Helping hands for Toronto

Ever since the transfer of then Toronto Auxiliary Bishop Richard Grecco to the Church of Charlottetown (and even perhaps before that date) there has been chatter about the prospects for the appointment of other Auxiliary Bishops to assist the Archbishop of that circumscription with the pastoral governance of his Archdiocese.

The answer to that debate was made public this morning in Rome. His Holiness has appointed two new Auxiliary Bishops to assist His Grace, Thomas Collins in his task of leading the Archdiocese of Toronto.

The two newly appointed Bishops-elect are:

• His Excellency, Vincent Nguyen, a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto, born in 1966 in Vietnam, and ordained a priest on May 9, 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in electrical engineering (University of Toronto) and a Master of Divinity (Saint Augustine's Seminary). Having completed the necessary course of study (Angelicum, Rome) for the Licentiate in Canon Law, he was serving (until today) as Chancellor and Moderator of the Curia in the offices of the Archdiocese of Toronto; and
• His Excellency, William Terrence McGrattan, a priest of the Diocese of London, born in London (Ontario) in 1956. Ordained a priest for the Diocese of London on May 2, 1987, he was accorded a Licentiate in Theology (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome) in 1992. He has most recently been serving as the Rector of Saint Peter's Seminary (London) for the past 12 years.

Other dioceses in Canada which are currently awaiting the appointment of shepherds include Antigonish (NS), Saskatoon (SK) and Yarmouth (NS) although Antigonish has been confieded to the pastoral care of the Archbishop of Halifax who has also been acting as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Yarmouth since October 18, 2007.