1798 - 2016

Holy See / Saint Siège
CAF and Chaplains / FAC et les aumônier
Catholic Church - Previous Titulars / Église catholique - titulaires précédants

Ordinary to the Army (World) / Ordinaire aux armées (Monde)

• Pope Pius XII† 
• 1951 - The Holy Father takes this responsibility for this portion of the People of God following the devastation of WWII and the pastoral needs of serving members & families.

First World War

• Creation -  Canadian Army under the Militia Act of 1855

• 15 March 1917 - Creation of the Canadian Chaplain Service (CCS) (Protestant & Catholic)
• Dissolved at the end of the war

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• Outbreak of the war - CAF re-establish the CCS
• Bishop Wells (Anglican) and Bishop Nelligan (Roman Catholic) were asked by the Canadian Government on the 1^st of October 1939 to develop a Roman Catholic and Protestant Chaplain Service to the Canadian Armed Forces.
• 1948 - Creation of a permanent structure (Protestant (137) and Catholic (162) divisions
• The Royal Canadian Army Chaplain Corps

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• 1993 - The Canadian Forces Chaplain School and Centre was established
• 1995 - Amalgamation of the 2 divisions into one Service - Chaplain Branch

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• Name change - Royal Canadian Chaplain Service

Irish Rebellion 1798

• First Catholic chaplain to serve 
• Alexander Macdonnell

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Military Ordinary of the Canadian Army

• Joseph Médard Émard † (Valleyfield)
• 1918 until the end of the War as CCS was dissolved

Head of Catholic Chaplains

• Charles Leo Nelligan† (Pembrooke)
• 20 Sep 1939 Appointed
• 10 Aug 1944 Resigned
• Given Honorary rank of Lieutenant-colonel by the MND

Military Vicar / Vicaire aux armées

• Maurice Roy† (Trois-Rivières / Québec (1947))
• 8 Jun 1946 Appointed
• 2 Mar 1982 Ret'd
• Rank of Colonel at the end of his Service with an OBE

Auxiliairy Vicars / Vicaires auxiliaire

• Norman Gallagher† (Montréal) 
• 1963-1967
• Named Grand Chaplain

• Francis John Spence† (Charlottetown)
• 1967-1982

Military Vicar / Vicaire aux armées

• Francis J. Spence† (Kingston)
• 14 Mar 1982 Appointed  
• 28 Oct 1987 Resigned

• The ministry of the Lay Pastoral Associate is established in 1986
  
   

• André Vallée†, P.M.E.
• 28 January 1988 Titular
• 19 Aug 1996 Re-assigned to - Diocèse de Hearst, ON

• The ministry of Deacon is established in 1995

• BGEN – Fr. Jean Pelletier (vacant see)
• 1996-1998

• +Donald Thériault (Emeritus)
• 25 March 1998 Named
• 01 June 1988 Titular
• 08 April 2016 Resigned

• The Ordinariate sets up the process for Incardination in 1999.  As a result, the first Priest incardinated in 2001 and the first Deacon in 2005

• +Scott McCaig, CC (Current)
• 31 May 2026
• The Ordinariate proceeds with the incardination of the first UGC Deacon on 02 march 2023 after consultation with the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, in agreement and communion with the local Eparchy.  

• http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmlca.html
• Robert Ogle - The Faculties of Canadian Military Chaplains: A Commentary on the Faculty Sheet of December 1955, and the Directives for Holy Week Promulgated March 14, 1956. (doctoral diss.)