On New Year’s Eve, yet another Biddeford landmark closed its doors forever. In 2009 it was St. Mary’s Church (where I myself was married), and in 2010 we bid adieu to St. André’s Church on Bacon Street. Scholar and journalist (and Biddeford native) Jane Martin has produced a personal and poignant look at the church and how it touched her family and generation in particular. It aired on the CBC’s C’est La Vie program, and you can listen to it yourself above.

Biddeford is moving in a positive direction in many ways, but let us never forget where we came from nor forget those institutions that created and sustained this community for so many years. A memorial video is being produced by the congregation, and will eventually be available to the public here at the library. The St. Mary’s video already is.