The Most Reverend William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Most Rev. William McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary, became the 40^th President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops at the September 2023 Plenary Assembly. Elected by his brother Bishops for a two-year term (2023-2025), he succeeds the Most Rev. Raymond Poisson, Bishop of Saint-Jérôme-Mont-Laurier, whose two-year term ended in September 2023.

A native of London, Ontario, Bishop McGrattan was born on 19 September 1956. He was ordained to the priesthood on 2 May 1987 for the Diocese of London by Bishop John Michael Sherlock.

His Excellency received his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Western Ontario, followed by a Master’s in Divinity from St. Peter’s Seminary in London. Following his ordination, after three years of service at St. Joseph’s Parish in Chatham, Ontario, he was sent to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a Licentiate in Fundamental Moral Theology in 1992. He was subsequently appointed to the faculty of St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario as Associate Professor, becoming Vice-Rector, Dean of Theology, and eventually Rector in 1997.

In 2009, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto by Pope Benedict XVI and was ordained to the episcopate on 12 January 2010. Bishop McGrattan’s episcopal motto, “Habe Fiduciam in Domino” (Trust in the Lord) is taken from Proverbs 3:5, which reads “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight.”

As Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Bishop McGrattan had responsibility for the Central Region, which includes seventy-one parishes in the central part of Toronto. In addition, he was Vicar for Lay Movements and Associations, Vicar for Ethnic Communities, and the Liaison Bishop for the Catholic School Chaplains of Ontario, the Catholic Association of Religious and Family Life Educators of Ontario, the Catholic Health Association of Ontario, and the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada.

On 8 April 2014, he was appointed the 12^th Bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough, and was installed on 23 June 2014, succeeding Bishop Nicola De Angelis. Bishop McGrattan served as Bishop of Peterborough until 4 January 2017 and as Apostolic Administrator until 19 April 2017.

On 4 January 2017, Bishop McGrattan was appointed by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Frederick Henry as the 8^th bishop of the Diocese of Calgary. He was installed on 27 February 2017.

Bishop McGrattan is active in the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop McGrattan has served on the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine and was one of four representatives on the National Council of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, in addition to having served as Bishop ponens with the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada and as the National Spiritual Advisor with the Catholic Women’s League of Canada. He has been a member of the CCCB Executive Committee since 2017.