Bishop of Saint John
Bishop Christian Riesbeck, C.C., was born in Montréal on 7 February 1970. He completed his primary studies in Aylmer, Gatineau, and in Nepean, Ottawa. He then attended the Saint Piux X secondary school in Ottawa, and the University of Ottawa, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in political sciences. He subsequently studied in the Saint Augustine Seminary of Toronto and was awarded a licentiate in canon law by the Saint Paul University of Ottawa. He speaks French, English and Spanish. He was ordained a priest on 12 October 1996 for the archdiocese of Ottawa. In 2003 he was incardinated in the Society of Apostolic Life Companions of the Cross. After three years of experience as parish vicar, he became parish priest for seven years at the Queen of Peace parish, Houston, Texas, United States of America. In 2010 he was appointed as chancellor of the archdiocese of Ottawa. He has also held the office of judge of the regional Tribunal. On 7 January 2014 he was appointed as auxiliary bishop of Ottawa and received episcopal consecration on 19 March 2014.