Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel
Encyclopedia
Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto
This is a list of the Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto.The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto was created out of the Diocese of Kingston December 17, 1841....
from 1847 to 1860 and the only French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and non-English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
priest to hold the post.
Early years
Born in Monistrol-sur-LoireMonistrol-sur-Loire
Monistrol-sur-Loire is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.It is the birthplace of former Roman Catholic archbishop Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel-See also:*Communes of the Haute-Loire department...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to a French noble family, de Charbonnel was ordained Priest of Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in 1825. He was educated by the Basilian Fathers in Anonay.
Priesthood in Canada
De Charbonnel came to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1839 as a priest in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and left for Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1847 as the city's Bishop. He resigned as Bishop of Toronto in 1860.
Return to France and death
The Bishop returned to France to return as a member of the Capuchin Order. De Charbonnel was later made Titular Bishop of Sozopolis in Haemimonto and later given the title of Bishop Emeritus of Toronto. He died in 1891 in Crest, DrômeCrest, Drôme
Crest is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:Its inhabitants are called Crestois.-Sights:* The Tour de Crest, one of the highest medieval keeps in France - 52 m. Its height dominates the town. The tower was part of a castle which guarded one of the entrances to the...
, and was buried at the Capuchin friary there. de Charbonnel is the only bishop of Toronto buried outside of Canada.
Legacy
De Charbonnel left his legacy in Toronto through the establishment of St Michael's College under the Basilian Fathers and other institutions including:- House of ProvidenceHouse of ProvidenceThe House of Providence is a Roman Catholic charitable institution in the city of Toronto, Canada that has been active since 1857. Commissioned by Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel, the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, the institution provides help to "the needy, the immigrants, the old,...
- a shelter for the sick, aged and orphaned - instituted the St Vincent de Paul Society of Toronto
- established the Toronto Savings Bank
- inviting the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Brothers of the Christian Schools to open schools.
Much of the Toronto diocese's debt was removed using money from his paternal estate in France.