2026 Bishop's Plenary Assembly

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS & RECAPS

This week (21-25 September 2026), Bishop William T. McGrattan and the members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will gather in Montreal, Quebec, for the annual meeting of the Plenary Assembly.

​What is the Plenary Assembly?
A meeting of the Plenary Assembly is a solemn and important event in the life of the Church in Canada because it brings together all members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which includes 80 Bishops of the Latin and Eastern Churches across Canada.

The Conference's Plenary Assembly is its highest authority. Decisions taken by the Plenary Assembly represent the unity of action of all Bishops of Canada at the national level. Convoked at least once a year, the Plenary Assembly considers a broad range of topics related to the Church’s evangelizing mission, including reports and questions from the Episcopal Commissions and other advisory bodies of the Conference. The Permanent Council sets the agenda, which may also include discussions and pastoral reflections on special topics.

The Plenary Assembly meets every year and includes discussion of a variety of topics that affect Catholics in Canada. During the meeting, there will also be reports from different committees and an address by the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada. Read: 
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• 2026 President’s Annual Report
• Letter to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV

What will be discussed this year?
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The following are among the principal agenda items and topics to be considered during the week, in a spirit of prayer and discernment:

• Celebration of the Eucharist – Each day will begin with the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Catholic faith. The President of the CCCB and Bishops ordained since the last Plenary will preside at these celebrations. A celebration of the Eucharist in the Armenian Rite will also take place, presided by the Most Rev. Mikaël Mouradian.
• 500th Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe – The Most Rev. Pierre Goudreault, accompanied by the Most Rev. Bryan Joseph Bayda, C.Ss.R., and the Most Rev. Juan Carlos Londoño, will lead the Bishops of Canada in a discussion on the pastoral initiatives to explore in preparation for the anniversary.
• Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute (CCBI) – Eoin Connolly, Executive Director, and Dr. Patricia Murphy, Program Director, will provide updates on CCBI activities. Mr. Connolly will also present on current questions in Catholic health care in Canada.
• Holy Hour with Vespers for Victims and Survivors of Sexual Abuse – The Bishops will listen to excerpts from testimonies of persons who suffered sexual abuse within the Church, gathered by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church in France. The testimonies will invite the Bishops to acknowledge more deeply the wounds caused by abuse and to renew their commitment to truth and justice, compassionate accompaniment, repentance and conversion within the Church, and the continued protection of minors and vulnerable persons. The Most Rev. Paul-André Durocher will preside. The testimonies will be followed by a period of sacred silence, Eucharistic adoration, Vespers and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. During the Plenary, the Bishops will also continue their work concerning responsible ministry and the protection of minors and persons in vulnerable situations.
• Pastoral and Institutional Work of the CCCB – The Bishops will receive reports from the Conference’s Episcopal Commissions and other bodies, including on migrant and refugee ministry, Indigenous reconciliation, family and life issues, and ecumenism. They will also confirm new appointments to the Episcopal Commissions and Standing Committees for the coming three-year term and consider the priorities proposed for the National and Sectoral Episcopal Commissions for the 2026-2029 triennium.​​

Follow the gathering through daily video highlights:

• CCCB Plenary Assembly page
• CCCB YouTube channel
• Salt + Light Media YouTube channel

Please keep Bishop McGrattan and all the Bishops of Canada in your prayers this week.

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​Photo: Plenary Assembly 2025 - courtesy of CCCB.