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St. Ambrose Church
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The history of St. Ambrose ChurchSt. Ambrose Church was a mission of the parish of Bath beginning in 1866, and later became a mission of Gardiner in 1889. Mass was held in individual homes until the capacity reached numbers that required a larger space. Mass was then moved to the local Masonic Hall. In 1889, construction of the church was completed with a cost of $3,500.00 and a capacity of 120 people. $200.00 of the pledges came from our Protestant brothers and sisters in faith. E.D. Lewis of Gardiner designed the church. James Hodgkins, also of Gardiner, was overseer of the construction. However the church was built like an old-fashioned barn raising with townspeople, both Catholic and Protestant, taking part. The mural of angels over our sanctuary was a gift from the Russian Orthodox Church. The dedication mass was held on December 15, 1889. This mass was attended by all religious denominations. In fact, there were more Protestants in attendance than Catholics! Due to the failing health of the Gardiner pastor in 1924, the mission was attached to Hallowell. Mass had been said once a month up to that time, but the Hallowell pastor generously began weekly masses for the parish. In 1926 St. Ambrose became a separate parish and was given the mission in Pejepscot as well. The house next to the church was purchased as a rectory at that time. Pejepscot remained part of our parish until 1935 when it was attached to St. Cyril in Lisbon Falls. St. Leo mission was built under the direction of our pastor F. Lionel McKeone in 1966 and remained attached to St. Ambrose until 2001. In July of 2001, St. Ambrose became a sister parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sabattus and its mission, St. Francis in Greene. In November of 2001 our handicapped ramp and new automatic door was built entirely by parishioner labor. Parishioner Kathy Gustin-Williams, a civil engineer, designed it. In July of 2002 ground was broken on the addition of a church hall to our church. Design and construction oversight has been by parishioner John Hurley Sr. This addition, dedicated to Fr. Paul Pare, has been financed and built by the parishioners of St. Ambrose. On July 1, 2009, St. Ambrose became part of the new All Saints Parish under the direction of Rev. Frank J. Murray as Pastor. All Saints Parish is comprised of St. Mary's Church in Bath, St. John the Baptist Church of Brunswick, St. Charles Borromeo Church of Brunswick, St. Patrick's Church of Newcastle, Our Lady Queen of Peace Church of Boothbay Harbor, St. Ambrose Church of Richmond and St. Katharine Drexel Mission Chapel of Harpswell.
The priests who have served as pastor or administrator of St. Ambrose Church are:
Fr. Charles Biglin
Fr. William K. McDonough
Fr. Thomas B. Henderson
Fr. Rollin Martineau
Fr. Andrew V. Kelleher (who died a tragic death when his clothes caught on fire at the altar)
Fr. Paul D. Gleason
Fr. Lionel McKeone
Fr. Lucien Grondin
Fr. Robert Martel
Fr. Daniel M. Nee (died in the rectory unexpectedly February 22, 1990)
Fr. Ronald N. Schmit
Fr. Paul M. Pare
Fr. Maurice Morin
Fr. George Pelletier
Fr. Angelo Levasseur
Fr. Robert Parent (a member of the clergy of the Melkite rite)
Fr. Stephen Concannon
Fr. Frank J. Murray
Fr. Thomas Murphy
Fr. Philip Tracy