As early as 1880-1890 there is a movement in favor of having an Acadian bishop and also the creation of a diocese which would mainly be composed of Catholic francophones. Several presentations were made in the Maritimes, in Ottawa and even to the Vatican.
It is imperative to understand that the Acadians had started founding their own ”national” institutions since the early 1860s. These included newspapers, colleges, representative institutions (the National Acadian Society founded in 1881) as well as symbols such as a national holiday (August 15th), a flag, a national anthem (Ave Maris Stella), and a slogan: ”Strength in numbers”. The Episcopal question was argued against this backdrop of national pride amongst Acadians.
In order to respond to this very legitimate request from the Acadians, Pope Pius X named Fr Édouard LeBlanc as Bishop of Saint John in 1912. Bishop LeBlanc became the first Acadian bishop for the Maritimes. Also, in 1920, Rome named another Acadian priest, Bishop Patrice-Alexandre Chiasson, as bishop of Chatham. The Diocese of Chatham had a majority of French parishioners on its territory which probably prompted this nomination.
These nominations were enough to instigate bishops LeBlanc (Saint-Jean) and Chiasson (Chatham) to petition for the creation of a diocese in Moncton. Their argument was based on the constant growth of the Catholic population compared to the Protestants in the Diocese of Saint John.
Further, the bishops maintained that the creation of an archdiocese in Moncton would increase the prestige of Catholics in government circles and would favour a better school system since all are aware of the important role played by the Church in matters of education. Interestingly enough, both bishops never really mentioned the language issue.
On February 18, 1935, Bishop Édouard LeBlanc passed away in Saint John and in January 1936, Bishop O’Donnell of Halifax also passed away. These circumstances were conducive to a restructuring of the diocesan organisation by the Church of Rome.
On March 18, 1936, the Vatican announced the creation of the Archdiocese of Moncton and immediately nominated Bishop Patrice Bray, a Eudist priest of Irish descent to the the Diocese of Saint John.
On Sunday August 30, 1936, Bishop P.A. Bray came to Moncton to read the pontifical decree creating a new ecclesiastical province in New Brunswick as well as the new Archdiocese of Moncton. On December 1st of that year, Rome informed Bishop Arthur Melanson, an Acadian, that he would be the first Archbishop of Moncton.
The installation of the new archbishop was held in Moncton on February 22, 1937 in the basement of the Assumption church with fifteen bishops and archbishops attending as well as two hundred priests and a crowd of onlookers.
In 1986, while the Archdiocese of Moncton celebrated its 50th anniversary, there were 50 Catholic parishes led by Bishop Donat Chiasson, the third archbishop of Moncton.
Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral was officially inaugurated November 21, 1940 in the presence of Cardinal Villeneuve, Primate of the Canadian Catholic Church and Archbishop of Québec. The building is one of the most majestic in the city, by its architecture and decorative appeal. It holds rich works of art that recall the life and the Faith of the Acadian people. Four white marble statues and two mural mosaics are the works of Acadian artist, Claude Roussel. The stained glass windows in the transept of the Cathedral evoke the religious and civic history of the Acadian people.
Archbishop Melanson himself designated the new temple as the Monument of Acadian Recognition in homage to the Blessed Virgin, Patron of Acadia.
Passed Archbishops of the Archdiocese of Moncton:
His Grace, Archbishop Arthur Melanson (1936-1942)
His Grace, Archbishop Norbert Robichaud (1942-1972)
His Grace, Archbishop Donat Chiasson (192-1997)
His Grace, Archbishop Ernest Léger (1997-2002)
His Grace, Archbishop André Richard (2002-2012)
His Grace, Archbishop Valery Vienneau (2012-2023)
Our current Archbishop is His Grace, the Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R.
Bishop Desrochers was born in 1956 in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Québec. Upon completion of secondary school, he entered Algonquin College, Ottawa, to pursue studies in Fine Arts and Commercial Art which, in turn, led him to work as a graphic artist for seven years with the Ottawa French-language newspaper Le Droit.
He later entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) to pursue his vocation and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989.
Following his ordination, he worked on a special evangelization project in the Gaspé region of Québec. He went on to serve for several years as Rector of the former Redemptorist monastery in Aylmer-Gatineau, before being appointed to the Shrine of Saint Anne-de-Beaupré. After a brief period as superior of a retirement home for Redemptorists near Québec City, he returned to Saint Anne-de-Beaupré as director of the Annals of Saint Anne magazine, serving in that capacity for three years and, in July 2011, became Rector of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Anne-de-Beaupré. He devoted part of his time to preaching retreats all over North America and, in June 2015, returned to this ministry in a full-time capacity as well as serving as Director of Vocations for the Redemptorists.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall of Ottawa on 12 December 2018 and ordained Bishop at Alexandria on 22 February 2019. Bishop Desrochers has subsequently worked closely with the Most Reverend Terrence Prendergast, S.J., the then Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall and Archbishop of Ottawa, both of which were then united in persona episcopi.
On May 6, 2020, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Desrochers, Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke. He was installed as the ninth Bishop of Pembroke in St. Columbkille’s Cathedral, Pembroke, Ontario, on July 3, 2020.
On July 8, 2023 he was appointed Archbishop-Designate of Moncton. He was installed as our Archbishop on October 18th, 2023 in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
On the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, his Grace, Archbishop Guy Desrochers, received his pallium from Pope Francis.
The pallium is worn by archbishops and it typifies their participation in the supreme pastoral power of the pope
Our council would like to thank Paroisse du Christ-Roi for sharing this photo of his Grace, Archbishop Desrochers receiving the Pallium of the Office of Archbishop on the Solemnity of Christ the King. The ceremony took place in the presence of his Excellency, Monsignor Ivan Jurković, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada.
We pray for his Grace.
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Archdiocese Announcements
Knights of Columbus, Moncton Council 1310 