Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Lacroix now diocesan administrator of Quebec

Bishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix

QUEBEC - Bishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, 53, has been elected the diocesan administrator of the Quebec Archdiocese until the pope names a replacement for Cardinal Marc Ouellet.

Lacroix, who was ordained an auxiliary bishop in 2009, has worked closely with Ouellet and the two other auxiliary bishops.

In an interview from Quebec City, Lacroix said he and his brother bishops have agreed they must "make sure we continue to serve God's people in this territory" that serves 918,000 Catholics in 223 parishes.

"Life goes on," he said. "I can't make any big decisions like selling churches, or new pastoral plans."

But carrying out the pastoral plans already in place, attending to the needs of families, youth, those in consecrated life, movements, associations, cultivating vocations, attending to health and education, will keep him busy.

He hopes to "keep these people on the move and working and serving and keeping the troops in good health with the dynamism to continue."

He described his role as holding the fort to prepare the Church of Quebec to receive its new archbishop, and to present to him a picture of the Church with its needs, resources, beauties and challenges.

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter