The Diocese of Rupert’s Land is calling on the community for prayers following the recent terminal cancer diagnosis of Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft of Winnipeg.
Woodcroft, who had announced plans to retire in June 2025, was hospitalized shortly after addressing the diocesan synod on October 19, and the diagnosis was confirmed by Executive Archdeacon Simon Blaikie to the Anglican Journal.
Blaikie shared that the bishop has gone on sick leave, with plans to transition into long-term disability.
He noted that Woodcroft’s focus during his leadership has been on shifting from a “membership model” of church involvement to one centred on discipleship and active community engagement.
“It’s about each other, it’s about relationships with God… and with other people who are not Christians,” Blaikie told the Anglican Journal.
A healing mass was held on October 23, and the diocese is asking for ongoing prayers for Bishop Woodcroft’s comfort.
Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft is the 13th Bishop in the Diocese of Rupert's Land. He was elected to this position on June 16, 2018 and ordained at the Cathedral Parish of St. John on October 12, 2018.
The Diocese of Rupert's Land is home to around 12,000 Anglicans across 65 parishes and three missions in parts of Manitoba and Ontario, spanning from the U.S. border up into the Interlake region.