On May 06, the Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R., as the bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke (Canada), transferring him from the titular see of Melzi and the office of auxiliary bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall (Canada).
The Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R. was born on May 23, 1956 in Hull, Québec, in the current Archdiocese of Gatineau. He completed his secondary studies at the Collège Saint-Alexandre des Pères du Saint-Esprit in Limbour and obtained his specialization in fine arts and commercial arts at Algonquin College in Ottawa. From 1972 to 1979, he was a graphic designer for Ottawa’s Le Droit newspaper.
In August 1983, he entered the novitiate of the Redemptorist Fathers at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. He made his temporary profession on August 7, 1984, and made his perpetual vows on August 29, 1987.
From 1982 to 1983, he studied philosophy at the Saint-Augustin de Cap-Rouge Seminary in Québec, and theology from 1984 to 1989 at Laval University, obtaining his Masters of Divinity in Theology degree. He then completed a two-year internship in the Archdiocese of Montreal. On January 7, 1989, he was ordained a priest in Hull in the Redemptorist Province of Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré.
From 1989 to 1995 he was responsible for a small missionary team composed of four Redemptorists in the Diocese of Gaspé. From 1995 to 1998 he was superior of the Aylmer monastery in the diocese of Gatineau-Hull. In the years 1998-2005, he exercised his ministry at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and was also bursar.
From 2005 until 2008, he was appointed Superior of the Saint-Redempteur Pavilion of Saint-Augustin-De-Desmaures, a host house for retreats for ecclesial groups. From 2008 to 2011, he was Director of the Revue Sainte-Anne and Animator of the shrine. From 2011 to 2015 he served as Rector of the Shrine of Sainte-Anne and Superior of the International Community providing spiritual service at the Shrine. From 2015 to 2018, he assisted in the ministry at the Shrine and preached retreats in Canada and the United States.
Bishop Desrochers was appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall on December 12, 2018. He was ordained to the episcopate on February 22, 2019.
On August 1, 2019, he was named Vicar General and Coordinator for Pastoral Services for the French Sector and Coordinator of Consecrated Life for the French and English Sectors of the Archdiocese of Ottawa. On November 19, 2019, he was also named Coordinator for Pastoral Services for the English Sector and Vicar for national language parishes, communities and faithful of the Archdiocese of Ottawa.
Bishop Desrochers’ motto in Latin, Praedica Verbum, embodies the command “Proclaim the Word.”
