Pope Francis Appoints Toronto Priest as Bishop of Whitehorse

​​Pope Francis has appointed Father Hector Vila, currently Rector of Toronto’s Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary, as the new Bishop of Whitehorse. Bishop-designate Vila will become the sixth bishop of one of Canada’s largest geographical dioceses, succeeding Bishop Gary Gordon, who was appointed Bishop of Victoria, British Columbia, in 2014.

Bishop-designate Vila commented on his appointment: “I wish to express my gratitude to God and to His Holiness Pope Francis for the trust placed in me. Coming from the Diocesan Missionary Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Rome established by Saint John Paul II, I was humbled by this new call to serve God’s people in the Diocese of Whitehorse, in knowing that God has a plan and will guide me on his path. I look forward to this new mission and to meeting wonderful people, learning about their traditions, discovering the beauty of this region of our country and growing in faith together.”

Cardinal Thomas Collins responded to the appointment: “Bishop-designate Vila is a holy and faithful priest who will bring a love of his faith and the people he has served to the Diocese of Whitehorse. I invite all of the faithful, and especially the members of the Neocatechumenal Way, to join me in offering their prayers for Bishop-designate Vila. I am grateful for his leadership of the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary since 1998. The priests formed under his spiritual care faithfully serve the Archdiocese of Toronto.”