Anglican Diocese of Keewatin
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Keewatin is a diocese
of the Anglican Church of Canada
. It straddles the border of the civil provinces
of Manitoba
and Ontario
, comprising over 900,000 square kilometres. The diocese is geographically isolated, consisting of mainly small, and mostly First Nations
communities. The largest of these, Kenora, Ontario
, is also the diocese's See city
. There are just over 11,000 Anglicans on forty-eight parish rolls. The diocese was established by the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land
in 1902, and was a major focus for missionary
activity among the indigenous peoples
there.
The current bishop (the diocese's ninth) is Archbishop David Ashdown
. Elected Bishop of Keewatin in 2001, he was subsequently elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert’s Land in June 2009. The dean
is the Very Rev. Hugh Matheson.
On 6 March 2010, the Ven Lydia Mamakwa, Archdeacon for Northern Manitoba in the Diocese of Keewatin, was elected Area Bishop for Northern Ontario, with special responsibility for the predominantly aboriginal parishes of the northern part of the Diocese. Her consecration is expected to take place in May 2010.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
. It straddles the border of the civil provinces
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, comprising over 900,000 square kilometres. The diocese is geographically isolated, consisting of mainly small, and mostly First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities. The largest of these, Kenora, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, is also the diocese's See city
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
. There are just over 11,000 Anglicans on forty-eight parish rolls. The diocese was established by the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land
Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land
The Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land was founded in 1875 and is one of four ecclesiastical provinces in the Anglican Church of Canada. The territory covered by the province is roughly coterminous with the western portion of the former Hudson's Bay Company concession of Rupert's Land, as...
in 1902, and was a major focus for missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
activity among the indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
there.
The current bishop (the diocese's ninth) is Archbishop David Ashdown
David Ashdown
David Norman Ashdown is the current Bishop of Keewatin in the Anglican Church of Canada and the 16th Metropolitan of Rupert’s Land.-References: Category:Anglican bishops of Keewatin Category:21st-century Anglican bishops...
. Elected Bishop of Keewatin in 2001, he was subsequently elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert’s Land in June 2009. The dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
is the Very Rev. Hugh Matheson.
On 6 March 2010, the Ven Lydia Mamakwa, Archdeacon for Northern Manitoba in the Diocese of Keewatin, was elected Area Bishop for Northern Ontario, with special responsibility for the predominantly aboriginal parishes of the northern part of the Diocese. Her consecration is expected to take place in May 2010.