Celebrating New Ministry

In 1997 I travelled to the Diocese of Southwest Brasil to meet with partners who the Diocese of Montreal had in the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brasil. It was there, in the Diocese of Southwest Brasil that I believe to have begun to hear my calling to ordained ministry. So, I have always had a very special place in my heart for the people and the Church in the Diocese of Southwest Brasil.

Next year, Bishop Jubal Neves, who was the Bishop at the time I made my first visit to the Diocese of Southwest Brasil, will retire and the Diocese has elected a new bishop to succeed him.

Back in November of 2009, the staff of National Office, of the Anglican Church of Canada, approached the General Secretary of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brasil, the Rev. Canon Francisco de Assis Silva, and asked him if they would be able to host and supervise a theological intern during the summer of 2010. Francisco was excited and delighted to accept a Canadian seminarian to do an internship within the Brasilian Church. That seminarian was me, as you no doubt guessed. So began a series of emails and discussions about what I might do during the summer of 2010 and where in Brasil I might be stationed.

Francisco was very helpful and encouraging both before and during my internship - he even put me to good use translating from Portuguese to English for some of the Episcopal Church delegates to their General Synod back in June. He stationed me in the Diocese of the Amazon at the Cathedral in Belem, which was where he himself started off as a priest and was rector of what was then the parish of Santa Maria (later became the Cathedral of Santa Maria when the Diocese of the Amazon was officially created in 2006). He organized and set up my internship with Bishop Saulo Barros. He continues to give me encouragement and we endeavour to maintain those bonds of friendship that we cultivated over the many months before, during and after my internship.

Yesterday, October 25th, Francisco was elected as Bishop Coadjutor, who will eventually succeed the Rt. Rev. Jubal Neves as the Diocesan Bishop when he retires in 2011. It is a wonderful thing to be able to know people and to witness to their ministry and work in the church. I pray that God may continue to bless the diocese of Southwest Brasil and that Francisco will be supported in his new ministry by the people of the diocese. May the Holy Spirit fortify him with the gifts of courage, wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety and the wonder and awe of the Lord, so that he may lead the diocese with renewed conviction!