Our Shepherds
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Our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV
Episcopal Adviser of Spiritual Motherhood of Priests - Bishop Scott McCaig
Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada
If you have ever been to an ordination of a bishop you know that it is a celebration like no other. There are smells and bells. The music is heavenly. The sights are majestic. We pour oil over the bishop-elect’s head. We even hold a book of the Gospels over his head. The applause and cheering is deafening. There is truly nothing else like it.
Last night was no different! Bishop-elect Scott became Bishop Scott. Thank God, that whole bishop-elect thing is a bit of a tongue twister. We watched our brother, mentor, leader, and friend become a bishop. Archbishop Luigi put it so wonderfully,
“We have Bishop Scott. Before we had Fr. Scott. Now we have Bishop Scott and it is not just a change of name, but it is a profound transformation.”
Last night was a celebration of that transformation. However, we celebrate so much more than Fr. Scott becoming Bishop Scott.
We celebrate the awesome love of Christ and how it transformed an atheistic ski bum from British Columbia into a Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. How does that even happen?
Last night as I looked on, I was struck with just how awesome the love of Christ is. How he takes us in our brokenness and makes us new again. His love is so powerful that it transforms us. It changes us. It makes us new. That love changed Bishop Scott McCaig’s life and it has changed the world!
Truly Jesus’ personal invitation to Bishop Scott many years ago to ‘come and follow me’ was what we celebrated last night. Fr. Scott McCaig, CC becoming Bishop Scott McCaig, CC is a step for him on the road to the heavenly banquet.
Praised be Jesus for working in this man’s life so powerfully! Praised be Christ for his profound sacrifice on the cross so that we could be reunited with our heavenly Father.
The Most Reverend Archbishop Marcel Damphousse
Archbishop of Diocese of Ottawa-Cornwall
Born on March 19, 1963, in Saint Joseph, Manitoba, Archbishop Marcel Damphousse was ordained a priest on June 28th, 1991 for the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface. He served in a number of French and English parishes throughout the Archdiocese before being appointed Rector of the Cathedral in 2008. The Bishop earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1984 at the University College of Saint-Boniface, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in theology in 1989 from Saint Paul University, Ottawa.
He received his formation for the priesthood at Saint Paul’s Seminary, Ottawa. In 2002, he earned a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Teresianum in Rome.
For a number of years, Archbishop Damphousse taught at the Manitoba Catholic School of Evangelization, and was vocations director for more than 12 years. Before being appointed Rector of the Cathedral, he was chaplain at St. Boniface Diocesan High School for five years.
He gained experience as a member of the Diocesan Finance Committee, of the Presbyteral Council and of the Diocesan Commissions for Liturgy and for Catechesis. He also served as the spiritual director of the TEC (To Encounter Christ) movement for eight years.
On June 28th, 2012, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed the Reverend Marcel Damphousse as Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall. He was ordained bishop on September 2, 2012 in St. Finnan’s Cathedral in Alexandria, ON. On November 12th, 2015, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Damphousse as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
On May 6, 2020, Archbishop Marcel Damphousse was named the coadjutor archbishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. He succeeded Archbishop Terrence Prendergast following the latter’s retirement on December 3, 2020.
Most Reverend Bishop Yvan Mathieu
The Most Reverend Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
Former Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall
Former Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall, the Most Reverend Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, who gave the initial permission and blessing of SMOP in 2011.
Apostolic Nuncio to Canada Archbishop Yvan Jurkovic
On Saturday, June 5th, 2021, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed the Most Reverend Ivan Jurkovic as the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada. At the time of his appointment, Archbishop Jurkovic was the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva and Other International Organizations, the Permanent Observer to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Representative of the Holy See to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He replaces the former Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, who ended his mission on 10 December 2020 upon his appointment as the Apostolic Nuncio to Albania.
Archbishop Jurkovic was born on 10 June, 1952 in Banja Loka, Kocevje, Slovenia. He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1977 for the Archdiocese of Ljubljana (Slovenia). After he obtained a Doctorate in Canon Law, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 May, 1984 serving in the diplomatic missions of the Holy See in Korea, Columbia, the Russian Federation, and at the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
Following his episcopal ordination on 6 October, 2001, Archbishop Jurkovic served as Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus (2001-2004), Ukraine (2004-2011), as well as the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan concurrently (2011-2016).