Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie, Canada 🇨🇦

Continent: North America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Sault Sainte Marie / Sanctæ Mariæ Ormen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Kingston

Neighbouring Dioceses: Marquette (↙), Thunder Bay (↖), Hearst–Moosonee (↑), Timmins (↗), Pembroke (→), Peterborough (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Assumption of Mary (August 15)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: December 17 (1905)

Liturgical Calendar 📅

History

1904.09.16: Established as Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie / Sanctæ Mariæ Ormen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Peterborough and became suffragan of Kingston)
1952.04.29: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Fort William
2017.03.18: Lost territory to Diocese of Thunder Bay

Contact Info

Address: 387 Algonquin Ave., P.O. Box 510, North Bay, ON P1B 8J1, Canada

Phone: +1 (705) 476-1300

Present Prelates

Bishop (2020.10.22 – ...):

Bishop Thomas Dowd (55)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Sault Sainte Marie (Roman Rite)

Bishop Thomas Dowd (55)
(2020.10.22 – ...)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada)

Cor et anima una

Born:	1970.09.11 (Montréal, QC, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	2001.12.07
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.09.10

Priest of Montréal (Canada) (2001.12.07 – 2011.07.11)

Titular Bishop of Treba (2011.07.11 – 2020.10.22)

Auxiliary Bishop of Montréal (Canada) (2011.07.11 – 2020.10.22)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (2020.10.22 – ...)

Bishop Marcel Damphousse (63) (later Archbishop)
(2015.11.12 – 2020.05.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ottawa–Cornwall (Canada)

Ut vitam habeant

Born:	1963.03.19 (Saint-Joseph, MB, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1991.06.28
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.09.02

Priest of Saint-Boniface (Canada) (1991.06.28 – 2012.06.28)

Bishop of Alexandria–Cornwall (Canada) (2012.06.28 – 2015.11.12)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (2015.11.12 – 2020.05.06)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Ottawa–Cornwall (Canada) (2020.05.06 – 2020.12.04)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ottawa–Cornwall (Canada) (2020.12.04 – ...)

Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe (85)
(1989.12.02 – 2015.11.12)

Bishop emeritus of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada)

Cum Christo in civitate

Born:	1940.10.29 (Ottawa, ON, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1965.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.02.24

Priest of Ottawa (Canada) (1965.06.12 – 1986.12.12)

Titular Bishop of Lamzella (1986.12.12 – 1989.12.02)

Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1986.12.12 – 1989.12.02)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1989.12.02 – 2015.11.12)

Bishop Marcel André Joseph Gervais (later Archbishop)
(1985.05.03 – 1989.05.13)

Evangelizare

Born:	1931.09.21 (Elie, MB, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1958.05.31
Consecrated Bishop:	1980.06.11
Died:	2023.08.06 (Ottawa, ON, Canada † 91)

Priest of London (Canada) (1958.05.31 – 1980.04.19)

Titular Bishop of Rosemarkie (1980.04.19 – 1985.05.03)

Auxiliary Bishop of London (Canada) (1980.04.19 – 1985.05.03)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1985.05.03 – 1989.05.13)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Ottawa (Canada) (1989.05.13 – 1989.09.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ottawa (Canada) (1989.09.27 – 2007.05.14)

President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1991 – 1993)

Bishop Alexander Carter
(1958.11.22 – 1985.05.03)

Born:	1909.04.16 (Montréal, QC, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1936.06.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.02.02
Died:	2002.02.17 (North Bay, ON, Canada † 92)

Priest of Montréal (Canada) (1936.06.06 – 1956.12.10)

Titular Bishop of Sita (1956.12.10 – 1958.11.22)

Coadjutor Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1956.12.10 – 1958.11.22)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1958.11.22 – 1985.05.03)

President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1967 – 1970)

Bishop Ralph Hubert Dignan
(1934.12.22 – 1958.11.22)

Oportet illum regnare

Born:	1890.12.09 (London, ON, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1915.05.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1935.03.19
Died:	1958.11.22 (London, ON, Canada † 67)

Priest of London (Canada) (1915.05.29 – 1934.12.22)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1934.12.22 – 1958.11.22)

Bishop David Joseph Scollard
(1904.09.20 – 1934.08.07)

Born:	1862.11.04 (Ennismore, ON, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1890.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1905.02.24
Died:	1934.08.07 († 71)

Priest of Peterborough (Canada) (1890.12.21 – 1904.09.20)

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1904.09.20 – 1934.08.07)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Alexander Carter (1956.12.10 – 1958.11.22)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Noël Simard (78) (2008.07.16 – 2011.12.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Brian Joseph Dunn (71) (later Archbishop) (2008.07.16 – 2009.11.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Robert Harris (81) (2002.10.26 – 2007.05.08)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Paul-André Durocher (71) (later Archbishop) (1997.01.20 – 2002.04.27)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe (85) (1986.12.12 – 1989.12.02)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Bernard Francis Pappin (1975.01.29 – 1998.08.27)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Gérard Dionne (1975.01.29 – 1983.11.23)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Roger-Alfred Despatie (1968.05.20 – 1973.02.08)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Adolphe E. Proulx (1965.01.02 – 1967.04.28)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Precious Blood Cathedral, Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario
Pro-Cathedral: Assumption Pro-Cathedral, North Bay, Ontario
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (111)

Marquette (↙), Thunder Bay (↖), Hearst–Moosonee (↑), Timmins (↗), Pembroke (→), Peterborough (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 265,000 km²

Population: 152,625 Catholics (39.4% of 387,006 total)

Pastoral Centres: 92 parishes

Personnel: 79 priests (63 diocesan, 16 religious), 42 deacons, 113 religious (16 brothers, 97 sisters)