50th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood

The Diocese of Niagara was among the first four dioceses in Canada to ordain women to the priesthood. The decision was eight years in the making, beginning at Lambeth in 1968. Mary Mills, later among the first six women ordained as priests, became the first woman deacon in 1969. By 1971, the Anglican Consultative Committee said bishops could ordain women with diocesan and provincial synod consent. Over the next five years, the matter was considered by two General Synods, studied in dioceses and parishes, discussed with interdenominational colleagues, and carefully examined by the Canadian House of Bishops. Eventually, it was agreed there was no overwhelming objection to the ordinations.

Fun fact: The ordination services in Huron and Niagara began at 7 pm, and those in Cariboo and New Westminster began at 4 pm. With time-zone differences, six women were ordained priests almost simultaneously, moving the Church toward priestly ministry in both familiar and new ways.

In the Diocese of Huron: The Rev. Mary Mills

In the Diocese of Cariboo: The Rev. Patricia Reed

In the Diocese of New Westminster: The Rev. Elspeth Alley and The Rev. Virginia Bryant

In the Diocese of Niagara: The Rev. Mary Lucas and The Rev. Beverly Shanley

Preaching that afternoon in Cariboo, Archbishop Ted Scott urged the Church not to model female priests on men, but to let them “widen and expand our understanding of priesthood.” More than a decade later, when I was ordained, role models for women priests were still scarce—imagine what it was like for the first six! Some continued existing in ministries with new sacramental responsibilities; others were just beginning. In Niagara, The Rev. Mary Lucas continued her curacy at Grace Church, St. Catharines, celebrating the Eucharist for the first time on December 1st. The Rev. Beverly Shanley became the first woman priest to have her own parish at St. George’s, Lowville, and St. John’s, Nassagaweya.

Fast forward:

In Niagara, our experience of women in priestly ministry is well rooted, nourishing and blessing the Church in many ways. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, we need your involvement!

Let’s celebrate 50 yrs of the Priesting of Women in the ACC!

After the historic 1976 ordination, both Niagara women priests were interviewed by the Niagara Anglican, the Canadian Churchman and the Hamilton Spectator. In the context of these interviews, Bev Shanley observed that women are as intelligent as men and their role in life is not secondary. But women priested will be different from men priested and they will complement each other and make a different priesthood.

Questions to ponder: ​Are we making a different priesthood together?

Has the evolution of priesthood been shaped by the presence of women priests?

This anniversary celebration is not about individuals or about women priests apart from male colleagues. Nor can we celebrate one order of ministry like the priesthood without recognizing its interdependence with the prophetic servant ministry of deacons and the myriad ministries of the laity. Rather than hierarchical images, perhaps our orders of ministry are like layers of puff pastry in a delicious dessert. Each layer of ministry is essential, has its place and complements the others in the fullness of ministry needed within a missional Church.