WINNIPEG, ARCHDIOCESE of. - Archdiocese and city in the province of Manitoba (Canada). The archdiocese covers a territory situated in southwestern Manitoba.
In 1951, W. had 70,815 Catholics, 67 diocesan priests, 62 religious (from 7 different Congregations), 68 parishes, and 80 mission chapels.
The first priest to go briefly to the region was Fr. Clodio Godefrido Coquart, a Jesuit. Then, in 1818, the priests of Québec, Giuseppe Norberto Provencher and Severo Dumoulin, settled at San Bonifacio, on the other bank of the Red River (Rivière Rouge).
The development of W. began with colonization in 1862. The first Mass celebrated within the territory of the city was said by Mons. Alessandro Taché on 15 June 1869, on the occasion of the opening of a Catholic convent, where Fr. J. McCarthy began to exercise his public ministry. In 1874 the parish church-residence of Sainte-Marie was blessed and entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate on 3 May 1875. On 8 Dec. 1882 Mons. Taché inaugurated a second church, the church of the Immaculate Conception, entrusted to Mons. Cherrier. The archdiocese of W. was created by Pope Benedetto XV, without suffragans, on 4 Dec. 1915. The first bishop was Mons. Alfredo Arturo Sinnott.