Dear Friends,
The past few weeks have raised new challenges for all of us that has affected every aspect of our lives from vocational to personal. While we yearn to hear some good news when we turn on the TV, pick up a paper or get our latest on-line news, it is hard to mine out a few nuggets of happy news.
Today, I want to provide you with some happy news to share. For a while, I have been giving consideration to appointing a number of new Canons to the cathedral chapter and today I am thrilled to make the following appointments of faithful Anglicans in our diocese who continue to serve the mission of Jesus Christ in an exemplary fashion within the Church at many levels.
We give thanks for the ministry they have undertaken and their commitment to faithful service in the future mission we share together at the call of Jesus Christ. These appointments are effective immediately and when the pandemic restrictions are finally lifted, I look forward to planning the Service of Installation for our new Canons.
Blessings to you in this Easter Season with the Good News that Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Faithfully,
Bishop Michael
Mrs. Anne Patterson, Appointed Lay Canon in the Chair of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Anne is known to many across the diocese and within the national and global expressions of the Church. After returning from volunteer work with the Brazilian Church for two and half years, she assisted in meetings of the Primates of the Anglican Communion and the World Council of Churches held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She worked with the Secretariat at the Lambeth Conference in 2008 and participated in the Consultation of Anglican Bishops in Dialogue in 2015. Nationally, she has represented our diocese at several sessions of General Synod and as a member of the Partners in Mission Committee. Anne is well known across the diocese having served as the Administrative Assistant to Bishop George Bruce and myself prior to which she served as secretary at Holy Trinity Church, Merrickville. She has been part of many diocesan committees and currently serves as warden at St. Mark’s Church, Barriefield.
Rev Sharon Dunlop, Vocational Deacon, Appointed Canon in the Chair of St. Leonard of Noblac
Sharon was ordained Deacon on June 24, 2012 and currently serves in the Parish of St. James’, Kingston. Her ministry focus is on Corrections, Restorative Justice and Victims. Sharon is a Chaplain at Collins Bay Minimum Institution and is passionate about this ministry. She is also a member of the Justice and Peace Commission and a supporting member of Innocence Canada, advocating on behalf of the wrongly convicted. Sharon represented the Anglican Church of Canada on the board of The Church Council of Justice and Corrections, Ottawa serving as President for two years. In 2018 she collaborated with the National Church Office and a group of Anglican Clergy across Canada, assisting the Centre for Christian Studies, Winnipeg, MB in developing educational programs on social justice issues, for teaching purposes by the Anglican Church of Canada. These programs have been rolled out across Canada. Sharon has also served on the Diocesan Synod Council.
Sharon is the proud parent of two adult children and grandparent of four adult grandchildren.
Rev Valerie Kelly, Priest, Appointed Canon in the Chair of St. Veronica
Following her graduation from Huron University College in 2006 with a Master of Divinity degree with distinction, Valerie served as a Lay Pastoral Associate at St. John’s, Kingston (2007-8). Following ordination as deacon and priest in 2008 she served as Assistant Curate at St. George’s Cathedral (2008-10), Incumbent of the Parish of the Rideau (2010-16), Kingston North Anglican Ministries (2016-18) and currently serves the parishes of Christ Church, Gananoque and Redeemer, Rockport. Within the diocese, she serves as Clerical secretary of Synod and Synod Council, Chaired the Justice and Peace Joint Commission between the Anglican Diocese of Ontario and the Archdiocese of Kingston (RC) until her part time appointment as staff support to the commission. She has been a team leader for Fresh Start and serves as a member of the Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation Committee of the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul of which she is also an associate. She has co-chaired the Ecumenical Affordable Housing group and is a member of the round table for Street Health in Kingston. During her time serving Kingston North Anglican Ministries she took an active role in continuing to foster the partnership between the Diocese and Habitat for Humanity as the new Mission Centre and three duplex houses proceeded towards completion.
Rev Nancy Beale, Priest, Appointed Canon in the Chair of St. Brigid
Nancy was ordained deacon in May 1995 and priested in November 1995 of that year in the Diocese of Huron where she served in two parishes, Brussels & Blyth 1995-2000 and Rector of the Parish of the Resurrection (Listowel, Atwood, Milverton, Palmerston, Harriston, Fordwich, Gorrie) from 2001 – 2008 at which time she relocated to the Diocese of Ontario to take on the Incumbency of the Parish of Stirling. In 2012 the parishes of Roslin and Marlbank were added to her responsibilities as Incumbent in a shared ministry. She has taken responsibility as Priest in Charge for the Parish of Land o Lakes since 2019.
Within the Diocese of Ontario she serves as Warden of Layreaders, a member of the Finance Committee, Synod Council as well as the Vision and Strategy Team. She has attended conferences in celebration of the 30th, 35th and 40th anniversary of women’s ordination to the priesthood and the Leading Women Conference in Chicago (2019). She has also attended the St. Clement’s Preachers College in 2018.
She is also the mother of two sons of whom she is “ridiculously proud”!
Rev Lynn Dillabough, Priest, Appointed Canon in the Chair of St. Agnes.
Lynn was ordained to the diaconate on May 16th, 2010 and to the priesthood on March 27th, 2011. Prior to ordination, Lynn served in professional lay ministry: as Christian Education Coordinator at St John the Evangelist, Ottawa; as a Psychotherapist at the Ottawa Pastoral Centre; and as a Clinical Supervisor of graduate students in the Counselling & Spirituality program of St Paul University, Ottawa. On August 1, 2010 Lynn began serving an appointment as Deanery Coordinator of the Deanery of St Francis in the Diocese of Quebec, and Incumbent of seventeen congregations within this deanery. In 2012 she was appointed as a Canon of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec City, in recognition of her work as Chair of a newly-formed Deanery Ministry Committee, which re-visioned and transformed the ministry of the deanery. On August 1, 2016, Lynn began her appointment to the parish of St Paul's, Brockville. She is currently Regional Dean for Leeds & Grenville as well as the Deputy Warden of the Lay Reader Association of the Diocese of Ontario.