PAPAL KNIGHTHOODS — Four people from the Archdiocese of Regina received papal knighthoods at a ceremony held April 6 at Holy Rosary Cathedral. From left: John Hoffort, André Moquin, Saskatoon Bishop Don Bolen (Moquin’s brother-in-law), Archbishop Daniel Bohan, Jean Mahoney and James Schneider. (Flegel photo)

Four receive papal knighthoods

By Frank Flegel

REGINA — Four members of the Regina Roman Catholic archdiocesan community had similar comments after receiving papal knighthoods April 6: “Why me when there are so many others who are deserving?”

Jean Mahoney of Regina was appointed Dame Commander of St. Gregory the Great, while André Moquin of Gravelbourg, John Hoffort and James Schneider of Regina were named Knights of St. Gregory the Great. Archbishop Daniel Bohan congratulated each during a Liturgy of the Hours service held April 6 at Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Mahoney has served at all levels of the Catholic Women’s League, including national president; researched and wrote the paper, Problem Areas in Contemporary Human Genetics, and presented it to the Royal Commission on Reproductive Technology on behalf of the national CWL. She has served on the board of numerous Archdiocesan committees, organizations and fundraising activities and chaired the archdiocesan 75th anniversary celebrations.

A registered nurse, Mahoney also served as president of the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association, the Saskatchewan Nurses Foundation, the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan, the Catholic Health Corporation of Saskatchewan and the Regina Mobile Crisis Services, Inc. Her many awards include the Holy Cross Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice (for church and pope) received in 2008.

Moquin, an educator, played a key role in the development of francophone Schools in Saskatchewan, eventually becoming director of education for the Northern Francophone Schools in Saskatchewan. He has taught at Gravelbourg High School and College Mathieu, where he also served as principal.

Moquin helped found the Conseil pastoral francophone interdiocesain de la Saskatchewan (CPFIS) that meets regularly with Saskatchewan bishops to monitor and encourage francophone parishes. He also served a year as CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital/Foyer d’Youville in Gravelbourg. He continues to be active in his home parish of Notre Dame de L’Assomption co-cathedral where he has served in various capacities on parish council and as choir director.

Hoffort and Schneider have long and distinguished service records with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan. Hoffort, who holds a degree in agriculture, worked with the Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture, eventually becoming manager of the Land Rep. Program. He has served his parish in various capacities, and has also been chair of the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan and served on the committee that developed the Parish Home Ministry of Care Program. He has served as a member of the Santa Maria Senior Citizen Home and is on the archdiocesan vocations committee.

Schneider studied for the priesthood on completing high school, eventually transferring to St. Paul University, Ottawa as a lay student where he earned an undergraduate degree in theology. With a graduate degree in Social Work from Carlton University, Schneider returned to Saskatchewan to work in corrections as a family therapist.

He has served on parish councils in Regina and Saskatoon, has chaired Regina Catholic Family Services, Santa Maria Senior Citizen’s Home and the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan, and served five years on the board of the Catholic Health Association of Canada. He has volunteered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Kidney Foundation, the Cancer Society, the Grey Cup when it first came to Regina, the Men’s Brier and the Women’s Tournament of Hearts.