Father Paul Gerard Doucet

The death of Father Paul Gerard Doucet C.Ss.R. occurred on Friday October 29, 2004 at the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Born November 17, 1924 in Belle Cote, along the famous Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, NS, he was the second son of the late Alexander Doucet of Tompkins, NL and the late Florence MacLellan of Belle Cote, NS.

He is survived by two sisters Kay Doucet and May Doucet both of Antigonish, NS; sister in law Clare Doucet of Ottawa; and his Redemptorist Confreres throughout Canada. Besides his parents he was predeceased by brother Ronald and sister Georgina.

He was baptized on November 18, 1924 by Father A. Cormier in St. Michael's Church (1801) East Margaree NS and confirmed in St. Andrew's Church, St. Andrew's, NL on September 18, 1937. The family moved to Tompkins NL when Paul was a few months old and Paul attended Tompkins School until he went to Corner Brook for several years of high school where Mr. Fred Scott was principal (Jim and Margaret Scott's dad). His connections to the Redemptorists came from the parish missions given in his home parish and the close presence of the Redemptorist parish of Holy Redeemer in Corner Brook. He followed his older brother Ronald to the Redemptorists and enrolled in St. Clement's Juvenate in 1941 then located on St. George Street in Toronto. He took his studies at St. Michael's High School. In novitiate in 1945-1946 at St. Mary's College, Brockville, ON under Novice Master Father Neil Corbet he professed his first vows on August 2, 1946 and took final vows at Villa St. Clement, Ennismore ON on August 2, 1949 before Fr. William Wylie, Perfect of Students. After his third year of theology at St. Alphonsus Seminary in Woodstock ON he was ordained on June 29, 1951 in Woodstock by London Bishop John C. Cody. He celebrated his first solemn Mass in St. Dunstan's Cathedral in Antigonish NS with Msgr. Gallivan (brother of NHL hockey broadcaster Dan Gallivan) and Fr. Charles O'Hara C.Ss.R. (The family moved to Antigonish from Tompkins in 1945). After Second Novitiate at St. Ann's Montreal PQ in 1951 he was appointed to St. Patrick's in London Ontario until 1953 when he transferred to St. Alphonsus in Whitbourne, NL caring for the outmissions of Chapel Arm, Bellevue and Hearts Desire until 1956. After two years at St. Patrick's on Grande Allee in Quebec City serving both Sillery and Ste Foy he moved to St.Teresa's, Mundy Pond, St. John's, NL. In 1964 he was appointed to St. Alphonsus, Peterborough, ON before returning to Whitbourne, NL in 1967. In 1969 he moved to St. Teresa's in St. John's before returning to Whitbourne in 1970. On the parish staff at Holy Redeemer, Charlottetown, PE from 1971-75 he returned to St. John's in 1975. In 1978 he was assigned part time to the Provincial Archives while assisting at Assumption Parish in Toronto. In 1981 he was part of the new community in Conception Bay, NL located at Sts. Peter & Paul parish in Harbour Main in the Grand Falls Diocese. He returned to the Provincial Residence in Toronto as Archivist in 1984 remained there until 1997 when he retired to St. Peter's in Saint John, NB. Father Paul Doucet C.Ss.R. served most of his active ministry in the parish apostolate. He is known for his dedication to the arduous work of parish visitation, the apostolate of the confessional and the work of serious spiritual life. During his time as Archivist he was able to put much of the Archives on computer. A friendly and charitable confrere he enjoys nothing more than a stable community life and an occasional fishing trip to his favorite ponds in Newfoundland or the Kawaratha Lakes near Peterborough.

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