- CTK
- Parish
- est. 1895
In 1895, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate built and dedicated a church in Cochrane, Alberta, to "The Holy Name of Mary", forming St. Mary's parish. The parish was served by the Oblates until 1947 when it was returned to the care of the Calgary Diocese. In 1948, the Franciscan Friars were requested by Bishop Carroll to set up retreats in the area and to assume administration of St. Mary's parish. The Franciscans bought land from Harry McConachie and built Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, which was blessed by Bishop Carroll in 1949. In 1959, St Mary's second church was built after the first church had been subjected to numerous accidents from cars running into the rectory. The Franciscans salvaged lumber from the first church and built a small replica of it on the grounds of Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre. In 1970, St. Mary's parish was returned to the care of diocesan priests.