Death of Bishop Emeritus Albert Sanschagrin, O.M.I.

Monday, April 06 2009

Most Reverend Albert Sanschagrin, O.M.I., Bishop emeritus of Saint-Hyacinthe, died on 2 April 2009 at the age of 97.

Born on 5 August 1911 in Saint-Tite, Quebec, Bishop Sanschagrin was ordained to the priesthood on 24 May 1936 as a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In 1939, he was named to the central national offices of the Young Christian Workers (YWC) where he helped organize the YWC congress with 100 marriages and establish the Marriage Preparation Service.

Most Reverend Albert Sanschagrin, O.M.I., Bishop emeritus of Saint-Hyacinthe, died on 2 April 2009 at the age of 97.

Born on 5 August 1911 in Saint-Tite, Quebec, Bishop Sanschagrin was ordained to the priesthood on 24 May 1936 as a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In 1939, he was named to the central national offices of the Young Christian Workers (YWC) where he helped organize the YWC congress with 100 marriages and establish the Marriage Preparation Service.

In 1947, at the request of the Bishops of Chile, Bishop Sanschagrin traveled there to assist with the YWC movement. While in Latin America, he founded Oblate missions in Chile, Bolivia and Surinam.  After returning to Canada in 1953, he was named Provincial Superior for the Oblates of Eastern Canada, a position he held until his appointment on 14 August 1959 as Coadjutor Bishop of Amos. He subsequently participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

Bishop Sanschagrin was named Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe on 13 June 1967. He was a member of a number of Commissions and committees of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, including serving as chairman of the episcopal committee that studied the re-establishment of the permanent diaconate in Canada , as well as of the then Commission for Clergy and Religious. He became Bishop emeritus of Saint-Hyacinthe on 18 July 1979.

There will be visitation on Monday, 13 April 2009, at the Bishop’s Residence of Saint-Hyacinthe, 1900 Girouard Street West, beginning at 2:00 p.m. His funeral will be on Tuesday, 14 April at 10:30 a.m., at the Saint-Hyacinthe Cathedral.