Prince-Rupert, Apostolic Vicariate of

PRINCE-RUPERT, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Located in the extreme northwest of Canada; it is entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Hunters and coureurs des bois, married to Indian women, were the first to spread Christianity beyond the Rocky Mountains. In 1862 Fr. Giov. Séguin entered there as the first missionary. Attracted by the gold discoveries on the Klondike at the beginning of the 20th century, immigrants of all European races flocked to the country, and also many Indians, Chinese and Japanese. On 9 March 1908 the apostolic prefecture of Yukon and P.-R. was founded, being detached from the apostolic vicariate of Mackenzie and in part from the diocese of New Westminster (today Vancouver). On 20 Nov. 1916 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate. On 14 Jan. 1944 this was divided into two parts, namely: the apostolic vicariate of Whitehorse to the north and of P.-R. to the south. The number of Catholics in the vicariate is 7,683 out of 44,758 inhabitants, of whom only 3,000 are Indians. The immigrants belong almost exclusively to Protestant sects. There are also Ruthenian and Eastern minorities (Catholic and Orthodox). Pagans in the strict sense of the word are found exclusively among the Asian immigrants. The main difficulty for the 28 Oblate missionaries is the enormous distances in an impassable region.

Nicola Kowalsky