A funeral prayer vigil for Fr. Bernard de Margerie (1934-2024) will be held at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 17 at Sts-Martyrs-Canadiens, 1007 Windsor Street, Saskatoon. The funeral (Mass of Christian Burial) will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 18 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 114 Kingsmere Place, Saskatoon. Both celebrations will be live-streamed at saskatoonmass.com (see links, below).
An invitation has been sent out for anyone interested to join an Ecumenical Choir for Father Bernard de Margerie’s funeral service, directed by Louise Bitz Monday, March 18 at Holy Spirit Church: there will be a choir rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. and the service will follow at 10:30 a.m.
By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News
Fr. Bernard de Margerie, a retired priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon well-known for his ecumenical and inter-faith work, died March 3, 2024 at St. Ann’s residence at the age of 89 years, after several weeks of failing health.
Bernard was born to Antonio and Agnès (Lavergne) de Margerie, along with his twin brother, on April 14, 1934, in Vonda, SK. He was one of nine siblings, seven of whom pre-deceased him – Thérèse, Guy, Yves, Jean, Paul, Benoît, and Monique; he is survived by one sister, Jacynthe Rivard, sister-in-law Thérèse, and many nieces and nephews.
He grew up in the Vonda area, studied at Saint Boniface and Montreal before being ordained to the priesthood for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on June 1, 1958 at Saint-Philippe-de-Neri parish at Vonda.
De Margerie’s call to the priesthood came in high school when he was studying with Jesuits in Winnipeg/St. Boniface. In interviews about his vocation, he said his inclination was to become a Jesuit priest, until his bishop advised him that the Saskatchewan Francophone community and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon needed him more than the Jesuits.
His first pastoral assignment was at Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens Francophone parish in Saskatoon, he also taught high school Latin, French, and Religion before he went to Rome for ecumenical studies. Upon his return to Saskatoon, he served as director of the Catholic Pastoral Centre in the diocese of Saskatoon, as well as spending a year in the diocese’s Brazil mission, serving as diocesan ecumenical officer, and providing ministry as hospital chaplain.
In addition to serving as pastor at Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens several times, de Margerie served as pastor at St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Francis Xavier and Holy Spirit parishes in Saskatoon, as well as at the Trinité pastoral region of Vonda, Prud’homme and St. Denis, SK.
His passion for ecumenism was inspired in the early days of his priesthood, ignited by Pope John XXIII’s call in launching the Second Vatican Council.
De Margerie coordinated ecumenism in the diocese of Saskatoon for many years, and was instrumental in the founding of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism in Saskatoon, where he served as director for some 10 years (1984-1994). He was also active in inter-faith outreach and efforts, including building relationships with the Islamic community in Saskatoon.
He is also the author of In God’s Reconciling Grace, a compilation of prayer and reflection texts for Christian reconciliation and unity.
During his retirement after 2009, he also explored cosmology and the story of the universe in light of Catholic tradition and teaching “and how we can mutually assist one another, opening more widely the doors of understanding for the benefit of all God’s people and for all of planet Earth” as he said in a 2018 interview.
At a joint 60th anniversary celebration with Anglican colleague the late Rev. Colin Clay in 2018, Fr. Bernard de Margerie spoke about their “spiritual twinship” (both were ordained on the same day in 1958 in two different Christian traditions) and the opportunities he has had to provide ministry, to work and witness for Christian unity and to build bridges with other faiths.
“It has been the light of my life,” de Margerie said of his commitment to ecumenical and inter-faith relationship. “I want to express heartfelt gratefulness to all congregations and church leaderships in the various Christian denominations who welcomed my ministry over the years and who trusted me in God’s grace.”
At that 2018 celebration, de Margerie ended by quoting St. Paul’s words in the book of Acts: “But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I can finish my course, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
In a message to the diocese, Bishop Mark Hagemoen said: “We join together in prayer for Rev. Bernard De Margerie, and for his family and our diocese at this time. We also hold in prayer the many people who are grieving his passing who have been affected by his life and ministry over the years.”
Prayer Vigil at 7:00 p.m. Sunday March 17:
Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 18:
-30-
Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – rcdos.ca.