Neil McNeil was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of British Columbia. It is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province which includes the suffragan dioceses of Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, and Victoria...

 from 1910 to 1912 and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto

Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto

This is a list of the Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto.The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto was created out of the Diocese of Kingston December 17, 1841....

 from 1912 to 1934.

Early life

McNeil was born in Hillsborough, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He attended Propaganda College

Roman Colleges

Note: This article is based on the "Catholic Encyclopedia" 1913 and contains a large amount of out-dated information throughout, including the numbers of students...

 in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

Career

In 1879, McNeil was ordained as a priest. In 1880 he was appointed vice-rector of College of St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier University

St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...

 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...

, and had risen to rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 by the end of his service in 1891. He was pastor in Arichat

Arichat, Nova Scotia

The village of Arichat is one of the oldest communities in Nova Scotia, dating back to the 18th century. It is a district of Richmond County on Isle Madame....

 and D'Escousse, Nova Scotia

D'Escousse, Nova Scotia

D'Escousse is situated on the north-eastern side of Isle Madame. It is on Nova Scotia Route 320. It has had a church since 1845. It was a settlement in the early 18th century. Ships would enter the D'Escousse harbour from the Grandique Ferry and Lennox Passage. Well-known writer Silver Donald...

 before becoming Vicar Apostolic of Western Newfoundland (St. George's) and Titular Bishop

Titular bishop

A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...

 of Nilopolis

Nilopolis

Nilopolis or Delas was a city in Egypt situated on the left bank of the Nile, about forty-seven miles from Memphis.It is a Roman Catholic titular bishopric and a suffragan of the metropolitan of Oxyrynchos, in Egypt.-History:...

 in 1895.

In 1904, McNeil was appointed Bishop of St. George's, Newfoundland.

From 1910 to 1912, McNeil was Archbishop of Vancouver

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of British Columbia. It is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province which includes the suffragan dioceses of Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, and Victoria...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. After only two years, he became Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, where he served from 1912 to 1934.

Shortly after being appointed as Archbishop, NcNeil was charged with completing St. Augustine's Seminary

St. Augustine's Seminary

St. Augustine's Seminary is the archdiocesan seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, in Canada. It also welcomes candidates from elsewhere.It is a member of the Toronto School of Theology. It is located by the shore of Lake Ontario in Toronto....

 and the Canadian Catholic Church Extension Society

Catholic Church Extension Society

The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...

 created by his predecessor Fergus Patrick McEvay

Fergus Patrick McEvay

Fergus Patrick McEvay, , was the Roman Catholic archbishop of Toronto from 1908 to 1911.Born in Lindsay, Ontario, McEvay studied at University of St. Michael's College and Grand séminaire de Montréal. He became an ordained Priest of Kingston, Ontario and in 1899 appointed Bishop of London, Ontario...

. Under McNeil, thirty more parishes were established, including those with non-English speaking immigrants in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. He lobbied for fair taxation for Catholic schools.

McNeil founded the Federation of Catholic Charities when, in 1927, Toronto's umbrella Federation for Community Service refused to continue to fund Roman Catholic charitable institutions.

McNeil died in 1934, while serving as Archbishop of Toronto. He is buried at St. Augustine Seminary.

Legacy

Under his leadership, the China Mission Seminary, later renamed the Scarboro Foreign Missionary Society, and the Newman Club were established.

Neil McNeil Catholic High School in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

was named in his honour.