Bishop, Seniors Advocacy Centre thanked by the Vatican

Bishop Albert Thévenot poses with his Still Going Strong award on March 2 at Plaza 88. -- Herald file photo.

Bishop Albert Thévenot of the Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert received an unexpected heads up that he was receiving an award from the Seniors Advocacy Centre.

At the time, however, he didn’t know what to make of it.

Thévenot was speaking with Luigi Bonazzi, who represents the Vatican State as the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, and received congratulations on his award. It was a puzzling experience.

“I was trying to figure out what he was talking about because I had heard nothing about it,” the bishop chuckled during an interview. “Everybody kept such a good secret.”

That conversation came full circle on Friday when Thévenot received a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio, congratulating Thévenot on the award and thanking him and the advocacy centre for their work.

“On behalf of Pope Francis I, I wish both you, Bishop Thévenot, for your example and witness, and the members of the Prince Albert Seniors Advocacy Centre for all that you are doing to promote the rightful dignity and place of the elderly, not only within Prince Albert, but the entire province of Saskatchewan,” the letter read.

It was an unexpected surprise for Thévenot, who never thought he’d receive a letter like this.

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