Before the close of the Jan. 1 choral morning service at Christ Church Cathedral, which commemorated the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, Bishop Shane Parker announced that the diocesan Synod office building at 71 Bronson Street would be renamed.
The building was previously named for Bishop John Charles Roper, the second bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.
Bishop Parker explained the building’s new name in the context of new understandings and perspectives on the history of this land.
“As we have listened to the truths spoken by Indigenous peoples and others who have been victimized, disadvantaged or excluded by unjust systems that privileged the colonial founders of our Diocese, we know that words and actions are important,” he said. “As a symbol of our commitment to choosing words with care and awareness, I proclaim that the building which holds our central offices will henceforth be known as Ascension House.”
The bishop said that the word ascension “is readily understood across cultures and conveys hope, optimism and the opening of new vistas.” He went on to explain: “In our faith, the ascension is the moment when the risen Christ became the Christ of all time and space, the Christ who is with us now and always until the end of time, calling us to be the love of God in our lives and in our ministry as a diocesan church.”
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.”