Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Archbishop Raymond, who passed away this morning in Winnipeg. He was 75 and had been under the care of his sister, Mrs. Lucille Lang. Archbishop Raymond led the Archdiocese of Vancouver so courageously from 2004-2009.
Below is a report from the BC Catholic:
The Marianist archbishop who led the Archdiocese of Vancouver for five years died April 24 at the age of 75.
Archbishop Emeritus Raymond Roussin, SM, was known as a compassionate leader who was honest about his personal struggles with mental health and depression.
“I know you will all join with me in prayer for the eternal repose of the soul of Archbishop Raymond,” said current Vancouver shepherd Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, in a letter to the faithful.
He noted that Archbishop Roussin had led the archdiocese courageously from 2004 to 2009 and asked parishes to “include a prayer for the repose of his soul in their prayers of the faithful this Sunday.”
Archbishop Roussin passed away in Winnipeg, where he had moved after his retirement in 2009. He was in the care of his sister, Lucille Lang.
The French-speaking prelate faced various challenges during his service as a bishop, including closing down the shrinking diocese of Gravelbourg in Sask., and helping the faithful transition to the Archdiocese of Regina or the Diocese of Saskatoon.
He became Bishop of Victoria in 1999 and served there for several years before coming to the mainland as the Archbishop of Vancouver in 2004. He resigned five years later because of neurological illness.
The evening prayers will be held May 1 and funeral Mass May 2 at St. Boniface Cathedral in Winnipeg.