Flatrock, Newfoundland and Labrador

Flatrock
Irish: Carraig Árasán, Welsh: Carreg Wastad

Town

View from town wharf

Seal

Flatrock

Location of Flatrock in Newfoundland

Coordinates: 47°42′31″N 52°42′52″W / 47.7086°N 52.7144°WCoordinates: 47°42′31″N 52°42′52″W / 47.7086°N 52.7144°W

Country

Canada

Province

Newfoundland and Labrador

Census division

Population (2011)

• Total

1,457

Time zone

Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30)

• Summer (DST)

Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30)

Area code(s)

709

Flatrock is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 1,457 in the Canada 2011 Census.

Most of the people in Flatrock are of Irish descent. There are some families who are descended from the few Norwegian settlers who came to Flatrock in the 19th century. Irish heritage is still strong today and can be seen in such things as religion, folkways, music, and dialect/accent.

Religion and history

Flatrock is a Roman Catholic fishing town. The first settlers were Roman Catholic Irish fishermen and also Roman Catholics of French descent. About 95 per cent is Roman Catholic, 2.0% is Anglican Church of Canada, 1% United Church of Canada, or Methodist who attend the United Church in Pouch Cove, and 1% Presbyterian who attend St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (The Kirk) in St. John's. The population of Protestants in Flatrock are from other communities in Newfoundland, having moved in from recent economic development. There is no evidence of any Protestant family settling in Flatrock other than Norwegian and some English families, who, as evidenced in the town's local history, soon converted to Catholicism. There is only one church, St Michael's Roman Catholic Church. This church as well as St Agnes' Roman Catholic Church in the neighbouring community of Pouch Cove, share the same parish. The Church currently shares a parish priest with Holy Trinity in Torbay, and St. Agnes' in Pouch Cove. There is no Presbytery in Flatrock. However, they do exist in neighboring communities Torbay, Pouch Cove, and Portugal Cove.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto is a religious shrine located outside of the parish church in Flatrock, founded in 1954 by Fr. William Sullivan after his return to the parish from Lourdes, France. Fr. Sullivan saw many similarities in the terrain in Lourdes to that of his church in Flatrock, and saw that it would be a great opportunity to take advantage of this land.^[1] It is to date the largest religious grotto east of Montreal and has been visited by Pope John Paul II on September 12, 1984 where it received a special blessing from His Holiness.^[2]

The grotto has been designed by Michael Curtis of the nearby city of St. John's. Since its inception, a number of additional monuments have been erected including: a lifesize statue of the crucifix, a statue of St. Michael, a statue of the Blessed Mother that is placed in the cave portion, a statue of St. Bernadette and it contains the fourteen Stations of the Cross which are frequently venerated by parishioners. As well, there as a number of memorial plaques placed throughout the grotto.

The Our Lady of Loudes Grotto has also been voted the "Most Psychedelic Spot" by the St. John's bi-weekly publication The Scope in 2007.^[3]

Confederation

As an Irish settlement, during the confederation debate of 1949, Flatrock had voted against confederation. To this day, Flatrock as an Irish settlement flies the Union Jack, the Irish Flag, and the traditional pink white and green flag of Newfoundland - as well as the American flag. A number of townsfolk would move to New England States and New York before Newfoundland joined Confederation to live with relatives. Some townsfolk had U.S. military service before confederation with Canada. Beárna na Gaoithe (Wind Gap)Road the main road going through the town is known to come from settlers that came from WindGap areas of County Waterford and County Kilkenny in Ireland.

References

External links

Media related to Flatrock, Newfoundland and Labrador at Wikimedia Commons

Municipalities of St. John's Metropolitan Area

Population over 100,000	St. John's

Population over 20,000	Mount Pearl Conception Bay South

Population over 10,000	Paradise

Population under 10,000	Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Torbay Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Pouch Cove Flatrock Bay Bulls Witless Bay Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove Bauline

Category Portal

Division 1, Newfoundland and Labrador (Avalon Peninsula)

Cities	Mount Pearl St. John's

Towns	Admirals Beach Aquaforte Arnold's Cove Avondale Bauline Bay Bulls Bay de Verde Bay Roberts Bishop's Cove Branch Brigus Bryant's Cove Cape Broyle Carbonear Chance Cove Chapel Arm Clarke's Beach Colinet Colliers Come By Chance Conception Bay South Conception Harbour Cupids Fermeuse Ferryland Flatrock Fox Harbour Gaskiers–Point La Haye Grey River Hant's Harbour Harbour Grace Harbour Main–Chapel's Cove–Lakeview Heart's Content Heart's Delight–Islington Heart's Desire Holyrood Logy Bay–Middle Cove–Outer Cove Long Harbour–Mount Arlington Heights Mount Carmel–Mitchells Brook–St. Catherines New Perlican Norman's Cove–Long Cove North River Old Perlican Paradise Petty Harbour–Maddox Cove Placentia Point Lance Port Kirwan Portugal Cove–St. Philip's Portugal Cove South Pouch Cove Renews–Cappahayden Riverhead St. Bride's St. Joseph's St. Mary's St. Shott's St. Vincent's–St. Stephen's–Peter's River Salmon Cove Small Point–Adam's Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove South River Southern Harbour Spaniard's Bay Sunnyside Torbay Trepassey Upper Island Cove Victoria Wabana Whitbourne Whiteway Winterton Witless Bay

Unorganized subdivisions	Subdivision 1A Subdivision 1B Subdivision 1C Subdivision 1D Subdivision 1E Subdivision 1F Subdivision 1G Subdivision 1H Subdivision 1I Subdivision 1J Subdivision 1K Subdivision 1L Subdivision 1M Subdivision 1N Subdivision 1O Subdivision 1R Subdivision 1U Subdivision 1V Subdivision 1W Subdivision 1X Subdivision 1Y

Unincorporated communities	Admiral's Cove Arnold's Cove Station Baccalieu Island Bareneed Bellevue Black Duck Pond Blow Me Down Bradley's Cove Bristol's Hope Burnt Cove Burnt Point Caplin Cove Cuslett Daniel's Cove Dildo The Dock Fair Haven Flatrock Goobies Gooseberry Cove Gould's Road Grates Cove Great Barasway Green's Harbour Gull Island Hibb's Cove Hopeall Iona Job's Cove Kingston Lance Cove Little Barasway Lower Island Cove Low Point Mahers Marysvale New Chelsea–New Melbourne–Brownsdale–Sibley's Cove–Lead Cove New Harbour Northern Bay Ochre Pit Cove Patrick's Cove–Angels Cove Perry's Cove Point Verde Port de Grave Rantem Red Head Cove St. Michaels Ship Harbour Thornlea Trinny Cove Turks Cove Western Bay

See also: Municipalities of St. John's Metropolitan Area Census divisions of Newfoundland and Labrador

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