Coadjutor Archbishop Named in Edmonton and Two Auxiliary Bishops Appointed in Montreal

Thursday, February 18 1999

(OTTAWA – CCCB)… His Holiness Pope John Paul II today named Most Rev. Thomas Collins as Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, and Msgr. Anthony Mancini and Msgr. Louis Dicaire as auxiliary bishops of Montreal. Coadjutor Archbishop-elect Collins has been Bishop of the neighbouring Diocese of Saint Paul since June 1997. He was named Coadjutor Bishop in Saint Paul in March, 1997. Prior to his episcopal nomination, he was Rector of Saint Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, on January 16, 1947, and ordained to the priesthood on May 5, 1973.

As stipulated in Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law, a diocesan bishop, upon reaching the age of 75 must present his resignation to the Pope. Often, when a bishop is close to retirement, a Coadjutor bishop is named to assist him and to assure a smooth transition upon retirement.

The current Archbishop of Edmonton is Most Rev. Joseph MacNeil who will be 75 on April 15.

Bishop-elect Mancini is Vicar General and General Co-ordinator for Administrative and Financial Services as well as Director of the Office for English Pastoral Services in the Archdiocese of Montreal. He was born on November 27, 1945, and ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1970. He holds a doctoratein pastoral theology from the University of Montreal.

Bishop-elect Dicaire is Episcopal Vicar for the eastern region of Montreal. During the Synod for America in Rome in the fall of 1997, he worked with the Synod’s secretariat. He was born on August 29, 1946, and ordained to the priesthood on January 20, 1974. He obtained a master’s degree in pastoral studies from the University of Sherbrooke in 1983 and a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1985.

The Archdiocese of Montreal has a Catholic population of 1,656,297 in 282 parishes and missions, with 605 diocesan priests, 870 priests from religious orders, 100 permanent deacons, and 6,163 religious sisters and brothers.

The Archdiocese of Edmonton has a Catholic population of 294,935 in 160 parishes and missions with 80 diocesan priests, 115 priests from religious orders, and 470 religious sisters and brothers.