Canada, Part 2

This blog will discuss the 10 Canadian ecclesiastical provinces that are in Ontario and the civil provinces north and west of Ontario.

Province of Toronto (Ontario)

The province consists of southern and portions of northwestern Ontario.  The Diocese of Toronto was created in 1841 and became the Archdiocese of Toronto in 1870 with the creation of the new Province.

St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto was consecrated in 1848—Toronto’s second parish—although the 260-foot tower and spire were not added until the mid-1860s.  The church is built with cream-colored bricks in an English Gothic style.  Pope Francis designated the Cathedral a minor basilica in 2016.  See stmichaelscathedral.com.

From Flickr, Pinterest, and Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of London was created in 1855, renamed the Diocese of Sandwich in 1859 before once again becoming the Diocese of London in 1869.

·         The Diocese of Hamilton was created in 1856.

·         The Diocese of Thunder Bay was created in 1952 as the Diocese of Fort William and changed to the current name in 1970.

·         The Diocese of Saint Catharines was created in 1958.

Province of Saint Boniface (Manitoba)

Bear with me here.  The Province of Saint Boniface consists of southeastern Manitoba.  It is considered a metropolitan archdiocese, but it has no suffragan dioceses.  The Vicariate Apostolic of the North-West was established in 1844 and became the Diocese of Saint Boniface in 1847.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of St. Boniface was established in 1871 to serve a predominantly French population.  The Archdiocese of Winnipeg, which is not a metropolitan archdiocese, consists of southwestern Manitoba.  It was established in 1915 to serve a predominantly non-French population.  Both cathedrals are located in Winnipeg.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Boniface (Archdiocese of St. Boniface) started as a small church built in 1818.  It was replaced with three more buildings before the fifth church was built in 1905.  This Cathedral was designated a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1949.  Unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire in 1968.  The current Cathedral Basilica is a modern structure built near the ruins of the old church.  See cathedralstboniface.ca.

All pictures are from the Cathedral's website.  The top picture shows the 1968 fire, the middle the ruins, and the bottom the modern cathedral.

St. Mary’s Cathedral (Archdiocese of Winnipeg) began as a chapel in 1869.  The current Romanesque Revival Cathedral was dedicated in 1888.  See stmaryscathedralwpg.ca.

The top picture is from a provincial website and the bottom is from Wikipedia.

Province of Ottawa (Ontario)

The province consists of northeastern Ontario.  The Diocese of Bytown was established in 1847 and became the Diocese of Ottawa in 1860.  This became the Archdiocese of Ottawa in 1886 with the creation of the new Province.

The neo-Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa was built between 1841 and 1846.  It is the largest and oldest church in Ottawa.  Pope Leo XIII named it a minor basilica in 1879—Canada’s second basilica.  See notredameottawa.com.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website (sorry about the quality) and the last is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Pembroke began as a vicariate apostolic in 1882 before the diocese was created in 1898.

·         The Diocese of Timmins began as a vicariate apostolic in 1908 and became the Diocese of Haileybury in 1915.  It acquired its current name in 1938.

·         The Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee started as an apostolic prefecture in 1919, became a vicariate apostolic in 1920 and became the Diocese of Hearst in 1938.  It merged with the Diocese of Moosonee in 2018.

Province of Kingston (Ontario)

The province consists of east central Ontario.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Canada was established in 1819.  This became the Diocese of Kingston in 1826 and the Archdiocese of Kingston in 1889 with the creation of the new Province.

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Kingston was built between 1843 and 1846.  It is built from local limestone using a Gothic architectural style.  See stmaryscathedral.ca.

The first picture is from the Cathedral website and the second is from Flickr.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Peterborough started as a vicariate apostolic in 1874 before becoming a diocese in 1882.

·         The Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall was created in 1890 as the Diocese of Alexandria and acquired its current name in 1976.

·         The Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie was created in 1904.

Province of Vancouver (British Columbia)

The province consists of almost all of British Columbia.  The Apostolic Vicariate of British Colombia was created in 1863 and became the Diocese of New Westminster in 1890.  It became the Archdiocese of Vancouver in 1908 with the creation of the new Province.

Holy Rosary parish was established in 1885 and the current French-Gothic church, the parish’s second, was completed in 1900.  The Cathedral is made of Gabriola Island sandstone on a granite foundation.  Norman red Scagliola marble columns support the ceiling.  The Cathedral has 21 large stained-glass windows.  Five of the windows are the work of Canadian artist Guido Nincheri, who took 13 years, finishing in 1954, to craft the windows.  See holyrosarycathedral.org.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website, the middle is from Flickr, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·       The Diocese of Victoria was created as the Diocese of Vancouver Island in 1846.  It became the Archdiocese of Vancouver Island in 1903 and the Archdiocese of Victoria in 1904, before being demoted to the Diocese of Victoria in 1908.

·       The Diocese of Nelson was created in 1936.

·       The Diocese of Kamloops was created in 1945.

·       The Diocese of Prince George began as a vicariate apostolic in 1944 before becoming a diocese in 1967.

Province of Edmonton (Alberta)

The province consists of most of Alberta.  The Diocese of St. Albert was created in 1871.  It was renamed as the Archdiocese of Edmonton in 1912 with the creation of the new Province.

Construction of St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica in Edmonton began in 1925, but the church was not completed until 1963.  Pope John Paul II designed the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1984.  See stjosephbasilica.com.

The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom is from Flickr.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Calgary was created in 1912.

·         The Diocese of Saint Paul in Alberta was created in 1948.

Province of Regina (Saskatchewan)

The province consists of central and southern Saskatchewan.  The Diocese of Regina was created in 1910 and became the Archdiocese of Regina in 1915 with the creation of the new Province.

Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina was built between 1912 and 1917 and has two spires.  It was built in a Romanesque Revival style.  See holyrosaryregina.ca.

Both pictures are from the Archdiocesan website.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·        The Diocese of Prince-Albert became a vicariate apostolic in 1891 before becoming the Diocese of Prince-Albert in 1907.  It was renamed the Diocese of Prince-Albert—Saskatoon in 1921.  It went back to its original name in 1933.

·         The Diocese of Saskatoon was created in 1933.

Ukrainian Province of Winnipeg (Manitoba)

The province consists of all Ukrainian-rite Catholics in Canada.  The Apostolic Exarchate of Canada was created in 1912.  It was renamed twice before becoming the Ukrainian Archdiocese of Winnipeg in 1956 with the creation of the new Province.

Sts. Vladimir and Olga parish dates to 1907.  The parish originally met in a church that had been built in 1900.  The current building was consecrated in 1951 and contains 36 large stained glass windows, mostly done by Winnipeg artist, Leo Molodoshanin, between 1963 and 1977.  See stsvladimirandolgacathedral.ca.

The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Ukrainian Diocese of Edmonton (Alberta) was created in 1956.

·         The Ukrainian Diocese of Toronto (Ontario) was created in 1956.

·         The Ukrainian Diocese of Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) was created in 1956.

·         The Ukrainian Diocese of New Westminster (British Columbia) was created in 1974.

Province of Grouard-McLennan (Alberta)

The province consists of the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and parts of Alberta, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan.  The Vicariate Apostolic of Athabaska-MacKenzie was established in 1862.  The Vicariate was renamed twice before being raised to the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan (Alberta) in 1967 with the creation of the new Province. 

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral in McLennan became a parish in 1928.  The current church dates to 1947.  See archgm.ca.

The first picture is from the archdiocesan website and the second is from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith (Northwest Territories) began as an apostolic prefecture in 1901 and became a diocese in 1967.

·         The Diocese of Whitehorse (Yukon) began as an apostolic prefecture in 1908, became a vicariate apostolic in 1916, before becoming a diocese in 1967.

Province of Keewatin-Le Pas (Manitoba)

The province consists of northern Manitoba and portions of Saskatchewan, Nunavut, and Ontario.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Keewatin was established in 1910.  It became the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas in 1967 with the creation of the new Province.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Le Pas was dedicated in 1922.  See archdioceseofkeewatinlepas.ca.

From Panramio

The Province has one suffragan diocese.

·         The Diocese of Churchill-Baie d’Hudson (Manitoba) was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1925 and became a vicariate apostolic in 1931 before becoming a diocese in 1967.

Bonus Basilica

I am not focusing on basilicas in Phase 2, but I did have to include the Basilica of Notre Dame in Montreal—my favorite church in the world.  The Gothic Revival church was constructed between 1824 and 1829 and was designed by New York architect, James O’Donnell.  The story is that O’Donnell was so impressed by his church that he converted to Catholicism so that he could be buried there.  It was the largest church in North America for most of the 19^th Century.  The church has hundreds of wood carvings and statues and the stained glass windows depict scenes from the Catholic history of Montreal.  The Casavant Freres pipe organ was built in 1891 and has four keyboards, 92 stops, and 7,000 pipes.  The website is basiliquenotredame.ca.

 

The first three pictures are from Flickr and the others are from Wikipedia.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include vicariates apostolic and prefectures apostolic—both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.

Canada, Part 1

John Cabot claimed Canada for Henry VII of England and for the Catholic Church in 1497 and Jacques Cartier of France came to Canada in 1535.  However, it was not until Samuel de Champlain established Quebec City in 1608 that colonization and a permanent presence of the Catholic Church was established.  The Jesuits and other religious orders moved quickly to establish missions among the Native Americans.  Francois de Laval was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Quebec City in 1658 and became the first Bishop of Quebec City in 1674.  After the British took control of Canada from France in 1760, Catholics were allowed freedom of worship, but the British did try to control the Church including influencing the selection of bishops.  Catholics were granted greater freedom under the Quebec Act of 1774.  Today, Canada has 14.2 million Catholics, or 40 percent of the total population.  There are 18 ecclesiastical provinces in Canada.

Canada has several eastern rite dioceses.  The Ukrainian Church is large enough to have a separate province which will be discussed in Canada part 2.  The other Eastern rite diocese are:

·         Mar Addai of Toronto for the Chaldeans (established in 2011) is directly subject to the Chaldean patriarch.

·         Saint-Sauveur de Montreal for the Greek-Melkites (established in 1980) is directly subject to the Greek-Melkite patriarch.

·         Saint-Maron de Montreal for the Maronites (established in 1982) is directly subject to the Maronite patriarch.

·         Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto for the Slovaks (established in 1980) is directly subject to the Slovak metropolitan archbishop.

·         Mississauga for the Syro-Malabars (established in 2018) is directly subject to the Syro-Malabar major archbishop.

·         The Syriac Apostolic Exarchy of Canada (established in 2016) is directly subject to the Pope.

Anglican, Armenian, and Romanian rite Catholics in Canada are part of dioceses in the United States.

Today I will discuss the 8 ecclesiastical provinces that are in Quebec and the Maritime civil provinces.

Province of Québec (Quebec)

The province consists of east central Quebec.  The Vicariate Apostolic of New France was established in 1658.  The Diocese of Quebec was created in 1674 and it became the Archdiocese of Quebec with the creation of the Province in 1819.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec dates to 1647, although portions of it have been destroyed—by the British in 1759 and by fire in 1922.  Each time, the church has been rebuilt using the original plans.  The Cathedral Basilica has two towers and three Casavant Freres pipe organs.  The baldachin was designed by Andre Vermare.  The stained glass windows were crafted by the Meyer Company of Germany (depicting the life of the Virgin Mary) and the Champigneulle Company of France (depicting saints and angels).  A side chapel contains a large number of relics.  Pope Pius IX designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1874, the first in Canada.  See holydoorquebec.ca.

From Flickr and Wikipedia

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Trois Rivieres was established in 1852.

·         The Diocese of Chicoutimi was established in1878.

·         The Diocese of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatiere was established in 1951.

Province of Halifax-Yarmouth (Nova Scotia)

The province consists of the civil provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  The Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth was created as the Vicariate Apostolic of Nova Scotia in 1817.  It became the Diocese of Halifax in 1842.  In 1852, it became an Archdiocese with the creation of the Province.  The name was changed in 2009 to reflect the suppression of the former Diocese of Yarmouth.

St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Halifax was originally built in 1820, but was expanded into a Gothic Revival building in 1869 by noted American Catholic architect/builder Charles Patrick Keely.  The church is made of granite and features a 189-foot tall steeple—said to be the highest in North America.  Pope Pius XII named it a minor basilica in 1950.  See catholichalifax.org.

From Snipview and Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·        The Diocese of Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) was created in 1829.

·       The Diocese of Antigonish (Nova Scotia) was established as the Diocese of Arichat in 1844.  It became the Diocese of Antigonish in 1886.

Province of Montréal (Quebec)

The province consists of greater Montreal.  The Diocese of Montreal was established in 1836.  The Province was created in 1886 and Montreal became an archdiocese.

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral Basilica in Montreal was built between 1870 and 1894 and is modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.  The Cathedral has a copper dome and a baldachin modeled after the Bernini masterpiece in St. Peter’s.  Several large paintings show episodes of Catholic history in Canada.  The Cathedral was designated a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1919, the fourth in Canada.  See diocesemontreal.org.

All are from Wikipedia

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Valleyfield was created in 1892.

·         The Diocese of Joliette was created in 1904.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil was created in 1933.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Jerome--Mont-Laurier was created in 2022.

Province of St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador)

The province consists of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Newfoundland was established in 1784 and became the Vicariate Apostolic of Newfoundland in 1796, and the Diocese of Newfoundland in 1847.  It was renamed the Diocese of St. John’s in 1856 and became the Archdiocese of St. John’s in 1904 was the creation of the Province.

The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s was consecrated in 1855 and cost half a million dollars to build.  It follows a Roman basilica style, with two towers, and is made from Dublin granite and Irish limestone.  In addition to the main altar, there are seven side altars.  Pope Pius XII designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1955.  See thebasilica.ca.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Grand Falls was established in 1856 as the Diocese of Harbour Grace.  The name was changed to Harbour-Grace and Grand Falls in 1958 and took on its current name in 1964.

·         The Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Western Newfoundland in 1870 and became the Vicariate Apostolic of Western Newfoundland in 1892.  It became the Diocese of St. George’s in 1904 and acquired its current name in 2007.

Province of Moncton (New Brunswick)

The province consists of the civil province of New Brunswick.  The Archdiocese of Moncton was created in 1936 with the creation of the ecclesiastical province.

Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Moncton was built in 1939.  The parish was established in 1914 as a French Acadian parish.  Acadian artist, Claude Roussell, designed four white marble statues and two mural mosaics.  The stained glass windows show scenes of the civil and religious history of the Acadians.  See diomoncton.ca.

The top is from the archdiocesan website and the bottom is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·        The Diocese of New Brunswick was created in 1842 and became the Diocese of St. John in New Brunswick in 1924.

·        The Diocese of Bathhurst was established as the Diocese of Chatham in 1860 and acquired its current name in 1938.

·        The Diocese of Edmundston was established in 1944.

Province of Rimouski (Quebec)

The province consists of northeastern Quebec.  The Diocese of Rimouski was created in 1867.  It became the Archdiocese of Rimouski in 1946 with the creation of the Province.

The Cathedral of St. Germain in Rimouski is a neo-Gothic church made of gray stone that was completed in 1853.  The steeple has three bells and the Cathedral’s pipe organ was made by Casavant Freres.  See dioceserimouski.com.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Baie-Comeau began as the Apostolic Prefecture of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1882.  It became the Vicariate Apostolic of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1905, the Diocese of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1945, the Diocese of Hauterive in 1960, and acquired its current name in 1986.

·         The Diocese of Gaspe was created in 1922.

Province of Sherbrooke (Quebec)

The province consists of southeastern Quebec.  The Diocese of Sherbrooke was created in 1874.   It became the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke in 1951 with the creation of the Province.

St. Michael Basilica Cathedral in Sherbrooke was completed in 1959, the same year that Pope John XXIII named it a minor basilica.  The Gothic Revival church has a 10-foot aluminum crucifix, stained glass windows depicting biblical events, and an oak statue of the Virgin Mary.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe was founded in 1852.

·         The Diocese of Nicolet was founded in 1885.

Province of Gatineau (Quebec)

The province consists of western Quebec.  The Diocese of Hull was created in 1963.  It became the Archdiocese of Gatineau-Hull in 1990 with the creation of the new Province.  It simply became the Archdiocese of Gatineau in 2005.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Gatineau serves as the Metropolitan Cathedral for the Province.  It was designed by Lucien Sarra-Bournet and constructed in the early 1950s.  See paroissestjoseph.ca.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Amos was created in 1938.

·         The Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda was created in 1973.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include vicariates apostolic and prefectures apostolic—both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.