“Behold, I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43.19)

Dear friends,

On Tuesday, May 27, I had the profound privilege of presiding at the Consecration of the Rt. Rev. Rod BrantFrancis as Bishop of Moosonee. It was a day of deep thanksgiving and joy—a holy moment in the life of our Church and a beautiful new beginning for a community I have come to love dearly.

The Diocese of Moosonee has walked a long road to reach this point. In 2014, following significant financial hardship, the diocese made the difficult decision to become a mission area of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario. In doing so, they relinquished the office of diocesan bishop and entered a new chapter of leadership under the care of the metropolitan.

The Diocese of Moosonee has walked a long road to reach this point. In 2014, following significant financial hardship, the diocese made the difficult decision to become a mission area of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario. In doing so, it relinquished the office of diocesan bishop and entered a new chapter of leadership under the care of the metropolitan.

Archbishop Colin Johnson was the first to serve in this capacity, offering a steady hand and pastoral heart at a time of great uncertainty. When I became Metropolitan in 2018, I inherited not only the responsibility but the gift of continuing to walk with Moosonee on this path of discernment and hope—supported along the way by the wise and faithful leadership of Bishop Tom Corston, Archbishop Fred Hiltz (who served as Assisting Bishop), and Episcopal Administrator Bishop Victoria Matthews. Each one brought their own grace and strength to a shared ministry that sustained this community through a season of profound transition. I could not have done it without them.

Over the past several years, I have visited many of the communities in the diocese, listening to their stories, celebrating the sacraments, and sharing in the joys and struggles of life in the North. I have seen a Church that is resilient, faithful, and filled with grace. That journey has shaped me more than I can say.

In June of last year, Moosonee voted unanimously to restore its diocesan status. It was a courageous act—an expression of identity and purpose—and it marked the beginning of a new chapter.

Now, that story continues as Bishop Rod BrantFrancis begins his episcopal ministry among a people he already knows and loves. Rod served in Moosonee for more than a decade before his time in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. He understands the vastness of the land, the beauty of the cultures, and the challenges of northern ministry.

What struck me most during his consecration was Rod’s deep desire to be present with the people—to listen, to sing, to pray, and to walk with them in the way of Christ. His ministry will be rooted in relationship.

That is the heart of episcopal leadership: presence. Not authority from afar, but companionship on the road. That is what the people of Moosonee have longed for, and that is what they now have in Bishop Rod.

As I handed him the crozier—a symbol of the shepherd’s care—I felt both a letting go and a quiet joy. My own season as Bishop of Moosonee has ended, but the love remains. It always will.

Please keep Bishop Rod in your prayers in these early days. Pray for wisdom, strength, and joy in the work ahead. And give thanks with me for the people of Moosonee, whose courage and faith have brought them to this new day.

The God who makes all things new is doing a good and holy thing in the North. And I believe—with all my heart—that the best is yet to come.

With hope and affection,
+Anne