Archbishop Caleb J. Lawrence
Welcome to The Diocese of Moosonee!
*Welcome to the Website of the Diocese of Moosonee!
*Bienvenue à la page électronique du diocèse de Moosonee!
The Diocese of Moosonee occupies a special place within the mosaic of the Anglican Church of Canada. We hope that as you explore the various sections of our web page you will capture something of this special northern ‘flavour’.
Of the 30 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada, geographically Moosonee covers the second largest land area (next to the immense Diocese of The Arctic). The 560,000 square kilometre area is roughly that spanned by the three Atlantic Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, plus the island of Newfoundland. Within the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, the Diocese of Moosonee is as large, geographically, as the other six dioceses (Algoma, Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara and Huron) put together. Approximately half of the Diocese is located in the civil Province of Québec, with the other half in north eastern Ontario. The southern border of the diocese is the height of land which delineates the arctic watershed. (Where the water flows north, you are in the Diocese of Moosonee; where it flows south, you are beyond it!)
The Anglican population, however, is very small and scattered. Approximately 12,000 identifiable members of the Anglican Church make up 32 congregations grouped into 18 parish areas. Roughly half of the Moosonee Anglicans are indigenous people, mainly of the Cree nation. They live for the most part along the shores of James Bay and near the sources of the rivers which flow into it, and in inland Québec communities. The non-indigenous congregations are found largely in the natural resource and supply towns along the southern edge of the Diocese. The Synod Office is located in St. Chad’s Church in the historic town of Schumacher (now incorporated into Timmins). The Cathedral Church of St. Matthew is in Timmins.
When we celebrated our 125th Anniversary several years ago, I likened our history so far as similar to two lifetimes, slightly overlapping.
The first ‘lifetime’, up to the early 1900's, was largely concentrated on mission work among First Nations people. Missionaries lived with the people, traveled enormous distances by canoe and snowshoe, learned the indigenous languages and laboured to produce translations of the Scriptures, Prayer Book and hymns. Local leadership was developed, both ordained and lay, and the legacy of those early years continues in the oral traditions, attitudes and practices of many First Nations people to this day.
The second ‘lifetime’ began towards the end of the period described above. Rich deposits of gold and other minerals were discovered in the hard rocks of the pre-Cambrian Shield. The fibers of the black spruce and other trees produced some of the finest quality newsprint, as well as abundant building material. Towns such as Rouyn-Noranda, Kirkland Lake, Iroquois Falls, Porcupine, Hearst and Geraldton sprang up, and from the earliest days frontier clergy worked to establish congregations and minister in the rough and tumble of mining and forestry camps. Gradually these formed into settled parishes with solid church buildings and large and active congregations. Rail lines, highways and then airlines were established, replacing the old canoe routes, and places like Val-d’Or, Timmins, Cochrane and Moosonee became important supply and transportation centres. An agricultural experimental farm was established in Kapuskasing, and farms were created in the clay belt areas.
As we enter the new millennium, we are well into our third ‘lifetime’. We have a strong heritage of faith and commitment from those who have gone before us. Where we are going in the future is as yet undisclosed, but we believe it will be building on the heritage of our past, in broad strokes. In changed and changing times we have the experience of a Church community in which both indigenous and non indigenous Anglicans are learning to work together and appreciate one another in a variety of ways. Changing demographics and diminished resources have forced us to work out new patterns of ministry, from which we are discovering new possibilities and strength, in areas such as lay ministry development and ecumenical sharing. A training programme has been designed to affirm and equip both lay and ordained ministry among First Nations people, within the context of their own culture and community needs, as identified by them. Regional and diocesan Church gatherings are characterized by careful listening to other points of view, deep sensitivity, and a concern to develop policies and programmes which are inclusive and flexible.
While we continue to need the support, resources and vision of the wider Church, we believe that we also have much to contribute to the building up of the whole Church, in its ongoing mission and ministry.
“In the strength of our forefathers we go, not in their footsteps.
We follow their stars, not their dead campfires.” (R.S.)
The Most Reverend Caleb J. Lawrence,
Archbishop of Moosonee and Metropolitan of Ontario
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