Auxiliary Bishop John Stephen Knight (1992 - 2001)

Return to Auxiliary Bishops List

John Knight was born on April 10, 1942 in Binghamton, New York, and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He attended St. Patrick's Separate School, Niagara Falls, Mount Carmel Secondary School, Niagara Falls and Notre Dame College School, Welland before entering St. Augustine's Seminary. He was ordained for the Diocese of St. Catharines on June 2, 1967 by Bishop Thomas J. McCarthy of St. Catharines.

From 1967 to 1979 Father Knight assisted at St. Julia's Parish, St. Catharines, St. Alfred's Parish, St. Catharines, St. Mary's Parish, Welland, and St. Denis' Parish, St. Catharines. In 1979 he was appointed Pastor of St. Alexander's Parish, Fonthill where he served until 1984. Along with his duties as a parish priest, Father Knight also held many other positions. In the 1970s he was a member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, Chaplain of the Niagara Regional Police Force from 1978 to 1984, part-time Director of Religious Education from 1979 to 1981, a member of the Council of Priests from 1979 to 1984, Dean of Welland from 1982 to 1984 and a Diocesan Consultor from 1983 to 1984. He was the Ontario representative on the National Council of Liturgy from 1971 to 1976 and also served as a member of the Board of Governors of Notre Dame College School, Welland from 1980 to 1984, having taught religion there in a part-time capacity from 1975 to 1977. On July 1, 1984, Father Knight was appointed President of the Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada. In May of 1987 he was named a Chaplain to Pope Paul II and given the title of Monsignor. Monsignor Knight resigned as President of Extension in October of 1987 and was appointed a member of the Secretariat of the Pontifical Council COR UNUM in November of the same year. He moved to Rome and was responsible particularly for the English-language business of the Council. Monsignor Knight served on the Council until 1990 when he returned to St. Catharines and was appointed Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, Thorold.

On April 27, 1992 Monsignor Knight was elected titular Bishop of Taraqua and Auxiliary to Archbishop Aloysius M. Ambrozic of Toronto. He was consecrated in St. Michael's Cathedral on June 24, 1992 by Archbishop Ambrozic who was assisted by Archbishop Leonard J. Wall of Winnipeg and Bishop Thomas B. Fulton of St. Catharines. Upon his consecration Bishop Knight became Vicar of the eastern region of the diocese which includes Scarborough and Durham regions, and assumed responsibility for educational matters.

Bishop Knight retired as Auxiliary Bishop in 2001.