Saint Monica's Church, Barre

Saint Monica's Church is a Roman Catholic parochial in the city of Barre, Vermont. It is in the Diocese of Burlington. The congregation dates from the original settlement of Barre in the 19th century, and its present building dates from the late 1880s.HistoryThe church is Barre began life as a mission from the church of Saint Augustine in the older settlement of Montpelier, Vermont.The original Roman Catholic settlers of Barre had been traveling to worship at Montpelier. However, from 1881 the Catholic population had swollen to the point that the priest from Montpelier was traveling to Barre to conduct worship for 31 families, initially in the town hall. By 1886 the priest had leased a disused academy building to accommodate the Barre Mission. A new purpose-built church was then needed.The church was finished on October 2, 1887. Saint Monica's cost $25,000 to build, including the lot for the church and rectory. The church was built to accommodate the growing number of Roman Catholic families, especially of Irish, Italian, and French descent, who were flocking to Barre to work in the granite industry. The dedication to St Monica, related to the fact that the original Montpelier Church was dedicated to Monica's son, Saint Augustine. Since its founding, Saint Monica's has undergone several major renovations.