Francis Appoints Victoria Bishop

Other news

Francis Appoints Victoria Bishop

Sara Petrescu, Victoria

Volume 28  Issue 7, 8 & 9 | Posted: September 18, 2014

    Pope Francis has appointed the Most Rev. Gary Gordon as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Victoria diocese, which stretches across Vancouver Island and to the Gulf Islands.
    The Vatican made the announcement June 14 that Gordon will fill the position left vacant when Most Rev. Richard Gagnon was appointed archbishop of Winnipeg last fall.
    “It was a bit of a surprise,” Gordon said from Whitehorse, where he has been bishop since 2006. “But once you decide to follow God’s plan, you happily say yes and move forward.”
    Gordon, 57, is originally from the province. He was born in Burnaby and called to the church at the age of 25, he said.

    Pope Francis has appointed the Most Rev. Gary Gordon as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Victoria diocese, which stretches across Vancouver Island and to the Gulf Islands.
    The Vatican made the announcement June 14 that Gordon will fill the position left vacant when Most Rev. Richard Gagnon was appointed archbishop of Winnipeg last fall.
    “It was a bit of a surprise,” Gordon said from Whitehorse, where he has been bishop since 2006. “But once you decide to follow God’s plan, you happily say yes and move forward.”
    Gordon, 57, is originally from the province. He was born in Burnaby and called to the church at the age of 25, he said.
    Prior to being appointed a bishop, he served in churches throughout B.C. He’s also been active in interfaith and correctional communities, and said the environment is an important issue to him.
    Gordon said he’s looking forward to leaving his snow shovel and checking out the gardens of Vancouver Island, where he has fond memories of fishing and kayaking as a child.
    “There are so many beautiful things in that area,” he said. “I’m also looking forward to getting to know people in their communities.”
    Cynthia Bouchard, chancellor at the Victoria diocese, said Gordon’s appointment is great news for the community.
    “You know that saying, ‘a shepherd who smells like his sheep?’ That’s him, very pastoral. He relates well to people,” she said.
    Gordon’s installation mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral was held on Thursday, August 28 at 7:00 pm with a reception that followed. It was broadcast by Salt & Light TV.
    The cathedral will serve as the home parish for the bishop but he'll also travel throughout the 41 parishes and missions on the Island. 
    According to the Diocese of Victoria, there are nominally 94,465 Catholics in the region as listed in Census Canada and cited in the Annual Report of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

   

Sara Petrescu, Victoria