Date

Event

1860

School house built on east side of Red River -  just opposite our present parish

1860 - September 8

Official blessing of the building

Two Grey Nuns  assist and are in residence at the school from Monday to Friday

1860-61

During  the winter the Nuns make preparations for a little chapel in the school

1861 - April 4

First Mass is celebrated by Archbishop Tache

Mission is placed under the patronage of St Vital

Mass is now celebrated twice a week

1885 - November 17 - Tuesday

Bishop Dugas celebrates a memorial Mass for the repose of the soul of Louis Riel (hung on the previous day in Regina)

1887

School and Chapel close for no apparent reason

1897-  September 21

Mission is re-opened on the West side of the Red River

Honourable Solomon Hamelin offers his property to the nuns as a residence and chapel

Firmin Hamelin’s house becomes the school – referred to as Grandin School

Chapels are known as St Vital

The property was in the area now known as 934 Crescent Drive

1897 – September 23 - Thursday

Mass offered in the chapel for the first time – 68 people in attendance

1897 – September 30

Mass offered in the school – 80 people in attendance

1901 – conflicting history 1938

3^rd Grandin school is built – two room frame construction on east side of Pembina

A small chapel was in a recess in the wall of one of the classrooms

Confessions heard every Thursday – Mass celebrated on Fridays by the Oblate Frs

1912

4^th Grandin school is built – in the same area, on the east side of Pembina Hwy

It is a large brick building – which serves the community well

1912 – August 1

Redemptorist Frs take over the Mission

1913 - fall

They begin to prepare the papers for the canonical designation for the Parish

1912 - 1914

Redemptorists acquire 2 acres of land from Mr Chevrier (once the property of Solomon Hamelin) hoping to build a monastery

The Grey nuns purchase 6 acres “on the West side” of Pembina with intentions of building a convent

1914 – January 5

Canonical papers are delivered to the Redemptorists

Build a church of frame construction on Manahan

1914 – June 3

First recorded burial in new parochial cemetery – Mme Anastasie Nault

1915

Municipality of Fort Garry is established

Grandin School functions as part of the public school system

1915

Archdiocese of Winnipeg is proclaimed

Fr Lietaert is placed in charge of the parish

1916 – August 20

Redemptorist Frs leave the Parish

1917 - summer

Grey Nuns leave the Parish

And sell their property

1917

Fr Dumoulin arrives

1918

Fr Caisse takes his place

And helps establish the Dames de Ste Anne

1919 – September 19

Fr Jacques Bertrand arrives

1919 - 1922

Fr Bertrand moves part of the 3^rd wood frame schoolhouse to the parish lot as his residence (conflicting history on this – 1938)

Later buys a property across from the church on Manahan and builds a small frame structure 20x20 to live in

Bishop Sinnott tries to raise money to build a proper rectory for the parish, but fails

1922 - 1929

Fr Bertrand is moved from the parish due to inadequate housing

Parish becomes a Mission of Selkirk

1927 – June 29

CWL is organized in the Parish with affiliation with the Dames de Ste Anne

1927 - 29

Fr Bertrand enters negotiations with Municipal Council regarding parish cemetery

Cemetery is inaccessible in wet weather and needs a good road built to connect it to the Parish – council decides that it is more cost efficient to exchange property with the Parish- so the cemetery is relocated to the present site on the banks of the Red River

1929 – spring

Permission is granted through the courts to remove the bodies to the new location

1929 – October

Fr Bertrand leaves the parish and Msgr Cournoyer succeeds him

1930 – September 27 – December 15

Additional land for the parish is acquired and 2 lots are purchased from the Redemptorists to build a rectory

1931 – January 6

Rectory is blessed

1931 – later in the year

Msgr Cournoyer moves into the Parish

1934

New cross is placed in the cemetery (work of Mr. J.B. Corbeil of the parish)

1934 – September 4

Cemetery is consecrated by His grace Archbishop Sinnott and the cross is blessed

1938 – October 16 to 19

St Vital celebrates its Silver Jubilee of the canonical designation of the Parish