# Catholic Bishops of Canada Gather for the Annual Meeting of the Plenary Assembly

- Link: https://nweparchy.ca/2026/09/catholic-bishops-of-canada-gather-for-the-annual-meeting-of-the-plenary-assembly/
- Published: 2026-09-17T15:12:33-07:00
- Author: Website

_Thursday, September 17 2026_

**Ottawa – **Next week (21-25 September 2026), the members of the Canadian Conference
of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will gather in Montreal, Quebec, for the annual meeting
of the Plenary Assembly. Through prayer, discussion, and decision-making, the Bishops
will consider matters concerning the Church’s mission that benefit from their common
reflection and action at the national level.

The following are among the principal agenda items and topics to be considered during
the week, in a spirit of prayer and discernment:

 * **Celebration of the Eucharist – **Each day will begin with the celebration of
   the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Catholic faith. The President of 
   the CCCB and Bishops ordained since the last Plenary will preside at these celebrations.
   A celebration of the Eucharist in the Armenian Rite will also take place, presided
   by the Most Rev. Mikaël Mouradian.
 * **500^(th) Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe – **The Most
   Rev. Pierre Goudreault, accompanied by the Most Rev. Bryan Joseph Bayda, C.Ss.
   R., and the Most Rev. Juan Carlos Londoño, will lead the Bishops of Canada in
   a discussion on the pastoral initiatives to explore in preparation for the anniversary.
 * **Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute **(CCBI)** – **Eoin Connolly, Executive
   Director, and Dr. Patricia Murphy, Program Director will provide updates on the
   activities of the CCBI. Mr. Connolly will also offer a presentation on current
   questions in Catholic health care in Canada.
 * **Holy Hour with Vespers for Victims and Survivors of Sexual Abuse – **The Bishops
   will listen to excerpts from testimonies of persons who suffered sexual abuse
   within the Church, gathered by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in 
   the Church in France. The testimonies will invite the Bishops to acknowledge 
   more deeply the wounds caused by abuse and to renew their commitment to truth
   and justice, compassionate accompaniment, repentance and conversion within the
   Church, and the continued protection of minors and vulnerable persons. The Most
   Rev. Paul-André Durocher will preside. The testimonies will be followed by a 
   period of sacred silence, Eucharistic adoration, Vespers and Benediction of the
   Most Blessed Sacrament. During the Plenary, the Bishops will also continue their
   work concerning responsible ministry and the protection of minors and persons
   in vulnerable situations.
 * **Pastoral and Institutional Work of the CCCB – **The Bishops will receive reports
   from the Conference’s Episcopal Commissions and other bodies, including on migrant
   and refugee ministry, Indigenous reconciliation, family and life issues, and 
   ecumenism. They will also confirm new appointments to the Episcopal Commissions
   and Standing Committees for the coming three-year term and consider the priorities
   proposed for the National and Sectoral Episcopal Commissions for the 2026-2029
   triennium.

This year, the keynote address will be given by the Most Rev. Lizardo Estrada Herrera,
O.S.A., Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) Secretary General.
His address will consider how synodality is being implemented in South America.

As is customary, the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, will 
address the Bishops in his capacity as the Pope’s representative in Canada.

The Plenary Assembly will also receive invited observers and guests from a number
of national Catholic organizations and other Churches, together with accredited 
representatives from the media. Invited observers and accredited media will be present
on 21 September and until noon on 22 September.

### What is the Plenary Assembly?

A meeting of the Plenary Assembly is a solemn and important event in the life of
the Church in Canada because it gathers together all the members of the Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), who total 81 Bishops of the Latin and Eastern
Churches across Canada.

The Plenary Assembly is the principal deliberative and decision-making body of the
Conference. Convoked at least once a year, it considers matters entrusted to the
Conference and forms of pastoral action that can appropriately be undertaken together
at the national level. Its work includes reports and questions from the Episcopal
Commissions and other bodies of the Conference, as well as discussion and pastoral
reflection on matters of common concern. The Conference supports the Bishops in 
their common responsibilities while respecting the proper pastoral governance of
each Bishop in the particular Church entrusted to his care.

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**Media requests:**
Pomeline MartinoskiDirector of CommunicationsCanadian Conference
of Catholic BishopsEmail: [communications@cccb.ca](https://nweparchy.ca/2026/09/catholic-bishops-of-canada-gather-for-the-annual-meeting-of-the-plenary-assembly/communications@cccb.ca)
Telephone: 613-241-9461, ext. 225