LEWISTON – A century and a half of Catholicism in Lewiston-Auburn will be celebrated Friday in a special Mass presided over by Bishop Richard Malone.

The sacrament is scheduled to be the first in a series of events marking the local area’s first Catholic church, St. Joseph’s.

The church’s first Mass was held on April 17, 1857.

“It’s all about the people,” said Mark Labonte, a longtime parishioner who was asked to help organize the celebration. “It’s about what we do for other people.”

Rather than celebrate the individual Main Street church, parish leaders decided to celebrate as a community, inviting people from all 14 area parishes to be part of the celebration.

They created a history book with archival photos and set up a year-long calendar of events.

Photos do not celebrate the earliest Catholic ceremonies here, though.

Some of the first sacraments were led in makeshift churches that were burned down by the mostly Protestant population that was already here.

Eventually, the troubles gave way and parishes took hold. Catholic churches began sprouting up.

St. Joseph’s was the first.

Labonte, who helped compile the history book, was “blown away” by the number of people who joined the church and helped it last, he said. Those same people helped found St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and several schools.

He hopes other people are touched by the book and anniversary-related events.

Those events will include concerts, a picnic and a series of lectures. The first is scheduled for May 31. The speakers are slated to include attorney Bryan Dench, Dr. Niki Erickson and the Rev. Robert Lariviere, the pastor of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.