Advertisement
The over-a-century old Saint-Simon Catholic Church, beloved in the community "as a true emblem of our Christian heritage" and distinguished as New Brunswick's largest wooden church, was, according to the RCMP, intentionally set ablaze by 68-year-old local suspect Gilles Mallet at approximately 3:20 a.m. Aug. 24. Mallet appeared in provincial court later that day and was remanded into custody.
August 27, 2026
Share this article:
A 68-year-old resident of Saint-Simon has been charged with arson following a suspicious fire that completely destroyed the New Brunswick town's historic Saint-Simon Catholic Church on the Acadian Peninsula early Aug. 24.
New Brunswick RCMP confirmed Gilles Mallet appeared in Bathurst provincial court later in the morning. He was remanded into custody and is slated to reappear again in court Aug. 28 for a bail hearing.
The RCMP declared the "total loss" of this 108-year-old house of worship, the tallest wooden church in New Brunswick.
Bathurst Bishop Michel Proulx in a release said he was “devastated” to learn about the terrible fire.
“This event has plunged us into deep sorrow,” said Proulx. “What an immeasurable loss! So many memories are tied to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals and so many other significant events. Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors. I want to assure the members of the St. Simon community of my support and my prayers.”
He added that his “heart goes out to Fr. Jean Pierre, the dedicated volunteers, the faithful parishioners and all the citizens of St. Simon.”
The town of Caraquet lamented that “a true emblem of our heritage has been ravaged by flames.” The community’s tribute Facebook post praised Saint-Simon Catholic Church as “more than a building” as “this church held an important place in the collective memory and cultural life of our region. It welcomed generations of families, gatherings, performances and many moments that contributed to making our community come alive.”
Firefighters from nearby Caraquet, Bertrand and Shippagan arrived in the small francophone community just after 4 a.m. to extinguish the large blaze.
Luc Dugas, Caraquet fire chief, told Radio-Canada that a motion-detection device registered movement inside the church at approximately 3:20 a.m., just moments before emergency responders received the 911 call.
The New Brunswick Office of the Fire Marshal determined the fire was intentionally set. Mallet was identified as a person of interest early in the investigation. The motive has not yet become public knowledge.
The RCMP is calling on anyone who was in the area at the time of the fire to contact Caraquet RCMP or Crime Stoppers with any information that could advance this investigation.
More than 120 Christian churches in Canada have been burned or vandalized over the past five years.
(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)
Share this article:
Join the conversation and have your say: submit a letter to the Editor. Letters should be brief and must include full name, address and phone number (street and phone number will not be published). Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy Heidi Lee
