Former Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Monsignor Joseph Gilles Napoléon Ouellet PME., was born in Bromptonville, Canada, to Adélard Ouellet, a notary, and his wife Armande Biron on August 14, 1922. Entering the Société des Missions-Étrangères at Québec on August 25, 1941, he took his perpetual vows in Pont-Viau on May 9, 1945, and was ordained to the priesthood at 23 years of age on June 30, 1946, in Bromptonville, by Monsignor Joseph-Henri Prud'homme. He was successively sent to Rome, Italy, in order to pursue further studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining a doctorate in canon law in 1950.
Vicar general and later director of the Catholic Action, Gilles Ouellet served as a missionary in the Philippines in the early 1950's. Back in Canada in 1957, he was elected Superior General of his Society the following year, an office which he held until 1967, and national director of the Sainte-Enfance. He furthermore served as national director of the Oeuvre Pontificale de la Propagation de la Foi and of the l'Oeuvre Pontificale de Saint-Pierre-Apôtre between 1967 and 1977.
At 46 years of age, following the transfer of Msgr. Louis Joseph Jean Marie Fortier to the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke, Québec, Ouellet was appointed as his successor as Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé, Québec, by Pope Paul VI on October 5, 1968, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following November 23, from Archbishop Emanuele Clarizio, assisted by Archbishop Louis Lévesque and the named Archbishop Fortier.
On April 27, 1973, Bishop Ouellet was elected Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Québec, following the resignation of the named Monsignor Lévesque, taking possession of the see on the following June 14.
President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference (CÉCC), between 1977 and 1979, he requested Pope John Paul II to accept his resignation from office, which he did. He resigned on October 16, 1992, when Msgr. Bertrand Blanchet was named as his successor. That same year, the Archbishop was decorated with the Ordre du Mérite Colombien.
During his retirement, he served among others as almoner of the Knights of Colombus between 1993 and 1998. A cerebral haemorrhage extinguished his life on Thursday, August 13, 2009, on the eve of his 87th birthday, whilst recovered at the Hôpital Régional of Rimouski.
Vicar general and later director of the Catholic Action, Gilles Ouellet served as a missionary in the Philippines in the early 1950's. Back in Canada in 1957, he was elected Superior General of his Society the following year, an office which he held until 1967, and national director of the Sainte-Enfance. He furthermore served as national director of the Oeuvre Pontificale de la Propagation de la Foi and of the l'Oeuvre Pontificale de Saint-Pierre-Apôtre between 1967 and 1977.
At 46 years of age, following the transfer of Msgr. Louis Joseph Jean Marie Fortier to the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke, Québec, Ouellet was appointed as his successor as Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé, Québec, by Pope Paul VI on October 5, 1968, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following November 23, from Archbishop Emanuele Clarizio, assisted by Archbishop Louis Lévesque and the named Archbishop Fortier.
On April 27, 1973, Bishop Ouellet was elected Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Québec, following the resignation of the named Monsignor Lévesque, taking possession of the see on the following June 14.
President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference (CÉCC), between 1977 and 1979, he requested Pope John Paul II to accept his resignation from office, which he did. He resigned on October 16, 1992, when Msgr. Bertrand Blanchet was named as his successor. That same year, the Archbishop was decorated with the Ordre du Mérite Colombien.
During his retirement, he served among others as almoner of the Knights of Colombus between 1993 and 1998. A cerebral haemorrhage extinguished his life on Thursday, August 13, 2009, on the eve of his 87th birthday, whilst recovered at the Hôpital Régional of Rimouski.
Former Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Monsignor Joseph Gilles Napoléon Ouellet PME., was born in Bromptonville, Canada, to Adélard Ouellet, a notary, and his wife Armande Biron on August 14, 1922. Entering the Société des Missions-Étrangères at Québec on August 25, 1941, he took his perpetual vows in Pont-Viau on May 9, 1945, and was ordained to the priesthood at 23 years of age on June 30, 1946, in Bromptonville, by Monsignor Joseph-Henri Prud'homme. He was successively sent to Rome, Italy, in order to pursue further studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining a doctorate in canon law in 1950.
Vicar general and later director of the Catholic Action, Gilles Ouellet served as a missionary in the Philippines in the early 1950's. Back in Canada in 1957, he was elected Superior General of his Society the following year, an office which he held until 1967, and national director of the Sainte-Enfance. He furthermore served as national director of the Oeuvre Pontificale de la Propagation de la Foi and of the l'Oeuvre Pontificale de Saint-Pierre-Apôtre between 1967 and 1977.
At 46 years of age, following the transfer of Msgr. Louis Joseph Jean Marie Fortier to the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke, Québec, Ouellet was appointed as his successor as Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé, Québec, by Pope Paul VI on October 5, 1968, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following November 23, from Archbishop Emanuele Clarizio, assisted by Archbishop Louis Lévesque and the named Archbishop Fortier.
On April 27, 1973, Bishop Ouellet was elected Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Québec, following the resignation of the named Monsignor Lévesque, taking possession of the see on the following June 14.
President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference (CÉCC), between 1977 and 1979, he requested Pope John Paul II to accept his resignation from office, which he did. He resigned on October 16, 1992, when Msgr. Bertrand Blanchet was named as his successor. That same year, the Archbishop was decorated with the Ordre du Mérite Colombien.
During his retirement, he served among others as almoner of the Knights of Colombus between 1993 and 1998. A cerebral haemorrhage extinguished his life on Thursday, August 13, 2009, on the eve of his 87th birthday, whilst recovered at the Hôpital Régional of Rimouski.
Vicar general and later director of the Catholic Action, Gilles Ouellet served as a missionary in the Philippines in the early 1950's. Back in Canada in 1957, he was elected Superior General of his Society the following year, an office which he held until 1967, and national director of the Sainte-Enfance. He furthermore served as national director of the Oeuvre Pontificale de la Propagation de la Foi and of the l'Oeuvre Pontificale de Saint-Pierre-Apôtre between 1967 and 1977.
At 46 years of age, following the transfer of Msgr. Louis Joseph Jean Marie Fortier to the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke, Québec, Ouellet was appointed as his successor as Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé, Québec, by Pope Paul VI on October 5, 1968, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following November 23, from Archbishop Emanuele Clarizio, assisted by Archbishop Louis Lévesque and the named Archbishop Fortier.
On April 27, 1973, Bishop Ouellet was elected Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Rimouski, Québec, following the resignation of the named Monsignor Lévesque, taking possession of the see on the following June 14.
President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference (CÉCC), between 1977 and 1979, he requested Pope John Paul II to accept his resignation from office, which he did. He resigned on October 16, 1992, when Msgr. Bertrand Blanchet was named as his successor. That same year, the Archbishop was decorated with the Ordre du Mérite Colombien.
During his retirement, he served among others as almoner of the Knights of Colombus between 1993 and 1998. A cerebral haemorrhage extinguished his life on Thursday, August 13, 2009, on the eve of his 87th birthday, whilst recovered at the Hôpital Régional of Rimouski.
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