Saint Norbert

St. Norbert was established on December 2, 1914.  The origin of the parish can be traced back to a meeting of Catholics in the Fairhaven area on November 27, 1913, to plan to form a new parish.  Before this, local residents had to travel to St. Anne in Castle Shannon, St. Wendelin in Carrick or Resurrection in Brookline to attend Mass.  Fund raising for a new church was begun and the bishop was petitioned for a new parish, which was granted.

For the first year of the parish's existence, Mass was celebrated in a private home.  In April of 1916, the parish purchased a farm with a barn and house.  The house served as the parish house and the barn was converted to a temporary church.  On July 18, 1916, ground was broken for a new combined church and school building.  The cornerstone of the building was laid on July 15, 1917.  By Christmas, enough work had been completed on the basement to enable the parish to celebrate the first Mass in the building.  The basement church was dedicated on July 21, 1918.  Work on the school portion of the building began in 1924 and the completed building was dedicated on September 6, 1925.

This church served the parish for thirty years.  However, the congregation eventually outgrew the existing facilities.  Ground for a new church was broken on June 19, 1955, and the cornerstone was laid on June 2, 1957.  The completed building was dedicated on March 22, 1958.