New Auxiliary Bishop Appointed to Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie

Monday, January 20 1997

OTTAWA — (CCCB) His Holiness Pope John Paul II today appointed Father Paul-André Durocher as Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie in Ontario. Bishop-elect Durocher will join the Diocese’s episcopal team of Titular Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe and Auxiliary Bishop Bernard Pappin.

The new bishop was born in Windsor, Ontario on May 28, 1954 making him the youngest bishop in Canada. He was ordained to the priesthood in Timmins in 1982. At the time of his appointment, Bishop-elect Durocher was at St. Paul University in Ottawa on a special mandate from the Diocese of Timmins on an evangelization project.

Bishop-elect Durocher holds a Bachelor and Masters degrees in theology from St. Paul University as well as a licence in Canon Law from the University of Strasbourg in France, and a licence in Theology from Gregorian University in Rome. He also holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts from the University of Western Ontario. He is well known for his musical talents as the winner of numerous singing awards and for his solo performances with various orchestras and choirs. He has composed many pieces for liturgy and catechesis.

Bishop-elect Durocher has been involved with education both in the Diocese of Timmins as well as serving on the writing team for provincial guidelines for French language Catholic Schools in Ontario. He was associate pastor at St. Anthony’s Cathedral in Timmins, pastor at Holy Cross Parish in Haileybury and administrator at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Timmins. He has also served as director of the diocesan chancery and as Episcopal Vicar and diocesan coordinator for pastoral activity in the Diocese of Timmins.

The Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie has a Catholic population of 218,000 in 96 parishes and missions and is served by 140 priests, and more than 110 permanent deacons.