Death of the Most Reverend Peter Alfred Sutton, O.M.I., Archbishop Emeritus of Keewatin-Le Pas

Thursday, September 10 2015

(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Most Reverend Peter Sutton, O.M.I., Archbishop Emeritus of Keewatin-Le Pas, died on September 5, 2015, almost one month prior to attaining the age of 81. He had been ordained Bishop of Labrador City-Schefferville on July 18, 1974. On February 6, 1986, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, and succeeded as Archbishop on November 19, 1986. After 20 years in Keewatin-Le Pas, at the age of 71, he offered his resignation to the Holy Father because of health problems, which was accepted on March 26, 2006.

Archbishop Sutton was born in October 1934 in Chandler, Quebec, and ordained to the priesthood in October 1960 as a member of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. During his episcopal ministry, Archbishop Sutton served on the following national and sectoral Commissions of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB): the former Commission for Social Affairs (1979-1987 and 1995-1999), the former Commission for the Evangelization of Peoples (2001-2005), on which he was also Chairman (2002-2003), and also the former English Sector Commission for Christian Education (1991-1995). As well he served on the Conference’s former Programs and Priorities Committee (2002-2003), in addition to which he was the national spiritual advisor of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada (1987-1988) and the Bishop ponens with the Canadian English Sector of the Pontifical Missions Society (2002-2006).

His body will lie in state September 11 in the chapel of the Notre-Dame Oblate Residence, Richelieu, Quebec, where there will be a celebration of the Mass at 2:00 p.m. The presiding celebrant will be the Most Reverend Sylvain Lavoie, O.M.I., Archbishop Emeritus of Keewatin – Le Pas. On Sunday, September 20, the remains will arrive at 5:00 p.m. at Canadian Martyrs Church, Ottawa, where there will be a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, with Father Ken Forster, O.M.I., Provincial of the Oblate Lacombe Province in Canada, presiding. On Monday, September 21, the Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at Canadian Martyrs Church, with the Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and Vice President of the CCCB, presiding.