Joseph Aurele Plourde

12 January 1915:   DOB.  St. Francois de Madarvaska, N.B. (Diocese of Edmunston, New Brunswick)

studies at Bathurst College, New Brunswick; Bourget College of Rigaud, Quebec; St. Joseph College in Memramcook, N.B.; and Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax, Nova Scotia

07 May 1944:  Ordained for the Diocese of Edmunston, N.B.

26 August 1964: consecrated bishop at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Edmunston as auxiliary bishop to Bishop Brodeur, Diocese of Alexandria, Ontario

Pastor at Sacre Coeur, Alexandria while serving as Auxiliary Bishop

Spent two years (1964-66) in the Diocese of Alexandria as auxiliary bishop

12 January 1967: appointed Archbishop of Archdiocese of Ottawa

Due to Bishop Brodeur’s ill health administered the Diocese of Alexandria from Ottawa until June 1967 when Bishop Brodeur’s successor, Bishop Adolphe Proulx was installed

1967-1969: Vice-President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Knight of Malta

Knight of the Holy Sepulchre

1969-1971: President CCCB

Knight of Malta

Knight of the Holy Sepulchre

One of “The Gang of Five” an influential group of five bishops who were close friends and annually met on Labour day weekends at each other’s cottages. The group comprised of Bishops Plourde, Philip Pocock, George Flahiff and brothers Emmett and Alexander Carter,

Vice President and a founding member of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops

1989: retired.

Officer of the Order of Canada

05 January 2013:  died in Ottawa