New bishop announced for the Diocese of Antigonish

The News Antigonish



A new bishop for the Diocese of Antigonish was announced Saturday morning.

Bishop Brian Joseph Dunn will take over the position in the new year, which was left vacant earlier this fall when Bishop Raymond Lahey stepped down suddenly, just days before charges of child pornography were laid against him by Ottawa Police.

Dunn is presently auxiliary for the Diocese of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.

Anthony Mancini, Archibishop of Halifax and Apostolic Administrator of Antigonish, made the announcement on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI in a press release issued on Saturday. In it, he encourages you to pray for him and ask that the Holy Spirit grant him the grace required for the Episcopal ministry that has been entrusted to him. I know you will welcome him and be supportive of him.

Mancini will remain as Apostolic Administrator for the diocese until Dunn is installed at a date to be announced later.

The announcement also included an open letter from Father Paul Abbass, spokesperson for the Diocese of Antigonish, which urged parishoners to continue working together to heal and rebuild.

We are grateful to the Holy Father for recognizing the particular needs of our church by naming a new Bishop in such a timely manner, he wrote. While our diocese is facing times of challenge and struggle we are also a diocese with a history of deep faith and working together. It is in this spirit that we continue to seek pathways to healing and rebuilding. We are pleased to welcome Bishop Dunn as he joins us on this journey forward and we offer him our cooperation and support.