Seven priests newly arrived in the diocese, along with two of their mentors, gathered on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at the downtown diocesan offices on Sherbrooke Street for a personal welcome into the local Church community, hosted by the Office for Pastoral Personnel.

Over a shared meal, Fr. François Charette, the office's director, and his team set out to help the newcomers get their bearings, to answer their questions and to offer them a first experience of communion and fellowship.

There was practical business, too. The priests were taken through some of the administrative requirements for serving in Canada and introduced to the various diocesan departments and services, and the necessary agreements were signed. Above all, the gathering allowed the newcomers to begin building ties with one another. It also gave everyone a chance to be heard, to ask questions and to come away with a clearer sense of pastoral life in Montreal.

Why their welcome matters

"This gathering is a reminder of the growing importance of priests from abroad in the pastoral life of the Church in Montreal," Fr. Charette said. "Today, they make up more than half of the priests in active ministry in the diocese, and their numbers continue to grow. Each year, about 10 priests arrive from another country, while a similar number leave active ministry, whether through retirement or at the end of a temporary mission. More and more parishes are being entrusted to recently arrived priests, a sign of confidence in their dedication and of the need to build lasting ties with them."

"Welcoming these priests means, first of all, showing them that the diocese cares for them," he said. "The Office for Pastoral Personnel, which accompanies priests, deacons and mandated pastoral staff, is essential to helping these priests find their place. In particular, it offers priests arriving from abroad training, guidance and brotherly support as they adjust to a new setting and grow into the culture of the Church in Montreal."

Are many priests asking to come to Montreal?

"Many priests ask to come and serve in Montreal: we receive at least 30 requests a year," Fr. Charette said. "Not all of them can be accepted. The diocese gives particular priority to requests made with a view to a lasting partnership with a diocese or a religious community. This approach helps foster collaboration that is stable, respectful and fruitful."

What does the Church in Montreal hope to find in a priest from abroad?

"What the Church in Montreal hopes to find in a priest from abroad is a true missionary spirit, over and above a readiness to take on an assignment," he said. "That spirit shows in joyful, eager service to Christian communities, in the ability to adapt to a different culture and in a real willingness to work as part of a team. These qualities are essential to meeting the pastoral needs of a diocese shaped by cultural, linguistic and spiritual diversity."

Priests from abroad help meet the need for more clergy. Their presence also bears living witness to the universality of the Church, which is called to welcome and accompany those who arrive by different paths, and to be enriched by them. For local communities, they are an invitation to broaden their outlook, to cultivate hospitality and to recognize that mission is built together, through encounter and fellowship.

In the care it takes to welcome them, the Archdiocese of Montreal makes clear that these priests belong fully to the life of the local Church. Their arrival is a chance to renew the missionary zeal that moves us to proclaim Jesus Christ to the world today.

By Sr. Natalia Vazquez
Coordinator of Human and Spiritual Support for Priests
Office for Pastoral Personnel
Archdiocese of Montreal