Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario

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For clarification of names, please see Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie.

The Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario was decreed on 16 September 1904 and is formed by the southern portions of the districts of Thunder Bay, Algoma, Sudbury and Nipissing.

The area has a long history within the Roman Catholic Church. The Recollets were the first missionaries in the Nipissing region around 1622. A number of Jesuits entered the area in 1641; Father Claude Pijart, being the leading missionary of that group. Their three missions were abandoned after a number of years but Father Claude-Jean Allouez found converts still adhering to their faith in 1667.

In 1668 the mission of Sault Sainte Marie was founded by the Jesuits and used as a base for expeditions to adjacent areas. Priests who appear in historical accounts of the time include Fathers Gabriel Druillettes, Louis André, Henri Nouvel, and Pierre Bailloquet.

Little further expansion took place until about 1836 when Rev. Proulx began an expansion which reached Fort William in 1849. Expansion after this point was rapid with hospitals and schools added to the parishes, churches and missions that marked this growth.