St.Patrick's, the oldest Roman Catholic church on Cape Breton
Island, was erected in 1828. It is an interesting example of the
pioneer Gothic style of architecture,the stones and wood all being
hand- hewn by Sydney's earliest residents.

              The church stands on the site of an earlier,wooden edifice
erected in 1805; nearby St.George's Church and St.Patrick's mark 
Sydney's earliest houses of worship.

      St.Patrick's was the mother church for North Sydney,Sydney Mines,
Low Point,Bras D'or and even Louisbourg. Pioneers came by boat each
Sunday.The building remained unchanged until the 1850's, when a 
balcony was added to accomodate the growing congregation.

         In 1833, the congregation was increased to such an extent
that a new church,Sacred Heart, was erected on George Street. Newly
arrived Lebanese immigrants used the church until 1950 when the
Ancient Order of Hibernians took it over until around 1960. In 1966
the Old Sydney Society began restoring St.Patrick's, and the church
now serves as a museum housing artifacts from the early history of
Sydney and the surrounding area.


                    T H E    C E M E T E R Y

The graves behind St.Patrick's tell the story of the church and 
 it's earliest parishoners. Unfortunately,many graves are unmarked,
 and many markers have been destroyed.

   The oldest surviving marker (#3) predates the church by thirty
years,and marks the grave of the infant son of Captain John Butler
Wilson. Wilson, a local merchant,owned the  land and early chapel 
over which St.Patrick's is built,until his death 1n 1832 (#2),
  
   That Wilson outlived his son by 25 years, is quite typical: 5
children are honored here.The most recent marker is dated 1857,about
which time both the church and cemetery were becoming quite crowded.


(Many thanks to the Old Sydney Society and staff for this information.)

   Marker #1                               Marker #6

 Unknown inscription                  Unknown inscription

         #2                                  #7

     I.H.S.                           Gloria in Excelsis Deo
 Herein lies the body of John          Sacred to the memory of
 Butler Wilson who departed this       John Manning a native of
 life on the 21 July 1823              Cloyne in the county of
                                       Cork Ireland who departed
   Aged  74  years
                                         this life April 12th
       #3                                          Aged 45 years
                                       Requiem in pace Amen
  February 1798 of his age             And his child Mary Ann who
 Mourn not for me,my parents            departed this life January
 dear,I am nor dead but sleeping             1855 Aged 11 months
 here,As I am now,so you must be,
 Prepare for death and follow me
 This stone erected by his afficted                   #8
 parents John and Marg Wilson            In memory of Rosanna Maria                                    
                                         who departed this life on the
                                         31 day of October 1850
                                               Aged 20 years
            #4                           The beloved wife of J.T.
In loving memory of Bridget Kavanagh      Robinson and also to the
Wife of Nicholas H.Martin                 memory of Theresa Eveline
Born at St.Peters,C.B.                    their child who died on the
Died at Sydney Feb 24  1857               18 day of Feb 1851
                                                   Aged

           #5

Gloria in excelsis Deo
This stone was erected by
Peter A.Hearne and his wife
Elizabeth in the memory of
William O'Sullivan native of Ireland
who departed this  life  May 25 1832
aged 66 years   Requiem in pace
Also underneath the remains of their two
infants  Michael John and Peter
The former aged 8 days the latter 7

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