François Thibodeau, C.I.M., (July 27, 1939 – June 26, 2023) was a Canadian

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

and member of the

Congregation of Jesus and Mary The Congregation of Jesus and Mary (), abbreviated CIM or (CJM) also known as the Eudists (Latin: ''Congregatio Eudistarum''), is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men in the Catholic Church. It was established on March 25, 16 ...

(C.I.M.), also known as the Eudists. He served as the fifth Bishop of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Edmundston The Diocese of Edmundston, () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in New Brunswick, Canada. The diocese was erected 16 December 1944. The Diocese of Edmundston is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical p ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

from his appointment on October 20, 1993, by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

until his retirement in 2009. Thibodeau was born on July 27, 1939, in

Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne, Quebec Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne is a municipality in Beauce-Centre Regional County Municipality in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1,407 as of the Canada 2021 Census. The municipality's name honours Reverend Pier ...

. He studied philosophy at the Sacré-Coeur Seminary in Charlesbourg,

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, and Catholic

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at St. Jean-Eudes Scholasticate in Pointe-Gatineau. Thibodeau was ordained a Catholic priest on May 8, 1965, by Bishop

Joseph-Aurèle Plourde Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, (January 12, 1915 – January 5, 2013) was a Canadian Roman Catholic bishop. He was the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Early life Plourde was born in Saint-François-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick, to Antoine ...

of Ottawa. He then received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

from

Laval University Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxe ...

. In 1971, Thibodeau was appointed Director of Social Affairs for the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec The Archdiocese of Québec (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest episcopal see in the New World north of Mexico and the Primate (bishop), primatial see of Can ...

, which he held from 1971 to 1986. He then served as editor-in-chief of '' Pastorale-Québec'', the official publication of the Archdiocese of Quebec, from 1986 until 1990. Thibodeau was appointed the fifth Bishop of the

on October 20, 1993, and consecrated on January 9, 1994, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

. Bishop Emeritus François Thibodeau died at the Résidence Domaine Mahonia in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, on June 26, 2023, at the age of 83. He was buried in the

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thibodeau, Francois 1939 births 2023 deaths Roman Catholic bishops of Edmundston Eudist bishops Eudists Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II Université Laval alumni People from Chaudière-Appalaches People from Edmundston