon's, the new diocesan college to train native Newfoundlanders for the missions. He was dispatched to the Continent of Europe and to Ireland to seek new young men for St. Bon's. While in Rome, he acquired a copy of Murillo's painting of the Immaculate Conception for the Cathedral's altarpiece.
In 1857 he was assigned to Holy Apostle Parish at Renews / Fermuese for 14 years until 1871. In 1859 he attended the Funeral for Rev Charles Dalton in Harbour Grace. In 1869 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee in Renews. In 1871 he returned to administer at the Cathedral in St. John's and in 1884 was appointed Archdeacon of the Diocese. Records indicate he married a lot of people in the St. John's area. He died in St. John's on 8 September 1894 at age 74. He died three months short of his 50th Golden Jubilee.
REV ROBERT BRENNAN
1829c-1896
Born: About 1829 - Unknown
Ordained: 24 June 1856 - St. John's
Died: 17 September 1896, Age 67 - St. John's
Rev Robert BRENNAN was born about 1829. He was ordained in St. John's on 24 June 1856 at age 26 and attended the consecration of the new Cathedral in St. John's the same year. In 1856 he attended the Consecration of the first Bishop of Harbour Grace, Bishop John Dalton. He spent 14 years as Parish Priest of Holy Apostles Parish, Renews (1857-1871) and records show he was also at St. Bernard's 1860-1871. In 1862 he was on the board of Education for Fortune Bay. In 1871 he was assigned to Little Placentia following Father Nowlan and was there 24 years until his retirement to St. John's in 1895 at age 66. He died in St. John's on 17 September 1896 at age 67. He was a priest for 40 years. He is buried in the priests' ploy at Belvedere cemetery St. John's.
REV RICHARD DUNPHY
1834-1900s
Born: 1834 - Kilkenny
Ordained: 1860 - St. John's
Died: 1900s
Rev Richard Dunphy was born In Kilkenny, Ireland in 1834. He came to Newfoundland to complete his ecclesiastical studies and was ordained by Bishop Mullock in St. John's in 1860. His first assignment was as Parish Priest at St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Lawrence, following Father Trepps and remained there for 5 years from 1861-1866. In 1871 he is listed at Little Placentia and for 2 years he was Parish Priest at Holy Apostle Parish, Renews from 1871-1873. In 1875 he was appointed first Parish Priest at St. Michael's Parish, Bell Island until 1880. No information was found after this date. He may have died in the early 1900's, at about 70 years of age.
VERY REV JOHN WALSH
1842-1912
Born: 9 May 1842 - Kilkenny, Ireland
Ordained: 10 September 1871 - St. John's
Died: 30 November 1912, Age 70 - Renewse
Very Rev John Walsh was born in Callan, Kilkenny, Ireland on 9 May 1842 to Phillip Walsh and Mary Marnell. His Celtic name was Branach. He attended All Hallows for 6 years from 1865-1871. He was ordained by Bishop Power in St. John's on 10 September 1871 at age 29. His first assignment was as curate to his Uncle Archdeacon Walsh at St. Kyran for two years from 1871-1873. His second and final assignment in 1873 was as Parish Priest at Holy Apostle Parish, Renews, following Father Richard Dunphy. The local Church at the time was a chapel located in Fermeuse. Father Walsh's quarters and the Fermeuse chapel burnt to the ground. Afterwards, Father Walsh moved the site of the church from Fermeuse to Renews. Tradition says he designed and the local people built Holy Apostles Church. After the fire and before Holy Apostles was built, the community worshipped at Holy Trinity Church, Ferryland (also known as Holy Family Church). The parishioners laid the cornerstone of Holy Trinity (née Holy Family) Church in 1863. For the next two years, Thomas O'Brien of St. John's worked with the local people to build the magnificent stone church. It is the last of five stone churches that Roman Catholic Bishop John Thomas Mullock ordered built during his tenure. Local fishermen helped by transporting the stone for the building from Stone Island, approximately two km. across Calvert Bay. On September 10, 1865, Bishop Mullock consecrated the new church. The church was still not complete and it took until 1898 for the final stone tower to be finished.
Father Walsh remained at Holy Apostles for 39 years until his death in 1912. His last name is usually spelled Walshe in the church's records. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee at Renewse in 1896. He died on 30 November 1912 at Renewse at age 70. He is buried in what is called the Nun's section of the Old Cemetery. He was a priest for 41 years.
VERY REV DEAN WILLIAM P. DOUTNEY
1846-1919
Born: 9 June 1846 - St. John's
Ordained: 29 June 1871 - St. John's
Died: 13 July 1919, Age 73 - Renews
Rev Dean William P. Doutney was born in St. John's on 9 June 1846. He attended private school taught by his uncle in St. Johns' from 1852-1855 and then entered the first class at St. Bon's from 1856-1860. He was at All Hallows Seminary for 4 years from 1867-1871. He was ordained by Bishop Power in St. John's on 29 June 1871 at age 25. He was assigned to St.Thomas Aquinas Parish in St. Lawrence for 5 years from 1871-1876, where he built the fine convent, which stands today. In 1876 he succeeded his cousin Venerable Dean Born as Parish Priest at St. Kyran in Placentia Bay and remained there for 40 years until 1912. There he built a stone church modeled after St. Patrick's in St. John's. His aunt, Mary Doutney died in Carbonear on 22 December 1888 at age 62. His mother died in St. John's on 5 January 1889. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee in 1896. Records indicate he was Parish Priest at Renews from 1913-1916. Poor health forced Doutney to move to St. John's, but he returned to Renews shortly before his death there on July 14, 1919. At 74, he was the oldest Catholic Priest in Newfoundland at that time. and he was appointed Dean following Dean Roche's death in 1916. Dean Doutney died at Renews on 13 July 1919 at age 73. He was a priest for 48 years. He is buried in the priests' plot in Belvedere Cemetery, St. John's.
RT REV DEAN CHARLES A. McCARTHY, D.P.
1878-1957
Born: 1878 - Feenagh, Ireland
Ordained: 29 September 1903 - St. John's
Monsignor: 1952 - Renews
Died: 21 October 1957, Age 79 - Renews
Dean Charles A. McCarthy was born in Feenagh, Ireland in 1878. He attended Carlow College for 4 years from 1899 to 1903 and was ordained by Archbishop Howley in St. John's at the Presentation Convent on 29 September 1903. He was an assistant at St. Patrick's, St. John's for one year and curate to Dean Roche for 12 years at Witless Bay from 1904-1916. He then was appointed as Parish Priest at Tors Cove for 3 years from 1916-1919. His final assignment in 1920 was as Parish Priest at Holy Apostles Church, Renews, following Dean Doutney, where he remained for 37 years to his death in 1957. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee in 1928. He was appointed Dean of Archdiocese, St. John's in 1940. Also in the 1940s he erected a Shrine to our Lady Lourdes at Renews. In 1945 he was appointed Archdiocese Consulare. In 1947 he attended the 50th Jubilee Mass for Archbishop Roche. He was made Domestic Prelate, Vicar Forane in 1952 and celebrated his 50th Golden Jubilee on 29 September 1953 at Renews. In 1955 he was involved in the publication of the Centenary Book of the St. John's Cathedral. He died at Renews on 21 October 1957 at age 79. He was a Priest for 54 years. He is buried in Renews.
REV LEO GILES SHEA
1932-1970
Born: 6 November 1932 - Pouch Cove
Ordained: 15 June 1957 - St. John's
Died: 16 May 1970, Age 37 - St. John's
Rev Leo Giles Shea was born in Pouch Cove on 6 November 1932 to John Shea and Alice Constantine. He received his early education at Pouch Cove, attended Presentation Convent School, Witless Bay for grades 8 to 11 and took his grade 12 at St. Bon's in St. John's. He attended All Hallows College in Dublin, for 6 years from 1951-1957. He was ordained by Archbishop Skinner at the Basilica on 15 June 1957 at age 25. His first three assignments as a curate were to Holy Apostle Parish, Renews for one year for 1957-1958, to St. Patrick's Parish in St. John's for 5 years from 1958-1963 and to St. Joseph's Parish in Salmonier for one year from 1963-1964. In 1964 he was appointed Parish Priest at St. John Bosco Parish in Shea's Heights for 6 years until his death in 1970. In 1969 he was selected as St. John's "Citizen-of-the-Year". In early April 1970 although he spent a week in the hospital after a mild heart attack, his death came as a surprise. While he was confirming reservations for a flight to New York for a combined vacation and diagnostic treatment from a New York specialist, he collapsed at the Air Canada counter at St. John's Airport. He was dead on arrival at the General Hospital on 16 May 1970 at age 37. He was a priest for one month short of 13 years. He was buried in his native Pouch Cove instead of the priests' plot at Belvedere Cemetery.
REV JOHN H. O'DEADY CssR
1919-1994
Born: 17 November 1919 - St. John's
Ordained: 20 June 1943 - Quebec
Died: 18 September 1994, Age 74 - St. John's
Rev John H. O'Deady, CssR, was born in St. John's on 17 November 1919. He attended St. Bon's for 1 year from 1934-1935. In 1936 he entered the Redemptorist Order at Woodstock, Ontario for 7 years until 1943. He took his first profession in the Redemptorist Order on 2 August 1938. He studied at St. Alphonsus Seminary, Woodstock, Ontario and at the French Canadian Redemptorist Seminary at Aylmer, Quebec, where he became proficient in French. He was ordained at the Redemptorist Seminary in Quebec on 20 June 1943. He was attached to the Redemptorist at Whitbourne and preached the missions throughout Canada for 24 years from 1943-1967. He was assigned as Parish Priest at St. Teresa's Parish, St. John's for 2 years from 1967-1969. In 1968 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. He was assigned to St. Patrick's Parish, St. John's for 3 years from1969-1972. He was incarnated (formal canonical process of being accepted into another diocese or religious congregation) in the St. John's Archdiocese in 1970 and was assigned as Parish Priest of St. Joseph's Parish, Salmonier for 2 years from 1971-1973. He was assigned to St. Joseph's Parish, St. John's for 3 years from 1973-1976. Head Administer to St. John Bosco in Shea Heights for 3 years from 1976-1979. Upon the transfer of Father John Hanton at Renews, Father O'Deady was assigned as Parish Priest of Holy Apostle Parish, Renews for 7 years and remained there until 1986. In 1986 he was returned to St. Joseph's Parish, St. John's for 2 years until his retirement in 1988 at age 69. He continued active ministry at Caphayden, Mary Queen of Peace and Topsail. On 20 June 1993 he celebrated his 50th Golden Jubilee in retirement. He died in St. John's on 18 September 1994 at age 74. He was priest for 51 years.
Gerald Barnable wrote this essay:
Growing up in Renews one of my favorite pastimes was to walk through the woods adjacent to my house and climb a hill known as Midnight Hill. I would run down the other side of the hill to a grove of trees where there is a spring with a well by it. We called this "Nun's Well" because it used to provide water to the nearby convent. A few steps from the well is the back of a grotto built on the Mass Rock. This was my favourite view of the grotto, facing away from the community, shielded from site.
Even at a young age I was effected by the legendary atmosphere of this spot. I must have been very young when I first heard the legend of the Mass Rock because it seems as if I have always known it. I was told that in the 1700's the people of the community would gather at this rock at midnight to celebrate mass or say prayers in secret. They did so because they were Catholic and at the time it was a penal offence to celebrate mass in Newfoundland.
For this reason this area has always been a source of pride for me and for many other members of the community. However, most people who visit the grotto view its front with marble statues and so-called miraculous spring, and never venture to the back, oblivious to the historic events said to have taken place there.
I have seen written versions of this legend in quite a few places and I have heard it told a number of times among Renews people. The common thread of each story are statements like "mass was a penal offence at the time" and "a special tax was levied on Roman Catholics," as if there is a need by the various narrators to emphasize the persecution suffered by the Catholics.
In 1883 Rev. M. Harvey makes reference to the oppression of Catholics in Newfoundland in his History of Newfoundland. He also tells of priests who came to Newfoundland disguised to administer to the people in secret (Renews 10).
The earliest reference to the legend itself is by Archbishop Howley in his Ecclesiastical History. He mentions the "Midnight Rock" and tells how a Father Fitzsimmons officiated there. This version of the legend is also told by Sister Sheila Guerin of Renews in her unpublished paper "History of Renews."
Another unpublished paper by Marion Harte, also of Renews, titled "An Outport Study of Renews" mentions the legend as well. While Ms. Harte quotes Archbishop Howley about Midnight Rock, she omits his reference to Father Fitzsimmons, possibly because it did not fit the tradition with which she was familiar.
The Father Fitzsimmons alluded to in some versions would likely be Father Henry Francis Fitzsimmons (1783-1819) who arrived in Newfoundland C. 1812 (Byrne 358). He is said to have come to Renews where he raised a cross and celebrated Mass on the Mass Rock (Howley 243). While Father Fitzsimmons's arrival came after the proclamation of 1784 which gave liberties to the Roman Catholics, it is interesting that he has been brought into the legend of the Mass Rock by some sources. Father Fitzsimmons's arrival in Renews would have been within living memory of the secret masses if they had occurred. This may actually be why he raised a cross on the rock and celebrated mass there, for there was a chapel in Renews at the time built in 1806 by Father Ambrose Fitzpatrick (Barnable 25). Fitzsimmons stayed in Renews for only three years (Howley 243). This priest seems to have been considered an eccentric by quite a few people and perhaps there were rumours which sprang up about him and
his deeds at that time. These rumours may have since filtered down so that all that remains is his name in the middle of another legend.
While Fitzsimmons was not one of the disguised priests who came to Newfoundland in penal days there was, in fact, another priest who came in the early days travelling under an alias. In 1627 a Father Anthony Pole came to Newfoundland with Baltimore under the assumed name of Smith. This same man later smuggled himself back into
England under the name of Gascoyne. While this is quite some time before the events of the legend are said to have taken place, the activities of this priest in Ferryland stirred trouble with the authorities. He had obviously practised an outlawed religion quite openly in the colony and a complaint was sworn out against him
(Lahey "Religion" 15-19). It is quite possible that through the years other priests followed Pole's example, while being more discreet in their behaviour. It is easy to see that there are kernels of truth within the versions of this legend.
The historical truth of legend is, of course, different than the truth that we normally associate with historical documents. The legend describes "truths" about the feelings and worldview important to the people who tell them (Alver 144-147). This legend was told by Renews people for many years and was commemorated with a shrine
in 1927. Father Charles McCarthy, later Monsignor McCarthy, an Irish priest who came to Renews in 1920 and remained until his death in 1957, instigated the construction of "The Grotto." The Grotto is a replica of the shrine at Lourdes, France, where Bernadette saw a vision of Our Lady and it is complete with a "statue of the Immaculate Conception and the kneeling Bernadette and the stream issuing forth from the rocky wall" (Reunion 6).
It was constructed with the free labor of the men of Renews and once it was completed in 1928 every man in the harbor planted a tree. The tradition of the Mass Rock was "fostered by Father McCarthy, an Irishman sensitive to English wrongs." In a letter regarding the Grotto he related that a man named Michael Kane, who was born in l867 told him of the secret Masses that were held on that spot. This man had never attended a Mass there himself but had heard of them (Barnable 122).
The legend of the Mass Rock has refused to die; in fact, it has grown over the years with new elements connected to it. Since the building of the Grotto it has been rumoured that "The Monsignor" (pronounced Mons'nir in Renews), purchased the statues "of Bianco marble imported from Genoa, Italy through the Muir Marble Works of St. John's" with his own money. There have also been reports of cures from the water of this shrine (Reunion 6). The late Kate Squires of Renews told of a girl who "had trouble with her 'side"' which could not be helped by several doctors. She was eventually cured after visiting the Grotto with her mother to say the rosary. There was also a young boy whose coughing was cured by the water from the Grotto Ponnambalam 19-20).
The water from the Grotto has long been valued by the residents of Renews and surrounding areas for its healing qualities. Many members of my own family bottle the water and bring it home to have on hand in case of an illness. In fact, up to the 1960s there was a "common cup" at the Grotto and people who went there to pray would drink from the cup. "At one time you could always see people at the Grotto kneeling to pray; drinking from the Lourdes water[,] which was taken from a common cup and no one ever seemed to worry about germs" (Johnson 16).
My own grandfather has been brought into the tradition by some of the older people of Renews. It is said by some that a priest who came to Renews in the 1960s tried to beat the crosses on the top of the Grotto off in a fit of rage one day and that my grandfather, who worked for the priest at the time, stood in front of the Grotto and challenged the priest--something unheard of at the time. My grandfather told him he would have to beat him first to get to the Grotto. My grandfather arrived too late to save the crosses, though: there was so much damage done that they had to be taken off completely. I have tried to substantiate this story from family members but they were unaware of the incident. According to a paper written by Sumathy Ponnambalam in 1987 the pillars were removed because "one was in danger of falling down" (Ponnambalarn 11). Her information came from the priest at the time, Father Gordon Walsh.
The legend of the Mass Rock continues to survive years after Catholic emancipation. The community is now almost completely Catholic with the exception of one family. Even in 1759 around the time of the secret Masses, Catholics outnumbered the Protestants in the community; there were twenty-five families in Renews, sixteen of which were Irish Catholic (Barnable 14).
Perhaps the survival of this legend says more about the people of Renews than a first glance would suggest. Jansen suggests that it is generally assumed local legends survive because they preserve local information. However, he says, there is more at stake than just a general account of past events, and suggests that local legends continue to exist because of their specific function for both performers and audience. Functions which he isolates include the recording of "a local triumph over an alien force" and eliciting emotions like "delight in seeing the law flouted" (Jansen 260-268). Both of these functions seem to be served by the legend of the Mass Rock. However, this legend may also help to preserve some historical facts for the people of Renews.
In most legends there are elements of truth preserved. It does not seem to matter that the legends themselves may be historically inaccurate, such as the version with Father Fitzsimmons as the disguised priest. The elements of truth which are important to the people are preserved in the legend (Alver 144-147).
The historical accuracy of oral tradition has been debated among scholars since the last century. There were those like Lord Raglan and Robert Lowie who tend to dismiss all claims of historical elements within these types of legend, and others who claim complete historical accuracy of the legend (Dorson 19-22). Perhaps the answer lies somewhere between the two. While some versions of the legend may contain false or misleading information, there are elements contained which are relevant for historians. Robert Lowie conceded that some legends provided "information about the general historical conditions of culture, but he categorically refused to concede any historical credibility to the details of the narratives" (Dorson 21-22).
Other scholars, like Svale Solheirn, suggest that at times the historical legend can shape history. He cites examples from Russia, Sweden, and Norway which deal with the invasion of foreign forces and the resistance of usually one brave person. He states that at times these legends can serve to inspire and encourage people: "the psychological effects of the story.. worked as a potent cure against defeatism and pessimism; it gave encouragement and strengthened the will to resist" (SoIheirn 343-344).
Perhaps this can be said of the Mass Rock legend. It is evident that elsewhere in Newfoundland there was strong persecution of Catholics. In 1755 Governor Dorrill ordered the authorities to "hunt down" an Irish priest in the Conception Bay area: "The priest himself alluded authorities, but premises in which Mass had been said were burnt to the ground, and Roman Catholics who were known to have attended a Mass were subjected to harsh fines, and even exile, on account of their religion" (Lahey "O'Donel" 87).
It does not appear that there were any major cases of documented persecution of Catholics in Renews. This would not be because of isolation from authorities because, as stated earlier, Renews was an important port in Newfoundland at the time. Perhaps the authorities in the area were sympathetic or more likely afraid, as can be seen from the court documents mentioned earlier. After all, they were outnumbered by the Catholics. They may have turned a blind eye to such activities as midnight Masses, or they may not have. In any case, the defiance of the people was important enough to have been remembered in legend. And, in the case of the Mass Rock of Renews, locals believe that the defiance was uniquely orchestrated: the inscription on the second marble tablet inlaid in the Grotto says that "it is the only rock regarding which we have such a tradition in this country." The Country at the time would have been Newfoundland itself.
It appears that local legends serve many functions for the people who tell them and the receptive audience. The legend has an "open-endedness" about it: "the action or plot of a legend is not completed in the narrative itself, and in fact the action continues into the present or even into the future" (Dundes 165).
While the actual secret Masses are no longer said there are Masses at the Grotto each Lady Day, August 15th. The rock also continues to inspire stories of good will for the "good guys" and resistance to the "bad guys." This legend is comparable to other stories and songs popular in the community of Renews. The songs learned for generations, even by myself; have always been the "rebel songs" of Ireland, like "James Connolly," "A Nation Once Again," and others of a similar nature.
It is perhaps this attitude which has ensured the survival of the legend of the Mass Rock, of Irish people defying the British Crown. The same can be said of other legends common m the area, like one from the same time about the Masterless Men, a group said to have lived in the hills behind the communities of Newfoundland's Southern Shore in order to evade British authorities, but that is another story.
VIEW A PHOTO ESSAY ABOUT RENEWS
READ ANOTHER ESSAY ABOUT THE MASS ROCK
READ ABOUT HOLY APOSTLE'S CHURCH, RENEWS