The contribution of the Catholic clergy to Acadian history is considerable. Following the Deportation, it was the priests who took command of this small, destitute people. Mostly of Québécois and French origin, these clergymen scoured the vast territories of this new Acadia from the end of the 18th century. At times priests and agricultural advisors, they were aware of the importance of their presence and the encouragement they represented. Among their priorities, the chapel, presbytery and school established by the missionaries were often the only public facilities in Acadian communities in the 19th century.

The chapel at the Village historique acadien is a reproduction of a chapel built in 1831 at Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage, in the western part of the town of Caraquet. The original still exists, and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year on the feast of Sainte-Anne, July 26.

Built by a group of villagers, this chapel is architecturally indistinguishable from family homes of the time, except for the presence of a bell tower and the absence of ceiling joists.

It seems that this chapel was never used regularly for worship. Several hypotheses abound in oral tradition as to the reasons for its construction: to pay homage to the Acadian settlers who landed here after the Deportation, to fishermen who survived a shipwreck and thanked the heavens for sparing them, or to parishioners who simply wanted to improve their chances of having the parish church installed in their home rather than in another part of the parish. The only religious building on the Village historique acadien site, the chapel evokes the important role played by religion in the lives of Acadian ancestors.

• Bell tower attached to the roof structure
• No ceiling joists