St. Anne Parish (Edmonton, Alta.)

By the 1950’s Francophone Catholics living near the Jasper Place area of Edmonton felt they had too far to travel to St. Joachim Parish for mass. As they were numerous enough to support a community they petitioned the Archbishop to establish a parish for them.

On August 28, 1951 Archbishop John Hugh MacDonald set the boundary limits of the new parish of St. Anne. The church would be located north of Stony Plain Road and the parish boundaries would be the same as those of St. John the Evangelist; the Saskatchewan River to the South; 118th Avenue to the North; 142nd Street on the East; and Winterburn Road on the West. The new parish would be dependent on St. Joachim parish which would send a priest to serve both the community. Rev. Jean Patoine, OMI, was the founding pastor.

In September 1953, Rev. Rene Jacob was appointed pastor of St. Anne Parish, but a year later Father Jacob and the school trustees, faced by an enormous debt ($67.000), asked to become a bilingual parish in order to ensure better revenues. For eight years, St. Anne had its liturgies in both French and English.

In May 1964, Rev. Claude Prefontaine became the new pastor. Hearing that a new English parish was in the process if being formed in the neighborhood (Holy Spirit Parish), he organized a parish council with a view of giving back to the parish its original French character. It was also the time when liturgical changes related to Vatican II were being studied and promoted.

In Oct. 1966 the Holy Spirit church was opened for the English speaking members of the Jasper Place Community and shortly after, on Nov.5, 1966 a committee was formed to promote the French Parish.

On Nov. 20, 1966 the parish was completely destroyed by a fire. On Feb 19, 1967 Archbishop Anthony Jordan assigned Notre Dame de Lourdes School for church services and asked Rev. Raymond Sevigny (assistant pastor at St. Andrew’s) to provide the Sunday Mass services.

Rev. Camille Dozois was appointed Administrator of St. Anne Parish from February to June 1967. After Easter 1967, Rev. Georges Chevrier, OMI, pastor at St. Joachim’s, was asked to take charge of St. Anne’s Parish. Rev. Amedee Nadeau, OMI, assistant at St. Joachim’s served St. Anne’s in July and August 1967; Rev. P.A.Hudon served from Sep. 1967 to 1969.

On Nov 1, 1967 St. Anne parishioners had their first Mass in the chapel of the Grey Nuns Regional Centre. On Nov 5, 1967 the regular Sunday services began.

On June 18, 1975 the St. Anne Parish Council agreed to have the old church site sold to the City of Edmonton for $70,000.00.

On Oct. 1, 2014 St. Anne parish was closed and parishioners were invited to join St. Joachim Parish.

1985 - 1990, Rev. Raymond Sevigny
1990 - 1994. Rev. Lionel Gendron
1994 - 1995, Rev. Thomas Bilodeau, OMI
1995 - 1996, Rev. Rene Belanger, OMI
1996 - 2007, Rev. Thomas Bilodeau, OMI
2007 - 2014, Rev. Felix Kusamba
2014, Rev. Emmanuel Kolla Atangana