While heavy rain and high winds were expected over the weekend, Hurricane Arthur brought something extra to churchgoers in New Brunswick – a pile of human bones unearthed beneath an uprooted tree.

A large tree pulled out of the ground and lying on its side in Saint John was already a curiosity for a group gathered for Sunday mass. But in the tangle of roots, something else was revealed. Human remains could be seen amongst the dirt and branches, including a visible ribcage.

“Lots of people took out their cameras, were taking photos, when they noticed the roots of the trees -- not all of them were roots,” reported CTV Atlantic’s Ashley Dunbar.

Police said it appeared the bones were pieces from three different bodies.

Dunbar said the situation is unusual, but not actually unprecedented. “From what I’m told, this isn’t the first time human remains have been found in this area,” she said.

According to a local historian, there was a graveyard in the area about 200 to 300 years ago.

“When the church was first built, they thought all the bodies had been dug up, moved and given a proper burial,” said Dunbar. “But clearly, that’s not the case.”

The remains have been taken to a local hospital to be analyzed.