James Weisgerber


Vernon James Weisgerber is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the retired sixth Archbishop of Winnipeg, serving from August 2000 until October 2013.

Early life and education

Weisgerber was born in Vibank, Saskatchewan, to Jack and Catherine Weisgerber. Following his schooling at Vibank, he attended St. Peter's College at Muenster and then St. Paul's University in Ottawa, where he obtained licence degrees in Philosophy and Theology.

Priesthood

He was ordained a priest at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina on June 1, 1963, and named a Prelate of Honour on October 16, 1991.
Weisgerber was Dean of Arts at Notre Dame College in Wilcox, where he taught philosophy, religious studies, and French. He worked several years in the Archbishop of Regina's office serving as the director of the pastoral and social justice offices. He served as Rector of Holy Rosary Cathedral and Pastor of , both in Regina, as well as in Fort Qu'Appelle, which included pastoral ministry with neighboring aboriginal communities.
In 1990 he was elected General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Episcopal career

On March 7, 1996, Weisgerber was appointed the fifth Bishop of Saskatoon by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 3 from Archbishop Peter Mallon, with Archbishop Joseph MacNeil and Bishop Joseph MacDonald serving as co-consecrators.
Weisgerber was later named the sixth Archbishop of Winnipeg on June 7, 2000. He succeeded Leonard James Wall, and was
installed at St. Mary’s Cathedral on August 24, 2000. In 2005, he received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. In 2013, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his work as a champion of reconciliation and social justice, promoting deeper understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people".