Archbishop Brian Joseph Dunn

Archbishop Brian Joseph Dunn

On April 13, 2019, Pope Francis appointed Most Rev. Brian Dunn as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth and he was installed in that office on July 5, 2019. After being installed as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth, he served as the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Antigonish until its new bishop was installed on February 3, 2020.  From that time, Archbishop Dunn served with Archbishop Anthony Mancini in Halifax until November 27, 2020, when Archbishop Mancini retired from his office on his 75^th birthday.  At that time, Archbishop Dunn immediately became the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth.

Archbishop Dunn comes to the diocese after serving for 10 years as the Bishop of Antigonish, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on November 21, 2009. Prior to his appointment to the Diocese of Antigonish, he served as an Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Ste-Marie, Ontario after his episcopal ordination on October 9, 2008.

Archbishop Dunn was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on January 8, 1955 and was ordained to the priesthood on August 28, 1980. He was then assigned to a number of parishes in the Diocese of Grand Falls until 1988, when he enrolled at Saint Paul University in Ottawa in studies in Canon Law and completed his Doctoral studies in 1991.  In September 1991, he was assigned to parish ministry at the Cathedral in Grand Falls, NL.  He also worked as Vice-Chancellor and later Chancellor for the Diocese of Grand Falls as well as being involved in teaching theology and pastoral ministry with the Atlantic School of Theology. In 2002, he joined the faculty at St. Peter’s Seminary, in London, Ontario and from 2005 until 2008, he had served as Dean of Studies.  He was ordained as a bishop in Grand Falls-Windsor, NL and served as Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Ste-Marie, Ontario until January 2010.  He was installed as the Bishop of Antigonish on January 25, 2010. 

Archbishop Dunn became the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth upon the retirement of Archbishop Mancini.