Bishop-Elect Kenneth Thorson, O.M.I.
OMI Lacombe Canada Province (Canada)
On May 28, 2026, at 12:00 noon Rome time, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Rev. Father Kenneth Thorson, O.M.I. as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Prince Albert.
Family and Formation History
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Fr. Ken Thorson was born on September 19, 1966, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Chester and Joanne Thorson. He is one of five siblings - two sisters and two brothers - all of whom are married with children. He has nine nieces and nephews and one great-grandniece.
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In 1979, the family relocated to Nipawin, Saskatchewan, where his parents remained for 39 years. His time in Nipawin left him with many ties to the Diocese, including a year of seminary formation for the PA Diocese before discerning a vocation with the Oblates.
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He entered the Oblate Novitiate of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Arnprior, Ontario, on August 26, 1992, pursuing philosophical and theological studies in Saskatoon, Edmonton, Rome, and Toronto. He professed his first vows on August 14, 1993, and his perpetual vows on August 19, 1997. He was ordained a deacon on June 14, 1998, and ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1999.
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Oblate Assignments
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Fr. Ken's first obedience, from 1998 to 2003, was to his home province, where he served at St. Patrick's Parish in Saskatoon, initially as assistant pastor and later as pastor for three years, while also serving as chaplain at a E.D. Feehan High School.
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In 2003, he was assigned to the Anglo-Irish Province in Birmingham, England, as a member of a new community exploring Oblate mission in a secular, interfaith context.
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In 2008, Fr. Ken was assigned to OMI Lacombe's St. Charles Formation Community in Ottawa and appointed Vocation Director.
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In 2013, he was appointed Vicar Provincial of the OMI Lacombe Canada Province.
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On January 24, 2019, Fr. Ken was appointed Provincial Superior of OMI Lacombe for an initial three-year term, later completing a second term in June 2025. His service as Provincial included participation in two Oblate General Chapters, providing direct experience of the Oblate Congregation and the Church at an international level.
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A central work of his term as Provincial was the responsibility of addressing the Oblates' historical involvement in residential schools. This work has left Fr. Ken with a deep and abiding commitment to the Church's ongoing work towards reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.​​​​​​