Father Gabriel Clément, 12th Pastor 

Father Gabriel Clément

1988 to Present

Born in Valleyfield on May 9, 1934, ordained a priest on May 31, 1958. He has assumed various parish responsibilities as vicar and priest in the diocese of Valleyfield over the years. Fr. Clément has a good grasp of theological and human nature, a remarkable sense of the Church and of the integrity of life. He enjoys intellectual pursuits and is an avid reader. But he is also very close to his parishioners,  working in collaboration with staff and volunteers alike.   He has an excellent relationship with the common people but is also at ease with society leaders and intellectuals. He is a man of stature and a true apostle of our Lord. 

Father Hubert Hamelin

1982 to 1988

Born October 14, 1942, ordained a priest May 12, 1972. He was a teacher at Pascal-Lajoie High School, Montreal North, then vicar and priest in parishes in the dioceses of Valleyfield and Montreal. Fr. Hamelin and Fr. Alain Ambeault wrote two small bilingual volumes on pastoral messages: “A Word Given and Shared” and “When Our Hope Is Delivered”. They also recorded important events in our parish, such as the founding of the parish, the names of the priests since the beginning, constructions and renovations. Father Hamelin died at Joliette on February 14, 2022. 

Canon Georges-Edgar Quenneville

1969 to 1982

Born in St-Anicet on May 13, 1918, ordained a priest in Valleyfield by Mgr. Julien on May 26, 1945 and later became Canon.    Vicar in Huntingdon from 1945 to 1951, in Beauharnois from 1951 to 1955, in Hudson from 1955 to 1959. Parish Priest of St-Paul (Beauharnois) from 1959 to 1966 and in Hudson from 1966 to 1969. Father Quenneville was a member of the Huntingdon Rotary Club and was awarded the "Paul Harris Fellow" for his outstanding community involvement .  During his tenure in Huntingdon he started a tradition of ecumenical services which brought people of all faiths together. Father Quenneville died on March 2, 1991 in Ile Perrot. 

Monsignor Joseph-Arsène David

1954 to 1969

Born in St-Antoine-Abbé, on May 15, 1888, ordained a priest by Bishop Médard Émard, on January 6, 1912 at the Valleyfield Seminary. Ten years professor of the business class at the Valleyfield Seminary, chaplain of the Poor Clare Sisters, vicar in Vaudreuil, priest in Ste-Agnès-de-Dundee (where he reestablished the body of the Fabrique, corrected the decree of erection of the parish, created Catholic schools and the Catholic School Board of the parish, as well as building the church), in Hemmingford, in Dorion where he founded a 2nd parish, that of St-Jean-Baptiste. Priest at St-Polycarpe where he was named honorary canon on September 8, 1952. Priest of our parish in 1954, named prelate by Our Holy Father the Pope, on December 16, 1957. He retired to Huntingdon in 1969. On May 14, 1972, the parish celebrated its Diamond Jubilee of Priestly Ordination. He died on July 16, 1974.
The arrival of Canon David at St-Joseph opened the annals of the contemporary history of the parish. Upon his arrival, the Fabrique granted a loan of land to the School Board for the expansion of the Notre-Dame school, gymnasium and residence of the Sisters of the Congregation. A presbytery was built adjoining the church; a specialist from Montreal redid the interior of the church and washed the paintings and also gilded the high altar; work was undertaken in the basement in anticipation of a new floor. Then a double garage was added to the presbytery, and the sacristy was enlarged. This was followed by the repair of the roof of the parish hall, the installation of loudspeakers in the church, the purchase of a carillon to replace the bells, and the organization of the parish centenary celebrations.

Canon Arthur Pigeon

1933 to 1954

Born in St-Polycarpe on May 15, 1887, ordained a priest on January 15, 1913 in St-Zotique by Bishop Médard Émard. For ten years, he was a professor at the Valleyfield seminary, and was the priest in Hinchinbrooke and St-Zotique. He administered St. Joseph, Huntingdon from 1933 until his death on April 5, 1954, following a heart attack.
Arthur Pigeon was a builder: construction of the Notre-Dame central school in 1951, the first in Quebec, after 8 years of lobbying the school board, religious and government authorities; construction of the parish hall, renovation of the cemetery, painting of the roof and bell tower of the church, decoration of the interior by the artist Guido Ninchéri, purchase of new Stations of the Cross, installation of a pipe organ, repair of the floors of the choir and the sacristy, new ornaments and new decorations.

His humanitarian works:
-Began an organization of card games to buy food, collection of old clothes refurbished by the Ladies of Ste-Anne.
-Care of the sick (donation of $200 by the Fabrique to the Huntingdon Hospital and bequest of $500 upon his death to the same hospital).
-Free distribution of soup to all the children who ate at the school (a great part of which was funded by his own money).
His merits are recorded for history in the name: L’école polyvalente Arthur-Pigeon.

Father Joseph-Albert Derome

1911 to 1933

Born on June 7, 1867 in Saint-Jean-Chrysostôme, ordained a priest in Valleyfield on December 18, 1892, by Mgr. Émard.  He was a professor at the College of Montreal for a year and then a curate ate Vaudreuil from 1893-1895 when he was made the pastor of St. Agnes de Dundee.  He served there from 1895-1911 and while there opened the first Catholic school with 20 students.  He was the parish priest at St. Joseph’s for 22 years until his resignation in 1933. He was then named the Chaplain at the Monastery of the Poor Clares in Valleyfield.  On May 21, 1937 he died at the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. His remains were transported to Saint-Jean-Chrysostôme where his funeral took place on May 24. He was buried in the family vault.

Father Daniel Guilbault

1904 to 1911

Born in Joliette on July 4, 1864, ordained a priest in Montreal on March 17, 1889, by Bishop Fabre.  He was named curate for St. Louis de Gonzague in 1889.   He was curate in Notre Dame de Grace from 1890-1891, and in St Antoine, Montreal 1891-1896.  From 1896-1898he taught at the Seminary in Valleyfield from 1896-1898.In 1898 he was appointed to St. Antoine Abbé where he was able to complete the interior of the church.  He was there until 1904 when he came to Huntingdon.   He enjoyed the serious reading of theology and literature. He was a perfectly bilingual man of obedience. He devoted himself to preaching and confession with ardor. Father Guilbault died at the Hôtel-Dieu in Montreal on June 4, 1911. He was buried in Montreal, in his family's plot.

Théodule Nepveu

1892 to 1904

Born in Ste. Scholastique,  ordained a priest in Montreal on March 26, 1887, by Bishop Fabre. He was curate of Huntingdon during the sickness and death of Fr. Felix Woods.  He then became curate at Sainte Enfant de Jeusu and then at St.Cunegonde’s.  In 1892 he returned to Huntingdon as parish priest.  His first work was dedicated to a new cemetery. On August 2, 1892, Bishop Joseph Émard of Valleyfield authorized the parish of Saint-Joseph de Huntingdon to purchase three acres of land to enlarge the current cemetery. This land was purchased from Mr. Frank White of Godmanchester. On May 21, 1893, the Fabrique decided to divide the land of the new cemetery into lots, to erect a wooden fence to separate the land from the street. On September 3,1893 a request was presented to the Bishopric to exhume the bodies from the old cemetery and place them in the new one. The Fabrique granted land for the construction of a school for boys. Father Théodule Nepveu died on May 8, 1925. He was buried in the cemetery at Beauharnois.  

Father Camille Santoire

1890 to 1892

Born in Longueuil on July 18, 1849, ordained a priest in Montreal on August 10, 1884, by Bishop Fabre. He was a professor at the Jacques Cartier Normal school prior to becoming pastor in Huntingdon.   He died on January 15, 1917 in Valleyfield.

Joseph Legardeur De Repentigny

1887 to 1890

Father Felix Woods

1869 to 1887

Born in Rawdon on May 4, 1832, ordained a priest in Montreal on December 9, 1861. He was curate at Lacolle 1861-1862, and curate at St. Anicet from 1862-1864. He was then named pastor of Hinchinbrooke in 1864 until 1869 when he was officially appointed second priest of our parish.  During his term the church would be built and the sacristy. At a regular meeting of the churchwardens held on August 23, 1874, a portion of land located at Trout River was accepted on behalf of the Fabrique for the erection of a relief chapel.   On August 17,1879 they were opened the church and sacristy were opened.  By May 24, 1880 there were 30 new benches added to the church.   Fr. Woods died on November 25, 1885 and was buried in the church, below the altar of Mary.   There is a plaque in his memory on the west wall.  

Father Louis-Guillaume Gagnier

1863 to 1869

Born in Châteauguay on March 22, 1830, ordained a priest by Bishop Larocque on December 22, 1855. He was curate in St. Jean-Iberville from 1855 until  September 1856,  when he was appointed by Bishop Bourget to replace the Fr. Doyle, at the Huntingdon mission. At that time, the mission included the Ormstown, Howick, Hinchinbrook, Huntingdon and Trout River missions.
In 1856, the Huntingdon mission was in debt by $650. This mission, the largest in size and population, was nevertheless the poorest. Farmers had to travel 3 to 8 miles to get to church. Catholic families had increased from 130 to 235.
In 1858, the bishop added the Dundee mission, which brought the area of missions where he had to exercise his ministry to 192 miles.
In 1861, he founded the convent for girls and brought in Sisters from the Congregation of Notre-Dame. The convent was built in 1861-1862.
On October 24, 1863, he officially became the parish priest, following the bishop's decree establishing this mission as a parish under the name of ST. JOSEPH. The parish then included a presbytery and the convent.
In 1866, he presided over the election of trustees for the construction of a church that would replace the chapel. At the request of Bishop de Goesbriand, bishop in the United States, Bishop Bourget sent him to Vermont. He would build 13 churches and as many parishes in New England. He would be called the apostle of these regions. He would work there for 35 years.   He died in Springfield, Vermont on August 20, 1908 and is buried in Ste. Martine. 

Father Edmond Doyle

1852 to  1856

Father Doyle replaced Father Kiernan in 1852. Born in Ireland, he came to live in Huntingdon, bought a house and opened a school for Catholic children. Fr. Doyle became ill and he had to abandon his post. He was replaced by Father Louis-Guillaume Gagnier, who became the 3^rd Missionary Priest on September 9, 1856. 

Father Terence Kiernan

1846 to 1852

Born in Ireland, ordained in Dublin in 1843, Father Kiernan arrived in Quebec in December of the same year. First appointed to Saint-Jean Chrysostome, he came to the chapel at Dewittville in 1846 with authenticated registers for Saint-Patrice and Saint-Malachie. He was the first priest to occupy the presbytery of the mission chapel, St. Malachie, which was located halfway between what is now Dewittville and Ormstown. In 1848, the first annals of the St-Joseph mission began.  Father Kiernan requested permission to build a chapel in the growing village of Huntingdon, which was granted.