Donald Bolen

Donald Joseph Bolen (born 7 February 1961), also known as Don Bolen, is a Canadian Roman Catholic prelate. He is the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, since his appointment by Pope Francis on 11 July 2016; having previously served as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.^[1] Archbishop Bolen was born in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, in 1961, the son of Joseph and Rose. He was ordained a priest in 1991 for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, and was consecrated as a bishop on 25 March 2010 for the Diocese of Saskatoon.^[2]

Academics

• 1978-1984 (intermittently): B.A. Honours in Religious Studies at the University of Regina
• 1986-1989: B.Th. in Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa
• 1989-1990, 1993-94: M.Th. and Licentiate in Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa
• 1994-1997, 2000-2001: Work on D.Phil. in Theology, University of Oxford

Ministry positions

• 1991-1993: Associate Pastor, Estevan
• 1994: Priest Moderator at Church of Our Lady, Moose Jaw
• 1997-1999: Priest Moderator, Milestone and Lang Parishes
• 1997-1999: Administrator, Paroisse St. Jean Baptiste, Regina
• 1997-2001: Faculty, Dept. of Religious Studies, Campion College, University of Regina
• 2000-2001: Priest Moderator, St. Jean-Baptiste, Regina
• 2001-2008: Staff member at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Rome, staffing Anglican-Roman Catholic and Methodist-Roman Catholic relations and the preparation of texts for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Served as Co-secretary of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) and the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church.
• 2009: Nash Chair in Religion, Campion College, University of Regina
• 2009: Pastor of St. Joseph, Balgonie; St. Agnes, Pilot Butte; and St. Peter’s Colony, Kronau
• 2009: Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Regina
• 2010-2016: Bishop of Saskatoon
• 2016–present: Archbishop of Regina

Commissions and committees

• 1997-2001, 2009, Chair of Ecumenical Commission, Archdiocese of Regina

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

• 2011 to present: Member of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace
• 2012 to present: Co-Chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue in Canada
• 2014 to present: Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace

International

• 2012 to present: Member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity^[3]
• 2009 to present: Member of the International Consultation Between the World Evangelical Alliance and the Catholic Church^[4]
• 2011 to present: Co-Chair of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) ^[5]
• 2013 to present: Co-Chair of the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church^[6]

Honours

• 2008: Awarded the Cross of Saint Augustine by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams for service to relations between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion (2008)
• 2014: Honorary Fellow of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad, University of Saskatchewan

References