The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario Act, 2026 — Private Bill PR34 (44th Parliament, 1st Session)

Bill PR34, 44-1

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Bill PR34, The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario Act, 2026

Dowie, Andrew

Current status:

Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2026,

chapter Pr12

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Royal Assent

Original

Bill PR34 Royal Assent (PDF)

Bill PR34 2026

Act to incorporate the Roman Catholic Bishop of St. Catharines as a corporation

sole

Preamble

The

Most Reverend Gerard Paul Bergie, D.D. JCL, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the

Diocese of St. Catharines, has applied for special legislation to incorporate

as a corporation sole.

The

special legislation seeks to vest in the corporation sole all real and personal

property within the territorial boundaries described below that are currently

vested in either the name of the Bishop of St. Catharines or that are in the

names of corporations sole that previously operated in the territorial

boundaries, being the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of

Toronto, in Canada; The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of

Hamilton, in Ontario and The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the

Diocese of Kingston in Canada.

The

applicant represents that the Diocese of St. Catharines was created canonically

on November 9, 1958 as the Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario and has

operated since that time under the name The Roman Catholic Episcopal

Corporation for the Diocese of St. Catharines, in Ontario.

The

applicant further represents that the diocese has not previously been

incorporated and was never a corporation sole.

is appropriate to grant the application.

Therefore,

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Interpretation

1. In

this Act,

“Bishop

of St. Catharines” means the Most Reverend Gerard Paul Bergie, or a successor in

office;

“Corporation”

means the corporation incorporated under

section 2;

“territorial

boundaries” means those lands situate within the boundaries of the County of

Welland and County of Lincoln as those boundaries existed on June 1, 2025, and

which, on the day this Act came into force, were located in the Regional

Municipality of Niagara and the County of Haldimand.

Incorporation

The Bishop

of St. Catharines, the Most Reverend Gerard Paul Bergie, is incorporated as a

corporation sole with perpetual succession under the name “The Roman Catholic

Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario”.

Vesting

of property, Bishop of St. Catharines

(1) All

lands, real estate, tenements and hereditaments and any other real or personal

property situate within the territorial boundaries that, on the day before this

Act came into force, was vested or standing in the name of the Bishop of St.

Catharines is deemed to be vested in the Corporation and the Corporation may

its name.

Same

(2) All

lands, real estate, tenements and hereditaments situate within the territorial

boundaries that are granted, conveyed or devised to the Bishop of St.

Catharines on or after the day this Act comes into force are deemed to be

vested in the Corporation and the Corporation may register an application on

title to any such land to have title registered in its name.

Trusts

(3) Property

vested in the Corporation under subsection (1) or (2) shall be subject to any

applicable trusts.

Vesting

of property, boundaries of Diocese

(1) All

lands, real estate, tenements and hereditaments and any other real or personal

property situate within the territorial boundaries that, on the day before this

Act came into force, was vested or standing in the name of the Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Toronto, in Canada; The Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Hamilton, in Ontario and The Roman

Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Kingston in Canada is deemed

to be vested in the Corporation and the Corporation may register an application

on title to any such land to have title registered in its name.

Same

(2) All

lands, real estate, tenements and hereditaments situate in the territorial

boundaries that are granted, conveyed or devised to the Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Toronto, in Canada; The Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Hamilton, in Ontario and The Roman

Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Kingston in Canada on or

after the day this Act comes into force are deemed to be vested in the

Corporation and the Corporation may register an application on title to any

such land to have title registered in its name.

Trusts

(3) Property

vested in the Corporation under subsection (1) or (2) shall be subject to any

applicable trusts.

Existing

contracts, etc.

(4) No

contract or engagement entered into or liability incurred by the Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Toronto, in Canada; The Roman Catholic

Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Hamilton, in Ontario or The Roman

Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Kingston in Canada affecting

real or personal property vested in the Corporation by subsection (1) or

(2) shall be affected by such vesting and all such contracts, engagements and

liabilities affecting the real or personal property shall devolve upon, be

binding upon and be discharged by the Corporation.

Powers

(1) The

Corporation may, notwithstanding any act or law respecting mortmain or

charitable uses, subject to any trusts,

(

a) acquire

and hold lands or parts of lands; and

(

b) sell,

convey, lease, mortgage or otherwise deal with any lands or parts of lands that

it holds.

Same

(2) The

Corporation may,

(

a) borrow

money in such amounts, on such terms and from such persons, firms and

corporations, including chartered banks, as may be determined by the

Corporation;

(

b) issue

and sell or pledge bonds, debentures and obligations upon such terms and

conditions as the Corporation may decide;

(

c) mortgage,

charge and hypothecate its real and personal property;

(

d) pledge

its general credit to secure such bonds, debentures and obligations; and

(

e) make,

draw, endorse and negotiate promissory notes and bills of exchange.

Execution

of documents

(1) The

Bishop of St. Catharines is empowered to execute all conveyances, mortgages,

bonds, debentures or other instruments in the name of the Corporation.

Same

(2) A

declaration on the face of any conveyance, mortgage, bond, debenture or other

instrument that it has been executed by the person and in the manner mentioned

in subsection (1) is sufficient evidence that it has been executed by that

person and in that manner.

Succession

Successors

of the Most Reverend Gerard Paul Bergie shall be duly nominated and appointed

according to the usages and rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

Vacancies

Upon a

vacancy happening in the office of the Bishop of St. Catharines, or if the Bishop

of St. Catharines becomes incapable of performing the duties of the office on

account of sickness, infirmity or any other cause, the person who is appointed,

according to the usages and rites of the Roman Catholic Church, to administer

the affairs of the Corporation shall, during such vacancy or incapacity, have

the same powers as are by this Act conferred upon the Bishop of St. Catharines.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is The Roman Catholic

Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario Act, 2026 .

Bill PR34 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

purpose of the Bill is set out in the

Preamble

Bill PR34 2025