Bishop Jacques Berthelet Named to Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil

Thursday, December 26 1996

OTTAWA — (CCCB) His Holiness Pope John Paul II has appointed Bishop Jacques Berthelet as Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil. He has been an auxiliary bishop in this diocese since 1987, and administrator of the diocese since the death of Bishop Bernard Hubert on February 2, 1996. Bishop Berthelet will be installed on January 25, 1997.

Bishop Berthelet was born in Montreal in 1934 and he joined the religious order of Les Clercs de Saint-Viateur in 1961 and ordained priest in 1962. At the time of his nomination as Bishop in March 1987, he was General-Superior of the order.

Bishop Berthelet holds Bachelor degrees in theology and pedagogy and a licence in Theology. He also undertook studies towards a doctorate in theology.

Bishop Berthelet has been actively involved in the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. From 1991 to 1995 he was chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Relations with Associations of Priests, Religious, and Laity; In October 1994 he was a Canadian delegate to the Synod on Consecrated Life in Rome; he is currently a member of the French sector Liturgy Commission and sits on the CCCB’s Permanent Council.

The Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil has a Catholic population of 525,000 in 93 parishes and missions and is served by 190 priests. It is the fourth largest diocese in Canada after Montréal, Toronto and Quebec City.