Bishop Boissonneau’s Long History With St. Augustine’s

Bishop John Boissonneau

As a young boy growing up in Scarborough, Bishop John Boissonneau would pass the large domed building of the Seminary nestled toward the back of the property on Kingston Road and marvel at its sight. Though he thought of being a priest from a young age, he didn’t think then that one day he would be rector of the esteemed seminary which first opened its doors in 1913.

Since that day, over two-thousand men from St. Augustine’s have been ordained to the priesthood, including Bishop Boissonneau in 1974.

“I am just a simple boy from Scarborough who wanted to be a priest so right after high school, I entered the Seminary.”

He returned to St. Augustine’s in 1982 as a professor. He was named rector in 1993, a role he held until 2001, when he was appointed bishop. During his tenure, he oversaw a number of important initiatives, including welcoming and negotiating the special relationship St. Augustine’s shares with the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary.

“That now is a very important part of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and part of the vocation story of the Archdiocese.”

He was also instrumental in having St. Augustine’s confer its own Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree. In the past, it had been granted through St. Paul’s University. “That allowed us to be even more a standalone seminary. I think it was a very important step in the ongoing life and growth of St. Augustine’s.”

He also helped set up a tuition fund through the Board of Governors to help defray costs for seminarians’ studies.

Bishop Boissonneau is Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto with responsibility for the Northern Region.