BISHOP’S ROW ~ SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY

HALIFAX

HOLY CROSS CEMETERY

In 1802, Edmund Burke (later Bishop) proposed the establishment of a Catholic college in Halifax, which eventually became Saint Mary’s University.  Burke took a first step in1818 when he opened a small seminary in his episcopal residence on Barrington Street.  In 1840, Saint Mary’s College began classes nearby for lay and clerical students and received a provincial charter in 1841.

Most of the prelates buried in this part of Holy Cross Cemetery (known as “Bishop’s Row”) played major roles in the history of the institution.  In addition to Burke, William Walsh, Thomas Louis Connolly and Michael Hannah served as presidents of the college; Cornelius O’Brien reopened it on Windsor St. After a temporary closure; JT McNally moved the University from its Windsor Street campus to its current site in south-end Halifax.

At various stages of its history, the college was conducted by religious orders, including the De La Salle Brothers, Irish Christian Brothers and Jesuits.  Until 1963, a high school was operated in connection with the University.

While intended initially for Halifax’s largely Irish Catholic boys and men, Saint Mary’s has a long history of including students of other faiths and ethnic backgrounds.  Over the years, it has grown into one of Canada’s most international universities.  In 1968, the University admitted women to all of its full-time programs.  Two years later, by an Act of the Provincial Legislature, Saint Mary’s became a public rather than diocesan university.  However, its Irish Catholic roots remain a living memory and are reflected in key aspects of its academic  programs and outreach activities, such as the D’Arcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies.