WINNIPEG – Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft of the Diocese of Rupert’s Land was admitted to hospital in late October and diagnosed with terminal cancer. The news came shortly after he announced his intention to retire in June 2025. Bishop Woodcroft immediately went on sick leave, expecting to transition directly to long-term disability leave.
The Ven. Simon Blaikie, executive archdeacon of Rupert’s Land, has been appointed diocesan administrator while the bishop’s seat is vacant.
Ordained a priest in 1990, Bishop Woodcroft earned his master’s degree in divinity at Huron College and served in the dioceses of Algoma and Rupert’s Land. He was elected bishop of Rupert’s Land, which spans parts of Ontario and Manitoba, in 2018. He has ben an associate of Rupert’s Land Indigenous Council and was an Anglican representative in hearings for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, a settlement between church, state and Indigenous representatives approved in 2006.
The Diocese of Rupert’s Land is asking for prayers for Bishop Woodcroft and his family. A mass for his healing and comfort was held at a Winnipeg parish on Oct. 23.
The Anglican Journal
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