The family at St Mary’s is delighted to announce that our Bishop, The Right Reverend Anna Greenwood-Lee, has appointed The Venerable Craig Hiebert as Regional Archdeacon of Greater Victoria, effective 1 July.
From the bishop's letter (downloadable below):
Craig is a tremendous leader and mentor to so many clergy and I’m grateful for his willingness to serve in this way... I look forward to witnessing how, together, you will continue the ministry of the church and I trust that you will uphold Craig in your prayers in the coming months.
A service of ‘collation’ and installation will take place at Christ Church Cathedral in the Fall, at a date to be determined.
What does an Archdeacon do?
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Anglican Communion. They are appointed at the pleasure of the bishop and are responsible for:
- welcoming and orienting new clergy to their region
- installing a new incumbent in a service of celebration and leading the service in the absence of the bishop
- providing pastoral support to parishes
- ensuring the smooth transition between incumbencies
- supporting and advising the bishop
What does this mean for St Mary’s?
A common question over coffee this morning was, ‘Does this mean Craig is leaving St Mary’s?!!’
The answer is, absolutely not! In our diocese, the duties of an archdeacon happen alongside their continuing work in their parish. St Mary’s is blessed to have many people who are actively involved in our shared ministry: wardens, parish council, volunteers in all areas of our work. We also have two active and capable priests in addition to our Rector—The Rev’d Dyan Davison (Priest Associate) and The Rev’d Dr John Macquarrie (Honorary Associate Priest). Together, we will continue to engage with the needs of our neighbourhood and the shared work of our diocese, just as we have done in the past.
Congratulations to Archdeacon Craig!