Silent retreat, conversations dominate bishops’ meeting

At its Oct. 22 to 26 meeting in Niagara, Ont. the Canadian House of Bishops spent a day for a silent retreat. It was led by Brother James Koester from The Society of St. John the Evangelist, a monastic community in Cambridge, Mass.

The House also spent a day in conversation that reflected on their role and place in the church.

The group did not issue their usual “Word to the Church” because they did not make significant decisions at the meeting, said Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in an interview.

“I think every once in a while the House needs to take stock of its life and its place in the church,” said Hiltz “The House of Bishops is a microcosm of the whole church and we have lots of diversity…that’s both a joy and a challenge at the same time.”

The house of bishops is composed of diocesan and suffragan bishops from the church’s 30 dioceses, the primate and the national indigenous Anglican bishop.

The bishops received a progress report from Canon John Hill, of the Task Force on Christian Hospitality and Christian Initiation and Formation, which is looking at the issue of eucharistic hospitality. The task force was set up after the bishops, at their spring meeting, decided to broaden the discussion from Open Table (which would allow non-baptized people to receive Holy Communion) to the bigger picture of Christian hospitality and discipleship.

The task force will submit guidelines for the bishops to consider at their spring 2013 meeting. The bishops also:

• Received an update about issues related to the General Synod budget from Archdeacon Michael Thompson, general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, and the National Consultation being convened by the primate in January 2013.

• received a report from National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald about last summer’s Sacred Circle. Bishops present at the gathering called it the “most hope-filled, optimistic” one so far, said Hiltz.

• celebrated the ministry of the bishop of the diocese of the Arctic, Andrew Atagotaaluk, who is retiring this December.

• welcomed the bishop of the Anglican diocese of Masasi, Patrick Mwachiko, who also attended the synod of the diocese of Montreal, which is in companion relationship with the diocese of Masasi.