​Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Robert Kasun, C.S.B., as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto. At the time of his appointment, Rev. Kasun was serving as pastor of the parishes of St. Alphonsus and St. Clare in the Archdiocese of Edmonton, Alberta. Bishop-designate Kasun commented on the appointment from the Holy Father:

“I have found my new appointment very difficult to understand and accept, but I will do my best, with the help of God’s grace, to serve the people in the Archdiocese of Toronto.”

Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, welcomed the announcement:

“We are grateful to the Holy Father for the appointment of Bishop-designate Kasun. I am excited to welcome him to the Archdiocese of Toronto and know that he will make a profound impact in our efforts to evangelize, inspire and care for God’s people. I invite our entire faith community to join me in offering our prayers and best wishes as he prepares to join us soon.”

Robert Kasun was born in December 1951 and raised in Cudworth, Saskatchewan, in the former Benedictine Abbacy of Muenster. After high school he attended St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, where he met the Basilian Fathers, the religious congregation he joined after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in English. Following his novitiate he continued his studies, earning a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, and then Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Toronto.

Following ordination to the priesthood in 1978, Father Kasun commenced his teaching ministry in Basilian schools in Merrillville, Indiana; Sudbury, Ontario; and his longest assignment, at St. Michael’s College School in Toronto. He also served as Vocations Director for the Basilian Fathers based in Rochester, New York, and as a teacher at St. Francis High School in Calgary. He served on the General Council of the Basilian Fathers from 1989 to 1997 as Regional Representative for Western Canada, and as Vice-President of the Canadian Religious Conference Western Division.

Also in Calgary, he served in parish ministry at St. Pius X and St. Thomas More parishes, on the diocesan presbyteral council, and on the executive committee of the Board of Governors for St. Mary’s University College.

Since 2009, Father Kasun has served as pastor of the inner-city Edmonton parishes of St. Alphonsus and St. Clare, where he and a number of parishioners have enjoyed teaching English as a Second Language to temporary foreign workers, helping them to feel more at home in our country and Church. During his time in Edmonton, “Father Bob” made a mark as a passionate advocate for and friend of the lower-income and immigrant communities.

Bishop-designate Kasun will be ordained to the episcopate at a date and location to be determined before commencing his duties with the Archdiocese of Toronto. He will join three other auxiliary bishops who currently assist Cardinal Collins in caring for the pastoral needs of the 1.9 million faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto. More than 800 diocesan and religious priests provide pastoral leadership in 225 churches throughout the Greater Toronto Area with Mass celebrated each week in more than 30 languages.

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