Pope Appoints New Bishop of Pembroke, Canada

Also Orders Merger of Archdiocese of Ottawa and Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall

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The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R., Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke (Canada), transferring him from the titular bishopric of Melzi and from the Auxiliary Office of Alexandria-Cornwall (Canada).

HE Msgr. Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R.

HE Msgr. Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R., was born on May 23, 1956, in Hull, Québec, in the current Archdiocese of Gatineau. He completed his secondary studies at the Collège Saint-Alexandre des Pères du Saint-Esprit in Limbour and graduated in Fine Arts and Commercial Arts from the Algonquin College in Ottawa. From 1972 to 1979 he was a «caricaturist» for the Le Droit newspaper in Ottawa. In August 1983 he entered the novitiate of the Redemptorist Fathers in Sainte-Anne-de Baupré. He made a temporary profession on August 7, 1984, and made perpetual vows on August 29, 1987.

In the years 1982-1983 he studied Philosophy at the Saint-Augustin de Cap-Rouge Seminar in Québec and Theology from 1984 to 1989 at the Laval University obtaining a Bachelor’s degree. He then did a two-year internship in the Archdiocese of Montréal. On January 7, 1989, he was ordained a priest in Hull in the Redemptorist Province of Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré.

From 1989 to 1995 he was responsible for a missionary team made up of four Redemptorists in the Diocese of Gaspé. From 1995 to 1998 he was Superior of Aylmer, in the Diocese of Gatineau-Hull. In the years 1998-2005 he carried out the ministry at the Sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré being also the Treasurer of the House.

From 2005 to 2008 he was appointed Superior of the Saint-Redempteur Pavilion of Saint-Augustin-Des-Desmaures , a reception house for retreats for ecclesial groups. From 2008 to 2011, he was Director of the Revue Sainte-Anne and animator of the Sanctuary itself. From 2011 until 2015 he was appointed Rector of the Shrine of Sainte-Anne and Superior of the International Community who provides spiritual service at the Shrine. From 2015 to 2018, he was also a Retreat Preacher in Canada and the United States.

On December 12, 2018, he was appointed titular Bishop of Melzi and Auxiliary of Alexandria-Cornwall, and was consecrated on March 19, 2019.

Merger of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall (Canada) and appointment of the Archbishop and Coadjutor of the new ecclesiastical circumscription of Ottawa-Cornwall

The Holy Father ordered the merger of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall (Canada) and appointed Archbishop of the new ecclesiastical circumscription of Ottawa-Cornwall, HE Msgr. Terrence Prendergast, SI

In addition, the Holy Father appointed the Most Revered Archbishop Marcel Damphousse as Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, transferring him from the Office of Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie.

HE Msgr. Marcel Damphousse

HE Msgr. Marcel Damphousse was born on March 19, 1963, in Saint-Joseph, Manitoba. After primary studies, he attended psychology courses at the Saint-Boniface University College . In 1988 he enrolled at the St. Paul University of Ottawa for theology courses.

He was therefore ordained a priest on June 28, 1991, and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface.

After his ordination, he carried out the pastoral ministry in various parochial realities as parish vicar, and from 1994 to 2000 as parish priest of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité in Somerset. At the same time he was appointed President of the Diocesan Commission for Vocations. In 1996 he also became parish priest of Saint-Léon.

From 2000 to 2002 he was in Rome where he graduated in Spiritual Theology from the Teresianum Institute. Returning to the Diocese, he carried out his ministry as parish priest, and in the five-year period 2003-2008, he was again diocesan director for vocations and chaplain of St. Boniface High School. In 2008 he was appointed Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Boniface and Member of the Diocesan Council of Economic Affairs.

Appointed Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall on June 16, 2012, he was consecrated on the following September 2. He was then transferred to the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie on November 12, 2015.

Archbishop Damphousse is one of the two Councilors of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario Board of Directors and Member of the Education Commission.

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