Archbishop O'Leary much comfort as efforts continued all the while toward the establishment of a base of vocations from the archdiocese itself. 35

During his years in Edmonton Archbishop O'Leary was deeply inVolved in the founding of many parishes and convents and in the erection of numerous churches, schools and hospitals in all parts of the archdiocese. Notable among these were the opening of the base- ment portion of the new St. Joseph's Cathedral in 1925, the begin— ning of St. Joseph's Seminary in 1927 and his new residence next door to the cathedral in 1928. As well he inaugurated in 1921 "The Western Catholic", a paper still in operation but which was renamed "The Western Catholic Reporter" in the 1960s. In an ecumenical move, perhaps unusual for the times, he was instru- mental in the establishment of St. Joseph's College on the cam— pus of the University of Alberta. It is obvious he had a strong devo- tion to St. Joseph whom he named patron of the archdiocese. In the city of Edmonton he founded and dedicated to this great saint's honor the already—mentioned cathedral, seminary and college, as well as St. Joseph's Hospital and St. Joseph's High School. A man of wide vision, he saw Alberta, indeed all the Canadian West, as a land of tremendous potential. Because of this optimism he built for the future and even the depression of the 1930s failed to damp— en his enthusiasm. 36

Archbishop O'Leary enjoyed generally robust health, but the burdens of the episcopate wore him down while still young in years. He suffered his first severe heart attack on Christmas Eve, 1935. That this was the beginning of his decline seems evident from the fact that Bishop John Hugh MacDonald of Victoria was named in 1936 coadjutor archbishop of Edmonton. In the last months of his life O'Leary spent some time in Honolulu at the urg- ing of doctors and friends who were still hoping for recovery. From there he returned to Victoria where a few weeks later he died in St. Joseph's Hospital on March 5, 1938, just days before his 59th birthday. That day, though obviously quite ill, he celebrated Mass as usual and in the afternoon went for a short drive with a priest

16