Episcopal Resignation and Appointment for the Diocese of Valleyfield
Thursday, September 12 2024Episcopal Resignation and Appointment for the Diocese of Valleyfield
OTTAWA, 12 September 2024 – Today, His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Noel Simard as Bishop of Valleyfield, and appointed the Most Reverend Alain Faubert, currently Auxiliary Bishop of Montreal, as his successor.
Born on 4 April 1965, in Montréal, Quebec, Bishop Alain Faubert was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Montréal on 21 May 1993, and subsequently a priest on 9 June 1995. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in both philosophy and theology from the Grand Séminaire de Montréal, affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. He also earned a master’s degree in pastoral theology from the Université de Montréal and completed his doctorate in theology with a focus on ecclesiology through a joint program between the Institut Catholique de Paris and Université Laval in Quebec.
On 19 April 2016, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Montréal, and he was ordained on 15 June 2016. Over his career, Bishop Faubert has held various significant positions, such as vicar in multiple parishes, including Sainte-Dorothée in Laval, and serving as the director of the diocesan office for faith education. From 2004 to 2010, he was the host of the television program Parole et Vie, and he also served as adjunct to the general coordinator of diocesan pastoral services. His engagement with theological education is evident in his role as a lecturer at the Institut de Formation Théologique de Montréal.
Bishop Faubert is also active within the broader ecclesial community. As member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he has served on the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Relations with Jews, and Interreligious Dialogue and is currently serving on the French Sector’s Commission for Liturgy and Sacrament. Since 2019, he has co-chaired the working group between the CCCB and the Canadian Council of Imams (CCI), focusing on fostering interreligious dialogue and cooperation.
Bishop Noël Simard was born on 25 November 1947, in St-Aimé-Des-Lacs, Charlevoix, in Quebec, and was ordained a priest on 28 May 1972. He pursued his theological studies at the Grand Séminaire de Québec and the Université Laval, where he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in theology. He later completed a doctorate in moral theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His academic career includes teaching theology and bioethics at Université Saint-Paul and serving as the director of its Centre for Ethics.
Between 1972 and 2011, Bishop Noël Simard held various ministries that showcased his leadership and dedication to both parish life and education. He began as vicar at the parish of St-Félix de Cap-Rouge (1972-1976) and served as diocesan representative for the Société Catholique de la Bible (1975-1977). He later directed the primary sector of the diocesan education office in Québec (1976-1980) and advised the Catholic School Commissions of Québec (1979-1980). He also taught religious and moral education part-time at Université Laval and the University of Toronto (1984-1988) while serving as parish priest, and later became professor and ethics project director at the University of Sudbury (1988-2000) before transitioning to Université Saint-Paul, where he directed the Centre for Ethics until 2008. His involvement with the Knights of Columbus as state chaplain in Ontario and Québec further exemplifies his broad influence in both the ecclesiastical and academic fields.
Bishop Simard was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sault-Ste-Marie, in Ontario, in 2008 and consecrated as a Bishop on 3 October of the same year. In 2011, he was named Bishop of Valleyfield, in Quebec, a position he has held since February 2012.
As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Simard served many years on COLF (Catholic Organization for Life and Family) , first as a moral theologian from 2001 to 2007, then as the French Sector episcopal representative from 2009 to 2014, while also being its President from 2011 to 2014. Bishop Simard held other positions, including being a member of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace since 2020. He continues to serve in various church and social justice initiatives.
His contributions as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, as well as his leadership in various Commissions of the CCCB, demonstrate his commitment to ethical discussions and pastoral care.
The Diocese of Valleyfield has 34 diocesan priests, 12 priests who are members of religious orders and societies of apostolic life, 22 religious Brothers and Sisters, 16 permanent deacons and 5 pastoral agents serving a Catholic population of 229,390 in 23 parishes and missions.
Maribel Mayorga
Director of Communications
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)
Email: communications@cccb.ca
Telephone: 613-241-9461, ext. 225