New Bishop for Charlottetown

Saturday, July 11 2009

(CCCB – Ottawa) – Pope Benedict XVI today named Most Reverend Richard Grecco as Bishop of Charlottetown. At the time of his appointment he was Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto.

(CCCB – Ottawa) – Pope Benedict XVI today named Most Reverend Richard Grecco as Bishop of Charlottetown. At the time of his appointment he was Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. 
 
The Holy Father also accepted the resignation of Most Reverend J. Vernon Fougere, who is leaving office for reasons of health. He has been Bishop of Charlottetown since March 1992.
 
Bishop Grecco was born on 4 March 1946 in St. Catharines, Ontario. He was ordained priest on 2 September 1973 for the Diocese of St. Catharines, and named Auxiliary Bishop of London on 5 December 1997. Since 2002, he has been an Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto.
 
As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Grecco served on the former Episcopal Commission for the Evangelization of Peoples, and was a member and later also Chairman of what was at the time the English Sector Commission for Christian Education. He currently is a representative of the CCCB on the National Council of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, and is Bishop ponens with the Canadian English Sector of the Pontifical Missions Society as well as with the Charismatic Renewal Services of Canada.
 
The Diocese of Charlottetown has a Catholic population of 63,240 in 58 parishes and missions, served by 49 diocesan priests, three priests who are members of religious communities, one permanent deacon and 111 religious Sisters.