Riscylla Shaw
Riscylla Shaw | |
|---|---|
| Suffragan Bishop of Toronto | |
| Church | Anglican Church of Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Diocese | Toronto |
| In office | 2017–present |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 6 May 2001 (diaconate) 18 November 2001 (priesthood) by Terence Finlay (diaconate) George Elliott (priesthood) |
| Consecration | 17 January 2017 by Colin Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 22, 1972 Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse | Jana Shaw |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
|
Riscylla Walsh Shaw (born 22 August 1972) is a Canadian Anglican bishop. Since 2017, she has been a suffragan bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, where she oversees the north and east archdeaconries.
Early life and education
Shaw was born in 1972 to a Métis mother and raised on a farm near Bracebridge, Ontario.[1] She was a cradle Anglican, attending church in the Diocese of Algoma.[2] After completing high school in Bracebridge, she attended the University of Toronto and then Wycliffe College.[1]
Ordained ministry
After a period of working in youth ministry, Shaw was ordained in the Diocese of Toronto in 2001.[1] She was a curate in King City from 2000 to 2002 then incumbent of a two-point parish in Minden Hills and Kinmount from 2003 to 2009, and finally incumbent at Christ Church, Bolton, from 2009 to 2016—all in the Diocese of Toronto.[2] She also served as a diocesan ambassador for Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, participating in TRC events in Winnipeg and Inuvik.[3]
Shaw was elected as one of three new suffragan bishops on 17 September 2016.[4][5] Alongside Kevin Robertson and Jenny Andison, she was consecrated on January 7, 2017, at St. Paul's, Bloor Street.[6] She was initially responsible for 57 parishes in the Trent-Durham area.[6]
Shaw was a candidate for bishop co-adjutor of the Diocese of Toronto in 2019, although she withdrew after the first ballot. Andrew Asbil was elected.[7] After Asbil's installation and following a reduction in the number of suffragan bishops, Shaw had oversight of the northern and eastern areas of the diocese, including Barrie, Peterborough, and Durham.[2]
At the 2019 General Synod, Shaw supported the effort to revise the Anglican Church of Canada's marriage canon to include same-sex marriage. When the motion failed, she wrote that "we failed the Church again at our General Synod 2019. . . . Once again, we have acted in spiritual arrogance against those made in the image of God, this time our gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirited siblings in Christ, in denying the validity and sacredness of their love within the sacrament of marriage."[8]
Shaw has also been episcopal visitor to the Worker Sisters of the Holy Spirit, a member of the Anglican Consultative Council and a central committee member of the World Council of Churches.[2] Shaw was a candidate to serve as Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada in the June 2025 election by the General Synod; Shane Parker was elected.[9]
Personal life
Shaw is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario.[1] She is married to Jana Shaw; they have two adult children.[4]
Publications
- Shaw, Riscylla (2020). "Let Ours Be Hands That Bless". In Michaelson, Valerie E.; Durrant, Joan E. (eds.). Decolonizing Discipline: Children, Corporal Punishment, Christian Theologies, and Reconciliation. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN 9780887558665.
- Shaw, Riscylla (2023). "'I Call Myself Riscylla, Child of God, Métis Citizen': Indigenous Realities". In Hamilton, Karen A. (ed.). Faith as Protest: Answering the Call to Mend the World. Toronto: Novalis. ISBN 9782896888719.
References
- ^ a b c d "MNO citizen becomes a Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada". Metis Nation of Ontario. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "The Right Reverend Riscylla Shaw". General Synod 2025. Anglican Church of Canada. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Sison, Marites N. (17 July 2011). "Former students' experiences have transformative impact". Anglican Journal. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ a b Mann, Stuart; Holmen, Martha (October 2016). "Diocese elects three bishops". The Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Toronto. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Anglican Journal
- ^ a b Mann, Stuart. "Three consecrated in Spirit-filled service". The Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Toronto. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Mann, Stuart. "Andrew Asbil elected coadjutor bishop". The Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Toronto. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Riscylla (September 2019). "We have failed the church again". The Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Toronto. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Perry, Alan. "Order of Bishops nominates four bishops for the office of Primate". General Synod 2025. Anglican Church of Canada. Retrieved 3 April 2025.