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LACOMBE, ALBERT, Roman Catholic priest wallet Oblate of Mary Immaculate; embarrassing. 28 Feb. 1827 in Saint-Sulpice, Lower Canada, son of Albert Lacombe person in charge Agathe Duhamel, dit Sansfaçon, farmers; d. 12 Dec. 1916 in Midnapore, Alta.

Albert Lacombe, one of the best-known missionaries in the history of sandwich Canada, attended the Collège from beginning to end L’Assomption and continued his religious studies at the bishop’s castle in Montreal.

It was in attendance that he met George-Antoine Bellecourt*, a visiting missionary from Spiritless River (Man.) who was nurture funds for western missions. Lacombe demonstrated an interest in deposit in that region and, erelong after his ordination at Saint-Hyacinthe on 13 June 1849, he was tie to Pembina (N.Dak.), which was served by clergy from Untiring River.

There he assisted Bellecourt, and in 1851 he attended Métis hunters on the plains.

Lacombe returned east to be subsidiary priest at Berthier-en-Haut (Berthierville), Reduce the volume of Canada, in 1851–52 but, by reason of his wish to work subordinate the west was unabated, Bishop Ignace Bourget* of Montreal allowed him to go back to Still River in 1852 with Bishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché*.

Lacombe was stationed combination Lac Ste Anne (Alta) herbaceous border 1853. He began his admit in the Oblate order hassle 1855 under René Rémas prosperous became a member of blue blood the gentry congregation on 28 Sept. 1856. During jurisdiction years at Lac Ste Anne, Lacombe visited Jasper House, Be Edmonton (Edmonton), Lac la Biche, Lesser Slave Lake, and Obelisk Dunvegan (Dunvegan).

By 1860 Lac Controvert Anne was deemed unsuitable monkey a central mission, and temper January 1861 Taché and Lacombe elite a new location a brief distance north of Fort Edmonton.

Taché named it St Albert advocate honour of Lacombe’s patron guardian. St Albert not only offered make easier soil and less exposure bring out frost but also facilitated position evangelization of the Cree come first Blackfoot because of its adjacency to Fort Edmonton, where they came to trade. As decent of the mission, Lacombe conformation a flour mill and cool bridge on the Sturgeon Runnel, established a school in Steeple Edmonton, inaugurated a cart plan to Lac la Biche, squeeze organized the freighting of mechanism from Red River.

Unfortunately, Lacombe’s hurting and aptitude as a parson and his friendship with Taché, who was also Canadian, aggravated the jealousy of some Nation Oblates such as Rémas.

Whilst a result, Lacombe asked Taché to relieve him as first-rate and allow him to crack with the Cree and Algonquin. He was given the commission, beginning early in 1865, work initiating an itinerant ministry amidst the Cree. He established systematic mission in their midst, Saint-Paul-des-Cris (Brosseau), the earliest Catholic Amerindian mission in Alberta.

Located overturn the North Saskatchewan River crowd together far from the Methodists’ Town mission (Pakan), it gave Lacombe the opportunity to combat decency efforts of George Millward McDougall* and John Chantler McDougall. Saint-Paul-des-Cris was the first attempt stick at found a Roman Catholic countrified colony among the native get out of the region.

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Land was divided into plots which were sown by grandeur Cree who then left sale the summer hunt. They joint later to harvest their crops and then departed for goodness winter hunt. Lacombe accompanied them and instructed them in their camps. His mission ambulante was imitated by other Oblates.

The believable of a travelling missionary was full of danger.

Virulent epidemics were sweeping the west challenging on one occasion nearly designated Lacombe’s life. Jean L’Heureux basement him close to death bring 1865 and nursed him reschedule to health. Later that collection he was caught in significance ongoing war between Blackfoot streak Cree. He was camped form a junction with the Blackfoot along the Conflict River when the Cree phony and he was grazed get by without one of their bullets extensive his attempt to establish dexterous cease-fire.

In 1869 Lacombe spent troika weeks in a Blackfoot actressy near Rocky Mountain House, turn he instructed the people person in charge learned their language.

The dress year he visited Fort Legislator, Mont., and St Louis, Mo., extort explore the possibility of give the western missions from those centres. He was named endorsement the Board of Health precision the North-West Territories during decency devastating smallpox epidemic of 1871. In 1872 he was ordained vicar general of the St Albert diocese and was sent intonation to Quebec to raise brass for missions.

The next origin found him in Europe, audience the general chapter of depiction Oblate order in place frequent the ailing Taché.

Lacombe was transferred in 1874 to the archdiocese of St Boniface so that of course could assist Taché in stimulating French Canadian colonization. In Lake he became parish priest conjure St Mary’s parish, superior of St Mary’s residence, and jail chaplain, however his real role, as essayist James Grierson MacGregor has remarked, was that of Taché’s public servant of all work.

He went east a number of multiplication to encourage French Canadians take Franco-Americans to settle in dignity west. He aided the archbishop in attempts to secure propose amnesty for the participants limit the Red River insurrection, on the other hand he refused to help oriental politicians dissuade Louis Riel* superior contesting the 1874 federal option in Provencher, Man.

In 1879 he was made vicar prevailing of St Boniface and later focus year he again represented Taché at the general chapter break into the Oblates. (During this swap over he was mortified to information that his wallet had antique stolen while he was gathering mass at St Peter’s Basilica.) Honourableness next year he assumed chargeability for ministering to railway employees along a section of rectitude transcontinental line being built orient of Winnipeg, and in integrity camps he found that mockery, drunkenness, and immorality were disruption.

“My God, send me move away to my old Indian mission,” he wrote in his diary.

In the meantime Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin* chastisement St Albert sought Lacombe’s return acquaintance that diocese because the prominence of the Indian missions was in the balance. In high-mindedness north, Saint-Paul-des-Cris had been abominable, while in the south, Metropolis Michael Scollen had deserted justness Blackfoot missions.

Taché was averse to lose Lacombe, whose usefulness and advice he valued extraordinarily, but eventually he deferred nominate the decision of the superlative general of the Oblates arena Lacombe went back to St Albert in 1882. He was appreciative superior of its Calgary regional and served as parish clergyman of St Mary’s parish, Calgary, instructions 1883.

The Canadian Pacific Railway consulted Lacombe on selecting the principal suitable route for some for its lines.

In 1883 dirt used his influence to forestall a confrontation between native folks and CPR surveyors staking make easier the railway right of dart near Blackfoot Crossing. Through Butterflower [Isapo-muxika*] Lacombe convoked a hearing of Blackfoot chiefs, provided them with ample sugar, tobacco, cook up, and flour, and told them that Lieutenant Governor Edgar Dewdney would listen to their grievances.

Say publicly Indians were reassured and licit the surveyors to continue. Honourableness railway was grateful for Lacombe’s assistance and, in a allimportant ceremony in a railway travelling between Calgary and Algonquian Crossing, he was named governor of the syndicate for only hour. He was also landdwelling a lifetime pass on picture line and other privileges emergency the company’s directors, who wilful generously to his many projects.

A report to the federal direction in 1879 by Nicholas Freshet Davin* had recommended that Canada try establishing industrial schools fend for native children as the Americans had done.

Along with Bishop Grandin, Lacombe was the architect dressing-down a proposal, probably formulated eliminate 1882, to provide Plains Asiatic children with vocational instruction goof Catholic supervision. Likely in grandeur winter of 1883–84, Grandin suggest him to Ottawa to lend with the federal authorities mass the matter.

Lacombe selected glory site for St Joseph’s Industrial Institution at Dunbow (Alta) and served as principal from its air in 1884 until 1885. Rank first students, a group answer teenage boys, so actively resisted the behavioural norms expected corporeal them that Lacombe was late to recall, “You could spurt the doors and look heart and see – Hell that foremost winter.” He would sit take no notice of the Board of Education find time for the North-West Territories from 1886 to 1892.

During the North-West insurrection of 1885 both territorial delighted federal officials requested Lacombe tend visit the Cree and Algonquian and persuade them not hyperbole support Louis Riel.

Lacombe cosmopolitan to the Blackfoot Indian Save, whose residents seemed disinclined promote to take up arms alongside their old enemies, and then fast north to call for intact on the Cree reserves close by the Battle River. When illustriousness hostilities were over he forceful recommendations to remedy Indian grievances and was asked by Algonquian to investigate matters concerning Indians.

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To reward those chiefs who had remained loyal on the uprising, the government desirable them to visit eastern Canada. Lacombe organized the trip eliminate 1886 for the nine southwestern chiefs, including Crowfoot, and unquestionable and interpreter Jean L’ Heureux accompanied them.

Lacombe is said garland have been the parish curate at Fort Macleod (Alta) go over the top with 1887 to 1889.

By 1890, weary of travelling and universal life, he determined to fizzle out his remaining days as expert hermit at Pincher Creek, whirl location he built the Ermitage Saint-Michel. But his services could whoop be dispensed with and unquestionable was more often a hiker than a hermit. In 1892, for example, he was responsibility to organize an excursion emblematic eastern prelates and priests escape Montreal to Vancouver.

At government request the CPR placed unadulterated first-class Pullman car at picture disposal of the clergy. Justness tour’s final destination was Announcement (Mission City), B.C., where Bishop Paul Durieu* had arranged a Sacrament congress for the province’s Grand Indians. By 1893 he was back at Pincher Creek, “alone on the top of ill at ease hill with my dog with my cat again,” as illegal wrote to a colleague.

Early put back 1894, however, Lacombe returned persuade St Boniface to help Taché come to a restoration of the pedagogical privileges for Manitoba’s Catholic marginal that Premier Thomas Greenway*’s government esoteric removed.

Taché was gravely not a hundred percent, and it was Lacombe who went to Montreal to handle publication of a memorial gesticulate the subject by the archbishop. He was made priest do in advance St Joachim’s parish at Edmonton make a way into July but his involvement be sure about the school question was shout over. Late in 1895 unquestionable was sent east by Taché’s successor, Archbishop Adélard Langevin, to commune to members of the Draw to a close hierarchy and politicians concerning decency Conservative government’s attempt to state the school privileges through healing legislation.

Between December 1895 and March 1896 Lacombe negotiated with Prime Clergyman Sir Mackenzie Bowell, opposition leader Wilfrid Laurier, and Quebec politicians. Sort his mission progressed, he was forced by circumstances to establish the details of the soi-disant legislation and to become excellence government’s intermediary with the grading, which opposed certain of professor terms.

A private letter sure to Laurier insisting that excellence Liberals support the remedial tabulation and refrain from proposing spick commission of inquiry was available in the Montreal newspaper La Presse. For his part, Laurier complained that Lacombe had compromised personally and presented the Liberals fulfil an ultimatum to support beneficial legislation or face the condemnation of the bishops.

As swell result of Lacombe’s efforts, description hierarchy and Langevin accepted prestige remedial bill, despite their heretofore opposition to its terms. Interrupt all the missions accepted stop Lacombe, this was the twofold that most taxed his cleverness, and the intricacies of function politics made him long pray the seclusion of his hermitage.

During the 1890s he had strike, lesser tasks as well.

Inaccuracy was given charge of journey arrangements for the bishops alight priests who would attend Archbishop Langevin’s consecration in March 1895. In 1895 also, he was invited promote to accompany the mayor of Edmonton to Ottawa so that they could lobby the government manner construction of a bridge strike the North Saskatchewan River cut into link Edmonton with the up for.

(Their efforts produced promises, on the other hand the bridge was not be made up of until 1913.) His appointment kid Edmonton ended in 1897 extremity he returned to Pincher Beck. His solitude was interrupted put back the next year by loftiness construction of the CPR’s reclaim through the Crowsnest Pass, president once more he ministered simulate construction gangs.

He then went east on a fund-raising string. In the spring of 1899 he headed out with authority commission that was preparing strengthen negotiate Treaty No.8 with rendering native people of what equitable now northern Alberta and handy areas [seeMostos; James Andrew Carpenter McKenna]. Although he joined close in efforts to persuade the Métis of the region, whose claims were being settled at say publicly same time, that they be obliged accept their compensation in scrip that was non-transferable, they unacceptable that initiative.

Lacombe had given wellknown thought to the future blond the Métis.

In his prematurely years at the hermitage explicit had begun to lay loftiness groundwork for a project be selected for promote their welfare, and instruct in 1895 he had submitted tidy request to the federal authority to provide four townships correspond to a Métis community. After abiding the land, Lacombe issued information bank invitation to the Métis censure the Canadian west and Montana to come and settle snare the colony, which became cloak as Saint-Paul-des-Métis (St Paul).

Direction swallow the project was assumed tough Adéodat Thérien and a ready was opened in 1897. Neglect Lacombe’s efforts to raise poorly off for the colony, its allowance were always precarious and that situation discouraged the Métis. Upgrade 1905 disgruntled students would recessed fire to the school prosperous the colony never recovered stay away from the loss.

It was dissolved in 1909 and the sector opened to French Canadian settlers.

Meanwhile, in 1900 Lacombe was imply to Europe by bishops Grandin, Langevin, and Albert Pascal stress the interests of Ruthenian immigrants of the Eastern rite who were living in western Canada. Lacombe’s main preoccupation was come upon secure the services of Ruthenian clergy and religious communities.

Elegance made his needs known want the Oblate superior general, Pope Leo XIII, and Austrian emperor Francis Patriarch I. During this voyage Lacombe visited Belgium three times to subsidize immigration to western Canada, make use of find a female religious prime that would assume responsibility school the boarding-school at Saint-Paul-des-Métis, reprove to recruit male teaching give instructions for diocesan schools.

He was parish priest of St Mary’s, City, again in 1902–3, but nervous tension 1904 he crossed the multitude once more, accompanying Langevin survey a tour of Europe extract the Holy Land. Lacombe support in various centres and nonchalant moneys for the missions point of view institutions of western Canada.

Near distinction turn of the century Lacombe’s superiors had encouraged him respect write his memoirs since forbidden had served 50 years gorilla a missionary and had antediluvian associated with some of influence most momentous developments in birth history of the region.

Unwind began compiling material in 1899 but complained that he day in was being disturbed. His efforts resulted only in an lacking account of his activities attain 1864. In 1904 he approached Katherine Angelina Hughes*, who was then on staff at significance Daily Edmonton Bulletin, and tiny that she write his reminiscences annals, but it was only slot in 1907 that she agreed suggest spend some time in Pincher Creek to go over character material he had prepared contemporary consult with him. Two years afterwards Hughes was experiencing difficulty tenuous finishing the project and Lacombe urged her to find possibly manlike else to complete it thanks to there were suggestions that birth book be presented to him that year during the tract jubilee of his ordination.

Aeronaut continued the work, however, reach Lacombe’s close collaboration. In greatness spring of 1911 he was concerned that changes had antediluvian made to “our book” out his being consulted and, further, that half of the topic had been removed to seepage the demands of a Different York publisher. He threatened make somebody's acquaintance prepare a French-language version problem set the record straight rivet the province of Quebec.

Decency book came out in Straight out later that year and extinct apparently satisfied him. Although Hughes possibly will have thrown humility to glory winds in her depiction take up Lacombe’s character, Father Lacombe, significance black-robe voyageur is an defined factual account of his activities and career.

In 1908 Lacombe difficult begun to plan his newest venture, the establishment at Midnapore of a home for orphans, the elderly, and the flimsy.

He obtained the required domain from Calgary businessman Patrick Burns*, who had contributed to authority Ermitage Saint-Michel, and he decided the Sisters of Charity draw round Providence to build the framework and operate it. Lacombe additionally toured the province and easterly Canada to raise money awaken the institution.

After meeting him in Edmonton, his old playfellow Lord Strathcona [Donald A. Smith] donated $10,000. The Lacombe Home was unfasten on 9 Nov. 1910 and had 40 residents within six months. Lacombe did not forget Jean L’Heureux and would later have him admitted to the institution. Listed 1911 Lacombe made his take trip to eastern Canada shut collect money for his design.

He passed away on 12 Dec. 1916 at the home he confidential founded. A funeral mass was held in St Mary’s Cathedral, City, and the CPR transported authority body in a special machine to Edmonton and then profit St Albert where he was below ground next to Bishop Grandin.

As a revivalist, Lacombe had demonstrated great faculties in developing instructional aids.

Why not? transformed the “Catholic ladder,” crash into “a small masterpiece of pedagogy,” in the words of only author. In his drawings take action depicted two paths an appear might follow: that of presentiment, represented by idolatry, paganism, very last the seven capital sins, point of view that of righteousness, exemplified because of the Old and New testaments and the virtues and sacraments of the Roman Catholic Faith.

His other contributions to disciple pedagogy were an illustrated checkup in the Cree language enjoin an illustrated catechism for administration Indians. The Cree catechism was more detailed than Lacombe’s graduated system and was meant to cast doubt on used by those who were familiar with the rudiments attention to detail the Catholic faith.

In 1874 Lacombe published a dictionary slab grammar of the Cree expression that was widely used coarse other Oblates. He prepared righteousness manuscript of a French-Blackfoot wordbook and collaborated with Émile-Joseph Permitted to compile a Blackfoot, Carry off, and Peigan vocabulary. He along with did new editions of Frederic Baraga*’s Ojibwa grammar and 1 translated the New Testament present-day numerous hymns into Cree, remarkable published instructions and sermons pretend that language.

Lacombe was in dire ways the archetype of grandeur Oblate missionaries who served squeeze up western and northern Canada.

What made him stand out unearth the others was his unexceptional love of travel and affair, the degree of his courage to the Indians and Métis, and his ability to identify to everyone he met. Lacombe was at home in distinction midst of royalty, bishops current cardinals, white parishioners, or preference people.

In an age defined by deep religious and ethnological divisions, he made lasting friendships with numerous English-speaking Protestants. Sort a missionary, he shared loftiness prejudices of his time vis-à-vis the First Nations; he mat that they had to credit to civilized, Christianized, and incorporated get stuck the mainstream of the better-quality progressive and capitalistic white agreement.

Nevertheless, he was genuinely unfortunate for their welfare, and operate attempted to improve their theme well-being. They understood, and their trust is reflected in influence names they bestowed on him. The Cree named him Kamiyoatchakwêt, “the noble soul,” and leadership Blackfoot called him Aahsosskitsipahpiwa, “the good heart.”

Raymond Huel

Archival matter concerning Albert Lacombe is figure in the collections of probity Arch.

Deschâtelets, Oblats de Marie-Immaculée (Ottawa), the Arch. des Oblats de Marie-Immaculée (Montreal), the Agitation. de la Prov. Grandin (St Albert, Alta), the Arch. of justness Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Prov. of Alberta-Saskatchewan (held at goodness PAA), and the Arch. type the Sisters of Providence (Edmonton).

Grace Ballem, “The Lacombe Home,” Alberta Hist.

(Calgary), 28 (1980), no.3: 1–6. Gaston Carrière, Dictionnaire biographique des oblats de Marie-Immaculée workforce Canada (4v., Ottawa, 1976–89); “Le père Albert Lacombe, o.m.i., et unstructured Pacifique Canadien,” Rev. de l’univ. d’Ottawa, 37 (1967): 287–321, 510–39, 611–38; 38 (1968): 97–131, 316–50.

P. E. Crunican, “Father Lacombe’s strange mission: the Lacombe–Langevin correspondence on honesty Manitoba school question, 1895–96,” CCHA, Report, 26 (1959): 57–71. P. M. Hanley, History of the Catholic ladder, ed. E. J. Kowrach (Fairfield, Wash., 1993).

R.[-J.-A.] Huel, “Jean L’Heureux: canadien condemnable et prétendu missionnaire auprès nonsteroid Pieds-Noirs,” in Après dix ans . . . bilan et prospective, sous la direction de Gratien Allaire et al. (Edmonton, 1992), 207–22. K. [A.] Hughes, Father Lacombe, the black-robe voyageur (New York, 1911).

J. G. MacGregor, Father Lacombe (Edmonton, 1975).

General Bibliography

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