The first mass was celebrated in the main hall of St. Margaret’s School on January 7, 1951 by Father J. Burke. Land for a church was purchased by the Archdiocese. Unfortunately the exact date construction began on the church is unknown, however on December 25, 1951 mass celebrations were moved from St. Margaret’s School to the basement of the new church. The church was blessed by Archbishop MacDonald on May 03, 1953 and dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (prior to its dedication it was known as St. Margaret’s). The rectory was completed in January 1956.
Over the fifty years of its operation several social groups were active in the church including, the Catholic Women’s League (formed in 1951), the senior choir (organized in 1951), St. Margaret’s men’s Club (formed in 1951 to raise money to defray the building fund).
Due to decreased attendance, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish merged with St. Anthony Parish in October 29th 2001.
In 1905 Father Pierre Hutu, OMI, was put in charge of organizing a parish in East Edmonton. After a year of preparation the parish of Immaculate Conception was blessed by Bishop Emile Legal on December 9, 1906. Originally, it was a bilingual parish serving both the Anglophone and Francophone population of East Edmonton, however In 1912 with the establishment of Sacred Heart parish as an Anglophone parish, Immaculate Conception became an the French Parish for the East Edmonton area.
In 1950, the church was renovated and a new rectory was built. Stain glasses windows were blessed by Archbishop Anthony Jordan, OMI in 1964.
Due to a decline in the French population in the City of Edmonton the need for multiple French parishes dwindled. Finally in 2001 Immaculate Conception Parish was closed and was amalgamated with Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin Parish, on the south side of Edmonton. The last mass celebrated at the parish was on January 21, 2001. Shortly thereafter the church was purchased by the Vietnamese Catholic Community in 2001. The Casavant organ that was in the church was moved to Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin Parish in 2002.
In 1909 Rev. Lucien Leconte made his first visit to the area east of Stettler (now called Castor). The first mass in Castor was said on Sunday Nov, 28, 1909 in the Harness Shop of Marc de Cathelineau with 25 people present. A building committee was organized to raise funds for a small house for the missionary shortly thereafter and on April 16, 1910 Father Leconte moved into the new building. By the spring of that year construction was underway for a new church, and on Aug 7, 1910 Rev. Leduc, Vicar General for the Diocese of St. Albert came to bless the new church and dedicated it to “Our Lady of Grace.” The church continues to be an active part of life in the city of Castor.
Between 1958 and 1987 Amerongen Spencer Barristers and Solicitors was the body responsible for many of the legal contracts, leases, and agreements between the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and various other corporate bodies including Roman Catholic Separate School Districts across the province, Westburn Petroleum and Minerals Ltd, Ocre Petroleum Canada, etc.
In 1972 Msgr. Fitzgerald was appointed Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Edmonton by Archbishop Anthony Jordan. Wishing to deepen his knowledge of new media development Msgr. Fitzgerald took courses from the Alberta Technical Institute and at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa.
The Communications Centre opened in September 1973 and was dedicated to spreading the Gospel message through the use of electronic media. In particular the centre focused on using Television and Television programing to educate Catholics across Canada. Programs produced by the Communications centre include Open Window, Make it Happen, Scripture Series, Distance Education, Telesports.
Msgr. Fitzgerald was the first diocesan communications director to use satellite transmissions to bring his programs to viewers across Canada.
In addition to the television programing the Communication Centre also produced tape series of the cable transmission for small group or personal use, and in 1983 in conjunction with the Western Catholic Reporter created a series of tapes with summaries of the newspaper on tape for visual impaired readership.
The Summer School in Liturgical Studies (SSLS) operated from 1991 to 2008. Due to decreased enrollment it was cancelled at did not continue in the summer of 2009.
The SSLS enabled people throughout Western Canada to respond to the challenge of Vatican II “that all the faithful should be led to full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations.” These studies were designed to develop leadership and to promote a degree of liturgical competence.
The SSLS consisted of 24 credit program which lead towards a certificate in Liturgical Studies. In addition students had the option of transferring 12 of the credits towards a Newman Theological College undergraduate program if they wished. Courses were open to adults and drew the attention of lay people, those involved in pastoral ministers or on parish pastoral teams, members of parish clergy committees and pastoral councils, musicians, liturgical ministers, sacramental preparation team members, RCIA and CIC team members, teachers and religious educators, catechists, seminarians, and others.
Responding to the changes called for by the Vatican II council, in 1967 Archbishop Jordan established the Office of Continuing Education as a separate unit from the Catholic Information Centre. The establishment of the Office of Continuing Education was in response to an acknowledgment that while the liturgies and organizations of the church were principally geared towards adults, catechesis and religious educations were principally geared towards children. Realizing that as an adult Church, knowledge of and commitment to faith needed to be taught to all members, children and adults alike, the Office of Continuing Education was formed to file the educational gap in the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
In 1968 the Senate of Priest recommended that the Archbishop engage Redemptorist Fathers for Adult Education in the diocese and Father John Spicer, C. Ss. R., was put in charge of the first program in Religious Education under the auspices of the Adult Education Centre. With this appointment, Archbishop Jordan changed name of the Office of Continuing Education to the Office of Continuing Religious Education.
In November 1985, the Office of Continuing Religious Education was renamed the Continuing Education Commission, and once again in 1989, coinciding with the move from 1123 Jasper Avenue to the Pastoral Centre at 8421-101 Avenue, the Continuing Education Commission officially changed its name to the Adult Learning Commission in September 1989.
The aim of the Commission (in its various incarnations) was “to promote adult religious learning and, in line with this, to provide resources and programs not within the scope of individuals, parishes, or other institutions.” Various activities and initiatives were undertaken including the development of Scripturefest and various bible study programs. The Commission also experimented in multi-media learning publishing various types of resource materials including books, videos and cassette tapes for group and personal use.
With the re-organization of the pastoral services offices, the Adult Learning commission was closed in 2003.
Development and Peace was established in 1967 by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter Populorum Progression.
Development and Peace is the Official international development organization of the Catholic Church of Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis. Development and Peace is a membership led organization supported by parish collections, individual donations, and government grants.
The mission of Development and Pease is to promote alternatives to unfair social, political and economic structures. It aims to educate the Canadian population about the causes of poverty and mobilize Canadians towards actions for change. It also supports women in their search for social and economic justice.
For over 40 years development and peace has supported 15,200 local initiatives in fields such as agriculture, education, community action, peace, advocacy, and human rights in over 70 countries.
The Edmonton Regional Office of Development and Peace is the local contact for individuals in the Province of Alberta.
The Edmonton Area Jubilee 2000 committee was formed by representatives of many of the Christian groups active in Edmonton, including but not limited to Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, other non-denominational Christian Groups and members at large.
Realizing the mission of the committee “to sponsor and support the events which will reflect the spirit of the jubilee tradition that calls us to glorify God and love our neighbor by “doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God,” various events were organized to celebrate 2000 year of Christ.
The Jubilee committee was made up of the following sub-committees: the Steering Committee, the Program Committee, the Publicity Committee, the Site Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Volunteer Committee.
In February 1969 the Canadian Bishops established the National Missions Council. Following this, the Archdiocese of Edmonton established the Edmonton Mission Council with Father Paul Kingston as its chairman. In 1988 the Mission council was dissolved and Father Michael Troy was appointed Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Edmonton Archdiocese.
In 1996, Archbishop MacNeil called a meeting to discuss the feasibility of setting up a mission secretariat to be located in the pastoral centre with an executive secretary. A year following that meeting, in 1997, the Archdiocesan Mission Council was established with Father Michael Troy named as its director. Like its predecessors (the Edmonton Mission Council, and the Pontifical Mission Society for the Edmonton Archdiocese) the Mission Council's aims were to create greater mission awareness throughout the Archdiocese especially in parishes and Catholic schools, ensure ongoing education of clergy and laity in the theology of mission and knowledge of and support for the work of the Church in mission countries, and to cooperate with the National Office of the Pontifical Societies and other mission organizations, especially religious congregations of the Archdiocese that have personnel working in the missions.
The Pontifical Mission Societies supported by the Archdiocesan Mission Council included the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Holy Childhood Association, Society of St. Peter the Apostle, and the Missionary Union of Clergy and Religious.
Our Lady of Victory Camp was established in 1948 with a generous donation of 8 acres of land by Andrew and Anne Guillemand. The camp was original founded by Fathers Patrick Rooney and Joseph Murphy to provide summer catechism instruction for children and youth. Programs were also facilitated by Sisters and other from Lacombe, Bentley, Sylvan, and Rimbey areas.
Unfortunately by the later 1960s the facilities of the camp had become run down. Generous donations from the Knights of Columbus provided funds and labour to restore the camp, a relationship which has continued to the present.
For more information see the Victory Camp website.
The Archdiocesan Youth Commission was formed in 1976 by Archbishop MacNeil. In 1979, a full-time Co-ordinator of Youth Ministry was appointed.
The Youth Commission ceased to exist in 2003 when the Archdiocese Commissions were re-organized.
In addition to being part of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishops meet in four regional assemblies: the Atlantic Episcopal Assembly (AEA), the Assemblé des évêques catholiques du Québec (AECQ), the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO), and the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops (AWCB). These regional assemblies enable their members to deal directly with pastoral questions related to the Catholics in their regions.
Formally established in 1974, the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops gathers the Catholic Bishops of the Latin and Eastern Churches of the four Western Provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut.
Prior to its official establishment an informal meeting of Bishops of Western Canada attending the episcopal ordination of Archbishop Halpin took place in Winnipeg in November 1973. The following year the first official meeting was held in Quebec City on September 18, 1974. Since then, the Bishops have held meetings twice a year in the spring and fall.
From its conception until 2006, the organization was known as “The Western Catholic Conference – Ouest” (WCCO), however in February the name of the organization was formally changed to the Assembly of Western Canada Bishops.
Today the AWCB serves twenty Archdioceses and Dioceses and four Ukrainian Eparchies across Western Canada.
The Foundation for Newman Theological College and St. Joseph Seminary was originally incorporated on the 27th of January, 1984 under the name of Newman Theological College Foundation.
In June of 1993 the name of the Foundation was changed to The Foundation of Newman Theological College and St. Joseph Seminary, at the same time the mandate of the Foundation was expanded to include include fundraising for St. Joseph Seminary.
The goals of the foundation are to raise and distribute funds for the purpose of carrying out the missions of Newman Theological College and St. Joseph Seminary in conformity with the policies established by the Board of Governors of Newman Theological College and the Board of Regents of St. Joseph Seminary.
The Foundation organizes a number of fundraising events annually including the annual parish campaign, the Faith, Fitness, and Fun walk/run, and the Newman Challenge Golf Tournement. For more information visit: http://www.caedm.ca/foundation.aspx
In late 2010 the Development Office was created which currently oversees the responsibilities of the Foundation. Today, the Development Office provides leadership, co-ordination and strategic initiatives for a variety of projects that help the Archdiocese achieve its financial goals, including parish and capital campaigns, planned giving, endowments, and special fundraising events and campaigns.
A proposal for Archdiocesan Ministries Formation Program (AMFP) was presented in July 1986. Mrs. Patricia Lejeunesse was Director and Father Martin Carroll, Animator. AMFP was to be a two-year pilot project. Sister Yvette Hebert, S. A. S. V. also joined the team as Coordinator.
A Theology Program (100 units divided in 5 sections) and a Scripture Program (60 units divided in 6 sections) were prepared by Colleen Lynch and Nancy Vick. Colleen Lynch wrote the texts for the Theology Program and Nancy Vick wrote some if not all the texts for the Scripture Program. Sr. Barbara Rice and Father Martin Moser, O. M. I., edited some of the units.
In January 1989, Patricia Lajeunesse reported to the Council of Priests “that the first graduation class of the A. M. F. P has been accomplished.” She mentioned that an Evaluation Committee recommended “to the C. of P. that the program continues as a worthy tool in the preparation of lay persons in the Archdiocese for Ministry.”
At the September 18, 1989 meeting of the Council of Priests, “the Council of Priest suggests to the Archbishop that the AMFP be mandated for a further year.”
In January 1991, “in light of Archdiocesan expectations that a formation of this program for the laity should reach out to more people in the Archdiocese” it was decided to terminate the program on April 30, 1991.
In 1925 on the invitation of His Grace, Most Rev. H.J. O’Leary a monastery was opened at 11105 100th Avenue, where eight sisters formed the Sisters of the Precious Blood convent in Edmonton. The first mass was held in the convent of “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament” on the first Friday in June. In the absence of His Grace, the mass of installation was offered by the Vicar General, Rev. McGuigan.
At the request of Archbishop Henry O’Leary’s brother in PEI, the sisters opened another convent and sent seven sisters in 1929. Houses were also opened in Vancouver, BC (1930), Regina, SK (1933), Kagoshima, Japan (1934), Pembroke, ON (1939), Calgary, AB (1951), St. Paul, AB (1952), and Nelson, BC (1962).
The community of the Sisters of the Precious Blood is a contemplative community of Pontifical right founded in 1861 by Catherin Aurelia Caouette in St. Hyacinth, Canada. As of 2010 there were 19 monasteries of the Precious Blood around the world. The community observes Constitutional enclosure with limits on the cloister defined in the community’s constitutions. Sisters are permitted to leave the enclosure for genuine spiritual and physical needs, including yearly home visits.
Due to declining vocations and the ailing health of the sisters the convent was closed in 2012.