The celebration, held at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in McLennan, Alberta on October 4, began with a “passing of the crozier”. As Pettipas handed over the shepherd’s staff to Duval, this symbolized Archbishop Duval taking full possession of the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan. Archbishop Emeritus Pettipas officially retired on September 6, when Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation. Duval was ordained as his coadjutor archbishop on May 14 of this year, and since September 6 has been the archdiocese’s sole reigning bishop.

The Mass brought together hundreds of people from across Grouard-McLennan, which covers most of north western Alberta. Archbishop Emeritus Gerard Pettipas remarked that it was the fullest he had ever seen their cathedral over his almost 19 years as archbishop. In his homily, Archbishop Duval recalled the day he was first appointed to be the new Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan. Before this, Duval had been made the pastor for St. Joseph Church in Grande Prairie – the largest parish in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan.

Throughout his journey, from pastor to Archbishop-designate to Coadjutor Archbishop and now as the 6th Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan, he says he has felt an increasing joy.

“When I became Provincial Superior with the Redemptorists, it surprised me that my confreres had elected me as their superior. But a few hours after the election, I was praying over what had happened and I realized that I was now at the service of those men that had formed me. And I was so happy,” Archbishop Duval recalled.

“And the same thing happened when the Nuncio called me and said the Pope had appointed me. When you hear big news like this it really shocks you. But then I thought, ‘This is wonderful. I’ll be at the service of these people I’ve come to know and love over my 18 months at St. Joseph’s [Church]. I guess for God that 18 months was enough to prepare me,” he added with a laugh.

At the dinner after Mass, held at Centre Chevaliers in Falher, people gathered for a meal and for a night of entertainment. Towards the end of the evening, Archbishop Pettipas offered some final words of farewell to the archdiocese he has shepherded since 2007. He emphasized that becoming a bishop was certainly not a job he ever sought or wanted, but today, looking back on his life, he sees it as one of the greatest blessings to ever come his way.

“You don’t apply for this job. No one volunteers and says to the pope, ‘I’d like to be a bishop’,” Archbishop Pettipas told the crowd gathered in Falher. “When I entered the seminary, I said to the Redemptorist fathers, ‘I feel the Lord is calling me to be a priest in your community.’ I presented myself. That’s how you become a priest. That’s not how you become a bishop.

“I was taken by surprise when I became a bishop, and when I look back at being a bishop, I see how this has changed who I am. I became a different person, by sitting where I sat, by being involved with what I was involved in, by understanding things that I have never understood before. Even though I would have never chosen Gerard Pettipas to be a bishop, I have to say that Gerard Pettipas is terribly grateful to God for making him a bishop.”

At the close of the service, Archbishop Duval returned that message of gratitude, thanking Archbishop Pettipas for his years of service and especially for his mentorship during his months as Coadjutor Archbishop. Duval also made a special plea – that this mentorship may continue over the occasional phone call.

Finally, to conclude the night, Archbishop Duval handed over to the Emeritus Archbishop his Episcopal Coat of Arms, which has hung high over the cathedra in McLennan since 2007. It had been displayed there, overlooking the cathedral, up until Pettipas’ retirement in early September and is now replaced with the Episcopal Coat of Arms of Archbishop Duval.

Like the passing of the crozier, this passing of the Coat of Arms was a symbolic gesture of return to Archbishop Emeritus Pettipas. Though he is now leaving the archdiocese, there is a piece of Grouard-McLennan he will always take with him.

“We don’t want you to forget us, so we want you to bring your Coat of Arms back home,” Archbishop Duval explained. “You’ll always be the Archbishop Emeritus of Grouard-McLennan, and so you’ll always be ours. So come back and visit us often!”