The Most Reverend Gérard Dionne, Bishop Emeritus of Edmundston, Celebrates 100th Birthday

Tuesday, June 18 2019

The Most Reverend Gérard Dionne, Bishop Emeritus of Edmundston, will celebrate his 100th birthday on 19 June 2019. Born in Saint-Basile, New Brunswick, Bishop Dionne was ordained a priest 1 May 1948 following the completion of his theological formation at the Grand Séminaire Saint-Coeur de Marie in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He later pursued further studies in Canon Law at the Angelicum in Rome from which he obtained a Doctorate. Before being appointed Bishop, he served as vicar, and later pastor in the parish of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Among other pastoral functions, he also served as Chaplain for the Maison provinciale des SS. Maristes et des Servantes du Très-Saint-Sacrement (Edmundston) and the Scolasticat des Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph, in Saint-Basile.

On 29 January 1975, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Ste-Marie, in which capacity he served for eight years. On 23 November 1983, he was appointed Bishop of Edmundston and served the diocese for ten years until his retirement at the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law. As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he served as the Director of the former Canadian Catholic Office of Latin America (1967-1971, Ottawa), and was a member on the then Pastoral Team for Study and Action, the then Episcopal Commission of Missions, Ecumenism and Non-Believers, the then Episcopal Commission of Canon Law/Inter-Rites, the then Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism, and the then Episcopal Commission of Christian Education. Bishop Dionne also served as Vice-President and President of the Atlantic Episcopal Assembly (AEA) while he was Bishop of Edmundston.