New Bishop appointed for Peterborough

CCCB – Ottawa)... His Holiness Pope Francis today accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Nicola De Angelis, C.F.I.C., as Bishop of Peterborough, and named as his successor the Most Reverend William Terrence McGrattan. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. Bishop De Angelis has been responsible for the Diocese of Peterborough for the past 12 years. He had offered his resignation to the Holy Father when reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law. At the same time as announcing he had accepted the resignation of Bishop De Angelis, the Holy Father also announced that he appointed him Apostolic Administrator of Peterborough until the new Bishop takes canonical possession of thes Diocese.

Born in London, Ontario, on 19 September 1956, Bishop William Terrence McGrattan studied at St. Peter's Seminary, London, Ontario, where he obtained a Master's of Divinity in conjunction with the University of Western Ontario. Following his ordination to the priesthood on 2 May 1987, he pursued studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, receiving a licentiate in 1992. Following several pastoral appointments within the Diocese of London, in 1997 he was appointed Rector of St. Peter's Seminary, London, a position he was holding when appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto on November 6, 2009. As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop McGrattan serves on the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine, in addition to being the Bishop ponens with the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada and the National Spiritual Advisor with the Catholic Women's League of Canada.

Bishop De Angelis was born 23 January 1939 in Pozzaglia Sabina, Italy. He came to Canada at the end of the 1960s and was ordained a priest in 1970. After serving in two Toronto parishes, he was Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Toronto, 1980 to 1984. From 1984 to 1992, he served in Rome as General Treasurer and then General Superior of his religious community, the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception. In 1992 he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, and later appointed Bishop of Peterborough on December 28, 2002. As a member of the CCCB, Bishop De Angelis served on the former Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, 1995 to 1999. He also assists the Holy See as a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants.

According to the CCCB 2014 Directory, the Diocese of Peterborough has 65 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 99,785, served by 65 diocesan priests, 13 priests who are members of religious communities, six permanent deacons, 79 religious Sisters and three lay pastoral assistants.