Prince Albert vicar-general, Tremblay dies at 81

By Therese Jelinski

PRINCE ALBERT — The Diocese of Prince Albert's vicar general, Rev. Clifford Tremblay, died Apr. 29 at the age of 81. He had been diagnosed with leukemia just before Easter.

Tremblay retired from active ministry in 2007, having served St. Mark Parish in Prince Albert since 1992. Appointed alternate vicar general in June 2007 and vicar general in August 2008, he also served for many years as a diocesan consultor and as chair of the Senate of Priests.

His ministry during more than 50 years of priesthood included being a school principal, chaplain at Holy Family Hospital (1958-1968), director of St. Patrick Orphanage (1968-1973) and personnel director of Prince Albert Catholic Schools (1984-1987). In addition to St. Mark's, he served parishes in Nipawin, Choiceland, Big River, Christopher Lake, Paddockwood and Waskesiu.

Born in 1929, Tremblay attended elementary school at St. Patrick's Orphanage in Prince Albert and high school at St. Peter's College in Muenster. After studying philosophy and theology in Edmonton and St. Boniface, he was ordained in 1956 at Bonne Madone, Sask.

His funeral mass was concelebrated May 3 at Sacred Heart Cathedral by Bishop Albert Thévenot, Bishop Emeritus Blaise Morand, Archbishop Sylvain Lavoie of Keewatin-Le Pas, and diocesan priests.

In his homily, Morand said Tremblay “had a big heart” and had helped many people “who were down and out.” He added that during half a century as a priest, Tremblay, like the apostles in the Gospel of the funeral mass, had “brought people to the Lord.”

Tremblay is buried at Prince Albert Memorial Gardens.