Most Reverend Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R.
Biography
The Most Reverend Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R. was born on 7 January 1955 in Toronto and grew up in Holy Cross Parish. After attending Neil McNeil High School, in 1975 he entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), giving his vows on 15 August 1976. He attended the University of Saint Michael’s College in Toronto, obtaining a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Divinity.
He was ordained a priest for the Redemptorists on 15 March 1980.
He has served in the following ministries: parish vicar of Saint Teresa in Saint John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (1979-1983), itinerant missionary preacher (1983-1987 and 1999-2000), parish priest of Holy Redeemer in Sudbury, Ontario (1987-1990 and 2000-2002), director of the novitiate (1990-1993), director of formation (1993-1999), provincial superior of Edmonton-Toronto Province (2002-2009), superior general of the Redemptorists (2009-2022), parish vicar of Saint Patrick in Toronto (2022-2024), and provincial superior of the Canadian Redemptorist Province (since 2024).
On June 11, 2024 His Holiness, Pope Francis nominated Michael Brehl as the Tenth Bishop of Pembroke.
Bishop Brehl received ordination to the episcopacy on August 15, 2024, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, at the Cathedral of St. Columbkille in Pembroke.
Coat of Arms
BLAZON: Or a cross Vert surmounted by a reed topped with a sponge and a spear in saltire proper, overall an open book proper bound Gules and charged with a mullet of eight points irradiated Or.
Bishop Brehl’s Heraldic Achievement includes elements of the Redemptorist Arms (the cross, sponge topped reed, and spear) as a way of recognizing him as a spiritual son of St Alphonsus Liguori, and in recognition of his service as the Superior General or the Redemptorists from 2009 to 2022. The colour green, often representing growth and new life, was chosen to contrast with the elements of the crucifixion in order to remind the viewer that these implements, while appearing to be instruments of death, are actually the path to new and eternal life—“take up your cross and follow me”, Jesus says in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew. This idea of new and eternal life is underscored in the achievement by the use of gold (an incorruptible metal) which is a symbol of eternity and of Jesus Christ Himself. The open book reminds us of the Gospels—the binding in red shows us the blood of Christ. The book is also used on the Arms to allude to Bishop’s love of history and reading. The final element—the eight-pointed ‘StellaMaris’—comes from the veil of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, while the radiating lines subtly speak of the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Brehl’s motto, coming from the second chapter of John, further emphasizes Bishop Brehl’s love of Mary, the Mother of God, for they are her last words recorded in Holy Scripture: “do whatever He tells you”. These words of Our Lady of course do not only apply to the waiters at the Wedding Feast in Cana, but to every Christian throughout history. The green hat and external ornaments are that proper to a Bishop.
Video of the Episcopal Ordination : To view the video of the mass of episcopal ordination of Bishop Brehl, please refer to our diocesan YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@pembrokediocese
To view a PDF copy of the ordination booklet see : https://pembrokediocese.com/article/episcopal-ordination/
More From the Bishop:
Bishop’s Calendar
Former Bishops of Pembroke
Bishop Guy Desrochers, C.SS.R.
Born: 23 May 1956
Ordained: 7 Jan 1989
Named Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall and Appointed Titular Bishop of Melzi: 12 Dec 2018
Consecrated: 22 Feb 2019
Named Bishop of Pembroke: 6 May 2020
Installed Bishop of Pembroke: 3 Jul 2020
Named Archbishop of Moncton: 8 Jul 2023
Bishop Michael Mulhall D.D.
Named Bishop of Pembroke: June 30, 2007
Consecrated: September 21, 2007
Named Archbishop of Kingston: 30 March 2019
Installed as Archbishop of Kingston: 3 May 2019
Bishop Richard William Smith
Named Bishop of Pembroke: April 27, 2002
Consecrated & Installed as Bishop of Pembroke: June 18, 2002
Named Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta: March 22, 2007
Installed as the Archbishop of Edmonton: May 1, 2007
Bishop Brendan Michael O’Brien, S.T.D.
Named Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa: May 9, 1987
Consecrated: June 29, 1987
Named Bishop of Pembroke: May 5, 1993
Named Archbishop of St. John’s: December 4, 2000
Named Archbishop of Kingston: June 1, 2007
Retired: May 3, 2019
Bishop Joseph Raymond Windle, D.D.
Nominated Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa: November 24, 1960
Consecrated: January 18, 1961
Named Coadjutor Bishop of Pembroke: January 23, 1969
Named Bishop of Pembroke: February 15, 1971
Retired: May 5, 1993
Died: September 24, 1997
Bishop William Joseph Smith, D.D., J.D.C.
Nominated Bishop of Pembroke: May 19, 1945
Consecrated: July 25, 1945
Installed as Bishop of Pembroke: August 8, 1945
Retired: February 15, 1971
Died: October 28, 1986
Bishop Charles Leo Nelligan, D.D.
Nominated Bishop of Pembroke: August 16, 1937
Consecrated: October 28, 1937
Named Military Ordinary Cdn. Armed Forces: September 20, 1939
Retired: May 18, 1945
Died: March 31, 1974
Bishop Patrick Thomas Ryan, D.D.
Nominated Auxiliary Bishop of Pembroke: May 6, 1912
Consecrated: July 25, 1912
Named Bishop of Pembroke: August 7, 1916
Died: April 15, 1937
Bishop Narcisse Zéphirin Lorrain, D.D.
Nominated Vicar Apostolic of Pontiac: July 14, 1882
Consecrated: September 21, 1882
Named Bishop of Pembroke: May 6, 1898
Died: December 16, 1915