| Archbishopric: | Vancouver |
| Border: | catholic |
| Image Alt: | A man wearing a mitre, pallium, and chasuble holding a crozier in his left hand |
| Coat: | Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver.svg |
| Coat Caption: | The coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Vancouver |
| Coat Alt: | Shield topped by a mitre, featuring a white heraldic rose, Chi Rho, and Pacific dogwood on blue field at top; the Barque of St. Peter and a white star on gold field; and four alternating blue and white wavy stripes at the bottom |
| Incumbent: | J. Michael Miller |
| Established: | 1863 (apostolic vicariate) 1908 (archbishopric) |
| Cathedral: | Holy Rosary Cathedral |
| Archdiocese: | Vancouver |
| Website: | http://www.rcav.org/ |
The Archbishop of Vancouver is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver who is responsible for looking after its "spiritual and administrative needs".[1] As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province encompassing nearly all of British Columbia, the Archbishop of Vancouver also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, and Victoria.[1] The current archbishop is J. Michael Miller.
The archdiocese began as the Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia,[2] which was created on December 14, 1863.[3] Louis-Joseph d'Herbomez was appointed its first bishop, and under his reign, the first parish was formed at the Holy Rosary church. On September 2, 1890, the vicariate was elevated to the status of diocese by Pope Leo XIII and was based in New Westminster.[2] On account of the rapid expansion and development of Vancouver, the Holy See decided to centre the archdiocese around the city.[4] As a result, the Diocese of New Westminster became the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and the Archdiocese of Victoria was reduced to diocesan level on September 7, 1908.[2] Augustin Dontenwill became the first archbishop of the newly formed metropolitan see in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nine men have been Archbishop of Vancouver; another two were heads of its antecedent jurisdictions.[5] Of these, four were members of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI),[5] and one (Dontenwill) became the superior general of the order. Neil McNeil, the fourth ordinary of the archdiocese, was the first archbishop who did not belong to a religious order. James Carney, whose episcopacy spanned from 1969 to 1990, was the first archbishop born in Vancouver. William Mark Duke had the longest tenure as Archbishop of Vancouver, serving for 33 years from 1931 to 1964, while McNeil held the position for two years (1910–1912), marking the shortest archepiscopacy.[5]
| Congregation of St. Basil | ||
| OMI | Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate | |
|---|---|---|
| SM | Society of Mary (Marianists) |
| Until | Incumbent | Notes | Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863 | 1890 | , | Appointed on December 22, 1863. Died on June 3, 1890. | [6] | |
| 1890 | 1890 | , | Coadjutor apostolic vicar from 1875 to 1890. | [7] |
| Until | Incumbent | Notes | Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 1899 | , | Became the first Bishop of New Westminster on September 2, 1890. Died on June 1, 1899. | ||
| 1899 | 1908 | , | Coadjutor bishop from 1897 to 1899. | [8] |
| Until | Incumbent | Notes | Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 1910 | , | Became the first Archbishop of Vancouver on September 19, 1908, but resigned shortly after because of his election as superior general of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). Died on November 30, 1931. | ||
| 1910 | 1912 | Appointed on January 19, 1910. First diocesan priest to be archbishop. Resigned in 1912 after being appointed Archbishop of Toronto. Died on May 25, 1934. | [9] | ||
| 1912 | 1931 | Appointed on August 2, 1912. Died on October 5, 1931. | [10] | ||
| 1931 | 1964 | Coadjutor archbishop from 1928 to 1931. Retired on March 11, 1964. Died on August 31, 1971. | [11] | ||
| 1964 | 1969 | Coadjutor archbishop from 1954 to 1964. Resigned on January 8, 1969. Died on January 29, 1975. | [12] | ||
| 1969 | 1990 | Auxiliary bishop from 1966 to 1969. Appointed on January 8, 1969. First archbishop born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Died on September 16, 1990. | [13] | ||
| 1991 | 2004 | , | Appointed on May 25, 1991. Retired on January 10, 2004, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Died on September 5, 2023. | [14] [15] [16] | |
| 2004 | 2009 | , | Appointed on January 10, 2004. Resigned on January 2, 2009. Died on April 24, 2015. | [17] [18] [19] | |
| 2009 | present | , | Coadjutor archbishop from 2007 to 2009. | [20] |
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