THUNDER BAY – Alan Campeau came to Thunder Bay as a priest on loan from southern Ontario 30 years ago.
“I came for one year loan and today’s my last day to be on loan. I’m now a permanent fixture,” Campeau said just before his installation as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Thunder Bay St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday evening.
The former reverend was appointed by Pope Francis to become the new bishop after Fred Colli retired last June. Campeau is the sixth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Thunder Bay.
He was consecrated bishop and installed in the diocese on Thursday evening at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Thunder Bay.
"To be bishop means to have a leadership role in shepherding the diocese, the parishes, and of course, taking care of the priests of the diocese, to bring spirituality and leadership to all the dimensions of our faith life,” Campeau told Dougall Media. “It means making sure that my priests are being used to their potential and parishes are being well served in the ways of faith, in the ways of management, and the whole gamut of church life.”
Campeau grew up in Bell River, Ont., and was ordained a priest in the Diocese of London, Ont., in 1990. He was temporarily sent on loan to the Diocese of Thunder Bay and ended up serving 30 years in different parishes and communities in Northwestern Ontario.
“I intend to understand the needs of the diocese and do my very, very best to meet those needs and make some decisions that I hope are for the betterment of the whole population, not just pockets but for the greater good of the diocese and how we grow as church,” Campeau said.
“I need to understand the needs of the diocese, and whatever the needs of the diocese are, I think that's where my initiatives, my motives are going to come from to meet those needs.”
The Diocese of Thunder Bay stretches from Manitouwadge to Kenora and goes as far north as Red Lake.
-With files from Jaydon Bilyk, TBT News
