Vital Justin Grandin was born in 1829 at St. Pierre-la-Cour, Brittany, the ninth child in a family of fourteen. After spending some years in a secular seminary he joined the Oblates in 1851 and was ordained by the founder, Bishop Mazenod in 1854. He arrived in St. Boniface in November 1854 and spent some months learning local Indian languages. In spring 1855 he left with Bishop Tache for Ile-a-la-Crosse by Hudson Bay barge and then on to Trinity Mission on Lake Athabaska.
In 1857 at the age of 28 he was made titular Bishop of Salata and coadjutor to Bishop Tache. In 1871 St. Boniface became a Metropolitan Province and Bishop Grandin was made Bishop of the Diocese of St. Albert. He was Oblate Vicar of the Diocese with 15 priests and Bothers under him. In 1897 Bishop Emil Legal became his coadjutor. In 1929 the Canonical process was begun for his beatification.
Born in Charlottetown, P.E.I. in 1876, Macdonald studied at St. Dunstan’s College there before receiving a Doctorate in Divinity in Rome. He was ordained in the Basilica of St. John Lateran by Cardinal Respighi in 1904. Difficulties arose when he sought to attach himself to the Diocese of St. Boniface and therefore he offered his services to Bishop McNally, who he knew from his hometown and probably later from Rome. Macdonald became the second secular priest to arrive in the new Diocese of Calgary on Aug 1, 1913. He was the first rector of St. Mary’s, holding the position until Fr. A. Newman arrived in 1914.
Fr. Macdonald was appointed Superintendent and Secretary Treasurer of the Separate School Board in 1915 until 1917. For the remaining time he was at St. Mary’s until his death he was curate and chaplain of the Keith Sanatorium and he contributed to the Catholic Press in Western Canada. He was over six feet tall, of athletic appearance and had a pleasant manner. He spoke four languages in addition to English, and had travelled extensively in Europe.
Macdonald died in Calgary on April 5, 1949 and is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Born on Dec 31, 1878 in St. John, New Brunswick, his family moved to Boston, Mass. when he was young and attended school there. His was a late vocation; at the age of 29 he entered St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish to study for the priesthood. Smith went on to study at the Grand Seminary, Montreal and St. Augustine’s, Toronto before being ordained for the Diocese of Calgary by Archbishop McNeil on Dec 27, 1916. After serving for a year in Toronto Smith was made assistant priest at St. Mary’s Cathedral until he was loaned to the Winnipeg Diocese for the year 1918-1919. On his return to Calgary he was made pastor of St. Ann’s, Calgary and he was appointed rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral in 1924, a position he was to retain for 42 years until his death in 1966.
On Feb 8, 1937 Fr. John Smith was made a domestic prelate and he became Dean of Calgary on Jun 8, 1941. He served as a member of the Bishop’s Council under McNally, Kidd, Monahan, and Carroll. On Jan 29, 1942, Monsignor Smith celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Monsignor Smith was made Protonotary Apostolic ad instar on Mar 31, 1960 and he became Dean for South Calgary on Aug 8, the same year.
On July 21, 1966 Smith suffered a heart attack, entered Holy Cross Hospital and he died on Aug 5, 1966, at the age of 87. His funeral was held at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Tuesday, Aug 9, 1966, the celebrant being Bishop Wilhelm, the sermon was preached by Bishop Carroll. His body is interned in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Francis Joseph Klein was born on a farm near Sedley, Saskatchewan, the eldest of 13 children. He was educated at Friedenthal Rural School, Sedley by the Loretto Nuns, St. Anthony’s College, Edmonton, and then Campion College. He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary, Edmonton and completed his theology at Regina Coeli Seminary. In 1934 after entering Laval University he was ordained at Sedley by Archbishop McGuigan of Regina. After completing a year of study at Laval he worked as a parish priest for 18 years, mainly in Mutrie and Quintin. He was appointed Bishop of Saskatoon in 1952 and on February 28, 1967 it was announced that he had been appointed Bishop of Calgary. He was installed by Archbishop Jordan of Edmonton but died February 3, 1968, only nine months later. A man of energy and enthusiasm, determined to implement the reforms of Vatican II, he had shown a strong commitment to education and social service and he encouraged extensive lay participation.
John T. Kidd was born in Athlone, Ontario in 1868. After his studies at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto he became the manager of a large lumber business. He then went to Rome to study for a doctorate in Theology, after which he was ordained on February 16, 1902 for the Diocese of Toronto. His first appointment was assistant and then pastor of St. Ann’s, Penetanguishene. On the death of Archbishop McEvay he was named Vicar Capitular of the Diocese of Toronto for a year. In 1911-1912 as the new seminary was being developed in Toronto Kidd was involved due to his administrative experience, and deep spirituality. In 1914 he was made a Domestic Prelate and on February 6, 1925 was appointed Bishop of Calgary. He was consecrated on May 6, 1925 in St. Michael’s Cathedral, Toronto by Apostolic Delegate Pietro di Maria and he took possession of his See on May 13, 1925.
On July 3, 1931 Kidd was appointed Bishop of London on the death of Bishop Fallon and he took possession of his See on September 23. Kidd died as Bishop of London on June 2, 1950.
Born in London on August 9, 1879, he was the first secular priest in the Diocese after its formation. He was Vicar General in the Diocese of Calgary for 50 years under 4 bishops. He was pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Calgary for 48 years. He received his Baccalaureate of Arts from the University of London in 1899 and studied Theology and Philosophy at Oscott College, Birmingham. He was ordained on July 22, 1906 in Westminster Cathedral by Cardinal Francis Bourne. He was appointed Master of Ceremonies at the new Cathedral and he supervised the consecration ceremonies in 1910. Because of his duties at the Cathedral for the next 7 years Hetherington became an expert in liturgical matters. He also wrote and compiled liturgical guides, for example, the Ritus Servandi and Ordo Administrandi a well as ‘Notes on the New Rubrics’ [in the Library’s Special Collection] and contributed to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica, and Fortescue’s Ceremonial.
He had considered transferring abroad to improve his health, and when Bishop McNally visited Westminster he was able to persuade Hetherington to come to Calgary. He arrived in Calgary on June 30, 1913, and arranged McNally’s installation ceremonies. Hetherington continued to work closely with McNally as secretary, Chancellor, Vicar General, and Diocesan Consultor. Hetherington was Vicar Capitular in 1924-1925, 1931-1932, and 1935-1936 (elected on the death or departure of a bishop by the Diocesan Consultors. In 1924 McNally requested that he be appointed Domestic Prelate and in 1937 he was appointed Protonotary Apostolic. His was a hidden but crucial role in the development of the diocese. For many years Hetherington was the only English priest in the diocese. He declined to be considered as a potential bishop for Victoria, possibly for reasons of health. He was a dedicated pastor, with time for his parishioners, and was a good manager. He was military chaplain in 1914 and again in 1941 when he became Senior Military Chaplain in Military District no. 13 until the end of the war. Throughout the war he was the Diocesan Director of War Work. He was a driving force behind the establishment of a Catholic Soldiers’ Club, the ’first of its kind in the Dominion, and the finest in Western Canada.’ [The Western Catholic, ‘Official Organ of the Diocese of Calgary, vol. XVII, no. 13 ‘History of Popular Spot Recalled as K. of C. Army Hut Closed Here.’ He was urbane and pious. After a year or more of failing health, Monsignor Hetherington died in Calgary on May 30, 1963 and was buried in St. Mary’s Cathedral cemetery.
He was born on July 7, 1890 in Toronto where he also studied at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. He attended St. Augustine’s Seminary in 1913 and was ordained at the Seminary on June 2, 1917. He remained at St. Augustine’s for twelve years as professor of Scripture and then went to Jerusalem for two years to study at the Dominican Biblical School. After his return to St. Augustine’s, he was appointed Rector of the Seminary.
He took possession of the Calgary See on March 25, 1935. During this time, Western Canada had taken a hard hit from the Depression. Bishop Carroll continued to develop the Diocesan plan which began with Bishop Monahan—this serviced parish projects and consolidated some parochial debt.
After he became Bishop, there was an increase in native priests due to his encouragement as well as the growth of Catholic communities. During the latter part of his episcopate, more than half his clergy members were native priests.
Appointed fourth Bishop of Calgary in 1936 - a serious Biblical scholar, gifted speaker and effective administrator. In 1957 he was appointed as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne by Pope Pius XII. Bishop Carroll attended the first session of the Second Vatican Council until ill health forced his return home. Bishop Joseph L. Wilhelm was appointed Vicar General and auxiliary in 1963 until January 1965 when he left Calgary to become Archbishop of Kingston.
Carroll resigned as bishop on Dec 28, 1966, was appointed Apostolic Administrator, but he died on February 25, 1967.
Source: From the Buffalo to the Cross, pp. 133-135
Born at Point of Pierre in Trinidad, British West Indies, on Sept 6, 1941, Fr. Bagnall was educated in Turner Valley, Calgary and at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton. He was ordained at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary by Bishop Klein in Calgary on May 27, 1967. Fr. Bagnall served at Sacred Heart in Calgary, St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat and St. Anthony’s, Drumheller. In 1973 he was appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Oyen. In 1976 he went to Malawi as a missionary in the Chikwawa Diocese at Nsanje Mission and at the Njale Mission in Thyolo. In 1980 he returned for five months as Administrator of St. Peter’s Parish, Milk River before returning to Africa as Assistant Pastor of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Chikwawa. For six months in 1982 he was posted to Our Lady of Fatima in Muona before returning to St. Michael’s. In 1984 Fr. Bagnall returned in Alberta to become Pastor at St. Augustine’s, Taber and in 1989 he was appointed Pastor of St. Peter’s Calgary. After a year’s sabbatical he was appointed Rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral in 1993. He retired Jul 31, 2008.
Born at Mount Corbet, Buttevant, County Cork, Ireland in 1898, Monsignor Anderson was educated at Churchtown, Cork, and in Hamilton, ON. He graduated from St. Michael's College, Toronto, and studied Theology at St. Augustine's Seminary, Toronto. He was ordained for the Diocese of Calgary by Bishop Kidd at St. Augustine's Seminary in August 1925.
Fr. Anderson was appointed Secretary to the Bishop on his arrival in Calgary and was Secretary for eight years while serving St. Angela's Chapel until April 1929, when the Redemptorists came to Calgary. He was appointed Chancellor in 1930 at the same time that he was appointed to the Bishop's Council. In 1933 he was named pastor of Taber and its missions.
In 1934 he was appointed pastor of Drumheller and missions. During his 12 years there he built churches at Drumheller and Munson and by renovating disused school buildings at small expense and with volunteer help and with the help of the Catholic Church Extension Society he provided churches at East Coulee, Dorothy, Rosedale, and Nacmine.
In 1946 Fr. Anderson was appointed pastor at St. Joseph's, Calgary on the death of Fr. Fergus O'Brien where he remained for 21 years during the extraordinary growth of the North Hill in Calgary when nine new churches were built and eight parishes divided from the original St. Joseph's parish while it still remained the largest parish in the Diocese. In 1939 Fr. Anderson was appointed Dean of Drumheller. He was named Pro-Synodal Judge of the Diocesan Court in 1950, and was appointed Domestic Prelate to the Pope in 1957. In 1960 he was made Dean of North Calgary. Monsignor Anderson was named Vicar General in January 1963 and was appointed to the Council of Administration.
On the death of Bishop Carroll in 1967 Anderson was elected Vicar Capitular by unanimous vote on the first ballot, and served until the installation of Bishop Klein. He was re-appointed Vicar General by Klein and became pastor of St. Anthony's, Calgary in July 1967. He was pastor of Canmore and missions during the winter of 1968-9 and pastor of St. Patrick's, Midnapore until Sept 1970. He was appointed Director of the Priests' Centre in Sept 1970 and Director of Diocese Archives in 1971. He died on October 8, 1988.