A monument marks the former location, at SW31-24-12W in the Rural Municipality of Alonsa, of the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church. The simple wood frame structure was built in 1937, with guidance from local leader Joseph Spence and priest Pierre Constandt, using volunteer labour and funds provided by an anonymous donor in Prince Edward Island. The first burial in its cemetery occurred that same year.
In 2008, the deteriorated former church was dismantled by Spence’s descendants and a commemorative monument was erected at the site.
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Cemetery (August 2021)
Source: George Penner
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church monument (September 2016)
Source: Alan MasonSite Coordinates (lat/long): N51.11559, W99.14924
denoted by symbol on the map above
A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society, including a searchable online database available to members at the MGS Manitoba Name Index (MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites, revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages.
We thank Ida Spence, Alan Mason, and George Penner for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 14 May 2023
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