Fr. Bernard Antoine, C.S.C., was announced on Wednesday, November 13, as the new rector of Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Quebec, in Canada. The appointment was made by Fr. Claude Grou, C.S.C., Superior of the Canadian Province, following consultation with the provincial council.
Fr. Antoine will assume the responsibility for leading the Oratory, which was built by the Congregation’s first canonized saint, Br. André Bessette, and continues his legacy of hospitality and healing, in a Mass on December 1.
“We express our deepest gratitude to Fr. Bernard for accepting this essential mission, which ensures the continuity and flourishing of Brother André’s work—a precious legacy of the Congregation of Holy Cross,” said Fr. Grou, himself a former rector of the Oratory. “We extend our heartfelt wishes for success and inspiration to him in this new responsibility in service to the community.”
“I am honored and humbled to serve as rector of Saint Joseph’s Oratory,” said Fr. Antoine. “With the support of all my confreres in Holy Cross and the professionals who form the dynamic team at the Oratory, and especially with the grace of God, we will succeed in upholding the work of Brother André within the Church and Quebec society as a sign of God’s love and presence for all humans.”
Learn more about St. Joseph's Oratory
Fr. Antoine has been working at the Oratory since 2017, and from 2019 he has been the Vice-Rector for Pastoral Ministry. A member of the Congregation’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province in Haiti, he was ordained a priest on December 19, 1993. Much of Fr. Antoine’s previous ministry in Haiti was in the field of psychology and education. From 1993 to 2000 and then again from 2009-2017, he worked at the Congregation’s flagship school, College Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours in Cap-Haïtien, ultimately serving his last years there as director.
Fr. Bernard succeeds Fr. Michael DeLaney, C.S.C., who is completing his four-year term as rector. A member of the Congregation’s United States Province of Priests and Brothers, Fr. DeLaney was the first non-Quebecois to serve as rector of Saint Joseph’s Oratory.
Fr. DeLaney steered the Oratory through the difficult times of the pandemic, helped oversee the major construction project for the new welcome center, and placed an emphasis on renewing the Oratory’s pastoral outreach, especially to young people and immigrants. He also worked to strengthen the shrine’s relationship with the rest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Fr. DeLaney has been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Oratory.
Read the press release of the appointment
“We thank Fr. Michael for accepting this significant responsibility, which is crucial for ensuring the Oratory’s lasting impact,” said Fr. Grou. “This will allow him to continue contributing to the work of Brother André and Saint Joseph’s Oratory, a patrimony of the Congregation of Holy Cross.”
Saint Joseph’s Oratory was the dream and vision of St. André Bessette, the humble Holy Cross Brother who became known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal” for the healings and graces that God brought to thousands upon thousands through him. Always giving credit to St. Joseph, Br. André first built a small shrine to St. Joseph of Jesus on Mount Royal that opened on October 19, 1904. As the pilgrims kept coming, a larger structure had to be built, with the final Basilica at its completion becoming the largest church dedicated to St. Joseph in the world.
Today, every year, over two million pilgrims visit the Saint Joseph’s Oratory as it continues St. André’s legacy of hospitality and healing. Along with Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix Church in Le Mans, France, which houses the International Shrine of Blessed Basile Moreau, Saint Joseph’s Oratory is one of the Congregation’s two patrimonies, recognized for the unique way in which it is linked to the Congregation’s heritage and embodies its mission today.
“We pray fervently for Fr. Bernard, that the Lord may support and guide him in his devoted ministry to Saint Joseph and Saint Brother André. May his efforts to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed and bear fruit for the community and for the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross,” said Fr. Grou.