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 Seven Sorrows of Mary

The month of September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary dates from the twelfth century, when it made its appearance in monastic circles under the influence of St. Anselm and St. Bernard. The Cistercians and then the Servites undertook to propagate it. It became widespread in the fourteenth and especially the fifteenth centuries, particularly in the Rhineland and Flanders, where Confraternities of the Sorrowful Mother sprang up. It was in this context that the first liturgical formularies in her honor were composed. A provincial council of Mainz in 1423 made use of these in establishing a “Feast of the Sorrows of Mary” in reparation for Hussite profanations of her images.

In 1494 the feast appeared in Bruges, where the Precious Blood of Christ was venerated; later on it made its way into France. It did not, however, become widespread in France before Benedict XIII included it in the Roman Calendar in 1727 and assigned it to the Friday before Palm Sunday.

Some Churches had previously celebrated this feast during the Easter season. Others, however, celebrated the Joys of the Blessed Virgin during the Easter season, as is still done today at Braga. In some places it was entitled “Recollection of the Feasts and Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Excerpted from The Church at Prayer, Vol. IV A.G. Martimort.

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.