How Do You Pronounce

Goyetche?

The pronunciation and spelling of the name tends to vary slightly among different branches of the family. In the Bayonne region of France, where our ancestors originated, the name is pronounced as a three-syllable word -- Goy (as in boy) etch (like sketch) ay (as in hay). No doubt there is Spanish influence in that pronunciation. On Isle Madame in Nova Scotia, with the French Acadian influence, it is pronounced Goy (like boy) eshe (as in mesh) with emphasis on the second syllable. In the Halifax region of Nova Scotia, it’s pronounced Guy – ash with emphasis on the first syllable. Some branches of the family have changed the spelling over the years. In Quebec, one branch dropped the “t” to create Goyeche. In Massachusetts, another branch dropped the “e” at the end to create Goyetch. And yet another branch changed the name to Guyette.

The Bishop of Charlottetown

Rev. Joseph Vernon Fougere, son of Godfrey & Anita (Goyetche) Fougere, was appointed the twelfth Bishop of Charlottetown by Pope John Paul II in 1991. Bishop Fougere, a native of Petit de Grat, Nova Scotia, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Antigonish on May 31, 1969. After graduating from Saint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, he did his theological studies at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. After three years service in Mount Carmel Parish in New Waterford and three years as pastor in Saint Louis Parish in Louisdale, the Bishop served seven years with the Diocesan Mission in Honduras. During this time, he became fluent in Spanish and became acquainted with the issues of the Church in Latin America. While ministering in Honduras, he served on the Council of Priests for the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa. While there, he carried out extensive work forming Delegados de la Palabra (Ministers of the Word). After studies at the Jesuit Theological Union at the University of California, Bishop Fougere served in Saint Joseph's Parish in Bras d'Or and Saint Augustine's in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He was appointed Vicar General and Director of Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Antigonish in 1988. He was the first priest to serve in this position as director of all pastoral service for the people of the diocese. He served and was Chair of the Council of Priests of the Diocese of Antigonish and member of the Board of Governors at Saint Francis Xavier University. He served as a member of the National Council of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (1992-1995), the Social Communications Commission (1993-1996), the Episcopal Commission for Christian Education (since 1999), and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Catholic Mission in Canada (2000). On December 11, 1991 Pope John Paul II appointed Joseph Vernon Fougere as the twelfth Bishop of Charlottetown, and he was Consecrated and Installed at St. Dunstan's Basilica, on March 19, 1992. He retired in 2009 after a long illness. Bishop Fougere died June 18, 2013 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown, at the age of 70.