Bishop John Boissonneau recognized for interfaith leadership

Toronto Auxiliary Bishop John Boissonneau was honoured on June 6 as the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Victor Goldbloom Award for Outstanding Interfaith Leadership by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). This national annual award was created to recognize the contributions of leaders from various faith communities in advancing interfaith relations.

Bishop Boissonneau was nominated as a result of his work as co-chair of the a national Jewish-Catholic Dialogue since 2015, working closely with CIJA and the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus on a number of national issues, such as palliative care, Holocaust commemoration and the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa. The award commemorates Dr. Victor Goldbloom, who passed away on February 15, 2016, after a lifetime of service as a medical doctor, elected official, and interfaith leader. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada and, in 2012, received the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Sylvester Pope and Martyr from Pope Benedict XVI.