Father Yoland Ouellet, O.M.I., appointed as National Director for the French Sector of Pontifical Mission Societies in Canada

Friday, February 12 2016

His Eminence Fernando Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has appointed Father Yoland Ouellet, O.M.I., as the new National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for French Canada, succeeding Father André Gagnon, S.J., who has completed his term as Director. The appointment is for a five-year term, renewable once, beginning January 8, 2016. At the time of his appointment, Father Ouellet had just completed his term as Rector of the National Marian Shrine Notre-Dame-du-Cap.

Born in New Brunswick, Father Ouellet joined the missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1984. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy (1980) at the University of Moncton, and his Bachelor’s degree in theology (1983) at Laval University, he obtained his Master’s degree and licentiate in theology (1988) at Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He made his perpetual vows in 1988 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. Fluent in four languages, Father Ouellet has made pilgrimages to Europe, the Holy Land, Russia, India, United States and Mexico where he also studied the language and culture.

The responsibilities of the Pontifical Mission Societies for French Canada are to support the missionary efforts of Canadian Catholic communities. In addition to the Œuvre pontificale de la propagation de la foi (the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith) and the Œuvre pontificale de Saint-Pierre-Apôtre (the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle), the Pontifical Mission Societies are responsible for two other national secretariats: the Union pontificale missionnaire (the Pontifical Missionary Union) and the Œuvre pontificale de l’enfance missionnaire (the Holy Childhood Association), whose work with young Canadian Francophones is well known under the name Mond’Ami.

The offices of the Canadian French Sector of the Pontifical Mission Societies (les Œuvres pontificales missionnaires au Canada) are located in Montreal. Its website is http://www.opmcanada.ca/.

The Canadian English Sector offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies are in Toronto. Its Director is Father Alex Osei, C.S.Sp.; the website is http://www.missionsocieties.ca/.