VITALE GRANDIN. — Born 18 Feb. 1829 at St-Pierre-la-Cour, diocese of Laval; in 1853 he entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; in 1854 he went to the Canadian Northwest; in 1857 he was named coadjutor of St-Boniface; and in 1871 bishop of St-Albert, where he died 3 June 1902.
Numerous letters published in Missions O.M.I. provide information about his work. As bishop of St-Albert he was a staunch defender of Catholic interests in the Northwest; he contributed to the cultural uplift of the diocese by settling the Indians in fixed settlements, providing for the needs of Catholic immigrants, and erecting schools. During the conflict between the Métis leader Riel and the Anglo-Canadian government in 1885, he acted with prudence and firmness to safeguard the rights of both parties. He is regarded as the “saint of the Northwest.” His cause for beatification is underway.