Vicariate Apostolic of Keewatin
Encyclopedia
The Vicariate Apostolic of Keewatin was a Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction in northern Canada (see Keewatin proper) which included the northern half of the Province of Saskatchewan
, and was bounded on the north by the Arctic regions, on the south by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface
, on the east by Temiskaming Vicariate, and on the west by the Diocese of St Albert and the Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca
.
, and a few whites, was first visited by pioneer missionaries in the nineteenth century, when Mgr. Provencher, Bishop of St. Boniface, sent Abbé Thibault to Île-à-la-Crosse (1845), Abbé Louis-Francois Richer Lafleche
(later Bishop of Three Rivers) to explore the Cumberland district (1846), and Father Taché, O.M.I. (later Archbishop of St. Boniface), to join Lafleche at Ile-à-la-Crosse (1846), and thence visit Lake Caribou (1847). These and surrounding missions were subsequently served by Oblates of the Manitoba
or Alberta
-Saskatchewan Provinces.
Prominent among these since 1887 has been the Rev. Ovide Charleboix whose administrative capacities, proved during sixteen years' ministry at Fort Cumberland, led in 1900 to his nomination as Visitor
of the Cumberland District Indian Missions, in 1903, to his appointment as director of Duck Lake Indian Industrial school, and in 1910 to his preconization as titular Bishop
of Berenice
and Vicar Apostolic of Keewatin, with residence at Le Pas
.
There were in the vicariate in the early 20th century 15 Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate, 8 Oblate Brothers of Mary Immaculate, 12 Grey Nuns
(Montreal), 16 Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Mary Immaculate (St. Boniface), 4 more Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth), 10 churches with 16 out-stations; 11,000 Indians, Montagnais, Cree
and Eskimo
, of whom 7000 were Catholics and 5000 non-Catholics or pagans (chiefly Esquimaux). Indian boarding schools at Norway House (Oblate Sisters, 20 pupils), Lac Laplonge [Grey Nuns (Montreal), 50 pupils], a general hospital at Le Pas [Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth), 25 beds], a Catholic (French-English) school at Le Pas [Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth)].
It was renamed and promoted Metropolitan See of Keewatin-Le Pas
in 1967; its archbishop now has an ecclesiastical province with three suffragan bishop
s in Churchill-Baie d'Hudson, Labrador City-Schefferville, and Moosonee.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and was bounded on the north by the Arctic regions, on the south by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Manitoba. It is currently led by Archbishop Albert LeGatt....
, on the east by Temiskaming Vicariate, and on the west by the Diocese of St Albert and the Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca
Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca
The Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface in Canada.This Vicariate Apostolic was erected in 1862 during the papacy of Pius IX. It is located in the North-West Territories. The first vicar Apostolic was Bishop Henri Faraud. He was...
.
History
The generally barren and uninteresting country, possessing some timber and mineral resources but sparsely inhabited by Indians, MétisMétis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, and a few whites, was first visited by pioneer missionaries in the nineteenth century, when Mgr. Provencher, Bishop of St. Boniface, sent Abbé Thibault to Île-à-la-Crosse (1845), Abbé Louis-Francois Richer Lafleche
Louis-François Richer Laflèche
Louis-François Laflèche, , was a Catholic bishop of the diocese of Trois-Rivières, in the province of Quebec, Canada.-Early life and career:...
(later Bishop of Three Rivers) to explore the Cumberland district (1846), and Father Taché, O.M.I. (later Archbishop of St. Boniface), to join Lafleche at Ile-à-la-Crosse (1846), and thence visit Lake Caribou (1847). These and surrounding missions were subsequently served by Oblates of the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
or Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
-Saskatchewan Provinces.
Prominent among these since 1887 has been the Rev. Ovide Charleboix whose administrative capacities, proved during sixteen years' ministry at Fort Cumberland, led in 1900 to his nomination as Visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
of the Cumberland District Indian Missions, in 1903, to his appointment as director of Duck Lake Indian Industrial school, and in 1910 to his preconization as 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 Berenice
Berenice
Berenice or Berenike is the Ancient Macedonian form for Attic Greek Φερενίκη , meaning "bearer of victory", from φέρω "to bear" + νίκη "victory". Berenika priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC is the oldest epigraphical evidence. The name also has the form Bernice...
and Vicar Apostolic of Keewatin, with residence at Le Pas
Le Pas
Le Pas is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France....
.
There were in the vicariate in the early 20th century 15 Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate, 8 Oblate Brothers of Mary Immaculate, 12 Grey Nuns
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
(Montreal), 16 Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Mary Immaculate (St. Boniface), 4 more Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth), 10 churches with 16 out-stations; 11,000 Indians, Montagnais, Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
, of whom 7000 were Catholics and 5000 non-Catholics or pagans (chiefly Esquimaux). Indian boarding schools at Norway House (Oblate Sisters, 20 pupils), Lac Laplonge [Grey Nuns (Montreal), 50 pupils], a general hospital at Le Pas [Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth), 25 beds], a Catholic (French-English) school at Le Pas [Grey Nuns (St. Hyacinth)].
It was renamed and promoted Metropolitan See of Keewatin-Le Pas
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Keewatin–Le Pas is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes parts of the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and has the suffragan dioceses of Churchill-Baie d'Hudson, Labrador City-Schefferville, and the Moosonee...
in 1967; its archbishop now has an ecclesiastical province with three suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
s in Churchill-Baie d'Hudson, Labrador City-Schefferville, and Moosonee.