Terrence Prendergast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend Terrence Prendergast SJ |
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| Archbishop Emeritus of Ottawa-Cornwall | |
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Prendergast in 2015
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| Church | Latin Church |
| Archdiocese | Ottawa |
| Enthroned | 26 June 2007 |
| Reign ended | 4 December 2020 |
| Predecessor | Marcel André J. Gervais |
| Successor | Marcel Damphousse |
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| Ordination | 10 June 1972 |
| Consecration | 25 April 1995 by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 February 1944 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
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| Religious style | Archbishop |
Terrence Thomas Prendergast (born 19 February 1944) is a Canadian Jesuit priest. He is a leader in the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall. Before that, he was an Auxiliary Bishop in Toronto and the Archbishop of Halifax. In 2020, Pope Francis combined two church areas. This created the new Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. Archbishop Prendergast led this new area. He retired in December 2020.
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Early Life and Education
Terrence Prendergast was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1944. He was one of five children. In 1961, he joined the Jesuit order. Jesuits are a group of Catholic priests and brothers. He became a priest in 1972.
He studied at several universities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University. He also received degrees in theology. These were from Saint Mary's University, Halifax and Regis College, Toronto.
Teaching and Vatican Work
From 1967 to 1969, Prendergast taught Latin and Greek. He taught at Loyola High School (Montreal). After becoming a priest, he taught theology. He taught at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax.
He also led Regis College in Toronto. He was its Rector from 1981 to 1987. Later, he was the Dean of Theology there. From 1992 to 1994, he helped the Vatican. He checked on seminaries in Canada. Seminaries are schools for training priests. In 1995, he was a visiting professor in Jerusalem.
Becoming a Bishop and Archbishop
In 1995, Pope John Paul II chose Prendergast to be a Bishop. He became an Auxiliary Bishop in Toronto. His main job was to help the main bishop. He was responsible for certain areas of Toronto.
Leading in Halifax and Ottawa
In 1998, Prendergast became the Archbishop of Halifax. He was in charge of the Catholic Church in that area. He also served as the Chancellor of Saint Mary's University, Halifax. This meant he had a special role with the university.
Pope Benedict XVI then named him the Archbishop of Ottawa in 2007. He also became the Chancellor of Saint Paul University. In 2012, he welcomed some Anglican Christians. They joined the Roman Catholic Church.
Supporting Traditional Mass
Archbishop Prendergast supports the Tridentine Mass. This is an older form of the Catholic Mass. He has worked with a group called the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. He has ordained new priests for this group many times. Ordaining means making someone a priest.
Uniting Dioceses
In 2016, he became the leader of another church area. This was the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall. He led both Ottawa and Alexandria-Cornwall at the same time. In 2020, these two areas officially joined. They became the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. He was the first Archbishop of this new, larger area.
In November 2020, he also briefly led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hearst–Moosonee. He retired as Archbishop in December 2020. Marcel Damphousse took over his role.
Other Church Roles
Archbishop Prendergast has held many other important roles. He was part of several committees for Canadian bishops. These committees deal with different church topics. He also worked with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.
He is the president of NET Canada. This group helps young people learn about their faith. He also chairs CNEWA Canada. This group helps people in the Middle East and other areas.
Writer and Teacher
Prendergast is known as a teacher and writer. From 1994 to 2005, he wrote a weekly column. It was in a newspaper called Catholic Register. He also published a book of his writings. It was called Living God's Word. He has given talks and retreats across Canada and in other countries.
He was also a temporary leader for the Diocese of Yarmouth. This was from 2002 to 2007. He also helped with a special review of the church in Ireland.
