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/ St. Boniface
St. Boniface Cathedral
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In November, 1818, Father Joseph-Norbert Provencher built
a small log chapel, which he dedicated to Saint Boniface,
the English missionary monk and apostle, who spread the
Catholic faith among the Germanic tribes in the 8th century.
The first permanent mission west of the Great Lakes, serving
the growing Red River Settlement, became the heart of Roman
Catholic missionary activity extending to the Pacific and
Arctic coasts.
In 1832 Bishop Provencher built the first stone cathedral “with
twin turrets”, immortalized by John Greenleaf Whittier
in the poem Red River Voyageur. Since 1832, there have been
five cathedrals built at the present location. On August
15, 1906, Archbishop Langevin blessed the cornerstone of
what became one of the most imposing churches in Western
Canada. Designed by the Montreal architectural firm of Marchand
and Haskell, this stunning example of French Romanesque architecture,
was destroyed by fire on July 22, 1968.
