St. Mary's Parish, Banff Banff AB

We of St. Mary’s (“The Holy Name of Mary”) are proud of our Roman Catholic heritage here in the foothills of southern Alberta. For more than 100 years St. Mary’s has served the faith of natives, traders and trappers, settlers, ranchers and farmers, and growing families from both rural and urban communities. Thanks to our pioneer families and their descendants, many of whom are still active in our parish today, St. Mary’s remains a beacon of faith, hope, and charity in Cochrane.

~ Bishop Vital Grandin

 

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From the records and diaries of the Missionaries Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and the record of Father Robert McGuinness the following history of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Parish has been culled.

At the request of the Hudson’s Bay Company; two priests Father Francois Blanchet and Father Modeste Demers, came from Quebec, to minister to the spiritual needs of the company’s employees at Fort Vancouver and Washington, USA. After making the intrepid journey across the whole expanse of Canada by waterways and portage, they entered the Rockies by way of the Athabasca Pass (now traversed by the Banff-Jasper Highway some 140 miles north of Banff). When they reached the Continental Divide at the Committee Punch Bowl, they offered their first mass at 3:00 am in the morning of October 10, 1833. Awed by the grandeur of the scenery and impressed by the magnificent setting of their altar amid God’s own Creation, the two priests consecrated the mountains around Banff to Almighty God. In 1843, Father Blanchet became the first Bishop of the Oregon Territory and Father Demers, in 1847, became the first Bishop of Victoria.

Almost 45 years were to elapse before the next mass was celebrated by Father E. Claude(OMI), on October 13, 1883, at Canadian Pacific Railroad Siding 29, which was at the base of Mount Cascade, now the Canadian Pacific Railroad Overpass. In 1886, the Banff Town site was moved from the base of Mt. Cascade to its present location south of the C.P.R. tracks. The Oblate Fathers from St. Mary’s, Calgary, continued to make mission visits and on August 4, 1886, Father Leduc said the first Mass in Banff, at the old Cascade Hotel. Father Moyses Blais (OMI) oversaw the Bow Valley Mission from 1887-1889. While visiting Banff with Bishop Vital Grandin(OMI), Bishop of St. Albert, in July 1887, property was leased, at lots 18, 19, 20 in Block 5, to build the first log church; where at present is the Scout Hall. The log cabin church was built by August 15, 1888 and was solemnly blessed and dedicated to ‘Our Lady of the Assumption’. It cost $800.00 to build. Loving called by local parishioners ‘St. Mary’s’. The celebrant and preacher at this mass of dedication was Fr. Albert Lacombe.

Later Fr. Blais leased lots 16 and 17; south of the present church. One interesting note is that on September 15, 1895, Bishop Vital Grandin (OMI) celebrated the High Mass and blessed the new bell which had been hung in the newly built bell tower; which was constructed by Brother Bowed (OMI). Engraved on the bell is OMI, Maria, Vital Grandin, Bishop of St. Albert, 1895. This bell is now in the Sanctuary of the present St. Mary’s Church a sends out its chimes at the consecration of Saturday and Sunday masses. The rectory was built in 1905 by Father Seltman (OMI) and he moved his mission headquarters from Cochrane to Banff on May 15 of that year. Banff was in the charge of the Oblate Missions until 1921 when it was placed under the care of secular priests.

On the drive from Banff to Minnewanka one sees several abandoned foundations of buildings about halfway along the road. This is all that remains of a thriving mining community that began in 1903. The first mass was offered in the Miner’s Hall on January 25, 1905, by Father Seltman (OMI), who began a church which was completed by Father Sylla (OMI), in 1908 and named The Most Holy Trinity. The mine closed in 1922 and the town was abandoned. All that remains are the altar stone which is in St. Mary’s Church, Banff.

In 1952 Fr. Robert McGuinness, who had become pastor in 1932, build the present church, on the corner of Lynx and Squirrel Streets.

Missionaries at Banff:

1885 Rev. D. Foisy, O.M.I.

1886 Rev. H. Leduc, O.M.I., Rev. L. Doucet, O.M.I.

1887-1889 Rev. M. Blais, O.M.I.

1890-1892 Rev. B. Desroches, O.M.I.

1892-1896 Rev. W. Comire, O.M.I.

1896-1899 Rev. L. Fouquet

Pastors:

1899-1907 Rev. J. Seltman, the first resident priest after 1905

1907-1922 Rev. H. Hermes, O.M.I., at Banff or Canmore

1912 Rev. L. V. Lewis, O.M.I. Rev. P. Murphy from St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary

1922-1930 Rev. John Osborne from Canmore

1930-1935 Rev. J. B. Moriarty, resident at Mineral Springs Hospital

1935-1936 Rev. J. F. Fitzpatrick

1936-1961 Rev. Robert McGuinness

1961-1967 Rev. Paul O’Byrne, built the hall and became Bishop of Calgary, in 1968

1967-1968 Rev. E. J. Cooney

1968-1969 Rev. W. O. MacCallum

1969-1971 Rev. A. McLellan

1971-1980 Rev. L. Redmond (purchased the present rectory)

1980-1982 Rev. R. McLellan

1982-1985 Rev. P. Luyckx

1985- 2001 Rev. Tom Garvey, C.S.Sp.

2001-2004 Rev. S. Vargas (parishes of St. Mary’s, Banff and Sacred Heart, Canmore were combined, under title of Our Lady of the Rockies)

2004-2007 Rev. R. Tiongson

2007-2008 Rev. V. Ha

2008-2015 Rev. Bryan Frank

2015- Rev. Daniel Stevenot (St. Mary’s, Banff was reinstated as a parish)