St. Joseph's Basilica, Edmonton

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building_name=Saint Joseph's Basilica


location=Edmonton, Canada
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religious_affiliation=Roman Catholic
district=Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
status=Basilica
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website= [http://www.stjosephbasilica.com/ stjosephbasilica.com]
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year_completed=1963
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St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica is a minor basilica in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The basilica, located just west of the downtown core is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and is one of the largest churches in Edmonton. It is the only basilica in Alberta.

Of architectural note are the 60 stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Old and the New Testaments and from the church's connection to St. Albert, the first diocese in Alberta.

=Church history [http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view2?CONTENT_ID=1825 "St. Joseph's Basilica worshipping tradition and patience"] - Lawrence Herzog, It's Our Heritage, "Real Estate Weekly"] =

The history of St. Joseph's began in 1913. At the time the city's main Franco-Albertan church, St. Joachim’s, was no longer able to cope with the booming population of English speaking parishioners. A large basement was excavated and concrete was poured. The new church would function as a crypt church from this time until the building was finally completed in 1963.

Construction of the church was halted until 1924 due to the Great War.

In 1917, St. Joseph's became a separate parish when the English speaking and French speaking parishioners at St. Joachim’s were given their own parishes. The French speakers remained at St. Joachim's. The English speakers moved to St. Joseph's.

Construction resumed in 1924, and Archbishop Henry O'Leary designated the unfinished St. Joseph's as the cathedral for the diocese.

Construction was again halted during the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War.

Planning for a new design began in 1954.

Construction of the church was finally completed and the building officially opened on May 1, 1963, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

St. Joseph's Cathedral was named a minor basilica shortly before Pope John Paul II visited Edmonton in 1984. This was in part because of the papal visit and part in recognition of the missionaries and pioneers who came to the Edmonton area bringing about growth in people's faithFact|date=March 2008.

Today, St. Joseph's Basilica is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton.

As the seat of the archdiocese, it is the church of the archbishop. Since its completion and dedication in 1963 it has seen the service and leadership of four archbishops including the late Archbishop Anthony Jordan, retired Archbishop Joseph MacNeil, Archbishop Thomas Collins, and presently, Archbishop Richard William Smith.

Other

In its early years, the cathedral parish was an unofficial training ground for the Canadian hierarchy. Three former rectors and an associate pastor became bishops: Msgr. James McGuigan was named archbishop of Regina, later archbishop of Toronto and Canada's first English-speaking cardinal; Msgr. C.J. Nelligan became bishop of Pembroke, Ont.; Father Edward Jennings, auxiliary bishop of Vancouver, later of Fort William, Ont.; Msgr. Michael O'Neill, archbishop of Regina, and Father Emmett Doyle, bishop of Nelson.

St. Joseph, which seats 1,100 peopleFact|date=March 2008, is one of the two minor basilicas in Western Canada—the other is in the St. Boniface Archdiocese in Winnipeg.

Though sometimes people complainWho|date=March 2008 it is difficult to find parking, Sunday Masses at the basilica are almost always packed because of its beautiful liturgiesPOV-statement|date=March 2008.

On weekdays this is the only church in the city where Mass is celebrated twice. It welcomes two sets of worshippers. At noon it welcomes people, some of them on their lunch break from work, to take a pause and pray. Towards the end of the day at 5:30 p.m. it becomes a refuge for souls wanting to thank and praise God for another dayFact|date=March 2008.

Before the afternoon daily Mass, the people communally recite and meditate on the mysteries of the rosary while the basilica priests wait at the confessionals for repentant souls.

Associate pastor, Father Joselito Cantal takes joy in celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation with people. "This ministry is one way that we can deeply touch people's lives," he saidFact|date=March 2008.

Archbishop Thomas Collins leads a regular vespers and Lectio Divina, prayerful reading of the Bible.

Every Friday there is a holy hour and on first Fridays people gather for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The basilica is also one of the few churches in Edmonton, perhaps the only one, that still rings its bell for the Angelus.

Upon entering into the church one can never fail to notice more than 60 stained glass windowsPOV-statement|date=March 2008, depicting the rich heritage of the Old and the New Testament as well as its connection to St. Albert, the first diocese in Alberta and forerunner of the present archdiocese.

For almost three decades the basilica was known as the church without locksFact|date=March 2008. It was open 24 hours providing a sacred space for worship and quiet prayers while its pews gave refuge to the tired bodies of homeless people. However, in the early 1980s, the church without locks had to close at night. The number of people attending perpetual adoration declined while on the morning of Feb. 28, 1980 an arsonist set the altar and crucifix on fire, causing smoke and water damage to the whole building. It was the darkest hour in its history. To remove soot and smell, all the stones inside the church had to be scrubbed. Its prized possession, the Casavant Brothers organ, was sent to Quebec for cleaning and repairs. Clean up and repair costs reached $250,000.Fact|date=March 2008

It also had its share of fame when parishioners shrugged off the controversy and international publicity surrounding the wedding of hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky to actress Janet Jones, both non-Catholics. About a hundred people objected to the ceremony being held at the basilica but many more applauded the Church's openness. In a story written by then-WCR editor Frank Dolphin, Father Mike McCaffery was quoted, "I received about 2,000 calls and letters in favour."Fact|date=March 2008

Father Len Gartner took over as rector of the basilica in July 2001. The last time he served at St. Joseph's was in the mid-1960s when he was just one year fresh out of the seminary.

"We couldn't believe that our cathedral was going up in smoke."- Frances CoverFact|date=March 2008When he was asked to return to St. Joseph's, Gartner remembers feeling "nervous, afraid perhaps of not being able to provide the needed leadership of such a large parish."

"You worry about that. But I was excited to be coming home… I was honoured and pleased they would consider my gift back here again," he told the WCR more than a year ago.

The parish remains a training ground but now not only for the clergy but for lay leaders as well. Its RCIA program is known in Western Canada. Sister Annata Brockman's expertise in welcoming new Catholics to the Church is sought and admired by manyPOV-statement|date=March 2008..

Because of the primacy of this church in the archdiocese, events like the Chrism Mass and Rite of Election are annually held, with representatives from different parishes in attendance.

It has also witnessed many ordinations of priests, weddings, baptisms, funerals and other celebrations.

Daisy Wilson's two sons and two daughters were all baptized at this church. A member of the Catholic Women's League, she has always been involved in the parish life. "It is like my second home," she told the WCRFact|date=March 2008.

Frances Cover, 93, was baptized at St. Joachim Church, built in 1891, but she is one of St. Joseph's oldest parishioners.

In 1917, St. Joseph's Parish came into being by a separation of the English and the French parishioners of St. Joachim.

"I worked in the church all my life," Cover said. "We've been blessed with good clergy all the time and we're lucky to have a good administration."

She worked at the sacristy, keeping the altar and looking after the place. Cover still remembers the fire in 1980. "We were so flabbergasted. We couldn't believe that our cathedral was going up in smoke."

Notable persons associated with St. Josephs

* Archbishop Henry O'Leary
* Archbishop Anthony Jordan
* Archbishop Joseph MacNeil
* Archbishop Thomas Collins
* Archbishop Richard William Smith
* James McGuigan
* C.J. Nelligan
* Edward Jennings
* Michael O'Neill
* Father Emmett Doyle

ee also

* Archdiocese of Edmonton

References