Church Roman Catholic Church Previous post Priest Name Michael Lacey | In office 1979–1993 See Archdiocese of Toronto | |
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Ordination May 23, 1943
by Archbishop James C. McGuigan Born November 26, 1916
Toronto, Ontario, Canada ( 1916-11-26 ) Died April 2, 2014, Toronto, Canada | ||
Michael Pearse Lacey (November 26, 1916 – April 2, 2014) was a Canadian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time of his death he was one of the oldest bishops in the Catholic Church and the oldest Canadian bishop.
Lacey was born in the Greater Toronto Area and attended St. Helen's Separate School and St. Michael’s College before entering St. Augustine's Seminary in 1936, aged 19. He was ordained on May 23, 1943 in St. Michael's Cathedral by Archbishop James C. McGuigan.
From 1943-57 Lacey assisted at St. Patrick's Parish (Port Colborne), St. Cecilia's Parish (Toronto), St. Monica's Parish (Toronto) and St. Pius X Parish (Toronto). He was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto on May 3, 1979, and was consecrated on June 21, 1979. He remained as auxiliary bishop of the Toronto Archdiocese until his retirement on May 31, 1993, and continued as Titular Bishop of Diano until his death on April 2, 2014.
A strong supporter of Catholic education, Monsignor Lacey served as a Trustee of the Metropolitan Separate School Board and was one of the lead organizers in the development of St. Stephen’s Downtown Chapel, serving the business community, which opened in 1977.
A strong supporter of the pro-life movement, Bishop Lacey was actively involved in the National March for Life from its earliest years. "Bishop Lacey was a hero in the Canadian Catholic Church ... [H]e was the only bishop to say the Mass for the March for Life in the early years of the event", according to John-Henry Westen, editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.
Lacey was appointed a Prelate of Honour with the title of Monsignor on September 13, 1967. After reaching the age of 75, he resigned, and retired in his native Toronto.