Rev. Paul I. Plouffe

 
Selma Times Journal
August 25, 2004

https://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2004/08/25/obituaries-for-wednesday-august-25-2004/

Rev. Paul I. Plouffe, S.S.E., 88, died Sunday, August 22, 2004, in Selma.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12 noon, on Wednesday, August 25, at Queen of Peace Parish in Selma. Interment will follow at Fairlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery in Selma.

Besides his brothers in religion, Father Plouffe is survived by several cousins and a nephew.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Edmundite Southern Missions, 1428 Broad Street, Selma, AL 36701.

Father Plouffe, son of Arthur and Edmire (Fauteux) Plouffe, was born on August 10, 1916 in Cohoes, NY.

He was a professed member of the Society of Saint Edmund for 64 years and an ordained priest for 59 years. Father Plouffe graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT in 1941.

After his ordination, Fr. Plouffe became a member of the faculty at St. Edmund’s Junior Seminary in Swanton (1945-47) and then at St. Edmund’s College in Pontigny, France (1947-52), He returned to the U.S. to become Assistant at Saint Elizabeth’s Parish and Chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma (1952-54). Once again, he traveled to Europe to serve as an assistant at Saint Edmund of Canterbury Parlsh in Whitton, England (1954-58) and then with the Brentwood Diocesan Traveling Mission in Stock, England (1958-65). He became pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Stock (1965-69), assistant and co-pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada (1970-73) and Pastor at Saint Edmund of Canterbury Parish (1973-76). For the next 10 years he would be pastor at Holy Cross Parish, BouchervlUe, Quebec, Canada, Saint Edmund-by-the-Sea, Dauphin Island, St. Michael’s Parish, Heron Bay, and assistant pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish, New Orleans, La.

It was during the devastating Hurricane Frederic of September, 1979 at Dauphin Island that Fr. Plouffe provided spiritual comfort and encouragement to the people of the island. He was always available to lend a helping hand.

In 1983, Fr. Plouffe became Heron Bay’s first full-time resident pastor of St. Michael’s Parish, a fishing village of Mobile Bay, consisting of 82 families. Even though Fr, Plouffe had retired in 1986, he accepted one of his toughest assignments-working in the inner city parish of St. Peter Claver in New Orleans, La. He reportedly said of himself at the time, “I’m like an old fire horse. Whenever I hear the call of duty, I start galloping off to help.” In 1993, he returned as Pastor at St. Edmund-by-the-Sea until 1995 when he retired to the Edmundite Mission House.