The Diocese of Algoma, founded in 1873, was one of four carved off from the original Diocese of Toronto. Consisting of a large First Nations population, the primary focus of the new diocese was intended to be missionary activity combined with ministry to the growing European settlements in the Muskoka and Parry Sound areas around Lake Huron. By the turn of the twentieth century, the demographics of the territory had shifted considerably, as mining and forestry attracted more European settlement. By 1906, Algoma ceased to be a missionary diocese of the ecclesiastical province and held its first independent synod.[2]
The mission of the diocese is "To share in the gathering work of Christ so that His newness of life overflows into our hearts, homes, churches, and community."[3]
Algoma's See city is Sault Ste. Marie, and its Anglican population of 18,000 on the parish rolls is served by 50 parishes. The current bishop of Algoma is Anne Germond. The current dean of Algoma and rector of St. Luke's Cathedral is James McShane. Apart from Sault Ste. Marie, other major centres in the diocese include North Bay, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay. Nineteen of the diocese's fifty parishes are located in these communities. Most of the rest of the parishes are located in small towns and First Nations communities. The Diocese of Algoma is currently divided into five deaneries including: Algoma, Muskoka, Sudbury-Manitoulin, Temiskaming, and Thunder Bay-North Shore.[4]
The first diocesan newspaper was established in the Algoma region in 1874 by the Rev. Edward Francis Wilson, the first principal of the Shingwauk Indian Residential School.[12] This newspaper was first known as the Algoma Missionary News and was published out of the Shingwauk School. In 1978 an Ojibway-language supplement to the Algoma Missionary News was published under the name The Peace Pipe with the tag line "an Ojibway newspaper published monthly at the Shingwauk Home".[13]
Over the years the name of this paper changed a number of times and was known successively as Algoma Quarterly, The Algoma Missionary News and Shingwauk Journal, and finally Algoma Missionary News. Publication of the Algoma Missionary News ceased in 1956.[13]
In 1957, the newspaper was replaced by the Algoma Anglican, which is still in publication today.[14] The publisher of the Algoma Anglican is always the current bishop of Algoma, with the editor being assigned by the bishop. The newspaper has a mandate to share with the Algoma Anglican community about ongoing diocesan issues, news, and events. The paper also includes updates about the numerous parishes within the Anglican Diocese of Algoma.[15]
Editors of the numerous iterations of the newspaper have included:[16]
Editor name
Dates
Publication
Rev. E. F. Wilson
1874-1889
Algoma Missionary News
G. H. Gaviller
1889-1892
Algoma Missionary News
Charles Piercey
1892-1918
Algoma Missionary News
F.W. Colloton
1918-1944
Algoma Missionary News
Frank F. Nock
1944-1956
Algoma Missionary News
Rev. J.E. Jordan
1957
Algoma Anglican
Rev David Mitchell
Rector of bracebridge 1960’s
Rev. Peter Simmons
Present
Algoma Anglican
References
^ abElliot, Neil (15 March 2024). "Dioceses of the ACC – by numbers". Numbers Matters. (Neil Elliot is the statistics officer for the Anglican Church of Canada.). Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^"Our History". Diocese of Algoma. Retrieved 2020-03-04.