Education
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was educated at Loyola College, Saint Michael"s College School, Saint Hyacinthe College, and Université Laval.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was educated at Loyola College, Saint Michael"s College School, Saint Hyacinthe College, and Université Laval.
He was ordained in 1918 and was sent to Regina in 1922. He started an athletic club for boys and was appointed Saint Augustine"s parish in Wilcox, Saskatchewan in 1927. Murray founded Notre Dame of the Prairies in 1927, and was the inspirational force behind the famous Notre Dame Hounds hockey team
Known as Père, he would never refuse a deserving student an education - even if that meant tuition was paid in potatoes and wheat rather than dollars and cents.
Leading the college until his death, he influenced generations of Canadians and the development of Canadian hockey. Said Père Murray, "I love God, Canada and hockey -- not always in that order." The ice hockey team is known as the Notre Dame Hounds.
More than 100 former Hounds have been drafted by National Hockey League including Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind"Amour, Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association"s Athol Murray Trophy is named in his honour.
Murray played a central role in supporting the 1962 strike by Saskatchewan doctors, who were attempting to scuttle the single-payer medical insurance system introduced by the Woodrow Lloyd government earlier that year.