We are a welcoming community centered in the Eucharist, striving to live and share the Good News and grow in discipleship with the Lord. We welcome anyone in the Innisfail area to join us in worship.

Mission Statement: “We, the Family of God in Our Lady of Peace Parish – a Eucharistic Community, exist to praise and serve our God by living our call to proclaim the Gospel.”

Most holy and immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, being his Mother, you shared in his universal kingship. The prophets and angels proclaimed him King of peace. With loving fervor in our hearts, we salute and honor you as Queen of peace.

We pray that your intercession may protect us and all people from hated and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice which your Son taught and exemplified. We ask your maternal care for our Holy Father who works to reconcile the nations in peace. We seek your guidance for our President and other leaders as they strive for world peace.

Glorious Queen of peace, grant us peace in our hearts, harmony in our families, and concord throughout the world. Immaculate Mother, as patroness of our beloved country, watch over us and protect us with your motherly love. Amen.

Our Lady of Peace Parish

OUR PARISH HISTORY

In 1904, Father Henri Voisin and Paul Chauvin, priests of St. Marie de Tinchebray, took up residence in the old Innisfail Hotel. Father Voisin made visits on horseback over an area of approximately 25 miles radius, which included Red Deer and Olds.

Mass was celebrated in homes until the first church was built in 1905. It was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Emile Legal, MMI of St. Albert in honour of Louis, King of France on July 21, 1907. This building now converted to a dwelling stands at 4828 – 47th Street. Some families at that time had come directly from France. Sister Emile of St. Joseph’s convent in Red Deer is the daughter of Emile Hermany who built the church. Other families were the Leroughers and Becarts. Mrs. Margaret Wilson, (Nee St. Denis), was one of the original Innisfail families. She helped in the building and supplied many reminiscences of the early years.

The Blessed Virgin Mary

The month of May  is the “month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady,” and it is the occasion for a “moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world [pay] to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God’s mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance” (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1).

This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century. In this way, the Church was able to Christianize the secular feasts which were wont to take place at that time. In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered this devotion.

The practice became especially popular among the members of the Jesuit Order — by 1700 it took hold among their students at the Roman College and a bit later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From there it spread to the whole Church.

The practice was granted a partial indulgence by Pius VII in 1815 and a plenary indulgence by Pius IX in 1859. With the complete revision of indulgences in 1966 and the decreased emphasis on specific indulgences, it no longer carries an indulgence; however it certainly falls within the category of the First General Grant of Indulgences. (A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding — even if only mentally — some pious invocation.

Excerpted from Enchiridion of Indulgences.

Father Curtis Berube

Father Curtis grew up in the Edmonton area, on an acreage near Beaumont, as the 2nd oldest of 11 children. He has 3 brothers and 7 sisters. After graduating high school in 2011, he began his priestly formation at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton in 2012. He completed his seminary studies in Philosophy and Theology over the course of 8 years.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton on June 29th, 2020. In his first 2 years of priesthood, he served as Associate Pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Edmonton and Holy Family Parish in St. Albert. As of July 13th, 2022, he has been appointed to serve as Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish.

Father Curtis feels blessed to be the Pastor of our wonderful parish. He looks forward to serving the people of the parish and being involved in the community in many different ways over the course of his ministry with us.