荔枝成人app

荔枝成人app鈥檚 Faculty of Divinity Convocation Ceremony 2026:聽 Tuesday, May 12 at 3:30 pm in Strachan Hall

At the Faculty of Divinity Convocation Ceremony, 14 Faculty of Divinity students will graduate with the following degrees: Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Theological Studies (MTS) Master of Arts (MA), Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Theological Studies, which are awarded conjointly by 荔枝成人app and the University of Toronto. Faculty of Divinity prizes will also be awarded.

荔枝成人app will also confer the following: Honorary degrees of Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) upon The Right Reverend Sally Johnson French and The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews;聽and Honorary Fellowship upon The Rev. Canon W. David Neelands.

The Right Reverend Sally Johnson French (see bio), in recognition of her groundbreaking leadership in the Episcopal Church. A double graduate of 荔枝成人app and elected in 2023 as the first woman bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, the Episcopal Church鈥檚 second-oldest and sixth-largest diocese, Bishop French has quickly become known as a principled leader and advocate for 鈥榞ospel justice.鈥�

In May 2025, she was featured in a New York Times鈥� article publicly defending an Episcopal parish鈥檚 right to shelter the homeless. Bishop French鈥檚 global witness reflects her deep commitment to faith lived contextually, and as an alumna, she defends values that resonate with those 荔枝成人app hopes to instill in its graduates.

The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews (see bio), in recognition of her pioneering leadership in the Anglican Church of Canada and the wider Anglican Communion. Bishop Matthews was elected the first female bishop in Canada in 1994. Throughout her episcopal ministry in Toronto, Edmonton, Christchurch (New Zealand), and Moosonee, she has demonstrated courageous and visionary leadership.

As Bishop of Christchurch during the 2011 earthquake, she led an ecumenical response that brought hope and practical support to thousands and oversaw the creation of the iconic 鈥渃ardboard cathedral.鈥� In recent years, she has continued to serve the Church with wisdom and compassion, including work in northern Ontario alongside Indigenous leaders and communities facing urban poverty. A double graduate of Trinity, Bishop Matthews has inspired a generation of women in ministry.

The Reverend Canon Dr. David Neelands (see bio) is Dean Emeritus of Divinity at 荔枝成人app and has long been a distinguished member of the College. He completed his joint Honours BA in Philosophy and English in 1965, and his Master in Philosophy in 1966, both at Trinity, and began working as a full-time lecturer with the College鈥檚 Philosophy Department. After studying at Oxford, he returned to the College to serve as Registrar, Dean of Men. He subsequently served as Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs at U of T, before becoming the Director of the Toronto School of Theology in 1999. In 2002, Dr. Neelands was appointed Dean of Divinity, a role in which he served until his retirement in 2017. In addition to his distinguished academic service to the College and University of Toronto, David has made important contributions to scholarship on Richard Hooker, and his teaching has blessed the lives of countless students. David has been a substantial and committed leader at Trinity for over six decades and represents the best of the ideals the College seeks to embody.

The College looks forward to celebrating with our newest graduates, prize winners and honorees.

Please note: this year – on Tuesday, May 12:

• For graduands, honoree and their guests:聽 the Convocation Lunch Reception will be held at 12:30 pm in the Trinity Quad (rain location: The Buttery)
• Eucharist service will be held at 2聽pm to 3 pm in the 荔枝成人app Chapel:聽 all are welcome to attend
• Immediately after Eurcharist, group photos of graduates and faculty will be taken in the Chapel
• Assembly for the Academic Procession will begin at 3:00 pm in the Divinity Common Room (to participated in the Academic Procession, by May 8)
• Convocation Ceremony, which will start at 3:30 pm in Strachan Hall

Earlier that day (10:30 am to 12:30 pm), The Right Reverend Sally Johnson French and The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews will join three other accomplished ordained women for a panel discussion Called to be Priests and Prophets: Ordained Women Then, Now and Next to celebrate 50 years of women鈥檚 ordination and about their experiences bearing witness in the public sphere. All are welcome to attend: .

The Right Reverend Sally Johnson French

Prior to her election, Bishop Sally French served on the staff in the Rt. Rev. Samuel Rodman in the Diocese of North Carolina. Her ministry focused on congregational support and included working with clergy and lay leaders to strengthen communities and foster collaboration. Her experience there led to a deep desire to support the vitality of all our congregations. Bishop French was raised in Toronto, Canada, in a secular home. She was baptized, confirmed, and sponsored for ordination through campus ministries at the University of Toronto. She holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from 荔枝成人app, University of Toronto (Economics, History), a Master of Divinity degree through the Toronto School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Theological Seminary, where, in 2024, she was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree (honoris causa). She was ordained to the diaconate in 2000 and to the priesthood in 2001 in the Diocese of Edmonton, Anglican Church of Canada. In addition to her work in Canada, she has served congregations in North Carolina and New York. Bishop French is married to the Rev. Clarke French, and they are parents to Jack and Libby. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling to destinations of historical import, and spending time with her family.

The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews

Bishop Victoria Matthews is presently an honorary assistant at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Toronto. However, she is canonically resident in the Diocese of Algoma and will be relocating to Sault Ste Marie to offer oversight for St Luke’s Cathedral for the summer of 2026. She also served in the Diocese of Moosonee as episcopal administrator prior to the election of a Bishop for that diocese. Her education consists of a BA (Hons) and a ThM from 荔枝成人app, Toronto, and a MDiv from the Yale Divinity School and the Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven, CT, USA. Having experienced a strong call to ordained ministry in her teens, Victoria focused on Religious Studies, Philosophy and Theology in her University studies. She was ordained a deacon in 1979 for the Diocese of Toronto and to the priesthood a year later. In 1994, she was the first woman in Canada and the fifth in the world to be consecrated a bishop in the Anglican Communion. Since then, she has served in the Diocese of Toronto (as Area Bishop of the Credit Valley), and as Diocesan Bishop of Edmonton, and Bishop of Christchurch, NZ. While serving as the Bishop of Christchurch, NZ, a series of over 10,000 earthquakes immersed her in leadership during natural disasters. She has had the privilege of serving on various Anglican Communion groups and Commissions as well as attending the Lambeth Conferences ’98 and ’08. Since returning to Canada she has assisted in northern Ontario dioceses and is committed to supporting social justice initiatives.

The Reverend Canon W. David Neelands

David Neelands grew up in Peel County where his families have lived for many generations. He graduated from 荔枝成人app in 1965 and pursued graduate work at the University of Toronto, the Toronto School of Theology and Oxford University. He was College Registrar, Dean of Men 荔枝成人app and Dean of the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity, Director of the Toronto School of Theology and Assistant Vice-President of the University of Toronto. He is an ordained Anglican cleric and has been priest-in-charge of 16 congregations in Toronto, Quebec, England and Ireland. As Dean Emeritus in the Faculty of Divinity, he continues to teach in historical theology.

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