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Born at Hope River, Prince Edward Island, on June 24, 1871, McNally moved with his parents to Summerside as a young child. Here he completed his high school education in 1886, receiving a scholarship and the Governor-General’s silver medal. He graduated from the Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown in 1889, with an honour’s diploma, a teacher’s certificate and another silver medal. He taught for a year before gaining a Bachelor of the Arts and a Licentiate in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa in 1892. He became one of the first students at the Canadian College in Rome. In 1893 he gained a Doctorate in Philosophy and in 1897, a Doctorate in Theology. He was ordained by Cardinal Cassetta in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on April 4, 1896 for the Diocese of Ottawa.

On his return to Canada McNally was curate at St. Patrick’s Church, Ottawa until in February, 1900 he went to Portland, Oregon as secretary to Archbishop Christie. In 1904 McNally returned to Rome for a further two years of study.

In December 1905 he was appointed pastor St. Stephen, Old Chelsea in Quebec and in 1909 he acted as notary to the first Plenary Council held by the Catholic Church in Canada. In May 1911 he was appointed pastor at St. Mary’s, Almonte, Ontario.

McNally was notified on April 4, 1913 of his appointment as Bishop of Calgary. He was consecrated at the Canadian College in Rome by Cardinal Falconio and was installed on Sunday, July 28, 1913 in the Cathedral in Calgary by Archbishop Emil Legal of Edmonton, after which there was a large reception. Bishop McNally was the first Irish bishop appointed in the Prairie Provinces.

On January 18, 1916 McNally sailed from New York to Rome in secret to submit the question of his dismissal of the Oblate Order from Sacred Heart Parish, Calgary to the jurisdiction of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation, which judged his case favourably. He returned on July 18 and proceeded in releasing four French Orders from his Diocese. Although the Oblates remained he had asserted his own authority.

On August 29, 1924 Bishop McNally was transferred to the Diocese of Hamilton as Coadjutor to Bishop Dowling, who died that day. McNally was Bishop of Hamilton for 13 years until 1937 when he was appointed to the Archdiocese of Halifax. McNally died on November 18,1952.

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 near Montreal at St. Lin, Quebec on May 4, 1882, he studied at the Bourget College of the Clerics of St. Viator in Rigaud, Quebec. He studied theology at the Grand Seminary in Montreal. He was ordained in 1909 in Montreal and went to work for the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie except for during the years 1921 to 1923 he taught in the Seminary at Joliette. After ordination he was secretary to Bishop Scollard, Chancellor, rector of the pro-Cathedral in North Bay, and missionary to local mining centres. In 1923 Monahan was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's in Fort William. He was appointed Bishop of Calgary on Jun 10, 1932, consecrated in North Bay on Aug 10 and took possession of his See Aug 18. In 1935 Monahan was appointed Archbishop of Regina where he died on May 6, 1947.

The Vatican Council’s new understanding of mission was embraced early in the Diocese of Calgary. Mission Council was established in 1970 according to the wishes of Bishop Paul J. O’Byrne, with Fr. Joseph Toole playing a pivotal part. The immediate concern of the Council was to activate the relationship of the people of this Diocese with Fr. Malo in Peru and to take a complete look at the Diocese and its mission commitments as a whole. The first need was to conduct a mission education program and this was started in Fall 1971 with the aid of the Scarboro Foreign Mission Fathers.

In 1972 negotiations started with the Spiritan Fathers to promote joint efforts towards Mission work. Fr. Louis Connelly and Fr. Patrick O’Donoghue volunteered together with Fr. James M. Hagel, a diocesan priest. In March 1983 Fr. Toole was the Director of Mission Council and John Stoeber was Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Council worked with a National Mission Council and a Western Regional Council.

In 1969 the Council sent Fr. Louis Malo to assist in an Alberta-sponsored mission in Lima, Peru. He was the first native Calgary diocesan priest to enter missionary work. A small group of lay people formed a committee, the Alberta Mission Committee, to act as a liaison with Fr. Malo in Peru to assure him of moral and financial support. This major initiative was nurtured and overseen by Fr. Joe Toole. In 1980 Fr. Malo returned to the Diocese but was missioned again to South America in 1982 to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where he remained for the rest of his life.

In 1974 Mission Council established a partnership with the Diocese of Chikwawa in Malawi. It was chosen because it lacked personnel – there were 19 priests for 61,000 people, and it was a young diocese. This was the first time in Canada that a Catholic diocese had joined an overseas missionary community in sending and sponsoring missionaries to the Global south. In the 1970s Spiritan priests served for the Diocese and in the 1980s Fr. Jim Hagel and Fr. Larry Bagnall served there. When the missionaries withdrew from Chikwawa in 1985 it was because the young diocese could now stand on its own.

In 1982 Mission Council gave a grant of $10,000 to CCIS to support the ‘mission’ work being done for refugees and immigrants who were temporarily housed at Cabrini House. In 1983 Mission Council committed itself to supply a counselor for the Calgary Interfaith Welcome and Recreation Centre.

In 1973 Mission Council became involved in fundraising, principally in October (Mission month) and Advent, which concentrated on Diocesan projects.

As mission awareness increased it became clear that home missions particularly the Indian reserves deserved attention. As of May 1976 the Council accepted responsibility of the financial support to the reserves in the Diocese as well as the Drop-In Centre, then known as the Inner City Project under the Council of Social Affairs. Mission Council helped sustain faith on the Tsuut’ina Reserve largely since 1980. In 1996 Sr. Annette John was parish administrator at Our Lady of Peace Parish.

In 1986 the Father Latour Native Pastoral Centre was established at 216 – 18th Ave. SW, Calgary. This was a year of new beginnings. The first lay missionaries, Patricia and Luis Flores were missioned by Bishop Paul in June to the Diocese of Tehuacan, Mexico. The family was involved in parish ministry in the rural area of Los Reyes Mezontla. A lay missionary formation program was created. Funding was also given to some ethnic communities – the Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese and to a Native Leadership Training Program.

Aims are to assist and advise the bishop on mission matters, to coordinate all missionary efforts outside and inside the Diocese, foster greater lay involvement and raise and distribute the necessary funds for mission work in the Diocese. It differed from all other services in the Diocese as it had to raise its own budget.

As the Mission Council evolved its constitution was revised in 1978 and 1985.

Two missionaries were sent to the North West Territories (the MacKenzie Missionary Project) on July 1, 1989, prospective seminarian Roland and Mount Angel seminarian Hans Englehart.

Funding was obtained by asking groups like the Knights, Church Extension, Teachers’ Association and making general appeals. It also received an allocation from the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, $85,000 in 1993.

Sr. Cecily Graves FMM was working as a Native Catechist in 1993. In 1992 she was listed as being on Mission Council staff, and as Coordinator of Religious Instruction on the Reserves.

Sixth Bishop of Calgary, 1968-1998. Born in 1922, the youngest of five children, Paul grew up in Calgary, where his father, Dan was a small retail business owner who died in 1927. Paul’s mother Beebeanna had a strong faith which she passed on to her children. Nicknamed Pee Wee, Paul attended Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s Boys Schools, Calgary. He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton in 1942. He was ordained a priest on February 22, 1948, months after his mother died. Fr. O’Byrne served first as assistant at St. John’s, Calgary and then at St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat. His first appointment as pastor was at St. Edmund’s, Medicine Hat in 1954. He moved to Banff in 1961 until 1967 when he was transferred to St. Joseph’s, Calgary. Shortly thereafter he became regional dean for North West Calgary. He was one of the first to be appointed after election by the priests of the deanery. Elected chair of the Priests’ Senate, O’Byrne was chosen as administrator of the Diocese on Klein’s death by the Diocesan Consultors. After a consultation meeting on February 15, 1968, O’Byrne was named Bishop of Calgary on June 21, 1968 and consecrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral on August 22, 1968. He submitted his resignation to the Vatican on his 75th birthday in December 1997. He officially retired on March 9, 1998. Bishop Paul O'Byrne died in Calgary in 2004.

The Office of the Bishop aids the Bishop of Calgary in the administration of the Diocese. Initially informally organized, prior to the Second Vatican Council the staff consisted of clergy. As the administrative needs of the Diocese grew due to the growing population and complexities of modern life, the Office of the Bishop required more staff with specific skills. The Office aids the Bishop in organizing meetings, correspondence, schedules, logistics, relationships, and records.

This is the official agency of the diocese for coordinating all activities relating to the education in faith of all members of the diocese. It assists the bishop in his role as chief catechist of the diocese.
In 1985 it joined with the FCJ Christian Life Centre to institute the TEAM program (Together Enabling Adults for Ministry). The Synod recommended that the Office be expanded and that training be provided for spiritual directors.

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.

A Tribunal is an essential part of any diocese, and handles all aspects of canon law brought before the Bishop. This includes cases related to marriage and sacraments. The Tribunal of the Diocese was established with the first bishop.

Formed to generate interest in the priesthood among young men. The Synod requested lay representation on the Committee. The Committee organized annual vocation awareness retreats, working with contact representatives in parishes. There were guidelines for the CDVAC. In 1980 the Committee had 12 members including the chair Fr. Hoschka, 5 women religious and 3 priests, 2 laymen, 1 lay woman and Bishop O’Byrne.
[Also known as the Calgary Diocesan Vocation Awareness Committee (CDVAC) or Diocesan Vocations Awareness Council]
In early 1995 Bishop Paul expressed to Bishop Roy of St. Paul that he was having difficulty getting the Vocation Awareness Committee reactivated for Calgary
[RCDCA 343.5342]
Minutes exist from 1977 and papers to 1998.

The Vocations Formation Team consisted of Bishop Paul J. O'Byrne and appointed Diocesan priests, who oversaw the progress of seminarians and those in discernment.

Born on November 19, 1909 in Walkerton, Ontario. Having attended school in Walkerton, and St. Augustine's Seminary, Toronto, Wilhelm was ordained for the Diocese of Hamilton on June 9, 1934. He was assistant pastor at St. Mary's, Hamilton from 1934 to 1936, and at Christ the King Cathedral from 1936 until 1939, where he was also the Bishop's secretary. From 1939 to 1945 Wilhelm was Chaplain in the Canadian Army where he attained the rank of Major and won a Military Cross. After the war he studied for his Licentiate in Canon Law at the University of Ottawa and then served as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul from 1947 until 1963. He was appointed vicar general and auxiliary to Bishop Carroll on June 28, 1963 and was ordained to the episcopate on August 22, 1963 in Hamilton by Cardinal McGuigan. When Bishop Carroll returned to Calgary after the first session of the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Wilhelm participated in the subsequent sessions of the Council in Bishop Carroll’s stead. During his time in Calgary, Bishop Wilhelm celebrated almost all the episcopal ceremonies and pontifical Masses. He also conferred almost all the ordinations and most of the confirmations. He became the Archbishop of Kingston in 1967.

The Administration of Ecclesiastical Temporalities is currently delegated by the Bishop to the Executive Director. This office looks after the secular functions of the Diocese, including administration, finance, staffing, etc. In 1972 the Alberta Catholic Directory first lists a business accountant in the Bishop’s Office, Mr. E. Howard Smith. In 1979 Temporalities were overseen by a Business Manager, Mr. Joseph Comessotti and the two worked together until 1981 when Smith retired. In 1986 the ACD lists Comessotti as Business Manager and in charge of Revenue/Project Forward. In 1987 Financial Administrator, Rev. Robert Devine was appointed to replace Comessotti in looking after temporal affairs and Stewardship. In 1990 Rev. Devine began administering the Hospice of St. Jude as well as heading the Stewardship Program and Mr. Denis Doucet was hired as Business Manager. In 1991 Fr Pat Cramer became Vicar of Temporalities and Chairman of the Diocese Finance Council. In 1992 Dr. Marilyn Smelski headed the Stewardship Program and in the following year Colin MacIsaac became Finance Officer, working with Doucet and Smelski. In 1995 the Annual Bishop’s Appeal took over some of the role of the Stewardship Program. It was headed by Richard Garnett.
By 1997 there had been an overhaul of the Business Office with the arrival of Michael Chan who became the Chief Operating Officer, and Lydia Ducharme, who became Financial Administrator. They were joined by Colin MacIsaac in a new role as chief Administrative Officer. The Annual Bishop’s Appeal was being run by Dr. Robert Gall.