Diocese of Niagara
The Diocese of Niagara is one of thirty regional divisions (29 dioceses and one former diocese) in the Anglican Church of Canada. The see city of the diocese is Hamilton with the Bishop's seat being located at Christ's Church Cathedral on James Street North. Located within the eccleisastical province of Ontario, it borders the Dioceses of Huron and Toronto. The area enclosed by the Diocese of Niagara includes much of the Golden Horseshoe, and moves north to include Erin and Orangeville as far as Whitfield. Moving sharply south the line includes Mount Forest and widens, south-westerly to include Elora and Guelph. Skirting Brantford and the Territory of the Six Nations Confederacy, the line then travels, again, south-westerly to Nanticoke and Lake Erie to include the entire Niagara Peninsula. Major urban centres within its borders are St. Catharines, Hamilton, Guelph, Oakville, Burlington, and Orangeville.
The current Bishop of Niagara is the Right Rev'd D. Ralph Spence, who was installed as Diocesan Bishop on January 11, 1998. Bishop Spence has announced his intention to retire in February 2008. He will be succeeded by Bishop Michael Bird who is currently the co-adjutor Bishop of Niagara.
There are just under 100 congregations within the diocese served by approximately 120 licensed parish priests, with a number of honorary clergy, vocational deacons and licensed lay people. The diocese is divided into six regional deaneries: Brock, Lincoln, Mohawk, Undermount, Greater Wellington and Trafalgar. Each deanery is overseen by a Regional Archdeacon and Regional Dean.
History
The origins of the Diocese of Niagara begin with St Mark’s Church in Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake), the former capital of Upper Canada. The parish was founded in 1790 as Loyalist immigrants arrived, from the former American colonies, in what would become the province of Ontario. At this time the area which would become Niagara, was part of the Diocese of Quebec, and was subsequently handed over to the Diocese of Toronto upon its formation.
The diocese was formed by an act of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada; 39 Vic Chapter 107 in 1875. Royal assent was given in 1876. The first bishop was Thomas Brock Fuller, Archdeacon of Niagara and godson of Sir Isaac Brock, the hero of the Battle of Queenston Heights.
In 2004, diocesan synod approved the blessing of same sex unions, but Bishop Spence withheld consent, effectively vetoing the decision. Nonetheless, the local Roman Catholic bishops refused to participate in an annual ecumenical service with Anglicans in Niagara. In 2007, Spence assented to motion--like those passed by the synods of Ottawa and Montreal--that asked him to give permission to clergy whose conscience permits to bless same-sex unions when the parties are married civilly, and at least partner is baptized.[1] Spence indicated consultation would happen before such permission is given. [2]
Educational Institutions
- Appleby College, Oakville, founded 1911.
- St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, Oakville, founded as St. Mildred's College, Toronto,1908.
- Ridley College, St. Catharines, founded 1889.
- St. John's-Kilmarnock School, Breslau, founded 1972
The diocese co-operates with the Presbyterian and United Churches in sponsoring campus ministries at three universities in its jurisdiction. The University of Guelph is served by an Anglican priest, Brock University by a United Church minister, and McMaster University by a Presbyterian minister, all under the joint sponsorship of the three church bodies.
Diocesan Bishops of Niagara
- Thomas Brock Fuller
- George C. Hamilton
- John Philip Du Moulin
- William R. Clark
- Derwyn T. Owen
- Lewis W. B. Broughall
- Walter E. Bagnall
- John C. Bothwell
- Walter E. Asbil
- D. Ralph Spence, Diocesan Bishop of Niagara
- Michael Bird, Coadjutor bishop
