St. James Church

St. James Roman Catholic Church was built by local residents, blessed and dedicated by Bishop Emile Legal O.M.I. D.D. on July 26, 1903 on land donated by John Lineham. At the dedication it is recorded that 65 Catholics were in attendance as well as 20 to 30 others from different faiths. The total cost of construction was $680.00! St. James is the oldest Catholic Church in the Calgary area. Built in the turn of the century Gothic Revival style, interior details included stained glass, wood finished interior, hand-built altar made by Fr. Dubois from apple crates, curved ceiling and a choir loft. This church is one of the few survivors of that church-building period. In 1983, a new place of worship was built to accomodate the growing community. Old St.James' Chapel remained an integral component of the church and architecturally the new elements took their cue from the old. Despite it's liberal proportions, the church built in 1983 was 'bursting at the seams' by the year 2000. Plans were underway to relocate the original chapel to a new site and erect a new church. In the iterim, the congregation convened for Mass at St. Mary's school gymnasium. In 2007, the current church we are in now, was built.
 

    


St. Michael's Church

In the late 1920's, Fr. Bowlen organized the Catholic community around Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Hartell and Longview into a parish. Under his direction, local residents joined forces to build a church in Black Diamond. St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church opened in 1929, just as activity in new oil fields was beginning to attract even more residents to the area. In 1930, Fr. A.J. McGillivray came to Black Diamond as the first resident Pastor of the newly erected Parish of St. Michael. Over the next several decades, St. Michael's parish priests served the congregation of Okotoks' St. James Church. After World War II, Okotoks began to replace Black Diamond as the region's population centre. In 1970, St. Michael's became a mission church of St. James.
 

References:
Knowles, N. (2004). Winds of Change: A History of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary Since 1968. National Library of Canada, Pg. 250-254.

Frank, S. (2015). Pioneer Blessings in the Foothills.