Bishop Gary Gordon, who was installed as the new head of the last night, didn't think he would ever become a priest, never mind a bishop.

Growing up in Burnaby, Bishop Gordon and his family attended church regularly. He was even enrolled in Catholic schools. But the thought of being a priest seemed foreign to him.

B次元官网网址淚 think being a priest was a little beyond me,B次元官网网址� the bishop, 57, told the B次元官网网址 during a recent interview at the diocese offices in Saanich.

B次元官网网址淚 didn't really want to be a priest. I did want to be a missionary. The idea of letting people know the good news, I thought this was a really good idea.B次元官网网址�

Bishop Gordon believes every Catholic boy thinks about the priesthood at some point, but in his case he thought it was asking too much of him and he wasn't exactly enamored with school. B次元官网网址淧riests go to school a long time,B次元官网网址� he chuckled.

His life changed in his early 20s when he was walking down a dark road, looking up at the stars one night, and he heard what he believes was an affirmation from above.

B次元官网网址淚t was like I heard this big 'yes,' and I've said yes every since: yes to becoming a priest and yes to becoming a bishop,B次元官网网址� he said.

Bishop Gordon was ordained as a priest in 1982 after studying at in Mission; at St. Jerome College at the in Ontario; and at in London, Ont.. He served several parishes throughout B.C., including Vancouver, Chilliwack and Mission.

He was named Bishop of Whitehorse in 2006.

With his new role in Victoria, he'll be the spiritual leader of more than 94,000 Roman Catholics on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands B次元官网网址� 10,000 of whom attend church regularly, and while that will be a much larger workload than in the North, Bishop Gordon maintains the approach is the same.

B次元官网网址淚t's kind of a universal ministry,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭he approach gets directed by listening to the people. The ministry, in a sense, is the same anywhere, but when you listen to the people in the different (cities) then you kind of get the culture of the place which gives (you) the language to use to communicate the good news.B次元官网网址�

Unlike leaders of other religions, Bishop Gordon isn't concerned about declining church membership. Roman Catholics remain the single largest Christian religious group in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.

B次元官网网址淚t's not a number's game, that's for sure. I've done ministry in places where no one has shown up. That's not my responsibility. My responsibility is to be there and bring the message,B次元官网网址� the bishop said.

B次元官网网址淲hether anybody shows up or not is in God's hands.B次元官网网址�

Bishop Gordon prefers to take the long view on the future of the church. He points out at one time the church was flourishing in North Africa. Now there is almost nothing there, but it is growing and thriving in the Philippines and in other areas of Africa.

As for being a bishop and a priest, he says he's honoured to be in such a B次元官网网址渘oble profession.B次元官网网址�

He's been able to travel the world and see and do things he would never have done otherwise. He's been part of prison ministry, missioned in Peru and Haiti and worked with First Nations people.

B次元官网网址淵ou're deeply involved with people in life's trenches. It's amazing and very privileged.B次元官网网址�