Rev. Leo Donald Cameron, OSA
April 8th, 1932 to March 29th, 2019
Memorial Mass for Fr. Leo will be at 7:45 pm on Friday, April 12, 2019 in the Marylake Shrine
Fr. Leo died on March 29th, in Delta. B.C. a little shy of his 87th Birthday. Since 2013, he has been in residence at Augustine House, retirement home near the Monastery of Our Lady of Consolation.
Fr. Cameron was born on April 8, 1932, in Mabou, Nova Scotia, Canada. Leo grew up in a home filled with love for family and for the Church. In his early life, he saw lots of love for the Church, undoubtedly some of it being blind faith, but those gifts of faith, hope, and love were very evident in the family home. Praying the Rosary, for example, was an important part of his family’s life. Leo also had helped the parish priest by milking the cow. Around the age of 14, Leo and several other altar boys made an unscheduled trip from a day trip at the Augustinian Monastery in Nova Scotia. There, Leo was greeted by a kind Augustinian named Fr. Hartman. Leo was impressed with his hospitality; through prayer and a strong calling, Leo then decided to join the Augustinians.
On October 2, 1949, Leo then proceeded to board a train with his father and headed west to the monastery. He still remembered his first day in detail and particularly remembers receiving his first habit. Leo later professed his solemn vows in the Augustinian Order on February 16, 1954 with Brothers Laurence MacQuarrie, O.S.A., and Steven Donnelly, O.S.A.
Agricultural work had once been a big focus for the Canadian Augustinians. For many years prior to his priesthood ordination, Leo worked as a farmer; he particularly had a specialty as a herdsman. After his work in agriculture, he became more involved in youth ministry at various parishes. He was assigned to a parish in Ottawa, Ontario, for example, to work with a choir for young people. He had also devoted much of his time to traveling across Canada to speak to the youth about discerning a vocation with the Augustinians.
As a priest, he served at Sacred Heart Parish in King City, Ontario and also Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, B.C. As an Augustinian, he served as Prior of the Augustinian communities in Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia.
In 2007, Leo transferred back to Ladner to serve Sacred Heart Parish. He retired at age 81. Fr. Cameron is survived by his sisters, Janet and Isabelle, (Harold) his brother, Fr. Francis Cameron, two nephews, Patrick and David and a host of cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his parents and two sisters, Mary and Margaret.