Archbishop Murray Chatlain

Most Reverend Murray Chatlain Eighth Archbishop of Winnipeg

Most Reverend Murray Chatlain was appointed the eighth Archbishop of Winnipeg by Pope Francis on December 30, 2024. His installation as Archbishop took place on Friday, April 4, 2025, at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Archbishop Murray Chatlain was born in Saskatoon on January 19, 1963; he completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and then studied at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, where he completed a Master of Divinity degree. During his priestly ministry, Archbishop Chatlain served in Saskatoon, Martensville, Kindersley, and remote communities in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith, NWT, where he focused on pastoral care in Northern Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. His commitment to linguistic and cultural immersion led him to study the Dene language at La Loche, Saskatchewan, from 2000-2001.

On June 23, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named him Coadjutor Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. He succeeded to the office of Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith on May 10, 2008. On December 6, 2012, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Chatlain as the Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas.

Service to the Church

Archbishop Chatlain has held a variety of leadership roles within the Church. From 2008 to 2019, he was a member of the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Between 2014 and 2017, he served on the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace. In 2016, he chaired the ad hoc Committee on the Transition of the Northern Dioceses. From 2016 to 2021, Archbishop Chatlain acted as the CCCB Representative of Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle and was Co-Chair in 2018. In 2020, he was elected President of the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops (AWCB).

Official Portrait

His portrait contains gifts from the Indigenous communities he has served. Virtually every Indigenous community uses the sacred drum to pray. The drum is prepared and made with offerings and prayers. The beating of the drum connects us with our Creator God. Our dancing with the drum celebrates four things: our connection with the Creator, thankfulness for our gifts and the ability to dance, communion with each other as we share in the dancing, and forgiveness for community wounds as we dance with others we have had conflicts with.

The eagle feather is a sign of speaking in connection with God, our Creator. The eagle symbolizes this connection as it flies the highest and often appears at significant moments in the community’s life. Holding the feather while speaking demonstrates that we are not just expressing our opinions but trying to express the Creator’s words.

Official Coat of Arms

The Archbishop’s personal coat of arms (on the right half of the shield) is impaled with the Archdiocesan coat of arms to indicate his office as Archbishop of Winnipeg.

The field of the shield is blue. Blue represents the many lakes and rivers which make up the life blood of the land. A gold cross is placed on it, with the four arms extending to the edges of the shield. This includes the red heart, which is the emblem of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Caritas movement. The Gold Cross indicates that Bishop Murray Chatlain was ordained on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. The sacred drum on the top right corner of the shield represents the strength of the spirituality and culture of Indigenous people. The stole in the shape of the letter “M” in the bottom left corner symbolizes the gift of the priesthood in Archbishop Murray’s own life and for the people. The “M” represents Mother Mary’s presence and help.

Above the shield is the green hat with ten tassels at either side, which signals that these are the arms of a Roman Catholic Archbishop. The shield is placed on a gold archiepiscopal cross as an additional mark of Office. The Archbishop has chosen as his motto: “The Almighty has done great things for us” from Psalm 126.