How About an Official Patron Saint for Collinsport?

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Hey gang,

In the past I have speculated whether the the residents of Collinsport were faithful members of a church in town or not.  Of course, we know that Abigail Collins was just "slightly" fervent in her religious beliefs.  Yet, I wonder if she was a devout member of an organized church in Collinsport?  Until the "righteous" Rev. Trask showed up in town we never saw any evidence of Abigail's steadfast religious piety.

Our insightful fellow cousin, Gerard, once commented that it would have been great fun to have seen Barnabas' fiancee Josette DuPree and her father Andre, and salt-of-the earth aunt, Natalie, leaving Collinwood at around 11:30 PM to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  (Wouldn't it have been terrific to have observed Barnabas' stuffy and hidebound father's reaction to that display of religious faith and commitment at that time of night?)

It's too bad that we never heard about any churches and their congregations in contemporary Collinsport either.  I would have loved to have seen the aptly named church of "Our Lady of Lost Souls," with possibly Blue Whale bartender Bob Rooney's older brother, Brendan F.X. Rooney, as the church's pastor.

As to the official patron saint of Collinsport, I can think of no better one than the revered and most holy St. Blaise.  Just think how much Barnabas, Aristede, Desmond and Bruno, among others,  would have appreciated the presence of some kindly priest or minister, following St. Blaise's example, and bestowing upon them the blessing of the throat by two candles as Angelique or Judah Zachary was trying to, literally, choke the life out of them?

Yes, I can definitely see Barnabas, Willie, Dr. Hoffman and the rest of the Collins family lining up to have Father Brendan F.X. Rooney blessing their throats with those holy candles of his.  (Heck, maybe even Buzz Hackett and Harry Johnson might stop by for the holy blessing by Father Brendan?)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Actually, what if one day Buzz saw the light and became a priest/minister and was positioned in one of Collinsport's churches? The mind can't help but wonder how he would fit one of his best sayings: "If you feel it, sit it," into one of his sermons?! 

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Actually, what if one day Buzz saw the light and became a priest/minister and was positioned in one of Collinsport's churches? The mind can't help but wonder how he would fit one of his best sayings: "If you feel it, sit it," into one of his sermons?! 

I suspect that the "slightly" theatrical and iconoclastic Buzz Hackett would be somewhat like the late Jack Lemmon's priest, "Father Bojangles," in the film, "Mass  Appeal."

[Lydia]

I wonder if Nicholas Blair thinks of himself as Collinsport's official patron anti-saint.

[The Doctor and K9]

How about St. Barnabas, or Saint (San) Quentin??

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I wonder if Nicholas Blair thinks of himself as Collinsport's official patron anti-saint.

I wouldn't be surprised.   Though Judah Zachery may have beat him to that official honor because there's a whole chapter about him in the book Relics of the Anti-Saints, possibly giving him more notoriety with the villagers.    Though on second thought, Nicholas has such a colossal ego that he would discount all that and proclaim himself as official anyway. 

[DarkLady]

Bob, what an interesting post! It's funny to imagine Joshua fuming as the DuPres family leaves for Midnight Mass, no doubt at some small chapel built by the shipyard workers. I can't imagine Collinsport having a big Catholic church. It would also be fun to imagine Naomi defying Joshua to go with them in support of her future daughter-in-law.

As for patron saints, before 1795 it could have been Saint Elmo, the patron of sailors. After Barnabas's "resurrection," Saint Blaise would be appropriate, or even Saint Quentin, patron of those who suffer from coughs. Plus Saint Q's feast is October 31.

I suspect Nicholas Blair considered himself Collinsport's resident god. Nothing less would do for him.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

DarkLady,

Wouldn't it have been great fun to have seen Barnabas, Julia and Roger and Mrs. Stoddard returning home to Collinwood immediately after seeing a double feature at the Collinsport Cinema of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist"?

Can you imagine that quartet discussing those two films over coffee and snifters of brandy?  Oy vey!

Bob

[DarkLady]

Trouble is they probably would have thought those movies were documentaries! 

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Trouble is they probably would have thought those movies were documentaries! 

How true THAT is!!!   Someone once posited the idea that on Halloween the residents of Collinsport and Collinwood did absolutely nothing at all to honor that particular holiday because, frankly, it was just like virtually any other day in the great and spooky town of Collinsport, Maine!

Incidentally, I'll bet at that double feature of "Rosemary's Baby and "The Exorcist" at the Collinsport Cinema, that Angelique, Nicholas Blair and Judah Zachery (sp?) were all sitting in the front row of the theater, enthusiastically cheering on all of those satanic residents of the Dakota and also "Captain Howdy" down in Washington, D.C.!   

[Zahir]

One really wonders if there is a Catholic Church in Collinsport?

[DarkLady]

Interesting point. I'm sure the original Collinses were solid Puritans who believed their commercial success was owing to predestination or whatever. Being a Catholic in Puritan Massachusetts was virtually impossible--I think you could be fined, imprisoned, banished or any number of other unpleasant things. You certainly couldn't own property. But we can hypothesize that as the town grew and the shipbuilding business took off, the Collinses found themselves forced to look farther afield than Collinsport for shipyard workers--it was a real skill, not just a dead-end job. So they might have (grudgingly) employed non-Puritans, say, French or French-Canadian or Portuguese workers who at first might have had to hide their religion or at the very least practice it in secret and certainly without benefit of clergy. I suppose eventually as the town's Catholic (and general) population grew and as the religious laws of Massachusetts were relaxed or ignored, they might have been able to build some kind of inconspicuous chapel and a teeny graveyard somewhere on the edge of town. I just don't know enough to say for sure, but it's certainly interesting (at least for me) to speculate about!

Interestingly, Josette was buried at Eagle Hill--I suppose her father and the countess could have imported a priest to consecrate her grave site at least. One wonders whether her and Barnabas's children would have been brought up Catholic--the church would have insisted on it, but without a strong Catholic presence Joshua might have prevailed.

Anyway, Zahir, thanks for bringing this up!

[Bob_the_Bartender]

DarkLady,

We've speculated before about the possible religious affiliation of the Collins family.  I agree that they were probably members of one of the Protestant denominations, although the surname Collins is Irish (like that of Irish patriot, Michael Collins).

Incidentally, about the only man of the cloth I can recall from the contemporary episodes of "Dark Shadows" was Rev. Brand (or Bland?), who performed the nuptials for Carolyn and Jeb Hawkes (a veritable match made in Heaven!).  Come to think of it, that rather youthful reverend was kind of "bland."

I particularly liked your point about the change in demographics in Colinsport over the years, with French-Canadians and possibly Portuguese moving into town.  In addition, there must have been quite a few Irish, Scottish and Italians, who eventually arrived in town.  (Too bad we never got to see Joe Haskell and Maggie Evans, sitting down to a romantic and sumptuous dinner of Chicken Marsala at Galtieri's Authentic Italian Trattoria.)

I've always thought that Burke Devlin, Bob Rooney and perhaps Sheriff George Patterson may have all been fresh-faced altar boys during their early years in Collinsport.

By the way, wouldn't it have been cool to have seen Collinsport's own "bete noire," Mr. Willie Loomis, as he made his way to confession after a "considerable" lapse in time?  Willie probably would have entered the confessional, knelt down, made the sign of the cross, and said something like, "Bless me father, for I have sinned.  Man, have I REALLY sinned!  It's been thirty years since my last confession," and Willie would then proceed to provide Father Brendan F.X. Rooney with probably THE most incredible confession the good father had ever heard in his twenty-five years as a priest!

Pax vobiscum,

Bob

[DarkLady]

Et cum spiritu tuo!

I'm sitting here laughing at the thought of those "fresh-faced altar boys" and even more at poor lapsed Willie's confession. Everyone else waiting for their turn must have wondered why he was taking such a long time! 

[Lydia]

I agree that they were probably members of one of the Protestant denominations, although the surname Collins is Irish (like that of Irish patriot, Michael Collins).

On the other hand, Mr. Collins, the odious clerical cousin in Pride and Prejudice, was certainly not Catholic.