Welcome to the site of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans. We are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of over three thousand members, founded in 1703. Our missions are spread worldwide. While we may be found involved in many diverse ministries, we have dedicated ourselves to working with the poor and in those situations where the Church has difficulty in finding ministers. We hope you enjoy your visit to our site and that while browsing you will keep us in your prayers. May God bless you.

History History History History Some Milestones in the life of our Congregation, worldwide and in CANADA History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History History   1703 François Poullart des Places, a French nobleman and lawyer, founds a seminary in Paris for poor theology students, out of which the "Congregation of the Holy Ghost" develops. Members of the new congregation are called "Spiritans" and worked in many areas of the world 1732 First Spiritan in Canada (Fr de la Mothe in Quebec) 1791 Up to this date, 22 French Spiritans had worked in St Pierre & Miquelon and Acadia (Canada) as missionaries to the Indians or as seminary professors in Quebec City, but after this date, with the gradual establishment of the British Colony, the Spiritans, as missionaries from France and staunch supporters of the Native Peoples, were expelled from mainland Canada, They continued to work on the St Pierre and Miquelon Islands. 1841 Francis Libermann, a Jewish convert, founds the "Missionary Society of the Holy Heart of Mary". 1848 Libermann unites his Congregation with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost 1905 The Spiritans return to mainland Canada when Fr Amet Limbour opened L'Institut Colonial Franco-Canada and became himself the founder of the present Quebec-centred French~speaking Province du Canada. 1912 Opening of a Seminaire des Missions and College St Alexandre at Hull, Quebec 1923 First ordination of a Canadian-born Spiritan (Fr Edward Briault) 1954 Spiritans from Ireland open up at Woodstock, Ontario in English speaking Canada, a new foundation which was originally called the District of Ontario 1956 Holy Rosary Parish opened in Guelph, Ontario 1958 Neil McNeil High School founded in Toronto 1962 First English speaking Canadians to join the District of Ontario Professed in Ridgefield, Connecticut) 1963 First House of Formation for the District (Park Crest Drive, Toronto) 1964 Spiritans move west to Edmonton,Alberta 1965 Opening of Archbishop MacDonald High School, Edmonton.The Formation Programme is moved to Pickering, Ontario 1966 Holy Spirit Parish opened in Edmonton, Alberta 1967 Five Spiritans at work at Archbishop MacDonald HighSchool. Missionary outreach to Brazil (Fr S. Meagher). First outreach to the Native Peoples (Cree) of Alberta 1969 First Hospital Chaplaincy, St Joseph's, Hamilton (Fr J. Breen, RIP) 1969-71 Six new parishes, 4 in Alberta, 2 in Ontario (West Hill and Port Elgin) 1970 Second Hospital Chaplaincy, St Joseph's, Dundas 1971 Volunteer International Christian Service (VICS) founded by Fr Des McGoldrick 1973-83 Spiritans join the Calgary diocese in a mission outreach to Malawi, Central Africa, where at one time, five Spiritans and two Calgary Diocesan priests teamed together 1973 Opening of Cardinal Newman High School. Pre-novitiate Programme expanded with residences in Toronto and Edmonton 1974 Beginnings of the Lay Spiritan Association in Ontario. First (VICS) Spiritan Mission Institute in Toronto. Chaplaincy, York University, Toronto 1975 Caribbean Centre (Cari-To) opened in Toronto. Chaplaincy, McMaster University. Opening of Libermann High School, Toronto. Mission outreach to Kenya (Fr P. Boran). First Parish in British Columbia at Coquitlam (Fr D. McGoldrick) 1976 The District of Ontario becomes the Province of Trans Canada (Decision of the General Council, Rome, February 2, 1976). Beginnings of pastoral work among the Portuguese of Toronto and Hamilton 1977 Mission outreach to Nigeria (Fr G. McCarthy). Opening of an International Spiritan Novitiate at Farnham, Quebec. 1978 First outreach to the Native Peoples of Osnaburgh, Ontario 1980 Regina Pacis High School opened in Toronto. TransCanada Province begins mission work in Papua New Guinea (Frs B. Kelly and C. Corrigan) 1981 Neil McNeil Residence becomes the centre of the House of Spiritan Formation programme (Laval House) 1982 Ordination of the first Canadian member of the Province (Fr Pat Callaghan).  1984 Spiritan '84. Large gathering of Spiritan students from North American and Caribbean region. 1985 First English Canadian Spiritan students sent to Papua New Guinea (P. McAuley & N. Shank). 1988 Three ordinations for TransCanada Province. 1989 Five TransCanada Spiritans working in Papua New Guinea. 1991 Provincial Chapter. Silver Jubilee of Holy Spirit Parish in Edmonton. Brottier House, a place of welcome for refugees, opened in Toronto. 1995 New initiative in ministry undertaken - Prison Chaplaincy (Fr. P. Callaghan). 1996 Opening of the new Laval House in Toronto, new residence combined with Provincial offices. 1997 Lay Spiritans dispersed due to new undertakings. Lay Spiritans now in Toronto, Winnipeg, Sioux Lookout and Hamilton. 1998 40th Anniversary of Neil McNeil High School. Restructuring - Spiritans pull out of St. Rita's Parish, Woodstock and out of Holy Spirit Parish, Edmonton. A time for sadness and reflection. New initiatives taken in Australia (Frs. Neal Shank & Pat Doran). 1999 Spiritans pull out of Holy Rosary Parish, Guelph. 2000 We are thankful for the past, but look to the future with hope. 2002 Feb. 2, 150th anniversary of Libermann's death. 2002 April 12, 200th anniversary of Libermann's birth. 2003 May 27, 300th anniversary of the Spiritans. 2003 June 8, Pentecost Sunday - Close of the Spiritan Year

The Spiritans in North America and the Caribbean