The history of St. Vincent de Paul church began in 1860 in Oromocto when the first building was erected.  At that time, St. Vincent de Paul was a mission church in the then named St. Ignatius parish.  The main church for the parish was located in the thriving community of Petersville, which is now part of the expropriated land used for the training area of CFB Gagetown. The old St. Ignatius cemetery can still be seen by travelers passing north along NB Route 7 where it is fenced and maintained by the federal government.

A major fire in 1919 destroyed St. Vincent de Paul church.  Our current building was built in 1921 under the leadership of Father W.P. Hannigan, and the building was dedicated by Bishop Timothy Casey.

Following the expropriation of the St. Ignatius church in 1955-56, St. Vincent de Paul was no longer designated a mission church but became the primary church of the new parish of St. Vincent de Paul, which included the mission church of St. Bridget’s in the village of Gagetown.  Father Joseph Daly moved into the garage, which had been located at the rear of St. Vincent de Paul church until the current rectory had been bought and relocated from down the hill to its higher calling.  The rectory is named ‘The Peter Mahoney’ house after its former owner.

In 2018, under the direction of Bishop Robert Harris of the Diocese of Saint John, St. Vincent de Paul parish, which includes St. Bridget’s mission church, was merged with St. Francis of Assisi parish to create the new parish of St. John Paul II with Father Charles Udeh SMMM as its new pastor.

ED: The above account was taken from a 2008 St. Vincent de Paul parish produced book.