The Diocese of Niagara is one of thirty regional divisions (29 dioceses and one former diocese) in 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...

. The see city of the diocese is Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

 with the Bishop's seat being located at Christ's Church Cathedral

Christ's Church Cathedral (Hamilton)

Christ's Church Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, is located at 252 James Street North, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Built in 1835 , it predates the existing Anglican cathedrals of Toronto, Kingston, London, Halifax, Fredericton and St...

 on James Street North. Located within the ecclesiastical province of Ontario

Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario

The Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario is one of the Anglican Church of Canada's four ecclesiastical provinces. It was established in 1912 out of six dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada located in the civil Province of Ontario, and the Diocese of Moosonee from the Ecclesiastical...

, it borders the Dioceses of Huron and Toronto

Diocese of Toronto

Diocese of Toronto may refer to:*Anglican Diocese of Toronto*Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto...

. The area enclosed by the Diocese of Niagara includes much of the Golden Horseshoe

Golden Horseshoe

The Golden Horseshoe is a densely populated and industrialized region centred around the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Georgian Bay. Most of it is also part of the Quebec City...

, and moves north to include Erin

Erin, Ontario

Erin is a town in Wellington County, approximately 80 kilometres northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Erin is an amalgamated town, composed of the former Villages of Erin and Hillsburgh, and the hamlets of Ballinafad, Brisbane, Cedar Valley, Crewson's Corners, and Orton, as well as the former...

 and Orangeville

Orangeville, Ontario

Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...

 as far as Whitfield. Moving sharply south the line includes Mount Forest

Mount Forest, Ontario

Mount Forest is an unincorporated community located on the junction of the 6 and the 89 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario. The town's motto is "High, Happy, Healthy", which can be seen on the water tower when approaching the town from the south....

 and widens, south-westerly to include Elora

Elora, Ontario

Elora is a community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, its artistic community and the geographically significant Elora Gorge.-History:...

 and Guelph

Guelph

Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...

. Skirting Brantford

Brantford, Ontario

Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...

 and the Territory of the Six Nations Confederacy, the line then travels, again, south-westerly to Nanticoke

Nanticoke, Ontario

Nanticoke is an unincorporated community and former city located on the western border of Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. It is southeast of Simcoe in neighbouring Norfolk County and south of Brantford...

 and Lake Erie

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

 to include the entire Niagara Peninsula

Niagara Peninsula

The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...

. Major urban centres within its borders are St. Catharines, Hamilton, Guelph, Oakville

Oakville, Ontario

Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...

, Burlington

Burlington, Ontario

Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...

, and Orangeville.

The current Bishop of Niagara is the Right Reverend Michael Bird, who was installed as Diocesan Bishop on March 2, 2008.

There are just under 100 congregations within the diocese served by approximately 120 licensed parish priests, with a number of honorary clergy, vocational deacons and licensed lay people. The diocese is divided into six regional deaneries: Brock, Lincoln, Mohawk, Undermount, Greater Wellington and Trafalgar. Each deanery is overseen by a Regional Archdeacon and Regional Dean.

History

The first Anglican presence in what would become the Diocese of Niagara begin with St Mark’s Church in Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...

), the former capital of Upper Canada

Upper Canada

The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...

. The parish was founded in 1790 as Loyalist

Loyalist (American Revolution)

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...

 immigrants arrived from the former American colonies, in what would become the province of Ontario. At this time the area was part of the Diocese of Nova Scotia, and subsequently became part of the Diocese of Quebec, then of the Diocese of Toronto.

The diocese was formed by an act of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada

Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada

The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...

; 39 Vic Chapter 107 in 1875. Royal assent was given in 1876. The first bishop was Thomas Brock Fuller, Archdeacon of Niagara and godson of Sir Isaac Brock

Isaac Brock

Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...

, the hero of the Battle of Queenston Heights

Battle of Queenston Heights

The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, in the present-day province of Ontario...

.

In 2004, diocesan synod approved the blessing of same sex unions, but Bishop Spence withheld consent, effectively vetoing the decision. Nonetheless, the local Roman Catholic bishops refused to participate in an annual ecumenical service with Anglicans and Lutherans in Niagara. In 2007, Spence assented to a motion—like those passed by the synods of Ottawa and Montreal—that asked him to give permission to clergy whose conscience permits to bless same-sex unions when the parties are married civilly, and at least one partner is baptized.http://www.anglicanjournal.com/nc/100/article/niagara-diocese-approves-blessings-for-gay-couples-bishop-assents/ Spence indicated consultation would happen before such permission is given. http://www.niagara.anglican.ca/synod2007/report-letter.cfm In 2009, Spence's successor, Bishop Michael Bird, gave permission for use of a gender-neutral rite for the blessing of civil marriages. From September 1, 2009, clergy in the diocese will have the discretion to bless same-gender civil marriages in consultation with the bishop. http://www.anglicanjournal.com/nc/100/article/diocese-of-niagara-to-offer-same-sex-blessings/

Region of Greater Wellington

• St. Alban the Martyr, Acton
• Grace Church, Arthur
• St. John, Elora
• All Saints, Erin
• St. James, Fergus
• St. Alban's, Grand Valley
• St. George's, Guelph
• St. James the Apostle, Guelph
• St. Matthias, Guelph
• St. David and St. Patrick, Guelph
• St. Paul's, Mount Forest
• St. Mark's, Orangeville
• St. John, Rockwood
• St. Paul's Anglican Church, Shelburne

Region of Trafalgar

• St. Christopher, Burlington
• St. Elizabeth's, Burlington
• St. John, Burlington
• St. Luke, Burlington
• St. Matthew on-the-Plains, Burlington
• St. George's, Georgetown
• St. Alban the Martyr, Glen Williams
• St. Stephen's, Hornby
• St. George's Anglican Church Lowville, Campbellville
• Grace, Milton
• St. John, Campbellville
• St. Paul, Norval
• The Church of the Epiphany, Oakville
• Church of the Incarnation, Oakville
• St. Aidan's, Oakville
• St. Cuthbert's, Oakville
• St. Hilda, Oakville
• St. Jude, Oakville
• St. Simon, Oakville
• St. Luke , Oakville
• St. John's, Stewarttown
• Grace, Waterdown

Region of Mohawk

• St. John's, Ancaster
• St. Paul's, Caledonia
• St. John the Divine, Cayuga
• St. John , Cheapside
• St. James, Dundas
• Christ Church, Flamborough
• St. Paul's (Glanford), Mount Hope
• All Saints Church, Hagersville
• Holy Trinity, Hamilton
• Church of the Resurrection, Hamilton
• St. Michael's, Hamilton
• St. Stephen on the Mount, Hamilton
• St. Paul's, Jarvis
• Christ Church, Hannon
• St. John's, York

Region of Undermount

• St. Alban the Martyr, Hamilton
• All Saints
  All Saints Church, Hamilton, Ontario
  All Saints Church, is located in Hamilton, Ontario, on Queen Street South at King Street West.-History:The establishment of the church parish dates to 1855, while the construction of the present building began in 1872....
  
  , Hamilton
• The Church of the Ascension, Hamilton
• Christ's Church Cathedral, Hamilton
• St. John the Evangelist, Hamilton
• St. Luke's, Hamilton
• St. Peter, Hamilton
• The Church of Our Saviour The Redeemer, Stoney Creek
• St. John the Evangelist, Winona
• Church of the Nativity, Hamilton
• St. Paul's (Westdale), Hamilton

Region of Lincoln

• St. Alban, Beamsville
• St. Andrew, Grimsby
• St. Philip-by-the-Lake, Grimsby
• St. George's (Homer), Niagara-on-the-Lake
• St. John's, Jordan
• Christ Church, McNab
• St. Mark, Niagara-on-the-Lake
• St. Saviour, The Brock Memorial Church, Queenston
• Good Shepherd, St. Catharines
• Grace Church, St. Catharines
• St. Barnabas, St. Catharines
• St. Columba, St. Catharines
• St. George's, St. Catharines
• St. James (Merriton), St. Catharines
• St. John's, St. Catharines
• St. Thomas, St. Catharines
• Transfiguration, St. Catharines
• St. Luke, Smithville
• St. John the Evangelist, Thorold

Region of Brock

• St. Paul's, Dunnville
• The Dunn Parish: Christ Church & St John the Evangelist, Dunnville
• Holy Trinity, Fonthill
• St. Paul's, Fort Erie
• Christ Church, Niagara Falls
• Holy Trinity (Chippawa), Niagara Falls
• St. John the Evangelist, Niagara Falls
• St. Paul, Port Robinson
• St. John's, Ridgemount
• All Saints, Ridgeway
• Christ Church, Wainfleet
• All Saints Church (Dain City), Welland
• Holy Trinity, Welland
• St. David's Parish, Welland
• The Parish of St. James and St. Brendan, Port Colborne

Educational institutions

• Appleby College
  Appleby College
  Appleby College is an international independent school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College...
  
  , Oakville, founded 1911.
• St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, Oakville, founded as St. Mildred's College, Toronto
  Toronto
  Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
  
  ,1908.
• Ridley College
  Ridley College
  Ridley College is a co-educational boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles from Niagara Falls...
  
  , St. Catharines, founded 1889.
• St. John's-Kilmarnock School, Breslau
  Breslau, Ontario
  Breslau is a community located within the township of Woolwich, part of the Waterloo Regional Municipality in Ontario Canada. Separated from the city of Kitchener by the Grand River, Breslau is named after the former German city of Breslau, now Wrocław, capital of Poland's Lower Silesia.It is...
  
  , founded 1972

The diocese co-operates with the Presbyterian and United Churches in sponsoring campus ministries at three universities in its jurisdiction. The University of Guelph

University of Guelph

The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...

 is served by an Anglican priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

, Brock University

Brock University

Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...

 by a United Church minister, and McMaster University

McMaster University

McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

 by a Presbyterian minister, all under the joint sponsorship of the three church bodies.

Diocesan Bishops of Niagara

• Thomas Brock Fuller
  Thomas Brock Fuller
  Thomas Brock Fuller was a Canadian Anglican bishop in the second half of the 19th century.Fuller was born in Kingston, Ontario on l6 July 1810 and educated in Hamilton, Ontario. He was ordained in 1833 and his first post was as a curate in Montreal. In 1836 he was sent as a missionary to...
  
  
• Charles Hamilton
  Charles Hamilton (bishop)
  Charles Hamilton was the first Anglican Bishop of Ottawa, Ontario. He was a Canadian Anglican bishop in the last decades of the 19th century and the first two of the 20th....
  
  
• John Philip Du Moulin
  John Philip Du Moulin
  John Philip Du Moulin was a Canadian Anglican bishop in the last decade of the 19th century and the first two of the 20th century.Born in 1834, he was educated at Trinity College, Toronto and ordained in 1863. His first posts were curacies at St John’s, London, Ontario and Holy Trinity, Montreal....
  
  
• William R. Clark
  William Reid Clark
  William Reid Clark was a Canadian Anglican bishop in the first decades of the 20th century.He was educated at Trinity College, Toronto and ordained in 1876. He was curate of St Luke's Burlington and then held incumbencies in Barton Township, Ontario and Ancaster, Ontario before becoming the...
  
  
• Derwyn T. Owen
  Derwyn Trevor Owen
  Derwyn Trevor Owen was the sixth Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the fifth Bishop of Niagara then Toronto. Educated at Trinity College, Toronto, he was ordained in 1901. He held curacies at St John’s Church, Toronto and then St James’ Cathedral in the same city...
  
  
• Lewis W. B. Broughall
• Walter E. Bagnall
• John C. Bothwell
• Walter E. Asbil
• D. Ralph Spence
• Michael Bird

External links

• Diocese of Niagara
• Anglican Church of Canada