Robert "Bob" Joseph Bedard, CC (17 July 1929 – 6 October 2011), was a Canadian

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

priest and the founder of the Companions of the Cross.

Biography

Bedard was born in Ottawa to Henry and Eileen Bedard. He attended Corpus Christi School and graduated from St. Patrick's College High School in 1948. In 1951, he entered St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto and was ordained a priest on 6 June 1955 at his home parish, Blessed Sacrament. The class of 1955 was the largest ordination class in the seminary's history. His first assignment was as a curate at Assumption Parish in Eastview (now Vanier), where he was active in youth ministry. He formed a small group of boys aged 12 to 16 to encourage vocations to the priesthood. He served at

Assumption Parish Assumption Parish (, ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,039. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the ...

from July 1955 to September 1958, where he was affectionately known as “Father Bob.” In 1958, he began teaching at St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, becoming its principal in 1961. During his tenure, the St. Pius X High School shooting occurred, Canada's second recorded school shooting. Bedard encountered the aftermath, including the suicide of the perpetrator, Robert Poulin. The incident had a profound impact on him, reportedly causing a temporary breakdown and lifelong

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...

. He continued teaching at St. Pius X High School for 20 years. From 1975 to 1978, Bedard served as the Archdiocese of Ottawa's official liaison to the Charismatic Renewal, appointed by Archbishop Plourde. From 1977 to 1981, he lived in a community household as chaplain to the New Jerusalem Community. He later founded the Ottawa Renewal Centre and launched the *Lamplighter* newsletter (1982–84). He also made hundreds of television appearances, most notably on *Food for Life*.

Companions of the Cross

In May 1985, Bedard founded the Companions of the Cross, a community of priests and seminarians. In May 1990, he began serving full-time as the community's leader. The group was recognized as a Society of Apostolic Life by Archbishop Marcel Gervais in May 2003. As of 2025, the Companions of the Cross included nearly 50 priests and had produced two bishops, including Scott McCaig. He advocated for a model of companionship in which priests lived together in community while serving multiple parishes. Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., who invited the Companions to Halifax, said Bedard's “main thing was to support seminarians in their formation and support priests in their priesthood by community life.”

Death

Bedard experienced serious illness for more than two years prior to his death on 6 October 2011.

Personal life

Bedard enjoyed hockey and was an avid supporter of the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

. He also served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Ottawa.

Recognition

On 28 September 1997, he received the

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. History The medal was established by Leo XII ...

medal from Archbishop Gervais on behalf of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. His memoir, 'Give God Permission: The Memoirs of Fr. Bob Bedard', was published by the Companions of the Cross. A documentary on his life, 'Permission', was released on 4 June 2025.

Publications

Books

* 'Give God Permission' (6 June 2010), ISBN 0986645702 * 'The Catholic Disciple' (13 May 2019), ISBN 0986645710 * 'Evangelization: A Challenge for the Catholic Church' (23 June 2020), ISBN 1686826419

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedard, Robert Joseph 1929 births 2011 deaths People from Ottawa Companions of the Cross 21st-century Canadian Roman Catholic priests Recipients of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice