Obituary of The Most Reverend Daniel J. Bohan, Archbishop of Regina

"A Life Well Lived" Monctonian, Daniel J. Bohan, Archbishop of Regina, died on Friday, January 15th after a battle with cancer. He had just turned 74. Most would describe his life as remarkable, but what sets a person apart from the crowd? In the case of Bishop Dan it was his quiet, firm, articulate, kind way of teaching people the Christian message. He said less than most but when he did say something, people listened. Bishop Bohan was born on November 8, 1941 in Yarmouth and lived in Sydney and Deseronto, Ontario where his father was stationed in the Air Force during the war. One of Bishop Bohan’s first memories was the celebrations for VE Day. The family moved to New Brunswick since both parents were Miramichi natives and they settled in Moncton. Bishop Bohan attended Mountain Road School, a Catholic elementary – junior high. He graduated from Moncton High in 1959, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University in Chatham and was class valedictorian. He was accepted to Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax in 1963 graduating with a Bachelor of Theology, followed by a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Laval University. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 13, 1967. Later, he graduated from Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana with a Master’s of Theology. (This Christmas he said he read Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes for a needed break from deep theological discussions.) He was an auxiliary priest at St. Augustine’s in Moncton and taught moral theology at Holy Heart in the late 1960s. Later, he taught in the Lay Ministry Program of the Atlantic School of Theology and served on its board of directors. He was appointed parish priest in 1977 to Port Elgin and Melrose before working in Rexton and South Branch, and later in Riverview. In the final parish, he recognized the need for an updated facility and spearheaded the drive to build a new church notable for its expansive green, shingled roof and soaring Douglas fir pillars. The former church building has since been named the Father Dan Bohan Centre and remains an important community focus. Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto on May 14, 2003, he was ordained to the Episcopate on July 3, 2003 at St. Augustine’s. In 2005 he was appointed Archbishop of Regina by Pope John Paul II. Regina’s archdiocese reports that it has 126,000 Catholics in 167 parishes and missions – a large, diverse, and dispersed Christian community. During his time as bishop, he met and worked with many parish priests and religious here and abroad, bishops and cardinals, and he had private audiences with three popes. Regina’s priests, sisters, and seminarians saw him as a shepherd; he was a father to them. In 2006 Bishop Bohan received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, St. Thomas University. Bishop Bohan will be remembered for work on many initiatives often those involving social justice. He worked towards ecumenism, an effort to unify Christian denominations and also promoting interfaith dialogue and building bridges between differing communities. For example, as part of his duties in the Maritimes, he was the Roman Catholic liaison to the United Church of Canada. Later, as archbishop he was the chair of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue, co-chair of the National Roman Catholic/Evangelical Dialogue, member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, member of one of three Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) delegates on the Canadian Council of Churches, and board member of the Board of Governors for Catholic Missions in Canada. Other commitments included chair of the board of the National Catholic Broadcasting Council, president of the Assembly of Western Bishops, member of the ad hoc committee for the Aboriginal Ministry, member of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs (CCCB’s delegation examining Mexican free trade from a human rights’ perspective), and co-chair of the new National Roman Catholic/Evangelical Dialogue. Visiting parishes and addressing the people through traditional media and social media were other ways that Bishop Bohan lived his faith. He fought against society’s promotion of "individualism and self-centeredness" and the lack of sensitivity to others. He was committed to Saskatchewan’s Catholic school system finding in it a way for Catholics to be supported in bringing up their children in the faith. He travelled extensively including enthusiastically participating in World Youth Days in Spain, Australia and France and visiting local communities in Vietnam and Africa. Finally, he tackled sensitive contemporary issues. For example, in 2010 he wrote in a homily to his diocese that sexual abuse of children "harms an innocent victim and sullies the whole community of the faithful." Bishop Bohan leaves behind his mother, Mrs. Rita (Mann) Bohan, his maternal aunt, Ms. Kathleen Mann, five siblings and their families: Mrs. Anita (Bohan) Meunier and her husband, Paul, with their children Paula (Kevin Fisher), Justin (Stefanie Holbrook), Jon (Tasha Lutes), and Nicholas; Mrs. Bernardine (Bohan) Moore and her husband, Tim, with their children Matthew and Christopher (Lizzie Dodds); Mr. Brian Bohan and his wife, Dr. Margie (Clow), with their children Katie and Rob (Allison Sears); Mr. Mark Bohan with his wife, Janice (Murphy), with their children Peter, Erin, Stephen, and Michael; Mr. Carey Bohan with his wife, Judy (Johnstone) with their children Jeff, Brad, and Kristin; several grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and Bohan cousins and Mann cousins. Family and friends in New Brunswick, Regina, and around the world remember Bishop Danny with fondness. The family remembers a wonderfully supportive son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, and cousin. Most of the memories are a sheer pleasure to recall: trips with his dad to Boston in the early 1950s, beach adventures in the 1960s, racing around in his sporty little green Mercury Cougar in the 1970s, directing musicals at Moncton High, his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in Chester, time at his cottage, many weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, and Christmases on North Street. Even when times were tough, his calm, supportive voice would pull everybody – whether family or friends – through. Bishop Bohan seemed to truly enjoy his life and he spread that enjoyment whenever he could. He loved introducing his siblings (and later nieces and nephews) to the benefits of travel, the arts (especially music, photography, and visual arts) and the pleasure of reading historical detective fiction. Visits to the Miramichi Irish Festival were annual get-in-touch-with-your-roots events. Finally, he took great pride in developing strong ties to the communities in which he lived and worked. Those people mattered to him. So, what makes one person stand out from the crowd? Huge intellect, a never-fail moral compass, kindness, a never-in-doubt attachment to family and friends, a wonderful voice, and yes a love of people. A genuine love of people. For a great talk on Bishop Bohan’s appreciation of the impact of family on the trajectory of children can be viewed at the following site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRJZiaCMP1s Two funerals are planned. In Regina, a Visitation on January 21st at Holy Rosary Cathedral from 9:00-9:00 (evening prayer service at 7:00 pm) will be followed by mass on the 22nd at 10:30. In Moncton, a Visitation will take place on Monday, January 25th at St. Augustine’s from 2:00-4:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm (prayer service at 7:30). A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, January 26th at 1:30 with Moncton Archbishop Valéry Vienneau officiating. A reception will follow. Arrangements have been entrusted to Tuttle Brothers & Riverview Funeral Home 214 Pine Glen Rd. Riverview, NB (506) 857-9544. Online condolences can be made at www.tuttlefuneralhome.ca Visitation Information Monday, Jan 25, 2016 2-4pm & 6-8pm St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church Service Information Tuesday, January 26, 2016 1:30pm St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church Burial Information Spring 2016 Our Lady of Calvary Cemetery, Dieppe, NB in the spring