St. James Parish is established
Bishop Francis P. Carroll establishes St. James the Greater Parish. Parishioners initially gather for Mass at St. Raymond School in Altadore.
Where We Began
A Parish Takes Root in Southwest Calgary
In the early 1960s, as new neighbourhoods were growing across southwest Calgary, St. James was established to serve Catholic families in the area. Within five years, a community that first gathered for Mass in a school had a permanent church to call home.
From Mass at St. Raymond School to St. James Church
St. James the Greater Parish was established by Bishop Francis P. Carroll on June 7, 1961, to serve Catholics from Sacred Heart Parish living in Altadore, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview.
Parishioners first gathered for Mass at St. Raymond School in Altadore. On Christmas Eve 1961, Monsignor Arthur J. Hetherington solemnly blessed an interim St. James church-hall at 2419 54 Avenue.
On May 15, 1966, Bishop Joseph L. Wilhelm blessed the permanent church-rectory-office complex at 5504 20 Street SW, the parish home St. James continues to occupy today.
Milestones
The St. James Journey
Across more than six decades, the life of St. James has been marked by the celebration of faith, care for parishioners and neighbours, and the steady work of building up parish life from one generation to the next.
The first St. James church-hall is blessed
Monsignor Arthur J. Hetherington solemnly blesses the interim church-hall at 2419 54 Avenue.
The present church is blessed
Bishop Joseph L. Wilhelm blesses the permanent church, rectory, and office complex at 5504 20 Street SW.
St. James Court opens
The non-denominational senior citizens complex opposite the church officially opens, continuing the parish's longstanding care for older adults and its close relationship with the surrounding community.
The parish hall addition opens
An addition including the hall and serving area opens with Bishop Paul J. O'Byrne attending the ceremony.
Fifty years in the present church
Following renovation of the church, Bishop Frederick B. Henry joins pastors past and present for a concelebrated Mass and parish celebration.
Fr. Domingo Bongalos begins his ministry at St. James
Fr. Domingo begins his assignment as pastor on August 1 and is installed by Bishop William T. McGrattan at St. James on September 14.
One parish, many backgrounds, one faith
Today St. James brings together parishioners from many cultures and backgrounds, united in the Catholic faith and in a shared life of prayer, sacrament, service, fellowship, and witness to Christ.
Our Patron
St. James the Greater: Apostle, Martyr & Pilgrim
Our patron stands close to the heart of the Gospel story. Called by Christ from his nets, chosen to witness moments of both glory and suffering, and faithful even to martyrdom, St. James offers the Church a powerful image of discipleship and perseverance.
Called by Christ
James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, left his nets to follow Jesus. He became one of the Twelve and, with Peter and John, was drawn especially close to the Lord at decisive moments in His ministry.
Close to the Lord
With Peter and John, James witnessed the glory of the Transfiguration and later kept watch nearby during Christ's agony in Gethsemane. His discipleship was formed in the presence of both glory and the Cross.
Faithful unto Martyrdom
The Acts of the Apostles tells us that King Herod Agrippa had James put to death by the sword. He is the first of the Twelve whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament.
Why “the Greater” and why the scallop shell?
Pope Benedict XVI explained that “Greater” and “Lesser” distinguish the two Apostles named James according to the prominence they receive in the New Testament, not their holiness or physical stature. A longstanding Christian tradition links St. James with Spain and Santiago de Compostela. Over the centuries, the scallop shell became a familiar sign of pilgrims making their way to the shrine of the Apostle, and it remains a fitting emblem of pilgrimage, discipleship, and our own parish patronage.
A Calgary Landmark
Our Church Building
The church in which our parish gathers each week is also part of Calgary's architectural heritage. Its form reflects a particular moment in the life of the Church, when Catholic architecture was responding to the liturgical and pastoral renewal of the 1960s.
1966
A rare and intact Expressionist church in Calgary, built as an
interconnected parish complex rather than a collection of separate buildings.
A Modern Church Shaped for Catholic Life
City heritage research identifies St. James as an excellent example of Expressionist church architecture. Its sweeping raw and ribbed concrete steeple, cruciform opening, and raised copper oculus give the church a distinctive presence in North Glenmore Park.
The complex is also valued for bringing the church, rectory, parish office, and other parish functions together in one interconnected design. It reflects the modern architectural language of its time and the renewed understanding of Catholic worship and parish life that surrounded the Second Vatican Council.
In the City's West Elbow Communities planning work, St. James is identified as North Glenmore Park's only evaluated historic resource on the municipal inventory.
Design Value
Interconnected parish functions in one modern complex
Style Value
Rare, intact Expressionist architecture in Calgary
Symbolic Value
A key building in the development of North Glenmore Park
Landmark Value
A distinctive and recognizable neighbourhood presence
Our Parish Today
Rooted in History, Moving Forward in Faith
The history of a parish is more than a record of buildings and dates. It is the story of a people gathered by Christ, nourished in the life of the Church, and sent to live the Gospel in their own time.
Our Mission
Guiding people into relationship with Jesus Christ
Our mission is to guide people of all backgrounds into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. At St. James, that mission is lived in the Eucharist and the sacraments, in prayer and the handing on of the faith, in service to others, and in the bonds of Christian community that make a parish a spiritual home.
Parish Renewal
Through the Diocese of Calgary's pastoral renewal, St. James is seeking to become ever more welcoming and attentive to those the Lord places in our path. The work of renewal calls us to deepen our own relationship with Christ, strengthen families in faith, recognize the gifts God has entrusted to each person, and help one another find a true place in the life of the parish.
Explore More
For Those Who Would Like to Know More
The sections below offer additional history, Catholic tradition, and source material for parishioners and visitors who would like to explore the story of St. James in greater depth.
St. James and the growth of North Glenmore Park
City research records that the neighbourhood now known as North Glenmore Park was developed in 1958–59 as Lincoln Park. St. James Parish followed in 1961, St. James School opened in 1962, and the present parish church opened in 1966. Parish and neighbourhood therefore grew side by side during an important period in Calgary's postwar expansion.
The parish's original territory also reached beyond the immediate neighbourhood, serving Catholics in Altadore, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview who had previously belonged to Sacred Heart Parish.
St. James in Scripture and Christian tradition
Scripture introduces us to James as the son of Zebedee, the brother of John, one of the Twelve, a witness of the Transfiguration and Gethsemane, and a martyr under Herod Agrippa.
Pope Benedict XVI distinguishes this biblical account from the later Christian traditions surrounding St. James. A tradition known at least from Isidore of Seville speaks of his preaching in Spain; another holds that his body was brought to Santiago de Compostela. These traditions are distinct from the New Testament account, but they have shaped Catholic devotion to St. James for centuries, and Compostela became one of Christianity's great places of pilgrimage.
Benedict XVI also described the movement from the glory of the Transfiguration to the suffering of Gethsemane as an image of the interior pilgrimage of Christian life: learning, with St. James, to follow Christ not only in consolation, but also in faithfulness and sacrifice.
Pastors through the years
The priests listed below have served St. James as pastor across the life of the parish. Each, in his own time, shared in the pastoral care of this community, the celebration of its sacramental life, and the work of handing on the faith from one generation to the next.
Fr. Francis T. MacKay
Msgr. James Q. Killen
Fr. Joseph J. Toole
Fr. Edward B. Flanagan
Fr. Erwin Ward
Fr. James M. Hagel
Fr. Denis E. Fleming
Fr. Raymond A. Lowing
Fr. J. Alexander MacLennan
Fr. Andres S. Corral
Fr. A. Wayne Poile
Fr. Myles J. Gaffney
Fr. L. Michael Storey
Fr. Jaroslaw M. Dziuba
Fr. Luciano Cortopassi
Fr. Edmundo F. Vargas
Fr. Dominic Nguyen
Fr. Eligio “Eli” Canete
Fr. Domingo Bongalos
Further Reading
For those who would like to continue exploring the history, spirituality, and heritage of St. James, the following Catholic, civic, and heritage resources offer useful further reading.
Prayer
Prayer to St. James the Greater
The parish's historical record preserves this traditional prayer to our patron.
St. James the Greater Prayer
O glorious Apostle, St. James, who by reason of thy fervent and generous heart wast chosen by Jesus to be a witness of His glory on Mount Tabor, and of His agony in Gethsemane; thou, whose very name is a symbol of warfare and victory: obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending warfare of this life, that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus, we may be victors in the strife and deserve to receive the victor's crown in heaven. Amen.