Bishop Nicola De Angelis dead at 84

Bishop Nicola De Angelis, Bishop emeritus of Peterborough and former Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, passed away today in Montefiascone, Villa Santa Margarita Hospital in Italy. He was 84.

The late bishop’s funeral is scheduled to take place Saturday in Italy.

Born in Sabina, Italy, in 1939, Bishop De Angelis immigrated to Canada in 1967 and entered St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto for his theological studies. He was ordained into the Sons of the Immaculate Conception order in 1970 at St. Sebastian’s Parish in Toronto. Two years later he would be named pastor of the parish.

Bishop De Angelis would become a Canadian citizen in 1975 and on top of his priestly duties would serve two terms as a school trustee for the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now Toronto Catholic District School Board).

In 1980 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Temporal Affairs for the archdiocese, as well as serving on the Archdiocesan Senate of Priests in 1984 as well as the Archdiocesan Italian Pastoral Commission. He would also serve as Superior General of his order for a six-year term beginning in 1986.

In 1992 he was elected auxiliary to Archbishop (later Cardinal) Aloysius Ambrosic in 1992 and consecrated at St. Michael’s Cathedral June 24 that year. Ten years later he would be appointed Bishop of Peterborough east of Toronto, and was installed as bishop Feb. 26, 2003. He retired from his See in 2014.