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Saturday, August 15, 2020On August 15, 2020, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archbishop Prendergast will ordain Marcus Schonopp, a member of the Companions of the Cross, to the priesthood.
One of four children, Marcus Schonopp grew up in Surrey, British Columbia. Although his parents had Christian roots, they did not practice their faith so he had no religious background growing up and would have considered himself an atheist or an agnostic. While studying at the University of British Columbia for a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management, a classmate working at a logging camp with whom he roomed shared his faith in Christ and love of the Church. This led Marcus to a process of inquiry and to his taking part in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and to be initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil of 2010 in St. Bernadette’s Church, Surrey.
With his values changed, Marcus decided not to pursue work in forestry but desired to share his faith. This brought him to spend a year with NET Canada, evangelizing young people on a parish-based team in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. The change in his life led his parents to become Catholic as well. Encountering the Companions of the Cross at Catholic Christian Outreach’s Rise Up in Vancouver in 2011, he was prompted to inquire about and ultimately join the community in 2012. His formal formation program took place at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. During his training, Marcus served as a pastoral intern at Ottawa’s St. Maurice Parish, where he will be posted as a newly ordained priest.