The property for the Lampman Church was purchased on March 7, 1913. Activities of every conceivable means were employed to help raise funds: box and pie socials, beauty and popularity contests, pledges, collections, raffles, etc. Mrs. May Roy recalls that one of the activities for fund raising was a bazaar held in mid-December at which was served the inevitable oyster soup. Mrs. Roy's mother-in-law, who was an expert at it, made the soup. "You just couldn't have a supper without oyster soup!" said Mrs. Roy. This French Canadian custom obviously followed the early settlers to the west.
During the summer of 1913, the fine church of wooden frame construction, measuring 34 by 60 feet, was erected under direction of Father Michel. The carpenter was Mr. Gauthier from Weyburn. The church was well equipped with organ, pews, confessional and a complete set of vestments.
The new church was consecrated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. In 1913 the records of the parish of St. Francis Sales became the property of the parish of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. The church of St. Frances de Sales, having been moved to Benson, became a mission of Lampman. The baptisms, marriages and burials were recorded in Lampman. The church was not only a place of worship but it became the centre of community activity, of life in good times and in bad. The church as an institution helped people survive their troubles even during the depression when many, faced with extreme difficulties, almost despaired of the future.
The church build in 1913 served the community until 1950 when tragedy struck. OnMarch 19th, the entire building with all of it's furnishings, vestments, and equipment, was consumed by fire. Services, however, were not interrupted. Mass was celebrated on a regular basis in the local theater then operated by Henry Heidinger.
No time was lost in preparing to replace the old church. For members of the parish rallied around their pastor, Fr. McLellan, and under his capable guidance immediately began planning the erection of a new church at the same site. A levy of $300.00 per family was imposed and construction began.
A second tragedy occurred when the west wall of the new church was blown down by a severe storm, filling the basement in with brick, lime, mortar, beams and a large portion of the first floor.
The dark days passed and the construction resumed. The result was a beautiful modern church of brick and tile, 40 by 112 feet. In a relatively short time the parishioners not only built and paid for the church, but also fully equipped it with pews, an electric Hammond organ, carollonic bells and gas heat.
