Showing 818 results

Although the Archdiocese has owned the land where Camp Encounter currently operates since the early 1900s, its usage was limited. However, a renewed interest emerged as the value of the site for affording youth a unique Christian experience in a natural environmental setting was realized. In 1980, at the request of the Most Rev. Joseph MacNeil, Archbishop of Edmonton, the Camp Encounter Society was formed. The Society successfully developed and operated Camp Encounter for the next 23 years. In 2013 a more formal relationship with The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton was formed. A symposium on Youth Evangelization and several other reviews and recommendations affirmed the importance of Camps in the Archdiocese. The Most Rev. Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton, asked that the Camp connect more directly to the Archdiocese through the Office of Youth Evangelization. This allowed for additional support and resources to the Camp and a more intentional connection of the Camp to the mission of Evangelization in the Archdiocese and its parishes and schools.

Currently Camp Encounter is owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and set on the eastern shores of beautiful Lac la Nonne, Camp Encounter is a camp for all seasons. It includes 70 acre mainland property offers accommodation, dining, and programming facilities, historical trail systems and multiple adventurous activity areas. In addition Camp Encounter also boasts a 30 acre island which houses an extensive trail system and ten tipi sites for overnight use. Since 1980, Camp Encounter has offered outdoor, environmental and adventure experiences in a Catholic-Christian setting for children, youth and adults alike.

For more information see http://www.campencounter.com/

Rev. Francis Leo Campbell was born on February 26, 1902 in Kenkora, Prince Edward Island. He attended Le Grande Seminarie du Quebec from 1925-1926 and the Scholasticate Seminary; in Edmonton from 1926-1929 where he received his theological education. He was ordained on December 9, 192 by Archbishop Henry Joseph O’Leary for ministry in the Archdiocese of Edmonton.

From 1929-1930 he was the Assistant Pastor at St. Anthony’s Pro. Cathedral in Edmonton as well as a Professor of Ethics and Sociology at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Edmonton. In May of 1930 went on loan to the Archdiocese of Regina with Archbishop James Charles McGuigan serving as his secretary. The following September it was discoved that Rev. Campbell had an advance form of Tuberculosis and he spent the next seven years hospitalized at Providence Hospital in Moose Jaw. After recovering he served as Chaplain for the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine heart of Jesus, St. Catherine, Ontario in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s he served as Assistant Pastor in Wainfleet located in the Diocese of St. Catherines.

Rev. Campbell retired in 1968 and lived at Mount Carmel Home for the Aged in St. Catherine Onatior until his death on February 28, 1969.

In 1958, the need for Catholic trustee representation at the national level became quite evident. Bernard Kane, President of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association, traveled from coast to coast urging Catholic trustees to attend the Canadian School Trustees’ Association Convention in Victoria. It was hoped that, as members of CSTA, Catholic trustees would have at least some representation on the Association’s Board of Directors. Yet it did not happen.

Catholic trustees responded. Father Clement Kindervater, OMI, Executive Director for the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association , crossed the country to drum up support for a national Catholic trustees association. In 1960, with the blessing of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, twenty-eight trustees passed a resolution effectively beginning the Canadian Catholic Trustees’ Association (the word “School” would be added later). A new era in Catholic education in Canada had begun.

The Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association can take great pride in it accomplishments over the past fifty years. From the earliest thoughts of possibly forming a national organization for Catholic trustees through to 2010, there have been challenges, setbacks and successes, as in the life of any group. Amid triumphs and defeats one constant has remained – trustees across this great land have stood in unison to proclaim and protect Catholic education so that students might have the opportunity to learn within their faith. This has not always been an easy road to take, but that is the nature of sacrifice and dedication.

Today the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association is a national organization promoting excellence in Catholic education throughout Canada. The CCSTA works in communion with the Catholic Church through: collaborating with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops; dialogue with Catholic education organizations throughout the world; working in solidarity with Catholic School Trustees’ Associations and other partners in Catholic education throughout Canada; providing opportunities for faith formation and professional development of trustees; providing leadership and service by promoting and protecting the right to a Catholic education among the relevant government agencies within Canada;
and promoting excellence in Catholic education throughout Canada.

For more information visit http://www.ccsta.ca/en/

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada. It was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the CCCB became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences, established in 1965, as an integral part of the life of the universal Church. Until 1977, it was called the Canadian Catholic Conference. The change in name reflects more clearly the fact that it is an association of Bishops.

According to the statutes of the CCCB, the Bishops together exercise some pastoral functions for Catholics in Canada, while respecting the autonomy of each Bishop in the service of his particular Church.

Through the work of its members, the Conference is involved in matters of national and international scope in areas such as ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, theology, social justice, aid to developing countries, the protection of human life, liturgy, communications and Christian education. The Conference also provides the Bishops with a forum where they can share their experience and insights on the life of the Church and the major events that shape our society.

Members of the Conference include all diocesan Bishops in Canada and those equivalent to them in law and all Coadjutor Bishops and Auxiliary Bishops. Also included are Titular Bishops of any rite within the Catholic Church who exercise a special office in Canada that has been assigned to them by the Holy See or by the CCCB.

In the Ottawa offices of the CCCB, a staff of about 31 people – laypersons, priests and religious – are at the service of the bishops. The Office National de Liturgie de la CECC is located in Montreal. The staff is supervised by Msgr. Patrick Powers, P.H., General Secretary of the CCCB.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) meets once a year at its Plenary Assembly. Every two years (on odd-numbered years), the Bishops elect from among their midst the members of the Permanent Council (a minimum of 12 members) and the Executive Committee (four members: the President, Vice President and two Co-Treasurers). Every third year, the Bishops also elect the Chairmen of their six Episcopal Commissions. A General Secretariat serves the Conference, doing the day-to-day work and ensuring the execution of the decisions taken by the members of the Conference.

The Plenary Assembly constitutes the essential structure and the highest authority within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, gathering over 80 Bishops every fall. For the past few years, this five-day meeting has been held in Cornwall, Ontario, and Saint-Adèle, Quebec.

The Permanent Council’s authority is derived from the Plenary Assembly to which it reports. The principal responsibility of the Permanent Council is to oversee the general work and orientation of the Conference and to prepare and carry out the main undertakings of the Plenary Assembly. The Permanent Council is elected for a two-year term by the members present at the Plenary Assembly. It is composed of a minimum of 12 members, equally represented by Bishops from the English and French sectors. The Council meets at least three times a year.

Six Episcopal Commissions, five Standing Committees and one Aboriginal Council are at the service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Each Commission and Standing Committee specializes in one pastoral area, to assist and support the Bishops in their pastoral ministry. Led by the work and expertise of the Bishops and assisted by one secretary (consultants and observers may also be invited to help), each Commission and Standing Committee studies current events, analyzes the needs of the Church in Canada, and organizes projects aimed at supporting our Catholic communities. Three of the Commissions are national – formed by Bishops equally distributed between the French and English sectors. The three others are named “sectoral” because they report either to the English or French sector.

The Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council, established in 1998 by the Bishops of Canada, advises the Conference on Indigenous questions.

Additional information can be found on the following webpage http://www.cccb.ca/site/index.php

Msgr. William Burke Francis was born on August 17, 1883, in Ottawa. He did his theological studies at St. John’s Theological College, Brighton, MA, and was ordained in Ottawa on October 15, 1911. He worked in the Ottawa Archdiocese for 11 years before coming to Edmonton in August 1921.

His first appointment was a Rector at St. Anthony’s Pro-Cathedral, 1921-1939. He then worked as Vicar General, 1938-1939 and 1945-1965; Army Chaplain, 1939-1942; Rector of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, 1942-1945. From 1921 to 1931, he gave a fine service to the City of Edmonton as Juvenile Court Magistrate.

Msgr. Burke was appointed Chaplain of the Precious Blood Monastery in Edmonton in 1957 and went in residence at St. Joseph’s Hospital, in August 1961.

He was made Domestic Prelate in November 1930 and Protonotary Apostolic in May 1949. He died in Edmonton on February 18, 1965 and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Rev. Martin Joseph Caroll was born on September 12, 1942 at Castlerea, Ireland. He obtained his theological education at St. Cuthbert Seminary in Durham, England between 1964-1968 and was ordained to the priesthood on March 8, 1968 at Joseph’s Church, Huddersfiel, Yorkshire, England by Bishop William Gordon wheeler of Leeds.

Prior to coming to Edmonton, Rev. Caroll served in several parishes in the Diocese of Leeds including St. Anne's Cathedral (1968-1971), St. Theresa's Parish (1971-1975) and St. Robert's Parish (1975-1976).

Rev. Caroll arrived in Edmonton in August of 1976 and was appointed Assistant Pastor at St. Agnes Parish (1976-1977), he served as Administrator at Evansburg and Missions (1977-1981), Sunday helper at St. Matthew's Parish (1981-1982), and Assistant Rector at St. Joseph Seminary (1981-1982). On September 28, 1982 he was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Edmonton. Since then he has served at the following parishes Drayton Valley and Missions (1982-1989), Assumption (1989-1985), St. Agnus (1996-1999), St. Alphonsus and St. Paul Parish (1999-2001), St. Theresa Parish (2001-2008), St. Matthew Parish (2008-2013), Rector of St. Joseph Basilica (2013-Present).

Rev. James Caroll was an oblate priest who ministered in the Archdiocese of Edmonton serving at Spruce Grove and Stony Plain from 1983-1994. He retired in 1994. No additional information is known, more research is required.

Rev. James Robert Carswell was born on March 28, 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to James Carswell and Agnes O’Dougherty. He attended St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton from 1939 to 1946 where he received his theological training and was ordained on June 09, 1946 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Edmonton by Archbishop John Hugh MacDonald.

After his ordination he served as Assistant Pastor at Camrose (1946-1950), Assistant Pastor at St. Joseph's Cathedral (1967), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sherwood Park (1970-1977), and St. Anthony's Parish (1977-1980). In 1981 he retired and took up residence at St. Joseph's Hosptial in Edmonton. Rev. Carswell died in 1983.

Rev. John William Carter was born on January 13, 1890 in St. John’s Newfoundland to Edward Carter and Mary Williams. He attended the College of the Propaganda Fidei in Rome from1909 to 1915 where he received his theological training and was ordained on May 29, 1915 at St. John Lateran, Rome by Cardinal Pompili.

Prior to his arrival in the Archdiocese of Edmonton Rev. Carter served as the Assistant Pastor at St. John's Cathedral in Newfoundland (1915-1921) and Pastor at Bell Island and Missions in Newfoundland (1921-1929). He arrived in Edmonton on Sept. 2, 1929 and was appointed Pastor to Barrhead (1929-1934), St. Brides (1934-1947), Villeneuve (1947-1965), and Chaplain at the Marian Centre (1965-1968).

Rev. Carter retired on June 22, 1968 and died on Aug. 19, 1973 at Youville Home, St. Albert. He was buried on Aug. 23, 1973 at Holy Cross Cemetery in St. Albert.

Rev. Louis Casratelli was born on November 13, 1911 at Warwick, England. He attended St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton from 1932-1936 where be obtained his Bachelor of Theology. He was ordained on June 24, 1936 in Brudernell, Ontario by Bishop Thomas Patrick Ryan of Pembroke for the Archdiocese of Edmonton.

He served at Dapp (1936-1937), Jarvie (1937-1941), and Clyde (1941-1942) before returning to the Diocese of Pembroke where he served as Assistant Pastor at Mount Combermere, then at Portage-du-Fort, Administrator at Braeside and then Pastor at St. Ignatius Parish.

His exact date of death is unknown. Contact the Diocese of Pembroke for more information.

No additional information available - additional research needed.

On June 15, 1939, at a meeting held in Milwaukee of the Catholic Hospital Association of the United States and Canada (CHAUSC), two Canadian religious sisters and two Canadian priests, who were delegates at the meeting, met with a specific goal in mind – to form a Canadian Council of the CHAUSC.

The formation of the council was based on a number of fundamental considerations: respect for Canada’s francophone community and the regional composition of Canada. The council was intended to concern itself exclusively with the problems affecting Canadian Catholic hospitals.

The first elections of the Council took place in the fall of 1939 in Toronto. Many consider this to be the foundation date for the CHAC. However, it was not until 1942 that the Catholic Hospital Council of Canada (CHCC) was founded as a completely independent organization.

In 1954, The name was changed to the Catholic Hospital Association of Canada (CHAC). In 1963 long term care facilities were invited to become members of the CHAC. To reflect this new composition of membership, the name of the organization was changed again in 1976 to its present title, the Catholic Health Association of Canada.

In 2006 the CHAC developed a new mission statement – to strengthen and support the ministry of Catholic health care organizations and providers. Its new mandate centres on two main activities:

Advocacy: to be the national voice of Catholic health care organizations; and Governance: to foster the distinctive mission and organizational culture of Catholic health care organizations.

On April 24, 2009, after 7 months of study and consultation, the CHAC Board of Directors presented to the delegates at the Annual Meeting, a proposal for the redesign of the national association. The proposal reflected a consensus that it was necessary to change the structures that exist at the national level to better support the mission and ministry of Catholic health care in Canada.

The proposal represented a fundamental shift in that it called for the national association model to be replaced by a forum or alliance of the Catholic health care Sponsor organizations. The proposal highlighted the leadership responsibility, and accountability for the ministry, that rest with the Sponsors.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the delegates at the Annual Assembly. With that vote the Catholic Health Association of Canada ceased to exist. It was replaced by a new organization -- the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada. During 2009-2010 the Association offices that had existed at the Diocesan Centre in Ottawa were closed, A new governance and operational structure was established for the new organization. This structure was put into place in 2010 at which time the new Alliance established an office at St. Vincent's Hospital in Ottawa (part of Bruyère Continuing Care).

For more information visit http://www.chac.ca/about/history_e.php

in June of 1954, the Catholic Indian League of Canada was founded at Cap-de-la Madeleine. The primary aim of the League was to "unite and coordinate the efforts of local Catholic Action groups giving them a wider scope of influence for the protection of religious and social rights of our Indian population."The Alberta Division of the League was a mechanism for presenting concerns, mainly on issues of integration and education, to government officials, as it did to a joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons in 1960. The League created an avenue for bringing native communities in Alberta together to deliberate on issues facing the community. The movement needs to be further studied as a precursor for future organization in native communities and as the conduct of a fuller analysis of the situation by First Nations peoples. The work of Catholic Action is predicated on the need to transform unfriendly environments into those where it was possible to live in Christian faith. While the Cursillo movement is not precisely about this social transformation, it is a more recent presence which has an intent of forming Christian leaders within indigenous communities to build such an atmosphere. For more information see http://oblatesinthewest.library.ualberta.ca/eng/media/f-5-oblatesjustice.html

The CMBA was organized at Niagara Falls, NY, July 3, 1876, with a membership of 25. It was incorporated in the state of New York June 9, 1879. The Grand Council of CMBA of Canada was organized at Windsor, Ontario, on February 10, 1880. It was incorporated in the Dominion of Canada March 1893. In 1899, there were 6 branches of the CMBA, each with their own number.

In the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton the CMBA appears to have first been organized at Immaculate Conception Parish. Unfortunately there is not much information available about the organization of the Edmonton branch of the Association.

The CMBA was established for the purpose of joining fraternally in one grand organization all male Catholic between 18 and 50 able to pass a proper medical examination, to supply life insurance of $1,000.00 or $2,000.00 at actual cost to give social benefits only give by secret or fraternal organizations outside the Catholic Church, and to offset the work of secret societies.

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 Canadian unit of the Catholic Women's League was formed in Edmonton in 1912 by Katherine Hughes. CWL was organized nationally in 1920, and in 1921 became part of the International Union of Catholic Women's Leagues (now the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations). In 1948 the Alberta Provincial Council was formed to unite the four diocesan organizations of the province. It became the Alberta Mackenzie Council in 1976 when the Diocese of Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories was included. The Provincial Council consists of a Director (an appointed priest), the Executive, and the Conveners of provincial committees. The five diocesan councils and the parish councils are structured similarly. The objects of the organization are to encourage the spiritual development of its members, promote the teachings of the Catholic Church, and enhance the role of women in church and society. In recent years it has been involved with the rehabilitation of criminals, child welfare, Girl Guides, family counselling and the care of the mentally handicapped. For further information see 50th Anniversary, 1948-1998 : A History of the Alberta-Mackenzie Provincial Council of the Catholic Women's League of Canada / researched and written by Sheila Ross. -- Edmonton : Liberty Printers, 1998; and Sheila Ross's article, "For God and Canada: The Early Years of the Catholic Women's League in Alberta", in Canadian Catholic Historical Association, Historical Studies, vol. 62, 1996, p. 89-108.

Rev. Charles Chalifoux was born on May 16, 1897 in Websterville, Vermont. He was ordained on October 28, 1923.

He served a the following parishes Wainwright (1933) and St. Vincent and Missions (1933-1964).

Rev. Chalifoux died on April 18, 1970 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Edmonton