New Auxiliary Bishop Named for Quebec City

Friday, December 04 1998

(OTTAWA – CCCB)… His Holiness Pope John Paul II today named Rev. Jean Gagnon as Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec. Father Gagnon was rector of Notre Dame de Québec Cathedral in Quebec City at the time of the appointment and is also a canon of the cathedral.

Bishop-elect Gagnon was born on May 21, 1941, in Saint Joseph de Lauzon, near Quebec City, and studied at Collège de Lévis and the Grand Seminary of Quebec where he received a licentiate in theology. He also holds master’s degrees in pastoral theology from Laval University and in mission studies from Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1966. He first served as vicar at Saint Maria Goretti Parish in Charlesbourg before becoming involved in education at the Collège de Lévis where he held a number of positions. He is presently a member of a provincial council on education, as well as serving at the historic Notre Dame de Victoire and Notre Dame de la Garde parishes in Quebec City.

The new bishop will be joining Archbishop Maurice Couture as well as two other auxiliary bishops, Most Rev. Jean-Pierre Blais and Most Rev. Eugene Tremblay, as part of the episcopal team.

The Archdiocese of Quebec has a Catholic population of 902,545 in 268 parishes and missions with 565 diocesan priests, 386 priests from religious orders, 79 permanent deacons and 4,487 religious sisters and brothers.