Death of Most Reverend Robert Clune

Friday, September 07 2007

Most Reverend Robert Clune, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Toronto, died on 6 September 2007 at the age of 86.

Born in Toronto on 18 September 1920, he was ordained to the priesthood on 26 May 1945 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. In May 1979, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto by Pope John Paul II and was ordained Bishop the following month by G. Emmett Cardinal Carter, then Archbishop of Toronto.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be concelebrated on Wednesday, 12 September 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Most Reverend Robert Clune, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Toronto, died on 6 September 2007 at the age of 86.

Born in Toronto on 18 September 1920, he was ordained to the priesthood on 26 May 1945 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. In 1948 he received his doctorate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In May 1979, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto by Pope John Paul II and was ordained Bishop the following month by G. Emmett Cardinal Carter, then Archbishop of Toronto, who gave him particular responsibility for the North-East and Northern Regions of the Archdiocese. From 1979 to 1992 he served as Vicar for Permanent Deacons and Vicar for Religious.

Bishop Clune was deeply committed to missionary work. From 1971 to 1979 he was President of the Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada (Catholic Missions in Canada). He also was involved in this sphere of activities at the national level where he served as a member of the Episcopal Commission for missions of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) for more than ten years. Bishop Clune retired in 1997.

Visitation will take place on Monday, 10 September 2007 from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Wilfrid’s Parish, 1675 Finch Avenue West, North York, with a parish Mass at 8:00 p.m., and on Tuesday, 11 September 2007 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at St. Wilfrid’s Parish and from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The Mass of Christian Burial will be concelebrated on Wednesday, 12 September 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Cathedral, 67 Bond Street, Toronto.