The Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Military Ordinariate reports directly to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Archbishop Shane Parker was the presiding celebrant at the service on Holy Cross Day.

Bishops from across the Anglican Church in Canada attended the service and joined the Primate to lay hands on Gosse-Vingerhoeds to pray for her as she was consecrated. She is the first woman to serve as Bishop Ordinary.

In his sermon, Bishop Samuel Rose of the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland said that Gosse-Vingerhoeds began her ordained ministry in 1997 in the diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. “It was my privilege some 25 years ago to succeed her as an incumbent in the parish of Cartwright in Labrador.” He noted that she also served as the Archdeacon of Labrador, serving as rector in the parishes of Lake Melville and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

“For those who know that vast and beautiful place that is Labrador, serving in ministry there demands resilience and a deep respect for the people who call it home. There are things that we did not learn about in seminary — navigating snowmobile trails across frozen seas in the winter and black flies in the summer, chopping wood to heat the rectory,” Bishop Rose said.

“In Labrador, you learn quickly to adapt to your surroundings by honouring the rhythms of life and death and to walk gently with people who live close to the land and to the sea. That kind of formation — practical, humble, and rooted in authentic community — is, I believe and can attest, excellent preparation for the episcopacy,” he said.  “Jennifer, Labrador, shaped you with a bishop’s heart long before today’s laying on of hands. For you are already resilient, practical, and closely attuned to the lives of those you serve.”

Gosse-Vingerhoeds served in parish ministry until she joined the Canadian Forces in 2007 as a chaplain, a role she continued until just before her consecration as bishop.

Bishop Rose described the ministry she is embarking on: “As Bishop Ordinary, you will walk alongside chaplains wherever they serve, whether on bases here in Canada, or deployed far from home. You will oversee chaplains who serve in hierarchical, multifaith, and often operational environments, supporting them as they minister amid the unique pressures of military life. You will comfort those who grieve, walk with those whose faith has been tested, and encourage those who are tired. You will also teach the faith with clarity and guard the integrity of Anglican ministry among those whom you serve. You will remind every service member and their families that the cross is not a sign of abandonment, but of God drawing near to them in the darkest of valleys. And in a world that prizes strength, you will show the kind of strength that God makes perfect in our weakness. That same adaptability, resilience, and deep respect for people that served you well in Labrador, will serve you now in this new calling.”

In a subsequent interview with Perspective, Gosse-Vingerhoeds was asked how she was feeling about beginning her new ministry. “It’s exciting and it’s humbling,” she said. “I get to look after the people who were my colleagues up until 10 days ago, and I know how important it is as a chaplain to have the support your bishop, of your chief pastor. And so, the fact that I get to do and be that for the chaplains who are still serving is amazing.”

She was taking her position as the first woman to serve as the Bishop Ordinary in stride. “It’s a first for the Anglican Military Ordinariate, but we have had female bishops for so long now [in the Anglican Church of Canada] that it just kind of seems commonplace.” She added, however, that she was delighted that Bishop Victoria Matthews led her pre-consecration retreat. “She was a real pioneer for women because she was the very first female bishop in all of Canada and at a time when there were very, few outside of Canada as well. So, it was absolutely fantastic to have her lead my retreat and just hear a little bit about what her, ministry was like.”

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