Ottawa – His Holiness Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Robert Harris as Bishop of the Diocese of Saint John (New Brunswick), and today appointed his successor, the Most Reverend Christian Riesbeck, C.C. At the time of his appointment, Bishop Riesbeck was Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Bishop Harris has been the Bishop of the Diocese of Saint John for the past 12 years. He submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

Bishop Riesbeck was born in Montréal, Québec on 7 February 1970. He attended the University of Ottawa from which he obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Political Science. He then obtained a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from Saint Paul’s University in Ottawa and a Master of Divinity from St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto. He was ordained to the priesthood as a member of the Companions of the Cross on 12 October 1996. He served in pastoral ministry from 1996 to 1999 for the Archdioceses of Kingston and Ottawa. He then served as pastor for the Queen of Peace parish in Houston, Texas from 1999 to 2008. He completed additional studies at Saint Paul’s University in Ottawa and obtained a Master’s degree and Licentiate in Canon Law in 2010. From 2011 until 2016, Bishop Riesbeck was the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and then became Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Concerns in 2012. From 2012 to 2014, he served as Assistant General Superior of the Companions of the Cross. On 7 January 2014, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and ordained Bishop at Ottawa on 19 March 2014. Following his episcopal ordination, he served as Vicar General and Vicar for National Language Parishes, Communities and Faithful for the Archdiocese. As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Riesbeck served as a Consultor to the Standing Committee for Canon Law (2016-2017), co-Chair of the CCCB Catholic-Evangelical dialogue (2016-2018), and since 2017 is the Moderator of the Canadian Appeal Tribunal.

Bishop Harris is originally from Montréal, and served the Archdiocese of Montréal from 1969 to 2002 as a pastor, Ecclesiastical Lawyer and Collegial Judge for the Montréal Regional Marriage Tribunal, Director of Vocations, Formator at the Grand Seminary of Montréal, Episcopal Vicar to the English Speaking Faithful, and Director of the Office for English Pastoral Services. In 2002, he was appointed Monsignor by Pope Saint John Paul II. Later that same year, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie, where he served for five years until his appointment in 2007 as the Bishop of Saint John.

As a member of the CCCB, Bishop Harris served as member of the then Social Communications Commission (English Sector) from 2003 to 2005, the then Programs and Priorities Committee from 2005 to 2007, the Permanent Council from 2005 to 2007, and the then Anglican Ordinariate Implementation Committee from 2010 to 2012. He also served as the Chairman of the then Canon Law and Inter-Rite Commission (2005-2008), Moderator of the Canadian Appeal Tribunal (2005-2011), and Bishop-promoter of the Apostleship of the Sea-Canada (2009-2014).

The Diocese of Saint John has 68 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 115,400 served by 52 diocesan priests, ten priests and 66 Sisters who are members of institutes of consecrated life, two permanent deacons, as well as one lay pastoral assistant.

Yesterday, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Father Bart van Roijen, Bishop of the Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was serving as Vicar General of the Diocese of Nelson.

Bishop-elect van Roijen was born in Diemen, the Netherlands on 4 August 1965 and immigrated to Canada at the age of eight with his family. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Saskatchewan (1986) and a Master of Divinity from the University of Western Ontario (1989). He then pursued teacher training through the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary (1990-1992) and worked as the Diocesan Director of Religious Education for the former Diocese of Gravelbourg (1992-1995). Following the completion of his seminary formation, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Nelson on 25 April 1997. Subsequent to his ordination, he served as pastor in a number of parishes and missions in British Columbia as well as the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. He likewise held a number of appointments for the Diocese of Nelson including Vocations Director, Chair of the Priest Council, Director of the Permanent Diaconate Program, and most recently, Vicar General. His episcopal ordination will take place on 12 December 2019, at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Redeemer and Immaculate Conception in Corner Brook, NL.

The Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador has 51 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 26,705 served by 26 diocesan priests, nine priests and ten Sisters who are members of institutes of consecrated life.

The Most Reverend Gérard Tremblay, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Montréal, died on 28 September 2019, one month prior to his 101st birthday.

Bishop Tremblay was born on 27 October 1918 in Montréal and was ordained a priest 16 June 1946 following the completion of his theological formation at the Grand séminaire de Montréal. He then pursued further studies in spirituality, theology and catechesis. Before being appointed Bishop, he taught at Collège André-Grasset and the Grand séminaire de Montréal and likewise served in various pastoral capacities at parishes within Montréal and in neighbouring dioceses. He was also the Second General Consultor for the Sulpician Province of Canada from 1970 to 1976. On 20 March 1981, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Montréal, in which capacity he served for ten years.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he served on the French Sector Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments, 1985 to 1989. In 1991, Bishop Tremblay resigned as Auxiliary Bishop of Montréal and subsequently served as the Superior of the Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Montréal for a period of five years prior to his retirement. From 1991 to 1992, he was also Bishop ponens for what was then the pastoral district of James Bay.

The funeral Mass will be held Saturday 12 October at 10:30 a.m. in the main chapel of the Grand Séminaire de Montréal, with the Most Reverend Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montréal presiding.

Today, the Holy See’s Press Office published the names of the participants to the upcoming Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region being held 6 to 27 October 2019 in Rome.

The Holy Father has appointed the Most Rev. Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, as a participating member to the Synod.

The annual Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada will be held 28 and 29 September 2019. In his message to pastors and collaborators in pastoral ministries, the Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), reflected on his presidency and the work being accomplished by dioceses/eparchies, regional episcopal assemblies and the CCCB as a national Conference.

As part of their episcopal ministry, the Bishops are working together on important doctrinal and ethical questions; ecumenical initiatives and interreligious dialogue; international relations; evangelization, faith education and catechesis; strengthening relations with Indigenous peoples; questions of social justice, and the development of a culture of life and family.

The collection is primarily to assist Bishops in paying their annual diocesan/eparchial assessment to the CCCB as well as any yearly financial contribution they make to their regional episcopal assembly. All additional revenues that may be raised may be used by the diocese/eparchy for its own pastoral needs, although some Bishops choose to contribute these supplementary funds to the CCCB as a donation.

In order to promote the collection and the collective work of the Bishops through their Episcopal Conference as well as the Regional Episcopal Assemblies, the CCCB is making the promotional materials available on its website. The material, to be used by parishes and missions, Church media and diocesan/eparchial communications services, includes the following documents:

Message from the CCCB President to pastors and collaborators in pastoral ministry;

The video message of Bishop Lionel Gendron, P.S.S.;

Two short texts intended to be adapted or printed in parish bulletins on 22 and 29 September, or distributed by other means of communication such as websites and emails;

Suggested prayers of the faithful for the weekends of 22 and 29 September;

Overview of activities and events in the life of the Conference (September 2018-August 2019).

The 2019 Federal Election Guide, prepared by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (CCCB) Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and published in the name of the Permanent Council, has been formatted for online sharing and includes hyperlinks directing the reader to further resources on various issues important to Catholics. The Guide’s content offers a reflection on key ethical and moral issues that voters, especially Catholics, may want to consider.

Voting as Catholics: 2019 Federal Election Guide

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace-Caritas Canada (CCODP) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) are providing an update on the organizational review of CCODP that has been underway since mid-May 2019.

Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Joint Press Release

Ottawa – The Most Reverend John M. Sherlock, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of London, died on 12 August 2019.

Bishop Sherlock was born on 20 January 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He entered St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto in 1946 to begin his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood on 3 June 1950 for the Diocese of Hamilton by the Most Reverend R.H. Dignan, Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie. Following his ordination, he continued his studies and received a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in 1952. He later received a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Windsor (1985), a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) from Huron College, London, Ontario (1986), and became a Fellow (honoris causa) of the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto (1994).

Upon completion of his Licentiate in Canon Law, Bishop Sherlock returned to the Diocese of Hamilton to begin his pastoral ministry. He served as Assistant Pastor and then Pastor in parishes within the diocese from 1952 until 1974. During this time, he also held the positions of Lecturer in Religious Studies and Newman Chaplain at McMaster University in Hamilton, Advocate and Judge for the Regional Matrimonial Tribunal, Trustee and Chairman for the Hamilton-Wentworth Separate School Board, Consultor for the Diocese of Hamilton, and Board member and Vice-Chairman for St. Joseph’s Hospital (Hamilton). On 25 June 1974, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of London and was ordained Bishop on 28 August 1974 by Bishop P.F. Reding. On 8 July 1978, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of London and installed on 21 August.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Sherlock was a member of the then Commission for Christian Education (English Sector), the then Pastoral Team for Study and Action, the then Administrative Board (now the Permanent Council), the then Commission for Social Affairs, the then Operations Review Committee, the then Ad hoc Committee on Constitution, as well as the then Commission for Social Communications (English Sector). From 1983 to 1985, Bishop Sherlock served as the President of the CCCB during which time he led the Conference in its organization of the Papal Visit to Canada by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1984. Bishop Sherlock went on to represent the CCCB with the Canadian Council of Churches (1989-1991) and served as the Council’s Vice-President in 1990-1991. Founded by the CCCB, Bishop Sherlock was the first Chairman of the National Catholic Broadcasting Foundation (later renamed the National Catholic Broadcasting Council), which, in 1998, led to the Daily TV Mass broadcast, originally on Vision TV, as a way of helping the Church to be more present and visible in the media. He retired as Bishop of London in 2002.

Visitation will be held at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica, in London, Ontario on Thursday, 15 August from 1:00 to 9:00 pm and on Friday, 16 August from 9:00 to 11:00 am. The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, 16 August at 11:00 am at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica with the Most Reverend Ronald P. Fabbro, C.S.B., Bishop of London presiding.