| The Most Reverend James Vernon Weisgerber |
|
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Winnipeg | |
| See | Winnipeg |
| Enthroned | August 24, 2000 |
| Predecessor | Leonard James Wall |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Other posts | Bishop of Saskatoon (1996-2000) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 1, 1963 |
| Consecration | May 3, 1996 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 1, 1938 Vibank, Saskatchewan |
James Vernon Weisgerber, SOM (born May 1, 1938) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Winnipeg.
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Weisgerber was born in Vibank, Saskatchewan, to Jack and Catherine Weisgerber. Following his schooling at Vibank, he attended St. Peter's College at Muenster and then St. Paul's University in Ottawa, where he obtained licence degrees in Philosophy and Theology.
He was ordained a priest at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina on June 1, 1963, and named a Prelate of Honour on October 16, 1991.
Weisgerber was Dean of Arts at Notre Dame College in Wilcox, where he taught philosophy, religious studies, and French. He worked several years in the Archbishop of Regina's office serving as the director of the pastoral and social justice offices. He served as Rector of Holy Rosary Cathedral and Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, both in Regina, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Fort Qu'Appelle, which included pastoral ministry with neighboring aboriginal communities.
In 1990 he was elected General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
On March 7, 1996, Weisgerber was appointed the fifth Bishop of Saskatoon by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 3 from Archbishop Peter Mallon, with Archbishop Joseph MacNeil and Bishop Joseph MacDonald serving as co-consecrators.
Weisgerber was later named the sixth Archbishop of Winnipeg on June 7, 2000. He succeeded Leonard James Wall, and was installed at St. Mary’s Cathedral on August 24, 2000. In 2005, he received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.
In addition to his duties as Archbishop, he currently serves as the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bishop Weisgerber has claimed that there is no evidence of abortion involvement on the part of groups funded by the bishops’ official development arm, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. [1] [2]
Bishop Weisgerber has spoken against plans to legalize euthanasia in Canada, saying that it was the antithesis of what should be at the heart of human civilization : trust, respect, concern and solidarity, based on reverence for all human life. [3]
| Preceded by James Patrick Mahoney |
Bishop of Saskatoon 1996—2000 |
Succeeded by Albert LeGatt |
| Preceded by Leonard James Wall |
Archbishop of Winnipeg 2000—present |
Succeeded by incumbent |