New Auxiliary Bishop Named for Toronto

Monday, March 26 2001

(Ottawa — CCCB) His Holiness Pope John Paul II has named Msgr. John A. Boissonneau as Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto where he will assist His Eminence Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic in his duties as Archbishop of Toronto.

Bishop-elect Boissonneau was born in Toronto in 1949 and ordained to the priesthood in 1974. He studied theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto from where he received a doctorate in theology.

The new bishop has been active in both diocesan administration and education. In addition to having been secretary to the archbishop and chancellor of the archdiocese, he has also sat on several archdiocesan committees including the personnel committee and the presbyteral council. Since 1982 he has served at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto as professor, vice-rector and, since 1993, as rector.

The Archdiocese of Toronto has a Catholic population of 1.4 million people and is served by 397 diocesan priests, 506 priests who are members of religious orders, 114 permanent deacons, and 773 other religious in 222 parishes and missions.