LEWISTON – At the May 17 Lewiston City Council meeting, Mayor Lionel C. Guay Jr. paid tribute to Louis P. Malo, the contractor for Saints Peter and Paul Church, which will be inaugurated as a basilica on Sunday, May 22.

In a proclamation declaring May 22 as Basilica Recognition and Louis P. Malo Day in Lewiston, Guay said, “Malo and Sons’ most prominent work was Saints Peter and Paul Church, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Not only did Malo and Sons serve as contractor and stone masons, they also donated the stained glass window above the altar in the upper church with the wording Famille Louis Malo’.

The window served as a testimony to the many sons and cousins of the Malo family who took part in the church’s construction.”

Guay stated that the inauguration of the church as a basilica is a momentous occasion for the historic church and the city. Basilicas are chosen by the Vatican for their historical importance, artistic value and quality of liturgical prayer and service to the community.

A highlight of the evening was Guay’s surprise presentation to Malo’s only surviving child, Eva Malo Lacroix, age 93 of Lewiston, in which she was given a framed photo of the church lit at night. Malo’s sons, now deceased, who assisted him with the church construction, were Emile, Alfred, Maurice, Lucien, Felix and Louis P.

Guay also noted that Malo had died just months before the 1938 dedication of the church and added, “Mr. Malo missed the dedication of this beautiful structure, but we take this opportunity to celebrate him upon this very prestigious occasion for Saints Peter and Paul Church.”

In addition to Mrs. Lacroix, several other Malo family members also attended the recognition: Sue Lacroix, Stacy Anderson, Lorette Fournier, Diane Williams, Tim Williams, Theresa and Clarence Arenburg, Celine and Charles Desanto, Claudette and Paul Jalbert, Cathy Malo and Pauline Bergeron-Dingle.

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