Episcopal Resignation for the Archdiocese of Quebec
Monday, June 23 2025On 11 June 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Marc Pelchat, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Quebec. Bishop Pelchat submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as requested by the 1983 Code of Canon Law.
Bishop Pelchat was born on 3 May 1950, in Saint-Samuel de Lac-Drolet, Quebec. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Quebec on 19 June 1976. On 25 October 2016, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec and Titular Bishop of Lambaesis. He was ordained to the episcopate on 8 December 2016.
As part of his education, Bishop Pelchat completed a diploma in Social Sciences and Humanities in 1970 at the Petit Séminaire de l’Immaculée Conception in Saint-Georges de Beauce. He earned a Master’s degree in Theology from Université Laval in 1976, followed by a Doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1986.
After ordination to the priesthood, he served in various pastoral roles, including Vicar of Saint-Édouard and Saint-Louis de Lotbinière Parish (1976–1979), Pastoral Coordinator in the Lotbinière and Bois-Francs region (1979–1982), and Pastor of Sainte-Emmélie Parish (1980–1982). He later served as a Pastoral Animator in the Québec-Centre region (1986–1987).
He was a member of the formation team of the Grand Séminaire de Québec from 1987 to 1996 and taught at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Sciences at Laval University, where he served as Assistant Professor (1987–1992), Associate Professor (1992–1997), and Full Professor, holding the Monseigneur-de-Laval Chair in Theology (1997–2013). He also served three consecutive terms as Dean of the Faculty of Theology between 1997 and 2012.
Since 2015, he has served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Quebec.
Within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, he served as Sectoral Representative on the Permanent Council from 2017 to 2019, as member of the Commission for Doctrine in 2020, and as member of the Standing Committee of Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons in 2023.
His episcopal motto, Omnia propter Evangelium — “I do it all for the sake of the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:23) — reflects his life of service to the Church in pastoral ministry, theological education, and ecclesial leadership.
The Archdiocese of Quebec has 42 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 902,390 served by 260 diocesan priests, together with 136 priests, 93 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, 1,399 women in consecrated life, 78 permanents deacons and 43 lay pastoral assistants.
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