Sean Frankling

The synod of the diocese of Moosonee voted unanimously June 26 to elect a dedicated bishop for the first time in a decade—a milestone in the history of the regional church, according to Archbishop Anne Germond, metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario and currently the bishop ministering to Moosonee. It will likely take more than nine months to create a profile of the diocese’s demographics and ministries, select candidates for bishop based on how well they fit the profile and hold an election, Germond says.

Author, hymnist, liturgist and former dean of New Westminster’s Christ Church Cathedral the Rev. Herbert O’Driscoll died at home in Victoria, B.C. on July 25 after a four-year struggle with melanoma. He was 96.

Eliminating General Synod and the Anglican Journal are among a set of measures some members of the Anglican Church of Canada are being asked to ponder by a primatial commission tasked with finding solutions to the church’s structural challenges. The commission, officially titled Reimagining the Church: Proclaiming the Gospel in the 21st Century, Structures & Resources, was proposed to the Council of General Synod (CoGS) in March 2023 and has been meeting since the fall of that year. This summer, chair Archdeacon Monique Stone shared with the Journal a document, written by the commission, with seven “hypotheses” outlining these measures.

The Rev. Michael Creal, a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, refugee activist and professor at York University, died August 23 at the age of 97. Creal had received the Order of Canada in June in recognition of his lifelong efforts on behalf of refugees.

Council of the North chair blasts paper drafted by panel with no Indigenous members as ‘offensive’ Two bishops in the Council of the North, a grouping of northern dioceses that get financial support from the national church, have raised concerns about the process by which a primatial commission has approached the council’s future. Bishop Lesley […]

Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a specialist in frailty and geriatric care and a lifelong Anglican, was appointed to the Order of Canada in June for his work in advancing the field of elder care.

Bishop of the diocese of Rupert’s Land Geoffrey Woodcroft has been admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of cancer shortly after announcing his intention to retire in June 2025. The diocese’s executive archdeacon Simon Blaikie told the Anglican Journal Woodcroft made the announcement on the final day of the diocesan synod, Oct. 19, then felt unwell and was in the hospital within 12 hours. He was diagnosed with cancer, said Blaikie, and has gone on sick leave, expecting to transition directly into long-term disability leave. Blaikie confirmed a Facebook post that the cancer had been diagnosed as terminal. The diocese is asking for prayers and held a mass for his healing and comfort Oct. 23.

All across the bustling show floor at Collision 2024, startup companies display laptops, flyers and signs promising to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to security, data analytics, online shopping, code optimization—on and on it goes. Between quirky intro and outro music, panels of experts at the North American tech expo give prognostications ranging from the optimistic (AI will drastically increase productivity) to the very optimistic (AI will boost longevity to the point of making everyone immortal) to the catastrophic (AI will interfere with democracy or become a threat to human life)

The national office has a balanced budget ready for 2025, Amal Attia, treasurer of General Synod, told members of the Council of General Synod (CoGS) Nov. 8.

Archbishop Anne Germond, acting primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, addresses CoGS Nov. 8. Photo: Matthew Puddister