Two new auxiliary bishops were also named for the Montreal archdiocese on July 11. Fr. Christian Lépine and Fr. Thomas Dowd will assist Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte.
Lépine, 59, was born in Montreal and ordained a priest in 1983. He studied theology at the University of Montreal and philosophy in Rome. After pastoral work at Montreal parishes, he served in the Vatican from 1998 to 2001. Upon his return to Canada, he was appointed to the Grand Séminaire and then in 2006 served as pastor for the parishes of Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Purification-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie.
Dowd, also a Montreal native, was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. He studied theology at the Montreal Grand Séminaire and did further studies in Rome. Dowd, 40, has served as assistant director of the Office for Pastoral Personnel for the archdiocese of Montreal since 2006.
The Montreal archdiocese serves more than 1.5 million Catholics in 220 parishes and missions, with 457 diocesan priests, 557 priests who are members of religious orders and societies of apostolic life and 100 permanent deacons.
Pope makes three bishop appointments in Quebec
By Catholic Register StaffMONTREAL — Montreal Auxiliary Bishop André Gazaille has been named the new bishop of Nicolet, Que., south of Trois-Rivieres.
Gazaille, who was named bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on July 11, fills the post vacated by Bishop Raymond St-Gelais who resigned due to age after 22 years at the helm of the diocese, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law.
Born in Montreal, Gazaille studied theology and pastoral ministry at the Montreal Grand Séminaire and at the University of Montreal. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Montreal in 1971. Gazaille was ordained bishop in March 2006 and has since served as an auxiliary bishop in Montreal.
The diocese of Nicolet has 119 diocesan priests, 15 priests who are members of societies of apostolic life, 386 religious brothers and sisters, and 26 permanent pastoral agents serving 200,000 Catholics in 65 parishes and missions.
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