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Rev. James Ashe was born on March 5, 1906 at Aunascaul in Ireland.

He entered St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton Alberta in 1930 and completed his theological studies in 1934 for the Archdiocese of Edmonton. On June 10, 1934 he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Henry Joseph O'Leary.

He served at several parishes including Sacred Heart Parish, Edmonton (1934-1935) as Assistant Pastor, Cadomin and missions (1935-1939) as Pastor, Athabasca (1939) as Pastor, St. Anthony's Parish in Edmonton (1939-1941) as Assistant Pastor, Vilna and Bellis (1941-1942), Jarvie and missions (1942-1943), St. Joseph Cathedral (1943-1946).

In April of 1946 Rev. Ashe returned to Ireland and was excardinated from Edmonton on Feb. 4, 1946.

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 mission of Bodo (Assumption Parish) was served by Oblate priests between 1909 and 1922 when a brick rectory was built and Father Joseph Moelders was appointed. He served from Feb 11, 1923 to July 1, 1924. In 1924 Assumption parish became a mission of St. Norbert Parish in North Rosenheim and was served by Father Schnitzler until 1926. In 1926 Assumption Parish, once again had a resident priests.

Thirteen miles south of Rosenheim, a large colony of Russian/Germans had settled. Father August Forner, OMI, visited them as early as 1909. By 1911 there were 20 families in the area. In 1911 they organized the building of a church without proper authorization. By 1912 it was completed. The building was 50’ x 36’ x 14’ with a 50’ tower. The wooden structure cost $1800. The location of the church was on the S.W. 1/4-21-36-1-W4 (4 acres). The cemetery was located one-quarter mile east of the church on NW1/4-21-36-1-W4. The site was chosen by the three main organizers of the church construction: Mr. Phillip Scheck and Mr. Valentine Sperling I, and John Reinbold I. Mr. Philip Scheck and Mr. Valentine Sperling. The church site was donated by Phillip Scheck I and the cemetery site by Valentine Sperling I. The church was known as South Rosenheim and was served from North Rosenheim, known simply as “Rosenheim” after a city in Germany from which many of its earlier settlers had come.

In August of 1921 Father Matthias Schnitzler was appointed pastor of Rosenheim. He saw to the building of a brick rectory next to the South Rosenheim church. It was built by the Shrader brothers and completed in 1922. On February 11, 1923, Rev. Joseph Moelders began his duties as pastor of South Rosenheim. His stay was rather brief as he left for the U.S.A. on July 1, 1924. From 1924 (July 1) to August 1926, Rev. Matthias Schnitzler came again from Rosenheim to serve as parish priest of South Rosenheim.

Bodo hamlet came in existence when the railway station was built in 1932, four miles north of Assumption Church, South Rosenheim. With the years, more parishioners expressed the desire to have a new church built in Bodo. A new Assumption Church was begun in 1953 under the care and supervision of Father James Rietmeijer. The church site and brick rectory (constructed in 1911) were sold to Mike Sperling in 1954. The church blessing took place on August 25, 1955 by Coad.-Archbishop Anthony Jordan, OMI.

Assumption parish served many missions, including Mount Carmel (1926-1955), Altario (1927-1954), and 1968-1985), Compeer (1968-1997). In 1985 Assumption parish became a mission served from Provost and services continued until 1999 when the parish was officially closed.

St. Rene church was founded in October 1913 as a mission of St. Anthony’s church, South Edmonton. The church was built by the Oblate Brothers and the generosity of Rene Lemarchand. It was ready for use in March 1914. The church was named after Rev. Rene Remas, OMI, a devoted missionary in Alberta (1853-1901). The mass was said every 3rd Sunday of the month by rev. Charles Devic, OMI, assistant at St. Anthony’s. The church was closed in Oct. or Nov. 1919.

The church was re-opened in May 24, 1925 under the name of “Our Lady of the Assumption”. The parish of the Bonnie Doon area used the church building until mid-April 1954. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, the need was felt for a larger church. An architect from Europe was commissioned to draw the plans. Forest construction was hired for the work. The new church building was blessed on Holy Thursday evening by Rt. Rev. William Burke Carleton, V.G. on April 15, 1954. And the first Mass was celebrated on April 18, 1954 on Easter Sunday by Rev. Richard O'Neill, the Pastor. The new church building was officially open on August 15, 1954.

The original church building, “White Church on the Hill” (St. Rene church), was moved to Uncas in October 1954. The Uncas church was closed around 1962 by Rev. Kenneth Kearns of Sherwood Park. The property was sold to a fundamentalist group around 1978; it was neglected and later it was dismantled.

In Mar. 22, 1994, Rev. Isagani Avinante, omi, was in residence at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Rectory in Sherwood Park. Starting in August 1995, he served as the administrator at St. Anne of the Prairies parish at Trochu, which included Three Hills, Lumni, and Delburne. Rev. Avinante then served as the pastor at Grande Cache and attached missions on July 12, 1999. From May 1, 2001 to Dec. 31, 2001, he was granted a sabbatical. Starting on Jan. 1, 2002, he served as the pastor at St. Martin of Tours in Vegreville and the attached parishes of Holden and Viking. On August 9, 2005, he left Canada for the Philippines.

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Rev. Joseph Ayling was born on Aug. 2, 1924 in Vegreville, Alberta, to Reginald Eric Ayling and Marie Ann Ayling. He studied at St. Joseph's Seminary in Edmonton from 1952-1956. And he was ordained on June 10, 1956 at Camrose, Alberta, by Archbishop Jordan, OMI, Coadjutor for Edmonton. Rev. Ayling served as Assistant Pastor at Stettler, Alberta from 1956-1961. He then served as Assistant Pastor at Vegreville, Alberta, including Beauvallon, Two Hills, and New Kiev from 1961-1962. In 1962, Rev. Ayling served as the Pastor and the founder of St. Elizabeth's Church in Evansburg, Alberta, until 1967. From 1967-1974, he served as the Pastor at Bashaw, Alberta, also serving Manfred, Mirror, and Alix.

Rev. Augustine George Baker was born on Oct. 15, 1938 in New Victoria, Nova Scotia to George and Doris Baker.

He entered theological studies at St. Joseph Seminary in 1960 and was ordained on May 23, 1964 at St. Ninian's Cathedral in Antogonish, Nova Scotia by Bishop William Power for the Archdiocese of Edmonton.

During his ministry in Edmonton he served at St. Angela's Parish (1964-1967), Immaculate Heart Parish (1967-1968), St. Francis Xavier Parish in Camrose (1968-1970), St. Michael Resurrection Parish (1970-1974) and the missions of Calmar, Devon, Nisku and Leduc (1974-1976).

In 1976 he left for a year of sabbatical to study in Calgary. Shortly after he left ministry and requested a formal laicization. He was married in Nova Scotia in 1983.

Rev. Patrick Baska was ordained as a Deacon on Aug. 15, 1997 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Camrose, six months later on Dec. 8, 1997 he was ordained as a Priest by Archbishop Joseph MacNeil at St. Jospeh Cathedral in Edmonton.

He has served the following parishes in the Archdiocese, Sacred Heart in Wetaskiwin (1997-1998), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sherwood Park (1998-2000), Sacred Heart Parish in Edson (2000-2002), St. Alphonsus Parish (2002-2007). Between 2007 and 2010 Rev. Baska was the Director of the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Edmonton. Rev. Baska was the last pastor to serve at St. Angela Merici Parish (2010-2013) and St. Pius X Parish (2010-2012) and was involved with their closing and transition. As of 2014 he is the pastor at St. Edmund's Parish in Edmonton.

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Father Ernest Raymond Battle was born in Ottawa on September 29, 1895. He attended St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto between 1920-1924 and he was ordained in Toronto by Archbishop Neil MacNeil for the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. He was Assistant at St. Anthony’s Parish in Edmonton (1924); missionary-at-large with residence in Stettler (few months in 1924); Pastor at Stettler (1924-1970). He retired September 29, 1970 and passed away in Stettler April 1st 1971.

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Rev. Mederic Toncrede Beauparlant was born on Nov. 28, 1863 at St. Damien de Brandon. He attended the Grande Seminary de Jolieete and Montreal where he received his theological education. He was ordained on May 23, 1891 by Archbishop Fabre of Montreal.

Rev. Beauparlant entered the congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate on September 7, 1905 and took his Perpetual Vows at Liege on Oct. 6, 1911.

During the early years of his ministry he served in the Archdiocese of Montreal as Assistant Pastor at St. Jerome (1891-1892), St. Janvier (1892-1893), and St. Anne de Bellevue (1893-1896). He then came to the Diocese of St. Albert and served as the Assistant Pastor at St. Vital Parish in Beaumont (1896-1897). In 1897 he returned to the Archdiocese of Montreal and did not return to Alberta.

Rev. Maurice Beauregard was born on Dec. 13, 1912 in Quebec. He entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and made his full profession on Aug. 2, 1936 in Montreal. On June 29, 1941 he was ordained by Bishop Monahan after completing his theological studies at the Sacred Heart Scholasticate in Lebret, Saskatchewan.

During his ministry he served as a priest in the North West Territories (1942-1981). From 1981-1986 he served as the Pastor at St. Joachim Parish in Edmonton and then was appointed Superior and Administor of the Foyer Lacombe. From 1996 to 1998 he served as Superior for the Grandin Province of the Oblates.

Rev. Beauregard passed away on May 3, 1998 and was buried in the Oblate Cemetery in St. Albert.

Fr. Henry Becs was born in Latvia on January 28, 1915. He was ordained in Latvia on March 25, 1943. He came to Alberta in 1952 and was appointed Assistant in Barrhead. He came to Archdiocese of Edmonton in June 1959 and was appointed Assistant in Vegreville. He retired in Red Deer where he died on May 3, 1999, and was buried in the Innisfail cemetery.

Rev. Richard William Bednar was born in 1963 in Ponoka Alberta. He attended St. Joseph Seminary between 1958 and 1962 and was ordained into the priesthood on June 2, 1962 at St. Andrew’s by Archbishop Anthony Jordon. His first appointment was as associate pastorl at Sacred Heeat Parish in Edmonton, as well as chaplain at the Royal Alexandra hospital. Over his career as a priest he worked at a number of parishes across the Archdiocese including a number of parishes in Edmonton, and parishes in Stettler, Wetaskiwin, and Leduc.
From 1963-1972 Bednar served as chair of the Archdiocese Liturgical Commission. During this time he also received a bachelor of theology from Newman theological College (1970). He continued his studies in counselling and spiritual at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, and in Scripture and Canon Law at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax.
Rev. Bednar retired in 2001 from active parish ministry and died July 3, 2006.

Rev. Hippolyte Beillevaire was born on Jan. 21, 1848 in France to Louis Beillevaire and Therese Hubin. He attended the Seminary de St. Suplice in Nantes where he received his theological training and was ordained on Dec. 21, 1872 by Bishop Fournier of Nates.

For the first two years of his priesthood he served as an assistant pastor at the Parish of St. Lyphard and then in 1879 came to Canada to serve in the Diocese of St. Alberta. Between 1880 and 1938 he ministered to the people of the Duhamel settlement and established missions in Bashaw, Tofield, Roundhill, Camrose, Vegreville and other places.

He died on March 18, 1937 in Camrose and was buried in the Duhamel Catholic Cemetery.

No additional information in Archives - see Chancery.

No additional information - see Chancery.