Appointment of new Bishop for Timmins

Saturday, November 10 2012

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today named Msgr. Serge Poitras, P.H., Bishop of Timmins. At the time of his appointment, Msgr. Poitras was Adjunct Under Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops at the Holy See. He succeeds the Most Reverend Paul Marchand, S.M.M., who died in office July 24, 2011, at the age of 74.  Since then, the Reverend Patrick D. Lafleur has been Diocesan Administrator of Timmins.

Bishop-elect Poitras was born on May 27, 1949, in Jonquière, Quebec. After studies in Chicoutimi and Quebec City, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 1973, for the Diocese of Chicoutimi. He holds a Master’s degree in theology from Laval University, Quebec City, and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.

During his ministry as a priest, Msgr. Poitras served the Cathedral parish of Chicoutimi as assistant pastor, the Chicoutimi minor seminary as a professor, and the diocesan centre where he was responsible for pastoral ministry with students. From 1990 to 2000, he taught at the Grand Séminaire of Montreal, where he was a member of the formation team, as well as director of studies from 1998 to 2000. During this time, he also provided pastoral assistance in a number of Montreal parishes.

On August 21, 2000, he was appointed French-language secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature to Canada. The Holy Father subsequently named him Adjunct Under Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops on December 29, 2010.    

The Diocese of Timmins has 26 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 50,605, which is served by 18 diocesan priests, four priests who are members of religious communities, 17 Religious Sisters and Brothers, six permanent deacons and five lay pastoral assistants.