By Laureen McMahon
The B.C. Catholic

VANCOUVER--Catholics around B.C. were shocked to learn that Kamloops Bishop David Monroe had been rushed to Royal Inland Hospital late on Friday, Oct. 22, after an attack left him with serious injuries to his head and body.

Kamloops Vicar General Monsignor Jerry Desmond told The B.C Catholic that he anointed the bishop two hours after he was admitted to hospital.

“Shortly after, two of his four sisters were at his bedside,” said Monsignor Desmond. “For the first few days only family were allowed to see him, although many priests stopped by the hospital to express their support,” said the Vicar General.

Police were called to Sacred Heart Cathedral when the bishop was found wounded and bleeding profusely in the cathedral rectory after admitting a man apparently unknown to him.

“He let him in although it was late because that’s the way he always responds,” said Monsignor Desmond. “The assault seemed to have happened quickly and came out of the blue. We are so grateful that help came in time to prevent the bishop bleeding to death. We are praying at all the Masses for him and his attacker whose mental state makes him the second victim in this situation.”

Father Vicent Asomugha, a Nigerian priest who was also living in the rectory, had heard sounds of the struggle. While rushing to the bishop’s aid, he fell and dislocated his shoulder. He was treated in hospital and released and was well enough to celebrate Mass a couple of days later.

Attending Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Garry Kerr labelled the scene of the attack on Bishop Monroe “horrific.”
Police took a 30-year-old man into custody at 1:00 a.m. the following morning after a search led them to the north side of Kamloops.

Sgt. Scott Wilson, who handles communications for Kamloops RCMP, told The B.C. Catholic that the man had admitted himself to Royal Inland Hospital earlier on the Friday, accompanied by his family.

“This was a self admission, he was not committed,” said Sgt. Wilson, “so although he knew he had some issues, during the admission process something happened to change his mind and he left the hospital. Because he broke a window on the way out, the hospital staff called police at 8:50 p.m. At 10:15, we learned of the attack on the bishop.”

Realizing that it could be the same man, the RCMP serious crime team contacted his family who reported he had made some comments regarding religion.

“We found him early the next morning hiding in a shed on his family’s property after he apparently swam the Thompson River to get to the north side,” said Sgt. Wilson.”

The man didn’t appear to be armed when he entered the rectory, said Sgt. Scott.

“It looks like he used something he found there to attack the bishop. His family, I would like to add, has been extremely cooperative with investigators. Our officers also noted that several people at the cathedral expressed their concern not only for the bishop, but for the assailant.”

As of press time, the bishop was listed in “serious but stable” condition.

Bishop Monroe was ordained the fifth bishop for the Kamloops Diocese on March 12, 2002 in Vancouver by Archbishop Adam Exner, OMI. His installation in Kamloops was on March 18.

Born and raised in Vancouver, he prepared for the priesthood at the Seminary of Christ the King at Westminster Abbey in Mission and went on to be ordained for the archdiocese on May 20, 1967 by Archbishop James Carney.

He began as an assistant at Holy Rosary Cathedral that June, and was appointed acting chancellor in September. Two years later, he became administrator at St. Stephen’s Parish and, the following year, administrator at another North Vancouver parish, St. Pius X.

In 1978, he was appointed pastor of St. Edmund’s, also on the north shore, and his last pastoral appointment was in 1995 at St. John the Apostle parish in 1995 before he was asked to go to Kamloops as bishop. He was named a prelate of honour in 1990.

Bishop Monroe was closely associated for nearly 40 years with Camp Latona and was chaplain for the Vancouver Catholic Deaf Association after teaching himself signing when he was still a student.

Vancouver Vice Chancellor Barbara Dowding, said that Bishop Monroe had touched many lives in his years serving the Vancouver Archdiocese.

“He always had or made time to stop in or talk whenever he came to town. He made people feel like he had all the time in the world just for them. He went out of his way to help the less fortunate and was a friend to many living on the street. It was not a surprise to me that he had opened the door to someone because, while he was here, he opened his door many times to those who knocked, regardless of their circumstances.”

Dowding said she was joining her prayers to “the legion now storming heaven for the bishop’s recovery.”

A follow up on Bishop Monroe’s condition will appear in next week’s B.C. Catholic. For instant updates, go to The Busy Catholic blog.