Fergus Patrick McEvay

Fergus Patrick McEvay (December 8, 1852 – May 10, 1911) was a Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of London (1899–1908) and later Archbishop of Toronto (1908–1911).

Early life and education McEvay was born on December 8, 1852, in Lindsay, Ontario, to Michael and Mary (née Lehane) McEvay. His father died in 1855 when McEvay was only two years old, He later went to live with an uncle in Ennismore and initially pursued a business education.

In 1874, McEvay entered St. Michael's College at Toronto, where he made his classical studies and won medals in literature.

Priesthood McEvay was ordained a priest on July 9, 1882, by Bishop James Vincent Cleary for the Diocese of Kingston. He was soon transferred to the Diocese of Peterborough and assigned to the missions at Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon. By the end of his tenure in 1908, the Catholic population was unchanged but every parish now had a parochial school. Among the parishes he founded were churches for the growing communities of Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian immigrants, also working to recruit priests who spoke their languages. He eventually succumbed to his illness and died at his residence in Toronto on May 10, 1911, at age 58.