The History of St. James the Greater Parish traces the evolution of a parish that was erected on June 7, 1961, by Most Reverend Francis P. Carroll, Bishop of Calgary, to serve Catholics who resided in the Altadore, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview districts of Calgary. Grounded in tradition, pastors and parishioners moved forward by embracing the forms of renewal in the Church resulting from the Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1962 until 1965 in the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter. For more than fifty years, St. James Parish has contributed to the spiritual life of the congregation and to the welfare of the larger community. Whereas pastors and parishioners have previously been from Europe by descent or birth, the changing face of the parish is now reflected in the multi-ethnic congregation that continues to serve the faithful within the Diocese of Calgary.