Anglican Diocese of Montreal

The Diocese of Montreal is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada of the Anglican Church of Canada, in turn a province of the Anglican Communion. The diocese comprises the 21,400 square kilometres (8,300 sq mi) encompassing the City and Island of Montreal, the Laurentians, the South Shore opposite Montreal, and part of the Eastern Townships. The See city is Montreal, and the cathedral is Christ Church. The diocese maintains approximately 9,000 on its parish rolls[1] in about seventy parishes.

For the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal see, see Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal.
Diocese of Montreal

Diocèse de Montréal
Location
CountryCanada
Ecclesiastical provinceCanada
Statistics
Parishes72
Churches120
Information
DenominationAnglican Church of Canada
RiteAnglican
CathedralChrist Church Cathedral
Current leadership
BishopMary Irwin-Gibson
DeanBertrand Olivier
Website
www.montreal.anglican.ca

History

The diocese was established in 1850, having been carved off from the Diocese of Quebec (where there was a suffragan bishop of Montreal from 1836). The first synod was organised nine years later. Its first bishop, Francis Fulford, was influenced by the Oxford Movement, and the diocese historically held a generally Anglo-Catholic or high church orientation.

In 1866, there was one archdeaconry: J. Scott was Archdeacon of Montreal.[2]

Present status

While Montreal was the largest Canadian city and the centre of commerce in the country, the diocese thrived. In recent decades, however, as these attributes have shifted to Toronto, the English-Canadian population in the diocese has shrunk dramatically, forcing the merger and the closure of parishes. The diocese's original membership of 25,000 150 years ago has shrunk by over one-third, even as the total population in the civil region has expanded from about 70,000 to over 3,000,000[3]—a 9000% decrease in its proportional importance. The diocese's decline thus far exceeds Montreal's relative loss of prestige to Toronto.

With both the dioceses of Montreal and Quebec now having less than 10,000 members, and decreasing membership, discussions are underway for the eventual merger of the two fading dioceses, beginning with an exploration of opportunities for combined administration.[1]

Today, like the Anglican Church of Canada generally, liberal theology dominates, with the bishop approving a form for blessings for same-sex unions in 2010.[1]

The present bishop is Mary Irwin-Gibson.

Parish list

Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality
  • St Paul's Anglican Church, Masonville, Potton

Island of Montreal

Les Moulins Regional County Municipality

Matawinie Regional County Municipality

Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
  • Holy Trinity Calumet, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - Christ Church, Mille-Isles
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - Holy Trinity, Lakefield, Gore
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - St Aidan's, Louisa, Wentworth
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - St Paul's Church, Dunany, Gore
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry - St Simeon's Anglican Church, Lachute
  • St Matthew's, Grenville

Deux-Montagnes Regional County Municipality

La Rivière-du-Nord Regional County Municipality
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - St John the Baptist, Kilkenny, Saint-Hippolyte

Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality

Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry (LRM) - St Francis of the Birds, Saint-Sauveur
  • Laurentian Regional Ministry - Trinity Church, Morin-Heights

Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality

Laval
  • St Simon and Bartholomew, Laval

Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality

La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality

Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality

Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality

La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality

Pierre-De Saurel Regional County Municipality

Roussillon Regional County Municipality

Rouville Regional County Municipality

Urban agglomeration of Longueuil

Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality
  • St James Church, Parish of Vaudreuil, Hudson
  • St Mary's Church, Parish of Vaudreuil, Como, Hudson

Bishops of Montreal

See List of Anglican Bishops of Montreal

See also

References
  1. "Montreal Anglican", June 2010
  2. The Clergy List for 1866 (London: George Cox, 1866) p. 440
  3. Cooper, John Irwin (1976). "Fulford, Francis". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. IX (1861–1870) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.

Further reading

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