The Most Famous

RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Canada

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This page contains a list of the greatest Canadian Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 13 of which were born in Canada. This makes Canada the birth place of the 34th most number of Religious Figures behind Sweden, and Croatia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Canadian Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Canadian Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Canadian Religious Figures.

Photo of Marc Ouellet

1. Marc Ouellet (b. 1944)

With an HPI of 57.46, Marc Ouellet is the most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages on wikipedia.

Marc Armand Ouellet (born 8 June 1944) is a Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America from 2010 to 2023. He was Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada from 2003 to 2010. He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on 21 October 2003. Ouellet was considered a possible candidate for election to the papacy in both 2005 and 2013. He spent his early career as a priest from 1972 to 2001 developing his credentials as a theologian and working as a seminary teacher and administrator in Canada, Colombia, and Rome. He also served briefly in the Roman Curia from 2001 to 2003.

Photo of Gaëtan Dugas

2. Gaëtan Dugas (1952 - 1984)

With an HPI of 51.22, Gaëtan Dugas is the 2nd most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Gaëtan Dugas (French: [ɡaetɑ̃ dyɡa]; February 19, 1952 – March 30, 1984) was a Québécois Canadian flight attendant whose role in the early years of the AIDS epidemic attracted considerable attention. Initially identified as a central figure labeled "Patient Zero" Dugas faced allegations of being a primary source of HIV transmission to the United States. This narrative, popularized notably by Randy Shilts' 1987 book And the Band Played On, has been refuted through subsequent scientific scrutiny and historical re-evaluation. Dugas' story highlights the perils of misinformation and the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. Despite facing criticism in popular discourse, subsequent studies have provided a more nuanced understanding of Dugas' impact on the epidemic, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and empathy in public health narratives. Dugas worked as a flight attendant for Air Canada and died in Quebec City in March 1984 as a result of kidney failure caused by AIDS-related infections. In March 1984, a study tracked Dugas, along with other gay and bisexual men, to indicate his role in a particular cluster of 40 AIDS cases in the United States. He was named "Patient O" with "O" standing for "Out-of-California". A 1987 book about the epidemic, And the Band Played On, used the term "Patient Zero" and put significant focus on Dugas, with media reports expanding his role in the epidemic further. A 2016 study confirmed that Dugas did not bring HIV to the United States, and he was not Patient Zero, via genetic analysis of stored blood samples, supported by historical detective work.

Photo of André Bessette

3. André Bessette (1845 - 1937)

With an HPI of 49.87, André Bessette is the 3rd most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

André Bessette, C.S.C. (born Alfred; 9 August 1845 – 6 January 1937), commonly known as Brother André (French: Frère André) and since his canonization as Saint André of Montreal, was a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a significant figure of the Catholic Church among French-Canadians. He is credited with thousands of reported healings associated with his pious devotion to Saint Joseph. Bessette was declared venerable in 1978 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree of sainthood for Bessette on 19 February 2010, with the formal canonization taking place on 17 October 2010. He is the first Canadian living after Confederation to be canonized.

Photo of Jacques Plante

4. Jacques Plante (1929 - 1986)

With an HPI of 48.40, Jacques Plante is the 4th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (French pronunciation: [ʒɑk plɑ̃t]; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five consecutive wins. In 2017 Plante was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. Plante retired in 1965 but was persuaded to return to the National Hockey League to play for the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1968. He was later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1970 and to the Boston Bruins in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques in 1973–74. He then played goal for the Edmonton Oilers in 1974–75, ending his professional career with that team. Plante was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goaltender mask in regulation play on a regular basis. He developed and tested many versions of the mask (including the forerunner of today's mask/helmet combination) with the assistance of other experts. Plante was the first NHL goaltender to regularly play the puck outside his crease in support of his team's defencemen, and he often instructed his teammates from behind the play. Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978, was chosen as the goaltender of the Canadiens' "dream team" in 1985, and was inducted into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. The Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's jersey, #1, the following year. Plante ranks seventh among NHL goalies for all-time career wins with 437.

Photo of Jean-Claude Turcotte

5. Jean-Claude Turcotte (1936 - 2015)

With an HPI of 47.25, Jean-Claude Turcotte is the 5th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Jean-Claude Turcotte (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ klod tyʁkɔt]) (26 June 1936 – 8 April 2015) was a Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal. Upon his elevation into the cardinalate he was made the Cardinal-Priest of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Canadian Martyrs. He was the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal from 1990 to 2012, and was succeeded as Archbishop by Christian Lépine.

Photo of Aimee Semple McPherson

6. Aimee Semple McPherson (1890 - 1944)

With an HPI of 46.85, Aimee Semple McPherson is the 6th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for founding the Foursquare Church. McPherson pioneered the use of broadcast mass media for wider dissemination of both religious services and appeals for donations, using radio to draw in both audience and revenue with the growing appeal of popular entertainment and incorporating stage techniques into her weekly sermons at Angelus Temple, an early megachurch. In her time, she was the most publicized Protestant evangelist, surpassing Billy Sunday and other predecessors. She conducted public faith healing demonstrations involving tens of thousands of participants. McPherson's view of the United States as a nation founded and sustained by divine inspiration influenced later pastors. National news coverage focused on events surrounding her family and church members, including accusations that she fabricated her reported kidnapping. McPherson's preaching style, extensive charity work and ecumenical contributions were major influences on 20th-century Charismatic Christianity.

Photo of Gérald Lacroix

7. Gérald Lacroix (b. 1957)

With an HPI of 46.83, Gérald Lacroix is the 7th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Gérald Cyprien Lacroix (French pronunciation: [lakʁwa]; born July 27, 1957) is a Canadian Catholic prelate who has served as the Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 22 February 2011. He has been a cardinal since 22 February 2014. He was previously Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec. He is a member of the Council of Cardinals.

Photo of Thomas Christopher Collins

8. Thomas Christopher Collins (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 45.85, Thomas Christopher Collins is the 8th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Thomas Christopher Collins (born January 16, 1947) is a Canadian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto from 2007 to 2023, the Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta from 1997 to 1999, and Archbishop of Edmonton from 1999 to 2006. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on February 18, 2012.

Photo of Paul Grégoire

9. Paul Grégoire (1911 - 1993)

With an HPI of 45.80, Paul Grégoire is the 9th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Paul Grégoire, (October 24, 1911 – October 30, 1993) was a Canadian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Montreal from 1968 to 1990, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988.

Photo of Charles Scicluna

10. Charles Scicluna (b. 1959)

With an HPI of 44.07, Charles Scicluna is the 10th most famous Canadian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Archbishop of Malta since 2015. Both as a curial official and since becoming a bishop, he has conducted investigations into sexual abuse by clergy on behalf of the Holy See and led a board that reviews such cases. He has been called "the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert". He held positions in the Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Malta. Since November 2018, Scicluna has been an Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the curial body responsible for dealing with clerical sexual abuse cases on minors around the world.

People

Pantheon has 16 people classified as Canadian religious figures born between 1845 and 1982. Of these 16, 5 (31.25%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Canadian religious figures include Marc Ouellet, Gérald Lacroix, and Thomas Christopher Collins. The most famous deceased Canadian religious figures include Gaëtan Dugas, André Bessette, and Jacques Plante. As of April 2024, 3 new Canadian religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Aimee Semple McPherson, Hilarion Kapral, and Petar Rajič.

Living Canadian Religious Figures

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Deceased Canadian Religious Figures

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Newly Added Canadian Religious Figures (2024)

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Overlapping Lives

Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 11 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.