Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George was created as the Vicariate Apostolic of Prince Rupert on January 14, 1944, when the Vicariate Apostolic of Yukon-Prince Rupert was split. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vancouver
. It was elevated on July 13, 1967.
In 1885, Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice
, OMI, served the Carrier
and Sekani
First Nations from Stuart Lake. He invented the Carrier syllabics (the written grammar of the language) and translated the Carrier prayer book, which is still used today. Father Morice was also credited with the first map of the interior of British Columbia and published by the government in 1907.
On January 14, 1944, the Vicariate Apostolic of Yukon-Prince Rupert split into the Vicariate Apostolic of Prince Rupert and the Vicariate Apostolic of Whitehorse. The Peace Region of BC, which was part of the old Archdiocese of Grouard-MacLennan, became part of the newly formed Vicariate of Prince Rupert. Emile-Marie Bunoz became the first bishop of the newly formed territory.
in 1956, Bishop John Fergus O'Grady, OMI, became the third bishop of the Vicariate. Under his leadership the number of schools were greatly increased to thirteen. The Frontier Apostolate was created by Bishop O'Grady to help staff the schools and administrations. 1960, Prince George College (later known as O'Grady Catholic High School) was built and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy
, of Ireland.
On July 13, 1963, Vicariate Apostolic of Prince Rupert was elevated to a diocese and changed its name to Diocese of Prince George. The administration moved from Prince Rupert to Prince George.
During the 1980 & 1990's the diocese suffered financial setbacks. The diocese had to sell of property and its debt was paid off by 1996. Immigration Canada changed its rules around recruiting from other countries and the Frontier Apostolate, which helped bring immigration to the area, came to an end. Low registration also forced the closure of O'Grady Catholic High School in Prince George in 2001 and in 2008, St. Joseph's elementary in Vanderhoof.
Burns Lake
Chetwynd
Dawson Creek
Fort St. James
Fort St. John
Fraser Lake
Kitimat
McBride
Mackenzie
New Hazelton
Prince Rupert
Smithers
Terrace
Vanderhoof
may become Canada's 1st First Nation's saint.
Retrieved 2009-05-10
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...
. It was elevated on July 13, 1967.
Diocesan Demographics
The diocese consists of 1 bishop, 5 religious & 16 diocesan priests, 4 brothers, 17 sisters, all serving 51,200 Catholics in 18 parishes, 20 missions & 8 schools.History
The first priest to baptise in the area of Fort George was Father Demers in 1842.In 1885, Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice
Adrien-Gabriel Morice
Adrien-Gabriel Morice was a missionary priest belonging to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He served as a missionary in Canada, and created a writing system for the Carrier language.-Early life:...
, OMI, served the Carrier
Dakelh
The Dakelh or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.Most Carrier call themselves Dakelh, meaning "people who go around by boat"...
and Sekani
Sekani
Sekani is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The neighbors of the Sekani are the Babine to the west, Dakelh to the south, Dunneza to the east, and...
First Nations from Stuart Lake. He invented the Carrier syllabics (the written grammar of the language) and translated the Carrier prayer book, which is still used today. Father Morice was also credited with the first map of the interior of British Columbia and published by the government in 1907.
On January 14, 1944, the Vicariate Apostolic of Yukon-Prince Rupert split into the Vicariate Apostolic of Prince Rupert and the Vicariate Apostolic of Whitehorse. The Peace Region of BC, which was part of the old Archdiocese of Grouard-MacLennan, became part of the newly formed Vicariate of Prince Rupert. Emile-Marie Bunoz became the first bishop of the newly formed territory.
in 1956, Bishop John Fergus O'Grady, OMI, became the third bishop of the Vicariate. Under his leadership the number of schools were greatly increased to thirteen. The Frontier Apostolate was created by Bishop O'Grady to help staff the schools and administrations. 1960, Prince George College (later known as O'Grady Catholic High School) was built and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
, of Ireland.
On July 13, 1963, Vicariate Apostolic of Prince Rupert was elevated to a diocese and changed its name to Diocese of Prince George. The administration moved from Prince Rupert to Prince George.
During the 1980 & 1990's the diocese suffered financial setbacks. The diocese had to sell of property and its debt was paid off by 1996. Immigration Canada changed its rules around recruiting from other countries and the Frontier Apostolate, which helped bring immigration to the area, came to an end. Low registration also forced the closure of O'Grady Catholic High School in Prince George in 2001 and in 2008, St. Joseph's elementary in Vanderhoof.
Ordinaries
- Emile-Marie Bunoz, O.M.I. (1944–1945)
- Anthony Jordan, O.M.I. (1945–1955)
- John Fergus O'Grady, O.M.I. (1955–1986)
- Hubert Patrick O'ConnorHubert Patrick O'ConnorHubert Patrick O'Connor was a Canadian Roman Catholic bishop of Prince George in British Columbia who was forced to resign following sex abuse charges being filed against him.-Church career:...
, O.M.I. (1986–1991) - Bishop Emeritus - Gerald William Wiesner, O.M.I. (1992 - )
Churches
Prince George- Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Saint Mary's Parish
- Christ our Saviour Parish
- Immaculate Conception Parish
- St. Theresa’s Mission (Ft. Babine, Ft. Ware, TsayKeh, Takla)
Burns Lake
- Immaculata Parish
- Grassy Plains Mission
Chetwynd
- Our Lady of Peace Parish
- Holy Cross Mission (Tumbler Ridge)
- St. Theresa’s Mission (Camp Emile)
Dawson Creek
- Notre Dame Parish
- St. Anne Mission (Kelly Lake)
Fort St. James
- Our Lady of the Snows
- St. Cecilia Mission (Tache)
- Portage Mission
Fort St. John
- Church of the Resurrection
- Doig Mission
- Halfway Mission
- Blueberry Mission
Fraser Lake
- St. Andrew’s Parish
- Nadleh Mission
- Stellaquo Mission
Kitimat
- Christ the King Parish
McBride
- St. Patrick’s Parish
Mackenzie
- St. Peter’s Parish
New Hazelton
- St. Mary’s Parish
- St. Felix Mission, (Stewart)
- Holy Rosary Mission, (Moricetown)
Prince Rupert
- Annunciation Parish
- Our Lady of the Islands Mission (Queen Charlottes)
Smithers
- St. Joseph’s Parish
- St. Anthony’s Mission (Houston)
Terrace
- Sacred Heart Parish
Vanderhoof
- St. Joseph’s Parish
- Stoney Creek Mission
Catholic high schools
- O'Grady Catholic High School, of Prince George, was opened in 1960 & closed 2001.
Catholic elementary schools
| School | City | Est. | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart | Prince George | 1949 | http://www.shspg.com/ |
| Immaculate Conception | Prince George | 1981 | http://www.icschool.ca/ |
| St. Mary’s | Prince George | 1960 | http://www.stmaryspg.org/ |
| Notre Dame | Dawson Creek | 1944 | http://www.notredamedc.org/ |
| St. Anthony’s | Kitimat | 1957 | http://www.catholickitimat.ca/ |
| Annunciation | Prince Rupert | n/a | |
| St. Joseph’s | Smithers | n/a | |
| Veritas | Terrace | http://www.sacredheartnews.ca/ | |
- St. Joseph's Elementary, of Vanderhoof, closed in 2008.
Charities
Health Care- Bulkley Valley District Hospital, of Smithers, was established 1933 & closed in 1969.
Saints, Blessed & Venerables
Rose PrinceRose Prince
Rose Prince was a Dakelh woman who has become the subject of a Catholic pilgrimage.-Biography:Rose Prince was born in Fort St. James, British Columbia, in 1915, the third of nine children belonging to Jean-Marie and Agathe Prince...
may become Canada's 1st First Nation's saint.
External links
- Diocese of Prince George official site
- Rose Prince
- The road to Catholic sainthood: one miracle at a time
Retrieved 2009-05-10