Want to know more about the history of our Archdiocese? Recently, the Archives and Research page was updated. Scroll down near the bottom of the page to find a helpful infographic which illustrates who was at the head of our Archdiocese at different times, during our history. It illustrates our history from 1818, with the appointment of the Right Rev. Edmund Burke as our Vicar Apostolic, to our present Archbishop, Brian J. Dunn.
Next week Halifax commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion on December 6. The Catholic community in Halifax in 1917 was among the many groups deeply affected by this great tragedy. In the Archdiocese we are honouring those lost in the Halifax Explosion and recalling the devastation of that day in a variety of ways.
HAYES, Most Reverend James Martin, Archbishop Emeritus of Halifax, died on August 2nd, 2016 in the Halifax Infirmary at the age of 92.
Born in Halifax in 1924, the eldest son of the late Leonard James and Rita (Bates) Hayes, he received his education at St. Thomas Aquinas School, St. Mary’s High School, St. Mary’s College, and in 1943 entered Holy Heart Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop McNally on June 15, 1947.
Father Hayes’ first pastoral assignment was as a curate at St. Mary’s Cathedral. It was at this time that he became a regular visitor at the hospitals, bringing the sacraments to those who were ill and accompanying them and their families with prayer.
100th Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion
St. Peter's/St. Mary's Burial Registers 1784-1842
St. Mary's, Sept 8, 1840
(showing cemetery walls)
In May of 2012, the transcription of St. Peter’s/St. Mary's Church Cemetery burial records from 1784 to 1842 came to a conclusion. St. Peter’s/St. Mary's Cemetery was located on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Grafton Street, including what is now St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica and the former St. Mary’s Girls’ School on Grafton (1893 – 1975). This initiative to produce a readable, searchable database, was completed through the efforts of Dr. Gordon Pollock, PhD, and Mrs. Sharon Riel (Archivist with the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth). Read more
The Burial Registers of St. Peter’s/St. Mary’s: Prologue
St. Peter's/St. Mary's Burial Registers - Chronological
St. Peter's/St. Mary's Burial Registers - Aphabetical
Archives Contact
Sharon Riel
Archivist - Halifax Office
Archdiocese of Halifax - Yarmouth
(902) 429-9800 ext 314
