The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of the diocese of MacKenzie-Fort Smith, Canada, Rev. Fr. Jon Hansen, C.Ss.R., currently parish priest of “Our Lady of Victory”, Inuvik, North West Territories.
Father Jon Hansen was born in Edmonton and raised in Grande Prairie, AB. After high school, he attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and completed a diploma in Building Construction Engineering following his father’s footsteps into the construction industry. Returning for further studies he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alberta. At the same time, he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, professing religious vows in 1998.
Studying in Toronto, at the University of St. Michael’s college, he graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2003. After a Diaconal appointment in Sudbury, ON in 2004, he was ordained to the Priesthood in Grande Prairie by Archbishop Arthé Guimond. He served as an associate pastor in Redemptorist parishes in St. John’s, NL and in Toronto, ON where he was the director of the “Out of the Cold” a program which provides food and shelter to the homeless of the inner city. In 2007 he became the Director of Formation for Redemptorist students. In 2009 he became pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Saskatoon, SK and was there for 6 years during which time he served on the Diocesan Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Bishop’s Council of Priests as well as working closely with the Diocesan Offices of Migration and Justice & Peace.
In 2015, with the approval of his Redemptorist province, he accepted an appointment from Bishop Mark Hagemoen to serve as Pastor of Our Lady of Victory parish in Inuvik as well as to care for the missions of Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk, and Paulatuk, all located in the diocese of Mackenzie-Ft. Smith.
Pope Francis named him the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Mackenzie -Fort Smith (Yellowknife, NWT), to succeed Most Rev. Mark Hagemoen, who had been named Bishop of Saskatoon. The dates of Father Hansen’s episcopal ordination and installation are yet to be announced.
JF
