Pope Francis has provided for the combination of the dioceses of Hearst and Moosonee, Canada, into a single Diocese, named Hearst-Moosonee, and belonging to the ecclesiastical province of Ottawa.
The Pope has appointed Bishop Robert O. Bourgon, who is currently serving as Bishop of Hearst and Apostolic Administrator of Moosonee, as Bishop of the new Diocese.
The new Diocese encompasses most of the northernmost part of the Canadian province of Ontario.
According to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, “the former Diocese of Moosonee has 14 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 3,830 served by five priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life. The former Diocese of Hearst has 18 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 20,045 served by 21 diocesan priests, two permanent deacons, and three religious Sisters.”
