Michael Pearse Lacey

Who was Michael Pearse Lacey?

Michael Pearse Lacey was a Canadian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time of his death he was one of the oldest bishops in the Catholic Church and the oldest Canadian bishop.

Lacey was born in the Greater Toronto Area and attended St. Helen's Separate School and St. Michael’s College before entering St. Augustine's Seminary in 1936, aged 19. He was ordained on May 23, 1943 in St. Michael's Cathedral by Archbishop James C. McGuigan. From 1943-57 Lacey assisted at St. Patrick's Parish, St. Cecilia's Parish, St. Monica's Parish and St. Pius X Parish. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto on May 3, 1979, and was ordained a bishop June 21, 1979. He remained as auxiliary bishop of the Toronto Archdiocese until his retirement on May 31, 1993, and continued as Titular Bishop of Diano until his death on April 2, 2014.