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Two new bishops for Atlantic Canada |
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Written by Catholic Register Staff
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 |
Two major Roman Catholic dioceses in Atlantic Canada have new bishops, courtesy of Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope announced the appointments Oct. 17 at the Vatican.
The new head of the archdiocese of Halifax, N.S., is Bishop Anthony Mancini, who will leave Montreal, where he is currently an auxiliary bishop, to take on his new post. He will also become apostolic administrator for the neighbouring diocese of Yarmouth. Bishop Claude Champagne, OMI, will remain auxiliary bishop of Halifax.
In Newfoundland, Bishop Martin Currie of Grand Falls diocese will now do double duty. He will become archbishop of St. John's and maintain his current position.
Both archdioceses had become vacant when their archbishops were moved to dioceses in Ontario. Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., had been moved to Ottawa, while Archbishop Brendan O'Brien had been moved to Kingston.
Mancini was born in Italy in 1945 but spent most of his life in Montreal. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1970, and holds a doctorate in pastoral theology from the University of Montreal.
Mancini's new diocese of Halifax serves 161,000 Catholics with 75 priests, 244 religious brothers and sisters, 29 permanent deacons and 24 lay pastoral ministers. Yarmouth contains 37,000 Catholics served by 28 priests, 44 religious brothers and sisters, three permanent deacons and four lay pastoral ministers.
St. John's new archbishop was born in 1943 in Marinette, Sheet Harbour, N.S., and ordained to the priesthood on May 12, 1968. Currie studied theology at Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax and spent four years as a missionary in Peru before serving in a number of Nova Scotian parishes.
The archdiocese of St. John's has 111,000 Catholics served by 52 priests, 214 religious brothers and sisters and on lay pastoral agent.
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