Cleric.
Born at Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec on 28 August 1882, son of Edouard Benoit and Henriette Desjardins, he studied Classics at a college in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière. He then entered the Grand Seminary of Montreal where he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in July 1903.
He was active in building church facilities in western Canada, including six churches, several rectories, and one convent. In 1904, he became an assistant priest at the St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church and later built a church at Morris. He was priest at Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan (1905-1908) where he built another church. From 1908 to 1910, he attended the Canadian college in Rome where he received a doctorate in canon law. After returning to Canada, he was a priest at St. Jean’s Roman Catholic Church at Grande Clairiere (1910-1911). He then oversaw the construction of a church and rectory at Bellevue, Saskatchewan before being bursar at the Bishop’s Palace in Regina.
He was the priest at Wilcox (1911-1917) before going to Milestone (?-?) where he built another church and rectory. He was successively the pastor at Meyronne (?-?), Delano, California (1927-1935), St. Malo Roman Catholic Church (1936-1941), and Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church (1941-1946). While serving at St. Malo, he opened Manitoba’s first credit union, establishing an institution that would flourish throughout the province. He was Vicar-General in the Archdiocese of St. Boniface from 1946.
He died at the St. Boniface Old Folks’ Home on 12 May 1949 and was buried in the St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Malo Caisse Monument (St. Malo, RM of De Salaberry)
Death registration [Arthur Benoit], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Vicar-General of St. Boniface, Rt. Rev. Msgr. A. Benoit dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1949, page 36.
“Solemn requiem mass is sung for Msgr. Benoit,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 May 1949, page 14.
“Credit Union Day speakers named,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 October 1949, page 32.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 20 April 2025
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