The Church of Montreal has reason to celebrate. On Saturday, June 20, 10:00 a.m., Deacon François Roy will be ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Christian Lépine at Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral. For Deacon Roy, it will be the culmination of a lifelong search for meaning that led him, ultimately, to a personal encounter with Christ.

Seeking God Since Childhood

Raised in the Catholic faith, Deacon Roy received his First Communion as a child, a moment that stayed with him, and that first drew him into a life of prayer and regular reading of Scripture.

Over the years, however, that desire gradually faded. By adulthood, he found himself confronted with a deep sense of emptiness and a thirst for truth he could not ignore.

An Encounter That Changed Everything

He began to search: reading widely among spiritual authors, wrestling with the great questions of human existence. Then something happened that would mark the rest of his life.

"One day, alone in my room, I suddenly felt a presence. The Holy Spirit came down upon me."

In that moment, he received the gift of faith and found in Jesus Christ the answer to everything he had been seeking. Scripture became, from that point on, a living conversation with God.

"Jesus was the Truth I had been looking for," he recalls.

An interior call began to stir: a call to give his entire life to the Lord.

A Call to Serve the Church

He knew little of priestly life at the time. But through many encounters, the guidance of spiritual direction, and the accompaniment of various Christian communities, his faith deepened and his sense of vocation came into focus.

The witness of priests he met across the Archdiocese proved decisive. He entered the Grand Séminaire de Montréal, and the years of formation that followed confirmed his call and strengthened his resolve to persevere.

Accompanying a Future Priest in Prayer

As the day of his ordination draws near, Deacon François Roy asks one thing of the faithful.

"By the grace of God, I will be ordained a priest on June 20. Thank you for praying for me!"

We rejoice with Deacon Roy and entrust him to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that his ministry may bear abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.
 

Those who cannot attend in person are invited to follow the ordination live on the Archdiocese of Montreal's YouTube channel.