Yuquot Church as built in 1958
When you come ashore at Yuquot, one of the first things you see is a church building. Please enter! It is a community gathering place and interpretive centre. The church was de-consecrated in the 1990s. It is the third Catholic Church to be built at Yuquot.
1793 Illustration of Yuquot and Spanish churchby S. Bacstrom
The first church was built as part of the Spanish outpost built at Yuquot in the 1790s. One of the early padres wrote that settlement’s church stood in a conspicuous location – it is the building with a cross seen a 1792 illustration by Bacstrom. When the Spanish abandoned their outpost at Yuquot in 1795, the Mowachaht people moved back into their village, and the church was taken down.
Father Brabant’s church, photo date unknown
The second church built at Yuquot was a result of the missionary efforts of Father Brabant. He built a small church in the little cove at the east end of the village in 1889. It was used for many decades.
1929 Illustration of Church at Yuquot by Emily Carr
The church is well-known as the subject of a painting by famous Canadian artist Emily Carr. The church burned down in 1954. The story goes that the resident priest was returning from a trip in his launch. As he came around the point and Yuquot came into view, passengers told him the church was on fire! The priest looked up and exclaimed: “Holy Smoke!”
Unloading Materials for new church, ca. 1957
Planning for the third church began right away By 1956 plans were in place for with present neo-Gothic style building with arched windows, buttresses, bell-tower and spire. The priest wanted the church built close to the centre of the village. Chief Maquinna refused to have the church there as it would be on his family’s traditional household plot. So the church was built where you see it now, on higher ground and tucked behind a tree-covered bluff for protection from the elements. The church was completed in1958 and was the scene of many community gatherings, weddings, funerals and religious events.
Stained glass window donated by Spanish government for Yuquot church
Two stained glass windows are prominent features in the church. They were donated by the Spanish government of dictator Francisco Franco in the 1950s. These windows are now jarring remnants from a colonial past. One window shows representatives of Britain and Spain, Quadra and Vancouver, conferring about “sovereignty” over Nootka Sound in 1791.
Maquinna family houseposts in Yuquot church
The Catholic Church withdrew its religious authority over the Yuquot church in 1997. Though it looks like a church from the outside, the interior has been transformed. Inside, there are four spectacular traditional Mowachaht/Muchalaht carved and painted house posts and other carvings . All are replicas of originals that stood in Chiefs’ bighouses at Yuquot in the 1920s. The replica work was undertaken by master artists Calvin Hunt and Tim Paul.
Church renovations in progress, 2017
The weather at Yuquot has not been kind to the church building, presenting maintenance challenges. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, Parks Canada, and the Land of Maquinna Cultural Society have been working together since 2016 to identify and correct major problems that have included replacing the main roof, and attending to numerous other issues. The aim of all activity is to conserve the building’s integrity and restore it to its original 1950s configuration. The transformed church will continue to serve the interests of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, Yuquot as a National Historic Site, and current and future activities on site.