Lac La Biche - History - Religious Communities

Education/Schools/Students | Nuns | Oblates

OBLATES

Fathers O.M.I.

This document records the names of a few of the priests who served at Lac La Biche Mission, and it notes some of their accomplishments.

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Father Jean-Baptiste Thibault, O.M.I.

Father Thibault was born at Levis, Quebec on December 14, 1810. He studied at the College of Levis and the Seminary of Quebec. His ordination by Bishop Provencher was on September 8, 1833 in St. Boniface. Father Thibault was a Professor at Saint Boniface College from 1833 to 1838. From 1838 to 1840, he was Pastor at St. François-Xavier. In June of 1842, Father Thibault came to Fort Edmonton and, with his guide, Gabriel Dumont, traveled the areas to the south and west, including Pigeon Lake, Hobbema, Gull Lake and Rocky Mountain House. In 1843, he returned to St. Boniface only to be back in Edmonton two years later to establish a mission at Fort Pitt, not far from Frog Lake. It was here that he instructed families and baptized children from Cold Lake, Lac La Biche and surrounding areas. He then returned to St. Boniface and it was at this time that he joined Father Bourassa and worked together for the next eight years. Back in the Edmonton area, it was Father Thibault who renamed Manito Sakahigon as Lac Ste-Anne. Father Thibault returned to Fort Pitt in 1844. With 78 year old Joseph Cardinal as his guide, Father Thibault walked to Lac La Biche where he gave instruction to forty families…

Father René Remas, O.M.I.
Row D No. 23

Born in France, June 1, 1823; died in St. Albert, Alberta, July 10, 1901.

Entered Oblate Order, 1850, his theological studies almost complete. Ordained to holy priesthood in Marseille, France, by Oblate Founder, Eugene de Mazenod, O.M.I., bishop of Marseille, March 27, 1852.

Volunteered for and sent to Western Canada, 1852.

Father Rémas was a "traveling" missionary: St. Boniface, one year; Lac La Biche, Alberta, 1853-55 and Lac St. Anne, Alberta, 1855-68. He visited Indian settlements, or camps, at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt, all in 1854. In 1856, he visited other tribes at Fort Jasper, Alberta; made three trips to The Prairie, an indefinite area in Central Alberta, probably with Métis on a buffalo hunt, 1856-64; four trips to Lesser Slave Lake (Grouard), Alberta, 1860-64. Also Edmonton.

Resident priest in Lac La Biche, 1869-72; first resident priest in Grouard, 1872-74; in Lac La Biche, 1874-77. Then in Calgary; St. Albert, 1878-83; Rivière-qui-Barre, Alberta, Onion Lake, Saskatchewan, St. Albert, with missions at Stony Plain, Winterburn, Rivière-qui-Barre during 1885, 1893-94, and Edmonton, 1895.

Traveled to Montreal for medical treatment; returned to St. Joachim, Edmonton; Hobbema, Calgary, St. Albert, 1900-01.

Has several Cree publications to his credit.

Father Victor Le Goff, O.M.I.
Row A No. 19

Born in France, December 23, 1874; died in St. Albert, Alberta, February 26, 1960.

Entered Oblate Order in Holland, 1893. Ordained a priest in Liege, Belgium, September 23, 1899. Volunteered for Indian missions of Western Canada.

Studied Cree language in St. Albert; teacher one year at minor seminary there, 1901-02. Ministered to whites at Fort Macleod, Alberta, at St. Joachim Parish, Edmonton, to mixed peoples in Lac La Biche, Alberta, 1903-27. Also in charge of boarding school there; was postmaster and government agent for lands and homesteads.

Ministered to North Battleford, Saskatchewan and district Indians, to Saddle Lake, Alberta Crees, 1927-31; principal of Indian residential school in Delmas, Saskatchewan; missionary at Cochin, Saskatchewan, 1927-39.

Recovered from a stroke, he served the Cold Lake Montagnais, and Rivière-qui-Barre Crees, 1940-42; at Duck Lake Indian School, Blue Quills Indian School, St. Paul, Alberta in 1942-45; at Aldina, Saskatchewan; Lac St. Anne.

In 1950, now 76 years old, he retired in St. Albert, and lived another ten years in peace, quiet and prayer.

Father Albert Lacombe, O.M.I.

Father Lacombe was born on February 28, 1827, at St. Sulpice. He studied at Assumption College and was ordained at St. Hyacinth in 1849. His early service sent him to St. Paul, Minnesota, St. Boniface and eventually Edmonton. In 1852, he joined forces with Father Bourassa who was preaching retreats to the Métis. Father Lacombe arrived in Lac La Biche to preach a retreat there, but difficulty with the language found him in Fort Edmonton the following year studying the Cree language with Colin Faser.

in 1854, Father Lacombe found Father Remas in a run down condition at the Mission at Lac La Biche and brought him back to Lac St. Anne. Bishop Taché arrived to visit his territory and saw the good work being done by Father Lacombe.

In 1855, Father Lacombe's desire to become an Oblate member was approved by the Superior General and Father Remas became his Master of Novices. He pronounced his vows as an Oblate on September 28, 1856. From that time on, the Mission of Lac St. Anne passed into the control of the Oblate Order.

Many extensive biographies of Father Lacombe testify to the man's devotion and service to man and God. He died on December 12, 1916, and was buried in St. Albert.

Father Henri Grandin, O.M.I.
Row C No. 25

Born in France, May 19, 1853. Nephew of saintly Bishop Vital Grandin. Died in Paris, February 16, 1923 and buried in France.

Accompanied Bishop Grandin to Canada as a student. Entered Oblate Order in Lachine, P.Q., 1874. Ordained a priest in St. Albert, November 30,-1875.

Director of Minor Seminary of Holy Family in St. Albert, 1875-80; of Lac St. Anne, 1880-83; first resident pastor of Edmonton's first parish, St. Joachim, 1883-89. Visited Lamoureux opposite Fort Saskatchewan, 1887.

Missionary at Lac-la-Biche, 1889-97; at Saddle Lake Indian Reserve,1897-1901 and 1902-03. Interim Parish Priest in St. Paul, 1901-02; in Lac-la-Biche again, 1903-05.

Provincial Superior of all Oblates in Southern and Central Alberta, Central and Northern Saskatchewan, 1906-23.

Permitted founding of Junior College in Pincher Creek, 1908, which was transferred to Edmonton, 1910, and became the cradle of over 100 missionaries from and for the West. It was commonly referred to by all of us students as St. John's Juniorate. It became, in 1943, Collège St. Jean. Now, since 1975, the college has become the ‘Faculté Saint-Jean’ of the University of Alberta.

Founded the Oblate Mary Immaculate Scholasticate or Major Seminary for Oblates and Secular Priests, just north of actual St. Joachim Church, 1917; transferred to Lebret, Saskatchewan, 1927, and property in Edmonton sold to archdiocese to become St. Joseph's Seminary.

Bishop Vital Grandin, O.M.I.

Born at St. Pierre-sur-Orthe February 8, 1829, he studied at the Seminary of Precigne and the Foreign Mission Seminary in Paris but ceased due to illness. Then he entered the Oblate order and was ordained April 24, 1853. He went west August 1, 1854, and was sent to Île-à-la-Crosse. He was named Coadjutor 1857-1871, then transferred to the See of St. Albert, 1871-1902. As Coadjutor, he traveled all the way to the Arctic by dogsled at times being lost and at the point of death. As bishop, he did welcome priests who wanted to serve in his vast diocese. During the Riel Rebellion of 1885, he sought to keep the Indians and Métis at peace in Alberta. In1885, he started the Minor Seminary of St.
Albert to promote vocations. He died June 3, 1902.

GRANDIN, Vital Justin, Roman Catholic bishop of St Albert, born in St Pierre-la-Cour, France 8 Feb 1829; died in St. Albert, Alberta 3 June 1902. As a pioneering Oblate missionary of the Canadian West, he became the first bishop of the then vast and newly created diocese of St. Albert in 1871. Wholly dedicated to bringing Roman Catholicism to the Indians and the Métis, he worked despite great hardships to develop the missions. In 1875, he lobbied the Canadian government for funding to aid agriculture, education and health care. During the 1885 North-West Rebellion, he advocated moderation and "obedience" to the Canadian authorities. His cause for sainthood was introduced at Rome in 1937. –Louise Zuk

By the mid-1980s, causes had been introduced in Rome for 10 others, of whom one, Bishop Vital Justin Grandin of St. Albert (1829-1902) has been declared venerable. Also from the Edmonton area was Brother Anthony Kowalczyk, O.M.I. (1866-1947); from The Pas, Manitoba, Bishop Ovide Charlebois (1862-1933), apostolic vicar of Keewatin. From Montreal were those of Mother Émilie Gamelin (1800-51), founder of the Sisters of Providence; Jeanne Mance (1606-73), a driving force in the founding of Ville-Marie; and Mother Marie-Anne, (nee Marie-Esther Sureau,…

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