John Dennis Corriveau
Encyclopedia
John Dennis Corriveau, OFM Cap
(born July 27, 1941) is a Canadian
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He serves as the sixth and current Bishop of Nelson
.
in Zurich
, Ontario
. He was initially attracted to the diocesan
priesthood
, but decided to enter the religious life
like one of his cousins (who was a Redemptorist
). He attended the Capuchin
minor seminary
in Blenheim
, and then went to the United States
to continue his education. He studied at the Capuchin novitiate
in Cumberland
, Maryland
, St. Fidelis College (1960–1962) in Herman, Pennsylvania
, and Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.
(1962–1966), from where he obtained his MA
in religious education
.
Corriveau made his temporary vows
as a Capuchin on July 14, 1960, and his perpetual profession
exactly three years later, on July 14, 1963. Following his was priestly ordination
on October 23, 1965, he served as a lecturer
and the prefect
of discipline at Mount Alverno Minor Seminary in Toronto
.
Corriveau was elected Councillor
of the vice-province of Central Canada in 1969; during his three-year-long tenure as Councillor, he also held the office of Guardian and Chaplain
for the Christian Brothers
. He was elected Minister of the vice-province being in both 1971 and 1974. He then served as President
of the Conference of Capuchins of North America
until 1975, whence he became pastor
of St. Philip Neri Parish in Toronto. In 1980, he was nominated to serve on the General Council of the Capuchins. After a sabbatical year, he was once again elected Provincial
of Central Canada in 1989. During that same year, he began a year's study of pastoral theology
at Berkeley in
California
.
Corriveau was the worldwide head of his religious order
as the seventy-first Minister General of the Capuchins from 1994 to 2006; although his headquarters were located in Rome
, he travelled for the majority of the year. He once said of the post, "The general minister is not so much an authority figure but a charismatic figure representing our contact with St. Francis
". Upon his return to Canada
, he began work at St. Francis' Table, a restaurant for the poor
in Parkdale
, where the Capuchin priest welcomed guests and served as a waiter, whilst doing parish
work on weekends.
On November 30, 2007, he was appointed the sixth Bishop of Nelson
, British Columbia
, by Pope Benedict XVI
. Corriveau received his episcopal consecration
on January 30, 2008 from Archbishop Luigi Ventura
, with Archbishop Raymond Roussin
, SM
, and Bishop Eugene Cooney serving as co-consecrators
, in the Cathedral of Nelson. He was formally installed as Bishop on January 31.
Bishop Corriveau took as his episcopal motto
, "Pacificans per sanguinem crucis eius" (Colossians
1:20), or "Making peace through the blood of His cross
."
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
(born July 27, 1941) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He serves as the sixth and current Bishop of Nelson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.-Diocesan Demographics:The diocese contains 31 parishes. Serving or retired in the diocese are 28 diocesan priests, 7 religious priests ministering to 75,000 Catholics. It also has 13 religious sisters and...
.
Biography
John Corriveau was born on the shores of Lake HuronLake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
in Zurich
Zurich, Ontario
Zurich, Ontario is a community in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in the Municipality of Bluewater in the County of Huron, about 6 km inland from Lake Huron, on Ontario's West Coast. Zurich was founded in 1856 and is known for its Swiss heritage, reflected in some of the architecture.The fourth...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was initially attracted to the diocesan
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, but decided to enter the religious life
Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the term "consecrated life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church...
like one of his cousins (who was a Redemptorist
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
). He attended the Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
minor seminary
Minor seminary
A minor seminary is a secondary boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming priests. They are generally Roman Catholic institutions, and designed to prepare boys both academically and spiritually for vocations to the priesthood...
in Blenheim
Blenheim, Ontario
Blenheim is a community located in south-central Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,800.- History :By 1783, there were French settlers in Detroit and Windsor. There were also settlers in the Niagara and Kingston region, but no real settlers to speak of in the Kent County region...
, and then went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to continue his education. He studied at the Capuchin novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, St. Fidelis College (1960–1962) in Herman, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1962–1966), from where he obtained his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in religious education
Religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects —its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles...
.
Corriveau made his temporary vows
Simple vow
In Roman Catholic canon law, a simple vow is any vow, public or private, individual or collective, concerned with an action or with abstaining from an action, if that vow has not been recognized by the Church as a solemn vow....
as a Capuchin on July 14, 1960, and his perpetual profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
exactly three years later, on July 14, 1963. Following his was priestly ordination
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
on October 23, 1965, he served as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and the prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of discipline at Mount Alverno Minor Seminary in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Corriveau was elected Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
of the vice-province of Central Canada in 1969; during his three-year-long tenure as Councillor, he also held the office of Guardian and Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
for the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
. He was elected Minister of the vice-province being in both 1971 and 1974. He then served as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Conference of Capuchins of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
until 1975, whence he became pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of St. Philip Neri Parish in Toronto. In 1980, he was nominated to serve on the General Council of the Capuchins. After a sabbatical year, he was once again elected Provincial
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of Central Canada in 1989. During that same year, he began a year's study of pastoral theology
Pastoral theology
Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology...
at Berkeley in
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Corriveau was the worldwide head of his religious order
Roman Catholic religious order
Catholic religious orders are, historically, a category of Catholic religious institutes.Subcategories are canons regular ; monastics ; mendicants Catholic religious orders are, historically, a category of Catholic religious institutes.Subcategories are canons regular (canons and canonesses regular...
as the seventy-first Minister General of the Capuchins from 1994 to 2006; although his headquarters were located in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, he travelled for the majority of the year. He once said of the post, "The general minister is not so much an authority figure but a charismatic figure representing our contact with St. Francis
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
". Upon his return to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he began work at St. Francis' Table, a restaurant for the poor
Poor
Poor is an adjective related to a state of poverty, low quality or pity.People with the surname Poor:* Charles Henry Poor, a US Navy officer* Charles Lane Poor, an astronomer* Edward Erie Poor, a vice president of the National Park Bank...
in Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
, where the Capuchin priest welcomed guests and served as a waiter, whilst doing parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work on weekends.
On November 30, 2007, he was appointed the sixth Bishop of Nelson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.-Diocesan Demographics:The diocese contains 31 parishes. Serving or retired in the diocese are 28 diocesan priests, 7 religious priests ministering to 75,000 Catholics. It also has 13 religious sisters and...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. Corriveau received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on January 30, 2008 from Archbishop Luigi Ventura
Luigi Ventura
Luigi Ventura is the current Apostolic Nuncio to France since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 22 September 2009.Ventura was born in 1944 in Borgosatollo, Italy. He was ordained a priest on 14 June 1969 at the age of 25 for the diocese of Brescia. He was called to work for the diplomatic...
, with Archbishop Raymond Roussin
Raymond Roussin
Raymond Roussin was the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver from 2004 to January 2009, when his resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI.-Ordination:...
, SM
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
, and Bishop Eugene Cooney serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in the Cathedral of Nelson. He was formally installed as Bishop on January 31.
Bishop Corriveau took as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
, "Pacificans per sanguinem crucis eius" (Colossians
Epistle to the Colossians
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, usually referred to simply as Colossians, is the 12th book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle to the Church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles from Ephesus in Asia...
1:20), or "Making peace through the blood of His cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
."