Bl. Louis-Zéphirin Moreau
Patron of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe
Bl. Bishop Moreau was born in 1824 in an area, which at the time, was known as Lower Canada. During his childhood, he struggled with poor health which almost prevented him from becoming a priest. However, the same hard work he showed in becoming a priest would become a hallmark of his time as a priest and ultimately as a bishop. In his first twenty-five years as a priest, he served as an advisor to the Bishops of Saint-Hyacinthe which allowed him to minister to those in need in the diocese. In 1875, he became the bishop of the diocese, and in his twenty-five years as bishop he was known for founding new churches in the diocese as well as educational institutions. Today, he is venerated as one of the most influential Canadian bishops in recent times.