(CCCB) His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend François Lapierre, P.M.É., as Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe, and has appointed as his successor Father Christian Rodembourg, M.S.A.

At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Pastor of the Co-Cathedral Saint Anthony of Padua in the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil. Bishop Lapierre has been Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe for the past 19 years. He had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

Bishop-elect Rodembourg was born in Brussels in 1959. Following catechetical and pastoral studies at Lumen Vitae (Belgium), he was named literary director for Saint Paul Publications based in Paris and Fribourg. Ordained priest in 1995 following theological studies in Montreal, he is also currently Assistant General Animator and Formation Officer for the Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles and spiritual advisor for the Teams of Our Lady in Canada. In addition to preaching retreats, he is author of the book 15 days of Prayer with Eusèbe-Henri Ménard which has been translated from the French into English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Erected on 15 August 1995 in the Archdiocese of Montreal, the Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles came about following the union of the Society of the Holy Apostles, which began in 1950, with the Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles, which began in 1962; both were founded by the Canadian Franciscan priest, Father Ménard (1916-1987).

Bishop Lapierre was born on 16 July 1941 in West Shefford (today Bromont), Quebec. He was ordained a priest in 1965 for the Société des Missions-Étrangères (Foreign Mission Society). On 7 April 1998, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe; at the time he was General Superior of the Foreign Mission Society. As a member of the CCCB, Bishop Lapierre has served as member and Chairman of the Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue (2002-2005, and again as member since 2014), member and Chairman of the Commission for Justice and Peace (2008-2014), member of the former Programs and Priorities Committee (2003-2005), member of the Anglican / Roman Catholic Bishops' Dialogue (2008-2011 and 2012-2015), and member of the National Committee for the 2002 World Youth Day which was held in Toronto. Bishop Lapierre has also been member of the Fondation canadienne de la vidéo religieuse (2003-2008) and its President since 2008. In 2012, he was one of the CCCB delegates to the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the "New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith".

According to the CCCB 2017 Directory, the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe has 83 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 336,445 served by 93 diocesan priests, 92 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, 30 permanent deacons, 483 religious Sisters and 122 Brothers who are members of religious institutes, as well as 43 lay pastoral workers.