Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins commented on the appointment: “I am excited to welcome Jim O’Leary as Publisher and Editor of The Catholic Register, which has been an important voice, both in our archdiocese and our country, for more than a century.  As a new chapter begins under his leadership, I extend to Jim my best wishes and prayers.”

O’Leary, a native of Toronto, was most recently a partner in a privately held book publishing and photo marketing company based in Toronto. Prior to that he was Executive Vice-President/General Manager at Sun Media’s online property, Canoe.ca, which he helped launch in 1996, and has held various editorial positions at the Toronto Sun, including Sunday Editor, European Bureau Chief, sports editor and columnist.

“I am excited to be joining The Register and look forward to applying my various media experiences to continue the tradition of excellence established by my predecessor Joseph Sinasac and by previous publishers and editors of this important publication,” O’Leary said.

“This is the oldest weekly Catholic newspaper in Canada and it is my intention to keep it at the forefront of debate on such issues as education, poverty, family values and human rights.”

A product of Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic education system, O’Leary attended Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough and is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He is currently an active member of St. Patrick’s parish in Markham, and he and his wife, Bev, are proud parents of four children.