On Saturday, October 28 2023, the CCCB published the following message :

Episcopal appointment for the Diocese of Bathurst

28 October 2023, Ottawa – Today, His Holiness Pope Francis named Father Michel Proulx, O. Praem., Bishop of Bathurst. At the time of his appointment, Father Proulx had been Prior of the Premonstratensian Monastery of St-Constant (Quebec) since 2008.

Father Michel Proulx was born on 10 November 1962, in Saint-Lambert, Québec. On August 14, 1981, he decided to enter the postulancy of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré. He entered the novitiate on 11 April 1982 and made his religious profession on 6 June 1983.

During this same period, Father Proulx completed an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Theology at the Université de Montréal (1982-1986), received a candidature in Biblical Philosophy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology at the Université Catholique de Louvain (1986-1989).

He was ordained on 22 April 1990,. A few years later, he completed his Doctorate in Theology at the Université de Montréal (1992-1996). He also completed additional training in psychology, including the psycho-religious program at the Institut de Formation Humaine Intégrale de Montréal (1989-1992) and individual psychotherapy at the same Institute (1992-1995).

Father Proulx’s pastoral and community commitments include a number of functions. In addition to being Prior Priest at the Premonstratensian Monastery of St-Constant since 2008, he was Novice master (1989-2008) and a member of the Order’s International Commission for Initial and Ongoing Formation.

From 1989 to 1992, he was in charge of baptismal ministry at St-Constant parish in the Saint-Jean-Longueuil Diocese. He contributed to the pastoral animation of the Christian community gathered at the Premonstratensian monastery (1990-2023), as well as teaching biblical studies at various colleges and universities, especially as a lecturer at the Institut de Formation théologique of the Grand Séminaire de Montréal (1999-2013 and 2011-2023) and as a regular professor at the Faculty of Theology of the Institut de Pastorale des Dominicains, in Montreal (2014-2020).

Father Michel Proulx had a number of commitments to communities of consecrated life. He was President of the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC) (2012-2014) and a member of the CRC’s Theological Commission (2010-2012 and 2015-2021). In addition to having led numerous spiritual recollections in religious communities across Quebec and Canada since 1998, he has also been a Bible teacher at the Montreal internovitiate since 2007.

At the Diocesan level, Father Proulx was a member of the Presbyteral Council (1992-1996 and 2023), a member of the Ecumenical Commission (2009-2012), a member of the Council for Consecrated Life (2012-2016) and diocesan leader of biblical animation for the Diocese of St-Jean-Longueuil (2021-present).

He was at the helm of the production and hosting of more than 300 introductory programs in biblical exegesis on Radio Ville-Marie (2002-2012), and since fall 2023, he has hosted a biblical program on Radio VM and Radio Galilée.

In addition to being a spiritual guide to many people, Father Proulx has written several books.

To access this CCCB publication online, visit : 
https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/episcopal-appointment-for-the-diocese-of-bathurst/