Death of Fr. Joseph LeClair
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Fr. Joseph LeClair. He died on Thursday, October 8, 2026. He was 68 years old.
Father Joseph LeClair was born on December 8, 1957, in Alberton, P.E.I., to Bradford LeClair and Mary-Frances (née Handrahand). He had five brothers and two sisters. He studied theology at Holy Apostles Seminary College in Cromwell, Connecticut.
He was ordained to the priesthood on October 18, 1986, at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa, by Most Rev. Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, Archbishop of Ottawa.
In his first years as a priest, he served as Assistant Pastor at St. Maurice and Holy Cross Parishes (Ottawa), and as Diocesan Chaplain for Youth Movements for the English Sector. From 1990 to 1997, he was Pastor of St. Leonard Parish (Manotick). Then, he was named Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish (Ottawa), where he remained until 2011. Later on, he went to exercise his ministry in the Diocese of Hamilton, serving as Associate Pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish in Guelph. Upon his return to the Archdiocese of Ottawa in 2018, he helped in various parishes, including Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (Ottawa), and in hospitals. He continued to assist in the Manotick area after retiring from active ministry in 2022.
Father Joseph was a dedicated and compassionate man who had a strong sense of community. He was known to be a very engaging homilist.
Funeral Arrangements:
Location:
St. Leonard Roman Catholic Parish
5332 Long Island Road
Manotick, Ontario K4M 1E8
Date and Time
Visitation: Friday, October 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Leonard Church, 5332 Long Island Road, Manotick, with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m.
Visitation will resume on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. until the Funeral Mass begins at 10:00 a.m. A reception in the church hall will follow.
Please note that we are expecting a large number of people to attend the funeral. Please arrive early and be patient as we try to accommodate everyone.
Our apologies, but our parish facilities are not wheelchair accessible.
The funeral Mass will also be live-streamed on our parish YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SaintLeonardParish/streams
Below is a link to Fr. Joe’s last Mass that he presided over:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Jyere-yYY