The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, (the Redemptorists) was founded in Scala, near Naples in Italy by St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church in 1732.
The religious order of Roman Catholic priests and brothers is devoted to the pastoral care of the most abandoned souls under the motto of “With Him there is Plentiful Redemption.” Today’s 5300 members serve across the world in 78 countries.
In 1832, the first Redemptorists came to the United States, arriving in Cincinnati from Vienna and worked among the German immigrants.
As early as 1840, the Redemptorists came to Canada for the care of German immigrants, preached missions in the Dioceses of London, Toronto and Quebec.
The English-speaking Redemptorists established their first house/foundation in Canada, assuming responsibility for St. Patrick’s parish, Quebec City in 1874.
Administratively, the English-speaking Canadian Redemptorists were governed by the United States Redemptorists in the Baltimore Province. A Toronto Vice-Province was formed in 1898 for three years. As the English-speaking Canadian Redemptorists increased, a second Toronto Vice-Province was established in 1912 with six foundations and 70 priests, brothers, novices and students. The Toronto Province was established as autonomous English-speaking Canadian administration on May 19, 1918.
With a rising number of Western Canadian parishes and missions, the Edmonton Vice-Province was established on July 1945 and the Edmonton Province was founded in July 1961.
In 1996, the Edmonton and Toronto Provinces merged into the Edmonton-Toronto Province.
