Coadjutor Archbishop Appointed for the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan

Friday, February 14 2025

OTTAWA, 14 February 2025 – Today, His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Father Charles Duval, C.Ss.R., currently Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Grande Prairie, Alberta, as Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan.

As Coadjutor Archbishop, he will assist the current Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan, the Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R., and will succeed him upon the acceptance of his resignation by the Holy Father. In accordance with the Code of Canon Law, a Diocesan Bishop who has attained 75 years of age is requested to present his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who will make provision after he has examined all the circumstances.

Born in Hull (now Gatineau), Québec on 12 April 1964, Father Charles Duval is the eldest of three siblings. He entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) on 18 August 1985, beginning his novitiate at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec. He made his first profession of vows on 4 August 1986, and his perpetual profession on 29 July 1989, both at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. He was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Clément Fecteau on 2 May 1992 in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec, and to the priesthood by Bishop Jean-Marie Fortier on 12 June 1993 in Sherbrooke, Québec.

His academic formation includes a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Theology from Université Laval, a college degree from the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, and training in computer science from Bishop’s College. In addition to his formal education, he completed specialized studies in faith communication through television and radio at AVEX and Saint Paul University in Ottawa (1988), a Redemptorist Spirituality Course in Rome (2004), and legal training for religious community leaders at Saint Paul University and ATTIR in Ottawa (2005 and 2006). Since 2015, he has been a regular columnist for Revue Sainte-Anne.

Fluent in both French and English, he has contributed significantly to ministry through his pastoral and administrative roles. Over the years, he has served in various pastoral, missionary, and leadership capacities. He completed pastoral internships at Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix Parish in Moncton, New Brunswick (1989–1990), and Saint-Alphonse d’Youville Parish in Montréal, Québec (1990–1991). As a deacon, he ministered at Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours Parish in Latibolière, Haiti (1992–1993), before serving as vicar at Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours Parish in Hamilton, Ontario (1993–1998). He then took on leadership in youth ministry as the Director of the Redemptorist Youth Mission Team (1998–2000) and later as the Director of Redemptorist Youth and Vocational Ministry (2002–2008) in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec. During this time, he also worked as a pastoral animator for the Catholic School Board of Central South District in Toronto (2000–2002).

His leadership extended to parish and community administration, serving as Local Superior and Pastor of the Marie-Étoile-de-la-Mer Pastoral Unit in the Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick (2008–2011). He was then appointed a member of the Redemptorist General Secretariat for Formation in Rome (2011–2016), while also serving as Vice-Rector for Pastoral Ministry at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine (2011–2015). He was elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (2015–2019) and later the Provincial Superior of the newly unified Province of Canada (2019–2023).

In early 2023, he was appointed Local Superior and Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where he continues to serve today.

His involvement in the broader Redemptorist community includes participation in multiple General Chapters. He served as a translator (French to English) at the XXIII General Chapter in Rome (2003) and the XXIV General Chapter (2009). He was a voting member of the XXV General Chapter (2016) and the XXVI General Chapter (2022).

The Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan has 22 diocesan priests, 18 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, 3 women in consecrated life, 2 permanent deacons, and 3 pastoral agents serving a Catholic population of 49,424 in 57 parishes and missions.

 

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Maribel Mayorga

Director of Communications
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)
Email: communications@cccb.ca
Telephone: 613-241-9461, ext. 225