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In 1961, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton recognized several needs in the community that were not being met by existing resources. With the exceptional skills, passion and leadership of then "Father" Bill Irwin, Catholic Social Services commenced operation providing services to people of ALL faiths and cultures.Fr. Bill was 33 years of age when he was asked to lead what would become Catholic Social Services. On August 5, 1961, “Catholic Charities, the Archdiocese of Edmonton”, located at 212 Rene LeMarchand Mansion, opened. In its early days the Agency was mainly a professional family counselling service, but it was also a coordinating body for existing social services under Catholic auspices. The Agency started with Fr. Bill and two trained social workers, Sister Lydia Tyszko and Rosemary Holmes.

The first settlers from Quebec arrived in the area around Big Lake in 1891 under the colonizer Rev. Jean-Baptiste Morin. Others arrived in subsequent years. This settlement of largely French-speaking Catholics was considered part of St. Albert Parish, but the distance to the mission over the trails was great.

On June 18, 1897, Bishop Vital Grandin, OMI granted their request for a parish of their own. The southeast corner of Section 17, Township 54, range 26 was chosen by Bishop Legal, OMI and Fr. L. Dauphin, OMI for the 40 acre site and Bishop Legal named the parish St. Pierre’s. Bishop Legal blessed the log-church on Oct. 29, 1911.

A log church was constructed with logs given by Chief Michel Calahoo from the reserve, on the condition that his people be allowed to worship at the new church. Fr. Dauphin saw also to the building of a rectory with logs from the Reserve. The log church burned down on Nov. 13, 1932.

A second church was built in 1933 on the same site. Archbishop O’Leary blessed it on December 19, 1933.

Villeneuve was served at the beginning from St. Albert by Fathers L. Dauphin and Gustave Simonin, OMI, 1897-1898.

Villeneuve was served from the Seminary by Rev. M. O’Callaghan who saw to the administration while Fr. R. Bernard, OMI saw to the spiritual part of the set-up.

In 1973, the Spiritan Fathers took charge of Villeneuve where they resided, serving also St. Emerence church in Riviere Qui Barre and Mearns as well as Busby. These parishes were returned to the diocesan clergy in 1987.

On August 9, 1995 Rev. A. MacKenzie blessed the new parish hall.

On June 22, 1997, the 100th anniversary Mass was presided by Archbishop Joseph MacNeil.

The Daughters of Wisdom trace their beginnings and our spirituality back to 18th century France. In 1701, Blessed Marie Louise Trichet met Louis de Montfort, and this was a turning point in her life. In a culture where the poor went unattended, Marie Louise was inspired to choose to live among the poor and dedicate her life to their concerns as a woman religious. From the experience of God as divine Wisdom came a deep desire in both Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet to fashion a way of living that would serve others and make divine Wisdom known and loved.

This was the initial inspiration for the Daughters of Wisdom. Following in the footsteps of Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet, we Daughters of Wisdom have ministered in the fields of education, health care, and social and pastoral outreach, with a special concern for those who are neglected by society.

In 1904, the Daughters of Wisdom were forced by the secularization laws of France to seek ministries elsewhere. The first Daughters of Wisdom arrived in the Archdiocese of Edmonton in 1908 in Red Deer and 1911 in Castor. They taught separate schools, supervised catechists classes, wored as nurses in hospitals, provided secretarial work at University of Alberta Administration. The sisters were also engaged in parish and pastoral work, service in Boyle Street area, care to refugees. From 1982-1992 they operated Wisdom House a residence for University students.

Today the Sister continue to serve in parishes and on committees in the Archdiocese.

In 1949-1950, a new St. Patrick Church was built at the corner of 96th Street and 118th Avenue. The parish was originally financed and built with the help of Sacred Heart Parish, the parent-parish since 1933. Monsignor Canice Foran who was then the curate of Sacred Heart used to conduct the 9:00 o’clock Mass in a two-room schoolhouse called Fairview. As time went on, it became apparent that a church in that area was surely a necessity.

The sod-turning ceremony took place on July 27, 1949. Eleven months later, on June 11th, 1950, the church was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop John Hugh MacDonald. Monsignor O’Gorman then celebrated a solemn high Mass in the new St. Patrick church.

On the east wall, high above the main altar, a huge cross was cut and filled with amber cathedral glass. At a later date, this glass was replaced by a stained glass window depicting the Crucifixion. The nave windows as well as the large window above the main altar, were specially manufactured in the studios of E. Rault, Rennes, France.

A fire swept through the church on Wednesday afternoon of May 4th, 1977 and the church sustained extensive interior damage. After eight months of reconstruction the church opened its doors on December 1977 once again.

The pastors were: Rev. Edmund Donahue, 1949-1970; Rev. Francis Stempfle, 1970-1977, 1985-2018 and; Rev. Edward Purcell, 1977-1985.

In 1998, following the Transformation of Parishes Plan commissioned by Archbishop Joseph MacNeil, it was recommended that St. Patrick Parish be closed. However, parishioners requested that the parish stay open until it had celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2000. Archbishop Thomas Collins agreed for as long as Fr. Frank Stempfle could remain pastor and this decision was carried on by Archbishop Richard Smith.

In 2018, following consultations with the priests and pastoral councils and the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council a decision was made to close St. Patrick and merge it with St. Alphonsus Parish. The last Mass was celebrated at 10 a.m. on September 30th and Fr. Frank Stempfle retired from active ministry.

All sacramental registers have been transferred to St. Alphonsus Parish.