Diocese of Portland names Brother James Peterson, OFM Cap as chancellor

The Most Reverend James Ruggieri, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, has appointed Brother James Peterson, OFM Cap, currently the assistant to the moderator of the curia for canonical affairs and vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of Boston, as chancellor, effective September 1, 2024. Brother James succeeds Sister Rita-Mae Bissonnette, RSR, who has served in various roles at the chancery, including chancellor, for nearly 50 years.

“We are blessed to welcome Brother James to the Diocese of Portland in this most important role given his breadth of experience, outstanding reputation, and record of faithful service to our Church,” said Bishop Ruggieri. “I am also so grateful to Sister Rita-Mae Bissonnette for her decades of exceptional service to the Diocese of Portland, and I am thankful that she will remain with us through this transition and beyond.”

Brother James is a member of the Capuchins’ Saint Mary Province which encompasses New England and New York, and he serves as the local superior at the St. Francis Friary in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

“Brother James Peterson has been an outstanding assistant to the moderator of the curia for canonical affairs in the Archdiocese of Boston. I have relied on his valuable counsel for several years,” said Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM Cap., archbishop of Boston. “He is widely respected by his colleagues in the archdiocese, by his fellow Capuchins, and across the field of canon law. We extend our best wishes and our prayers as he undertakes his new position as chancellor of the Diocese of Portland.”  

Brother James previously served in the roles of local superior and local vicar at San Lorenzo Friary, House of Studies, in Jamaica Plain, among other assignments. Prior to entering the Capuchins in 2000 and his solemn profession in September 2005, Brother James was a practicing attorney at law firms in Pennsylvania.

“I am thrilled for and humbled by this opportunity to join the Diocese of Portland as chancellor,” said Brother James. “I look forward to working closely with Bishop Ruggieri, as well as the entire team at the chancery and beyond in service of the Church of Maine.”

Under the direction of the bishop, the chancellor is responsible for gathering, arranging, and safeguarding the deeds, proceedings, and records of the diocese and the verification of the signature of the bishop. The chancellor serves as the diocesan notary, oversees the archives and safeguards all documents in accordance with law and policy, carries out a variety of diocesan administrative functions, and assists the bishop as needed.

Brother James has served on a variety of boards, including several non-profits, and he served in trustee capacities for Archdiocese of Boston healthcare and pension plans. As a canon lawyer, he can practice law throughout the universal Catholic Church and can practice civil law in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

A native of Yorktown Heights, New York, Brother James earned a Bachelor of Arts from Albright University, a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law, a Master of Theological Studies from the Weston School of Theology, and both a Licentiate of Canon Law and a Doctorate of Canon Law from The Catholic University of America.