OTHER FRENCH CENTRES

The absence of other neighboring French Canadian Catholic parishes would be inadmissible. These were all the result of the unceasing efforts of Father Morin. By 1910, the ten years cf arduous work had so impaired his health that he found himself obliged to abandon his work and take up lighter duties as curate at St. Jean de Malta — Quebec.

On the 3rd of June, 1902, all the western provinces were shocked by the news of the death of Mgr. Grandin. It must be remembered that he was responsible for the colonization movement that resulted in the establishing of Morinville.

But Morinville was not an isolated settlement. It was just one of a number of similar centres that have much the same history. Some of these are: Beaumont, 15 miles south of Edmonton; Rivière Qui Barre, 6 miles west of Morinville; Legal, 12 miles north of Morinville; Stony Plain, 20 miles west of Edmonton; and Lamoureux: 18 miles north of Edmonton.

Monsieur le Curé ETHIER

The announcement of Father Ethier as the new curate of Morinville was a source of rejoicing. He was a brother of Mr. Venant Ethier who lived in the parish of Morinville. He was the first secular priest ordained in the West. After his ordination, he took up duties at Morinville during the absence cf Father Jolicoeur who was sejourning in Quebec. On the latter’s return, he became curate of Beaumont, only to return shortly to replace Father Jolicoeur as the new curate of Morinville.

One of the first actions of Father Ethier was to bring in the Sisters to Morinville. The new settlers were justly desirous that their children receive an education similar to theirs. They desired the benefits of an education by a congregation of Sisters. To satisfy this crying need, Mgr. Grandin realized the plea of Father Ethier for the Sisters, and sent one of his priests, Father Jan, to France to try and find a congregation that would be willing to come over and shoulder the responsibilities of education in Morinville. On September 30th, 1902, Les Filles de Jésus arrived at St. Albert. From there, they were sent to various Catholic districts where their services were required. Finally, on January 21, 1904, the efforts of Father Ethier were crowned with success when four Sisters: Rev. Sister Marie Adeline, Sister Marie Tarcienne, Sister St. Nicolas Marie and Sister Entrape Marie arrived in Morinville.

They opened up classes on the ist of February with 60 pupils, 26 being boarders. There was no charge for boarders, who brought from home the necessary provisions for food for the week. On the 2nd of February, Father Ethier said mass at the school house. From that day on, the Sisters had the privilege of having the Blessed Sacrament in their home.

These good sisters, away from their native home, must have found it very strenuous and monotonous to work so far from the ones they had loved, and in a climate so difficult to get accustomed to. The confirmation of the children of the parish and a picnic after a religious celebration wrote “finis” to the first scholastic year by the Sisters.

In the next year the number of children increased to the promising figure of 80.

By 1909 the original colony of settlers had grown into a beautiful little town requiring the services of a mayor and six councillors to administer its affairs. It now had its own, stores, hotels, post-office, etc. Among its members were represented many proffessions as well as trades.

By 1902 it became apparent that the increasing growth of the town would necessitate a new church. But the usual barrier was money. Depending on providence, and the generosity of his parishioners, he went ahead with the plans of construction. The required $18,000 were gotten partly by loans and partly by donations.

The corner was laid on the present site in June, of 1907. It was a day of celebration. By the ist of January, 1908, the

church was completed. It was a wooden structure, 30 feet by torty, resting on a cement foundation. Official blessing and opening took place on the 29th of March. In that year Morinville was honoured by the visit of Father Morin. It was the occasion of one of the biggest celebrations ever held at Morinville. Many towns and cities throughout the west were represented. Father Morin received a welcome and ovation that he must have carried to the grave! The new town must have offered quite a different scene to that of the unbroken prairie he had visited 24 years previously.

By 1909 the ever increasing number of pupils taking advantages of the services of the good sisters made the building of a new convent imperative if the task they had so well begun was to continue. The new convent was an imposing edifice. It was completed by the 24th of May and placed under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.

The task of education has advanced steadily since its humble beginning. Since then the enrolment has been absorbed by 3 rooms in the old convent, i - e, the public school building, 2 rooms in the convent — this being aside from the enrolment at the convent proper.

On May, the 2nd 1919 the convent at Morinville was established as the Mother-House of that congregation in Alberta, independent of the Mother-House in Trois-Rivières.

In 1910 Morinville received its charter as a town and elected for its first mayor Monsieur Omer Saint-Germain. The present mayor is Mr. Forget, whose services in that capacity are recognized by all.

Monsieur le Curé GAUTHIER

The eight years of devotion and zeal of Father Ethier came to an end in 1912, when he answered the call of his superiors and took up duties as the new “Immigration Agent” replacing Father Morin. He himself was replaced by Father Gauthier, born in Ste-Croix, Quebec.

Father Gauthier’s first work was to renovate and repair the already battered church. A suitable home for the priests was provided in the construction of a new presbytery.

The convent, built nine years previously, was now too small to accommodate the large number seeking entrance. Conse-

quently, it was decided to add a new wing to the south of the oid convent. It was completed by the 20th of January 1920.

The personnel of the convent now consisted of 20 Sisters.

The good work of Father Gauthier came to an abrupt end on the 18th of October, 1921, when God claimed him for His own after three days of illness. His body rests in the present cemetery.

Mer Joseph-Maxime PILON

The vacancy left by the death of Father Gauthier was filled by Mgr. Pilon, from St. Louis de Gonzague, Quebec. Coming to Alberta in 1909, he was given duties in Lamoureux and Edson. He was then vicar to Mgr. Legal in Edmonton. Now he was called upon to lead a new flock — that at Morinville.

Monseigneur Pilon’s first work was to transform the bare and uninviting grounds around the Church building into beautiful grounds worthy of the work of the buildings they surrounded. Similar work in the beautifying of the cemetery accomplished equally marvelous results.

Both grounds are now an object of pride for Morinville parishioners.

Mer. Pilon proceeded with the work of beautifying the interior and exterior of the church. The addition of a pipe organ, ‘church bells, the decoration and renovation of the interior, the lining of the structure with bricks, all these were attributed to his zeal in making the building a worthy temple of God.

Much of his efforts were directed at the welfare of the education of his parishioners. In 1930 “Les Filles de Jésus” found themselves obliged to add another wing to their convent, this time on the north. The convent now had an enrolment exceeding 180. But the economic crisis since has done much to reduce temporarily that figure.

The scholastic achievements of the high school students have been a source of justified pride to their devoted teachers. From here have come over fifty teachers, many nurses and many religious vocations.

Among its proudest achievements is the forming of religious vocations, for that is primarily the work of “Les Filles de Jésus.” From its doors have emerged six priests. The three

following are pupils who were born and educated in Morinville. Rev. Père Desrochers, Trappiste. (Rev. Père Bockenfohr, Oblate) Rev. Père Gaudet, Oblate; Father Ricard, Bonnyville. The following were not resident of Morinville but attended the convent: Father Schitzler, Father Bérubé, Father Brière.

Among those having entered the congregation of Les Filles de Jésus are 14 former pupils, some six others having joined various orders.

In all, 48 pupils from the Morinville convent have embraced religious vocations.

Today Morinville is a decidedly French Canadian Catholic town, consisting of about 1500 pious souls, with practically everyone making it a sacred duty to perform his pascal duties. The number of communions averages between 30,000 to 35,000 annually. The daily total is about 100 to 150 increasing to over 300 during lent. A weekly hour of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament never fails to bring a large number. Evening prayers are said daily from Easter till October. The organization “Les Dames de Ste-Anne” has 130 ladies behind its banner.

All services are conducted in both languages, French and English, the latter being the medium used to convey the words of God to the large number of German speaking and smaller number of other nationalities. At times the service includes sermons in the German language.

German Settlers

(1891-1941) by Joseph Heppler

As the German Catholics of Morinville have since 1895 formed an important influence in the life and destinies of the parish, it may be well to chronicle the arrival in the parish of some of the earliest German Catholic settlers.

One of the earliest settlers in the parish, not of French- Canadian origin, was Mr. Michael Hittinger who with his two sons Nicholas and Peter came from Bottineau North Dakota in 1891.

As sometimes happens in the history of early settlements Mr. Michael Hittinger enjoyed a sort of patriarchal position amongst his French-Canadian neighbors for many years.

In the summer of 1889 Messrs. George Muller, Jacob Muller, Lorenz Byer and Walter Brennhofer came in from Calgary with their families with a single ox team, who in their quest for homesteads stopped at the Mission at St. Albert and were cordially received as Catholic settlers by His Grace Bishop Vital Grandin and directed to homesteads in Township 56, Range 26, W4., which was immediately North of the area set apart for the settlement of French-Canadians of the parish. Also an early settler was Mr. Gerard Juchmes who came from Weenatchie, Washington, in 1893 and homesteaded near Roseridge School on the Southeastern fringe of the parish and who lived in Morinville for many years. Mr. William Kieser with his sons William, Joseph and Carl came from Weenatchie, Washington, in 1895; his younger sons John, Leonard and Herman were born in Morinville.

But the whole country North of St. Albert, which was then known as the Egg Lake country, was just a huge checker-board, as the C.P.R. owned one-half of the land excepting the school sections in such a way that a C.P.R. section always adjoined a homestead section. This C.P.R. land could be bought for $3.00 per acre and was every bit as good as the land open for homesteading.

In 1895 a considerable influx of German Catholic settlers from the United States took place, who began buying C.P.R. land. Mr. Mathias Heppler and his son J. C. Heppler, Mr. John Gross, Mr. John Ecker and his two sons Albert and John, Mr. John Stemper and family, Mr. Herman Iseke, Mr. August Kramps, Mr. John Lutz and his two sons Valentine and Christian arrived in this year. Mr. Mathias Heppler bought C.P.R. land for several neighbors from Zell, South Dakota, who arrived later, namely Messrs. John Salzl and Anton Zettle. Mr. Wenceslas Schuster and his three sons Carl, John and Conrad arrived in 1896; in this year Mr. John Ecker bought the old Mission Ranch from the Oblates at St. Albert, being the quarter section right East of the town of Morinville.

In 1899 Mr. Theodore Iseke arrived in the parish, also Mr. Mathias Steffes and his sons Joseph Ferdinand, Anthony and Alva. Mr. Steffes bought a large tract of land from the Mission at St. Albert, being the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate,

whose members had homesteaded same, for the same price as C.P.R. land.

His Grace Biphop Grandin and his successor Archbishop Legal were greatly interested in the filling up of the empty C.P.R. sections and were delighted at the arrival of so many Catholic settlers within the parish of St. Jean Baptiste.

Also one of the earliest settlers within the area of the Morinville district was Mr. Schnitzler, whose son Reverend Father M. J. Schnitzier received his training at the Seminary of the Oblates at St. Albert and who is now stationed at Spring Lake, Alta. In 1903 additional German Catholic settllers arrived; they were mostly from the Province of Westphalia, Germany, although some came via the United States, and were Mr. John Bokenfohr and his two married sons William and Joseph, and his two younger sons Fred and August. Rev. Father John Bokenfohr, O.M.I., Provincial of the Oblates and rector of St. Mary’s church at Regina, Sask., belongs to this large family. Father Bokenfohr received some of his elementary education at Morinville and his higher training at the Juniorate at Edmonton.

New arrivals in 1905 were Messrs. J. Volmer, John Shafers, Fred Kaup, Joseph Shafers and Herman Shafers; Mr. John Brenneis also arrived in this year with his sons Otto, Roy and Edward, his younger sons William and Frank were born in Morinville.

All these later settlers purchased privately owned lands as all the C.P.R. land was gone.

These are the names of the early German Catholic settlers of the parish of St. Jean Baptiste of Morinville; many of them have passed on but their descendants have increased and pros- Lered.

It is only just that one should chronicle the names of the missionaries who administered to the religious wants of the early German-Catholic settlers, for it must be said that although they have gone through difficult times practically none have left the faith. The first missionary was Rev. Father Norman, O.M.L, a native of Lorraine, who was stationed at the Mission at St. Albert. The early German Catholic settlers contributed together and purchased a horse for him, and with this and a jumper loaned by the Mission he came to Morinville once a month to hear confessions and give a short German sermon. Father Norman is still warmly remembered by the few settlers

MEMORIES ARE CHERISHED TREASURES. IN DIFFICULT AND CRITICAL TIMES THEY BECOME WELL-SPRINGS OF CREATIVE ENERGY.To STORE THEM WITHIN A BOOK’S FOL- DED PAGES IS A RARE PRIV- ILEGE FOR A COMMUNITY.

WE WISH TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR HAVING BEEN ABLE to ASSIST in MAK- ING THE MORINVILLE BOOK OF SOUVENIRS POSSIBLE.

DELIVERIES LIMITED