Father Raymond Guimond, a beloved pastor, teacher and chaplain in the Archdiocese of Edmonton who recently reached a milestone of 60 years as a priest, has died. He was 85.
A light luncheon will be served followed by the interment at Holy Cross Cemetery located at 14611 Mark Messier Trail.
“As a young man, Father Ray had an experience in which he saw himself as a priest sitting among a group of lay people,” said Christine Foisy-Erickson, his friend of many years. “He was teaching them. He noticed that he was not sitting in a position higher or lower than the lay people but rather he was sitting at the same level as them.
“From that moment on, Father Ray understood that, while his role as a priest in the church was different from that of a lay person, the priesthood and the laity were equal in dignity before God,” Foisy-Erickson said.
“Father Ray believed that the complimentary roles of the ordained priesthood and the lay apostolate, when properly understood and lived, brought something truly beautiful to the Church and to the world.”
Foisy-Erickson said Father Ray led many pilgrimages both nationally and internationally. He fostered devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and to the Merciful Jesus. He prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy alongside the prayer of the Holy Rosary every day.
“Father took great joy in studying the lives of the saints and presented them as credible witnesses of the Gospel well lived. Father Ray had a great love for Jesus Christ and spent countless hours, day and night, before the Blessed Sacrament. He used to say, ‘If I do not spend lots of time with Him, I do not have much to offer the people.’.”
She said Father Ray loved being a priest and he wholeheartedly loved the Church. “He taught that in order to grow in love for Christ and His Church, it is indispensable to entrust oneself entirely to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church, and to have a close relationship with her.”
Under Father Ray’s direction, a group of lay people formed an apostolate called Mi Casa Ministries: Homes for Our Lady of Guadalupe. From Mi Casa Ministries, the image of and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe spread.
In 2001, the ministry was gifted with a life-size image of the Virgin of Guadalupe by Msgr. Monroy Ponce, then the Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
After years of traveling across Canada, the image of Our Lady has been entrusted to Archbishop Richard Smith since May 2024. As an Archdiocese, we draw inspiration from Mary, our patroness, as we focus on the pastoral priorities of the Archdiocese – Formation for Eucharistic Worship, Formation for Confident Witness and Formation for Service to Families and Marriage.
Raymond Florent Guimond was born June 2, 1939 in the Rimouski region of Québec in a big family of 13 children. His older brother was the late Most Rev. Arthé Guimond, former archbishop of the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan.
His first seven years of schooling were completed in Les Hauteurs after which he attended college in Rimouski for one year. In 1953, the family moved to Alberta. Raymond continued his education at Collège Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg and then at Collège Saint-Jean in Edmonton. Since the age of eight,
Raymond desired to be a priest. After high school, he pursed theological studies at the seminary in St. Boniface before entering St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1960 in Edmonton. He was ordained a priest on June 13, 1964 in Hinton by Archbishop Anthony Jordan, O.M.I.
Father Ray began serving as an associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish and Immaculée Conception parish in Edmonton, and at Sacred Heart Parish in Red Deer.
From 1966 until 1992, Father Ray served as pastor at St Michael Resurrection parish in Edmonton, St. Francis Xavier parish in Camrose, St. Agnes parish in Mayerthorpe, Paroisse St-Thomas-D’Aquin in Edmonton, and St. John Bosco parish in Edmonton.
After a sabbatical in 1992, he served as pastor at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows parish in Maskwacis, St. Agnes parish in Mayerthorpe, St. Rose of Lima parish in Onoway, St. John the Evangelist and Holy Spirit parishes in Edmonton, and at Blessed Sacrament parish in Wainwright.
From 2008-2014, Father Ray served as chaplain of the Cross Cancer Institute, Grey Nuns Hospital, St. Joseph Auxiliary Hospital and the Kipnes Centre for Veterans before retiring on May 12, 2014.
When the Salesians closed St. Mary’s School for Boys, Father Ray obtained the marble statue of St. John Bosco. He also opened the way for the Salesian priests to serve at St. John Bosco. He was known as a good musician, and set up the sound system to lead the congregation in singing God’s praises; several music groups were formed during his time as pastor.
Foisy-Erickson recalled one time in 2014, Father Ray was standing outside a restaurant in Puebla, Mexico where he entertained the restaurant’s patrons for more than hour playing an accordion found in a corner.
Father Ray founded and led Ephphatha House located about 15 kilometres northwest of Stony Plain. The centre focused on prayer, Catholic spirituality, meditation, and silent and directed retreats. Father Ray served there as spiritual director until 2017 at which time it was handed over to the Discaled Carmelite Fathers. A new centre was built and is now called the Mount Carmel Spirituality Centre.
“People need a deeper spirituality and to develop a prayer life,” he said at the time of the handover, “and the Carmelites now can help people to develop that. The Carmelites can do much more than ever. They’re continuing a similar mission.”
From 1995-1996, Father Ray recorded teachings on the Catechism. According to the Father Raymond Guimond Catholic Teachings website, his interests included adult education, teaching on the Sacred Scriptures and the documents of the church, promoting Eucharistic Adoration and music, including playing piano and recording.
Funeral arrangements are being finalized.