St. Nicholas Parish Centre replaced St. Nicholas Church after the fire in 1975.
Early in the twentieth century, Father Domenico Viola was sent from Bari, Italy to succeed Father Johnston in giving spiritual guidance to the immigrant Italian community in Whitney Pier. In 1911, under Viola's leadership, construction began on St. Nicholas Italian Church on William and Hankard Streets. The completed building was an impressive structure of Gothic design with a 65-foot tower and steeple on the north end corner. The wood frame building was shingled and painted grey with two doors on William Street. Initially the church served as a glebe for Fr. Viola and Fr. MacLean who succeeded him. Later, when Fr. D'Intino was parish priest, the glebe was located on rear Laurier Street.
St. Nicholas Italian Church, built in 1912, destroyed by fire in 1975
St. Nicholas Italian Church after modifications to the exterior. In the top left corner is Father Domenico Viola
St. Nicholas' altar was "set-out" into the nave, an interior design common in Italian Churches. Light from the tall Gothic windows and the cross-shaped window over the entrance accentuated locally handcrafted Stations of the Cross and the many paintings on the interior walls.
This cross was from the original St. Nicholas Italian Church
This portrait was found in the remnants of the fire that destroyed St. Nicholas in 1975
The church seated 350 people. Over the years, the congregation extended well beyond the Italian community in Whitney Pier. Many Roman Catholics of Newfoundland and West Indian background, from Ward V, attended the church, as well as parishioners who came from Ashby before St. Teresa's Church was built. Masses were in Latin, but the sermons were in both English and Italian. St. Nicholas was renowned for its excellent choir.
The social life of the Italian community was sustained to a great extent by St. Nicholas Parish. People remember spending Sunday afternoons in the churchyard at picnics, dancing or playing "boche" ball. St. Rita Italian Hall was eventually built on Hankard Street. It is now a community centre for the area.
In 1975 St. Nicholas Italian Church burned to the ground. Within a year it was replaced by a Cultural Centre on Gatacre Street where Mass is held for the Italian community every Sunday. The Centre is a simple cement and steel structure with an inset movable altar. The present St. Nicholas congregation numbers between 40 and 50 families and is served by clergy from Holy Redeemer Parish.
