List of dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada

The Anglican Church of Canada, a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, contains thirty-two jurisdictions, consisting of twenty-nine dioceses, one administrative region with diocesan status, one ordinariate (for military chaplaincy), and one national pastoral jurisdiction (for indigenous people). The 29 dioceses and the special administrative area are organised into four ecclesiastical provinces.

Most dioceses are contained within a single civil province or territory. The four exceptions are the Arctic, Moosonee, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and Ottawa dioceses.

Each diocese has a bishop, four of whom are archbishops as metropolitans of their ecclesiastical province. Dioceses are self-governing entities, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the civil province or territory in which they are active.

Diocesan synods generally meet annually and have responsibility for those aspects of church life which do not concern doctrine, discipline, or worship. These latter matters are the purview of the General Synod of the national church, which meets triennially and at other times delegates its powers to an elected body of clergy and laity, called the Council of General Synod, and to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Provinces

The Anglican Church of Canada is divided into four ecclesiastical provinces, each under the jurisdiction of a provincial synod and a metropolitan archbishop. Originally the metropolitans were bishops of particular dioceses within the provinces. In 1893 the metropolitans were granted the title of "archbishop", and they are now elected from among the bishops of each province.

  • The Ecclesiastical Province of Canada was founded in 1860, originally consisting of the four dioceses in the then civil Province of Canada (Upper and Lower Canada, i.e. modern Ontario and Quebec, respectively) under the metropolitical authority of the Bishop of Montreal. The province was expanded in 1870 and 1871 to include New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In 1913, the Ontario dioceses were split off to form the province of Ontario (see below). The Province was expanded to include the civil province of Newfoundland following its entrance into Confederation in 1949. The province today comprises seven dioceses.
  • The Ecclesiastical Province of the Northern Lights (formerly Rupert's Land) was formed in 1875, covering the Prairie Provinces and initially under the metropolitical authority of the Bishop of Rupert's Land. Today it comprises ten dioceses.
  • The Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario was formed out of the Province of Canada and the Diocese of Moosonee (which had been in the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land) in 1912. Today, it comprises seven dioceses.
  • The Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon was formed out of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land as the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia in 1914. It was expanded in 1943 (and consequently renamed) to incorporate the Diocese of Yukon, which was transferred from Rupert's Land. The province today comprises five dioceses and one ecclesiastic territory.

Archbishops

The Primate of Canada (who has no diocese) bears the title Archbishop and is styled The Most Reverend. The current Primate is Linda Nicholls. The Primate is elected from among all the bishops across the country.

The four metropolitans (who all bear the style of The Most Reverend and the title Archbishop) are:

The National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop has no metropolitical authority, but also bears the style of The Most Reverend and the title Archbishop. The holder of this office (established as a bishopric in 2005, inaugurated in 2007, and raised to the status of an archbishopric in 2019) has the spiritual leadership of indigenous people nationwide. Mark MacDonald, the first holder of the office, resigned in 2022 as a result of sexual misconduct. Nicholls appointed Bishop Sidney Black as interim National Indigenous Bishop.[2] In December of that year, Bishop Chris Harper of Saskatoon was announced as the new archbishop-elect.[3]

Dioceses and bishops

Diocese Province Territory Cathedral See City Bishop(s) Founded Number of Parishes (2022)[4] Membership (2022)[4] Average Sunday Attendance (2022)[4]
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Canada Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

All Saints' Cathedral

St. Peter's Cathedral

Halifax

Charlottetown

Sandra Fyfe 11 August 1787 (Nova Scotia),[5] covering all British North America (the first Church of England diocese outside England) 94 21,892 5,126
Quebec Canada Quebec Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Quebec City Bruce Myers 28 June 1793,[6] from Nova Scotia diocese 65 1,586 375
Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist St. John's Samuel Rose 1839 (Newfoundland), from Nova Scotia diocese[7][N 1] 39 21,053 1,600
Toronto Ontario Ontario St. James' Cathedral Toronto Andrew Asbil

Bishop of York-Scarborough: Kevin Robertson
Bishop of Trent-Durham: Riscylla Shaw

 1839 (a.k.a. Upper Canada), from Quebec diocese[7] 178 37,646 13,810
Fredericton Canada New Brunswick Christ Church Cathedral Fredericton David Edwards 1845 (a.k.a. New Brunswick), from Nova Scotia diocese[7] 72 9,823 2,373
Rupert's Land Northern Lights Manitoba and Ontario Cathedral of St. John Winnipeg Geoffrey Woodcroft 1849 (originally covering all of what is now the ecclesiastical province), probably from Quebec diocese[9] 52 4,215 1,608
Montreal Canada Quebec Christ Church Cathedral Montreal Mary Irwin-Gibson 1850, from Quebec diocese[10] 68 7,017 3,405
Huron Ontario Ontario St. Paul's Cathedral London Todd Townshend 1857, from Toronto diocese[7] 124 21,000 6,000
British Columbia (also known as the diocese of Islands and Inlets) British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia Christ Church Cathedral Victoria Anna Greenwood-Lee 1859,[11] from Rupert's Land diocese 45 4,890 2,200
Ontario Ontario Ontario St. George's Cathedral Kingston William Cliff 1862, from Toronto diocese[12] 46 5,896 2,261
Moosonee Ontario Ontario and Quebec St. Matthew's Cathedral Timmins, ON Anne Germond (ex officio)
Assisting Bishop: Fred Hiltz 		1872, from Rupert's Land diocese[13] 21 14,219 350
Algoma Ontario Ontario St. Luke's Cathedral Sault Ste. Marie Anne Germond 1873, from Toronto diocese (missionary diocese); 1906 (independence)[14] 52 5,053 923
Athabasca Northern Lights Alberta St. James' Cathedral Peace River David Greenwood 1874, from Rupert's Land diocese[13] 17 896 306
Saskatchewan Northern Lights Saskatchewan St. Alban's Cathedral Prince Albert Diocesan Bishop: Richard Reed
Indigenous Bishop: Adam Halkett 		1874, from Rupert's Land diocese[13] 22 8,417 915
Niagara Ontario Ontario Christ's Church Cathedral Hamilton Susan Bell 1875, from Toronto diocese[12] 80 12,967 3,916
Caledonia British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia St. Andrew's Cathedral Prince Rupert David Lehmann 1879, from BC diocese[15] 20 1,048 405
New Westminster British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver John Stephens 1879, from BC diocese[16] 63 9,952 3,296
Mackenzie River Rupert's Land[17] Northwest Territories St Paul's Pro-Cathedral Fort Chipewyan Lapsed in 1933 (territory split between the Yukon and Arctic dioceses)[17] 1883, from Athabasca diocese[18] N/A N/A N/A
Qu'Appelle Northern Lights Saskatchewan St. Paul's Cathedral Regina Helen Kennedy 1884 (as Assiniboia), from Rupert's Land and Saskatchewan dioceses;[19] name changed later in 1884[20] 26 2,727 852
Calgary Northern Lights Alberta Cathedral Church of the Redeemer Calgary Greg Kerr-Wilson 1888, from Saskatchewan diocese[21] 67 7,523 2,496
Yukon British Columbia and Yukon Yukon Christ Church Cathedral Whitehorse Lesley Wheeler-Dame 1891 (as Selkirk; from Mackenzie River) 13 963 122
Ottawa Ontario Ontario and Quebec Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa Shane Parker 7 April 1896, from Ontario diocese[22] 68 8,809 2,277
Kootenay British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral Kelowna Lynne McNaughton 1899, from New Westminster diocese[23] 26 2,363 840
Keewatin Northern Lights Ontario and Manitoba St. Alban's Cathedral (former) Kenora, ON Lapsed in 2015 (territory split between the Moosonee and Mishamikoweesh dioceses) 1902, from Rupert's Land diocese[24] N/A N/A N/A
Brandon Northern Lights Manitoba St. Matthew's Cathedral Brandon Rachael Parker 1913, from Rupert's Land diocese[25] 25 2,935 337
Edmonton Northern Lights Alberta All Saints' Cathedral Edmonton Stephen London 1913, from Calgary diocese[26] 44 5,912 1,417
Cariboo British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia St. Paul's Cathedral Kamloops Ceased operation as at December 31, 2001 1914, from New Westminster diocese[27] N/A N/A N/A
Arctic Northern Lights Northwest Territories and Nunavut St. Jude's Cathedral Iqaluit, NU Diocesan: David Parsons

Suffragan: Joey Royal, Annie Ittoshat, Lucy Netser

1933, from Mackenzie River diocese and parts of Moosonee and Keewatin dioceses[28] 48 33,889 1,808
Saskatoon Northern Lights Saskatchewan St. John's Cathedral Saskatoon Vacant 1933, from Saskatchewan diocese[21] 19 1,500 525
Central Newfoundland Canada Newfoundland and Labrador St. Martin's Cathedral Gander John Watton 1976, from Newfoundland diocese[8] 27 9,375 2,642
Western Newfoundland Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Corner Brook John Organ 1976, from Newfoundland diocese[8] 30 16,360 1,394
Indigenous Spiritual Ministry of Mishamikoweesh Northern Lights Ontario and Manitoba none designated Kingfisher Lake Lydia Mamakwa 2014, from Keewatin diocese 28 14,000 900
Territory of the People British Columbia and Yukon British Columbia St. Paul's Cathedral Kamloops Clara Plamondon 2015 ("recognized territory" status)[N 2]
2002 (closure of Cariboo diocese)[N 3] 		19 1,005 295
Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada NA Extra-Territorial Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa Nigel Shaw 1939[30] N/A N/A N/A

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The old Diocese of Newfoundland was founded in 1839. The Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador came into being upon that diocese's 1976 split.[8]
  2. ^ On November 14, 2015, the Council of the Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod gave final approval to recognition of then-Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior as a "recognized territory [with] the status of a diocese" (but not called one) and the former territory of the former Cariboo diocese.[29]
  3. ^ The Territory of the People encompasses the area formerly known as the Anglican Diocese of Cariboo, which was rendered insolvent by legal claims arising from abuse that occurred in Church-administered First Nations residential schools, and ceased to operate on December 31, 2001. The parishes are currently the pastoral responsibility of the Metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province, and are overseen by a suffragan bishop to the Metropolitan.

References

  1. ^ "Anne Germond". The Diocese of Algoma. Anglican Church of Canada. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Public Announcement of the Resignation of Archbishop Mark MacDonald". The Anglican Church of Canada. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Chris Harper appointed national Indigenous archbishop". The Anglican Church of Canada. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Elliot, Neil (15 March 2024). "Dioceses of the ACC – by numbers". Numbers Matters. (Neil Elliot is the statistics officer for the Anglican Church of Canada.). Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  5. ^ "No. 12910". The London Gazette. 7 August 1787. p. 373.
  6. ^ Literary & Historical Society of Quebec – The English Cathedral of Quebec Archived 2013-08-19 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 3 July 2013)
  7. ^ a b c d Responsible Government in the Dominions, Part VII: The Church in the Dominions, pp. 1424–1425 (Google Books; accessed 3 July 2013)
  8. ^ a b c Peddle, G. The Anglican Church in Newfoundland: An Exceptional Case? p. 28 (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  9. ^ Diocese of Rupert's Land – History (Accessed 3 July 2013)
  10. ^ Borthwick, Douglas: History of the Diocese of Montreal, 1850–1910 p. 5 (Internet Archive; accessed 3 July 2013)
  11. ^ Anglican Diocese of British Columbia – Diocesan Archives Archived 2013-07-08 at archive.today (Accessed 4 July 2013)
  12. ^ a b Diocese of Niagara – About Us (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  13. ^ a b c MacDonald, Wilma – Anglican Archives in Rupert's Land (pp. 246–247; accessed 3 July 2013)
  14. ^ Ontario's Anglican Cathedrals – Diocese of Algoma (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  15. ^ MemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Anglican Church of Canada. Diocese of Caledonia. Synod (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  16. ^ MemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Fonds - Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster fonds (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  17. ^ a b Anglican Church of Canada – Metropolitans of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land
  18. ^ Diocese of Athabasca – History (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  19. ^ Anglican History – An Historical Sketch of the Diocese of Saskatchewan of the Anglican Church of Canada (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  20. ^ Diocese of Qu'Appelle – How the Diocese Got its Name (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  21. ^ a b Diocese of Saskatchewan – History (Accessed 5 July 2013)
  22. ^ Anglican Diocese of Ottawa – History Archived 2015-05-13 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  23. ^ MemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Fonds - Synod of the Diocese of Kootenay fonds (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  24. ^ Council of the North Prayer Circle Archived 2014-08-11 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 7 July 2013).
  25. ^ The Synod of the Diocese of Brandon Incorporation Act (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  26. ^ Anglican Diocese of Edmonton – Centennial Celebration Year (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  27. ^ Diocese of New Westminster – Residential Schools Archived 2013-07-08 at archive.today (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  28. ^ Archives Canada – Anglican Church of Canada. Diocese of the Arctic fonds Archived 2013-07-08 at archive.today (Accessed 7 July 2013)
  29. ^ Anglican Church of Canada — Highlights from the Council of General Synod: November 14, 2015 (Accessed 16 November 2015)
  30. ^ [1] (Accessed 11 July 2016)