Athol Murray
Encyclopedia
Monsignor
Athol Murray, (January 9, 1892 – December 15, 1975) was a Canadian
priest and educator.
Born in Toronto
, Ontario
, he was educated at Loyola College
, St. Michael's College School
, St. Hyacinthe College, and Université Laval
.
He was ordained in 1918 and was sent to Regina
in 1922. He started an athletic club for boys and was appointed St. Augustine's parish in Wilcox, Saskatchewan
in 1927.
Murray founded Notre Dame of the Prairies in 1927, and was the inspirational force behind the famous Notre Dame Hounds hockey team. Known as Père, he would never refuse a deserving student an education - even if that meant tuition was paid in potatoes and wheat rather than dollars and cents. Leading the college until his death, he influenced generations of Canadians and the development of Canadian hockey. Said Père Murray, "I love God, Canada and hockey -- not always in that order."
The ice hockey
team is known as the Notre Dame Hounds. More than 100 former Hounds have been drafted by National Hockey League
including Wendel Clark
, Curtis Joseph
, Rod Brind'Amour
, Brad Richards
and Vincent Lecavalier
. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association
's Athol Murray Trophy is named in his honour.
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Athol Murray, (January 9, 1892 – December 15, 1975) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
priest and educator.
Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, he was educated at Loyola College
Loyola College (Montreal)
Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....
, St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
, St. Hyacinthe College, and Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
.
He was ordained in 1918 and was sent to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
in 1922. He started an athletic club for boys and was appointed St. Augustine's parish in Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Wilcox is a small village in Saskatchewan, Canada. Located approximately 41 kilometers south of Regina, Wilcox is best known for being the home of the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The village is also home to the Notre Dame Hounds ice hockey...
in 1927.
Murray founded Notre Dame of the Prairies in 1927, and was the inspirational force behind the famous Notre Dame Hounds hockey team. Known as Père, he would never refuse a deserving student an education - even if that meant tuition was paid in potatoes and wheat rather than dollars and cents. Leading the college until his death, he influenced generations of Canadians and the development of Canadian hockey. Said Père Murray, "I love God, Canada and hockey -- not always in that order."
The ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team is known as the Notre Dame Hounds. More than 100 former Hounds have been drafted by National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
including Wendel Clark
Wendel Clark
Wendel L. Clark is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is perhaps best known for being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League , captaining the team from 1991 to 1994...
, Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
, Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour
Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
, Brad Richards
Brad Richards
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
and Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association
Saskatchewan Hockey Association
The Saskatchewan Hockey Association is the governing body of all ice hockey in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association is a branch of Hockey Canada.-Leagues:*Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Tier II Junior "A"...
's Athol Murray Trophy is named in his honour.
Honours
- In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
"for his contributions as President of the College of Notre Dame of Saskatchewan Inc. from which thousands of Canadian and foreign students from poorer families have graduated". http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=2203 - In 1972, he was inducted as a hockey builder into the Canada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
. - In 1998, he was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
as a builder. - A street in Regina Saskatchewan is named after him
- A historic plaque was installed at his family's Toronto home from 1905 - 1921, 445 Euclid Avenue http://www.torontohistory.org/Pages_MNO/Monsignor_Athol_Murray.html