Bishop Named for the Diocese of Trois-Rivières

Thursday, November 21 1996

OTTAWA — (CCCB) Pope John Paul II recently appointed Bishop Martin Veillette as Bishop of Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Bishop Veillette, Auxiliary Bishop of Trois-Rivières since 1986, succeeds Bishop Laurent Noël whose resignation was also accepted by the Pope at the same time in Rome.

Bishop Veillette was born in La Tuque, Quebec, on November 16, 1936, and ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1960. He was a professor of Séminaire St-Joseph from 1960 until 1968, and then professor at the CEGEP de Trois-Rivières until 1971. In 1980 he was named director of vocations and of the clergy for the Diocese of Trois-Rivières and then rector of the Grand Séminaire de Trois-Rivières in 1982, a post he held until his nomination as Bishop in 1986.

Bishop Veillette has been actively involved in the CCCB in recent years. In 1990 he was a Canadian delegate to the Synod on the Formation of Future Priests; from 1991 to 1995 he was a member of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs; in 1992 he was given the responsibility of the apostolic visitation of French-sector seminaries; and since 1995 has been a member of the CCCB Permanent Council.

Bishop Laurent Noël, who is retiring at the age of 76, has been Bishop of Trois-Rivières for 21 years and has just celebrated his 50th anniversary of priestly ordination. He is a well respected theologian who has been active in the CCCB, and the Quebec Assembly of Bishops as well as the universal Church.

The Diocese of Trois-Rivières has a population of 249,049 Catholics in 83 parishes and 8 missions.