Bishop Tom Corston spent a 'little different Christmas' in 2010 as he travelled to Chapleau and Foleyet for services through freezing rain, fog and 'beautiful bush'

Rt Rev Thomas A. Corston, who most of us from Chapleau commonly refer to simply as "Tom", spent a "little different Christmas" shortly after he became the ninth Anglican Bishop of Moosonee, in 2010.

At Christmas time in 2010,  Tom left Timmins on an historic trip down Highway 101 to preside at services at St. John's In Foleyet, and at St. John's in Chapleau. 

Writing in his blog in January 2011, he shared the story. I stumbled across his blog while doing some research recently, contacted Tom, the son of the Frances (Jardine) and the late Henry Corston, who were our next door neighbours, and asked if I could quote from it. He gave me permission. 

His little different Christmas started out a bit badly when shortly after leaving Timmins, he realized he had forgotten his wallet so had to return to the Synod office for it. 

Having left early, he had time but on the drive to Foleyet, "I encountered some light freezing rain but made the trip in good time.

"The rain created some beautiful Christmas card scenes on the surrounding trees."

The church was filled for the four p.m service. St. John's in Foleyet had been his first parish 35 years ago, in 1975. so "it was great to see some old friends in the congregation, now with grandchildren. We even had an organist so we enjoyed singing the carols and ended the celebration with everyone holding a candle and singing 'Silent Night'"

Leaving Foleyet he wrote, "I was worried for the drive to Chapleau as it was now dark. The highway was good though and I encountered no more freezing rain. Just outside town I encountered fog and as I entered town with the shops now closed and literally no one present on the main street, it was a surreal experience driving in the heavy fog.  Certainly not what one would expect on Christmas Eve in a northern community."

He noted that Chapleau was his home community and the large St. John's Church had struggled in recent years to keep its doors open. As an aside, St. John's was sold in 2016 to Jason Rioux, and plans for its future are now underway. Also for those who may not know, Tom attended Chapleau Public and Chapleau High Schools and was active in St. John's.

"What a wonderful experience it was that the old church was filled by the time the celebration began," he wrote.

"The full church unnerved the Layreader somewhat as she confessed her nervousness. I assured her that I was far more nervous than she because I recognized so many friends of my youth who came out to meet me, with grandchildren in tow.

"Christmas at home was a wonderful celebration, even with the canned music!!"

"I had not been in my home church for Christmas since 1974 and it was good to see family and friends come out to renew old acquaintances."

Tom was ordained Deacon in 1974 at St. John's, and to the priesthood in 1975.

His son Andrew  met him in Chapleau and they spent Christmas Eve at his sister Margaret's home on Borden Lake.

On the drive to Sudbury the next morning Tom related that he enjoyed "travelling through some beautiful bush, coloured with God's frosty paint brush."

As I read Tom's blog, my mind wandered back to 1885, and the first Church of England (Anglican) service held at Christmas time in Chapleau. It was conducted by Rev Gowan Gillmor, best known as 'The Tramp' who travelled the CPR line in Northern Ontario, as the "railway missionary." The service was likely conducted in a boxcar which was the first station.

Ian Macdonald collection

Rev. Gillmor was known to walk the CPR line, and at times pushed a handcar from place to place. 

Rev. Gillmor was also in Chapleau to  assist with the planning of the building of a church, which was officially opened on the site of the old tennis court on July 1,  1886.

The first service in the present St. John's was held on March 29, 1908 when it was dedicated by Bishop George Holmes.

Rev John Sanders

I also recalled reading about the travels by canoe and dog team of Rev. John Sanders (Saunders), who conducted a service at Chapleau on the banks of the river in 1882. I don't know if Rev. Sanders ever visited Chapleau in the Winter, but like Bishop Tom, am sure he enjoyed travelling through the "beautiful bush..." of Northern Ontario. Rev. Sanders may have been the first Indigenous (Ojibway) priest in the Church of England (Anglican) in Canada. 

Tom made it home safely to Sudbury where he was greeted by wife Ruth, son Stephen, mother Frances, and other family members.

He retired as Bishop of Moosonee on December 31, 2013, and is now Assisting Bishop, as well as interim part time Rector of the Church of the Epiphany in Sudbury, where he previously served as Rector.

Thank you Bishop Tom for letting me share parts of your "little different Christmas." It also let me do what I really enjoy -- mixing metaphors with my references to Rev. Gillmor and Rev. Sanders!.. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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Bishop Tom Corston agrees to act as interim priest-in-charge of Anglican parishes at Chapleau and Foleyet

Rt Rev Thomas Corston, the ninth bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee, has agreed to become interim priest in charge for an indefinite period to the parishes of Chapleau and Foleyet,

It will be a homecoming in a way for Bishop Corston who was born and raised in Chapleau and was an active member of St John's Church there. Also Foleyet was his first parish as rector after he was ordained to the priesthood in 1975.

Bishop Corston retired as bishop of Moosonee on Dece 31, 2013, but became assistant bishop to Archbishop Colin Johnson.

The announcement of his appointment was made on the Diocese of Moosonee Facebook page on April 6.


"Bishop Corston has agreed with the Archbishop's request to act as Interim priest-in-charge of the parishes of Chapleau & Foleyet for an indefinite period while the congregations work to define their future as a presence in their communities and, hopefully, the appointment of a new Incumbent. Bishop Corston will begin his ministry to the congregations on Sunday, May 3rd."

BULLETIN Bishop Tom received Doctor of Sacred Theology degree http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2015/04/bishop-tom-corston-awarded-doctorate-of.html

Bishop Tom Corston awarded Doctorate of Sacred Theology Degree but listens to 'language of appearance' from Cree Elder

Rt. Rev. Thomas Corston, who retired as the ninth bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee on December 31, 2013, was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology by Thornloe University in Sudbury. at its last Fall Convocation.

Tom, as he is best known to many Chapleauites, is the son of Frances (Jardine) Corston and the late Henry "Chicken" Corston. He is a graduate of Chapleau Public and Chapleau High Schools. While attending high school he served as president of the Students Council.

Tom explained that he was awarded the degree of "Doctor of Sacred Theology" by Sudbury's Thorneloe University in recognition of his  years of rural and northern ministry.

A member of St. John's Anglican Church, he was ordained a deacon there in 1974, and a year later became a priest. He also was president of the Anglican Young People's Association. St. John's is a parish in Moosonee.

In an interview at the time of his retirement, Tom told the Timmins Times, “My very first parish was Foleyet, but unlike all of my classmates, I was given a parish to myself rather than being appointed as an assistant,” Corston remembered. He admitted it was a humble beginning, but he remembered he felt like he was in charge of the world’s grandest cathedral."

He served at parishes in three dioceses before being elected bishop in 2010. 

Catching up with Tom recently, he explained that most of his episcopate in Moosonee Diocese was to work at a restructuring model that would see the survival of the Diocese in the face of dwindling congregations and financial resources. 

"We did that and I have to say that after a year, it is working well. Basically, with the approval of the Ontario Provincial Synod the Diocese has been placed "in suspension" and the Metropolitan, Archbishop Colin Johnson of Toronto, is now also the Bishop of Moosonee. 

"While he is as present to the Diocese as possible, he asked me to come back and act as his Assistant Bishop. That way we guarantee that all communities will receive an episcopal visitation, if not by him, then by me."

So, despite being "retired" Tom remains busy and is also an Honorary Assistant at his former Sudbury parish, the Church of the Epiphany.

He also delivered the address at the Thornloe University Convocation and it is excellent. I will share just one anecdote that he told from his ministry, which touched me immensely. One of the people he met along the way was Andy. Here is the anecdote:

"One was Andy…a Cree leader from Moose Factory…a big man, an elder, a Layreader in the church, a product of the Residential School system. I spent many a day with Andy and his family, serving together in the Sanctuary, in the boardroom, sitting at his kitchen table and hunting geese on the James Bay. In my memory Andy and his wife Annie stand out as examples of sacrificial love and self-giving that was evidenced, when in their middle-age, in adopting two non-native infants who were victims of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

" It was also from Andy that I learned some of what it means to be “professional”. You see, I had started to think that there was no need for me to be properly attired in my parish. I started not to wear my collar. I mean, what did it matter? My parishioners were blue-collar workers, men were more relaxed when they came to service, so why not the clergy? 

"One evening Andy came to see me and gave me a bit of a lecture about my lax attitude. He said to me, 'Tom, we look to you as our pastor…we want you to be proud of your profession and we want to be proud of your as our minister…you need to be the priest you were ordained to be and whom we called you to be in this community. You need to wear your collar and be proud to be a witness to our town.

'It might not sound all that important to you, but in a day when we face dress-down days in the work-place, when more and more of us are encouraged to relax and perhaps dress more casually, the truth is there are times when how we dress says a great deal about how we have or have not embraced our role and responsibilities. It’s much more than convention, or a “dress code”. It’s the language of appearance that says we have taken some care about how we meet the world.

"As you step out from this place, remember that it is more than what you know or what you say that will have the attention of those you encounter."

In an interview with the Anglican Journal on his retirement Tom said that whenever he tells stories from his history in the diocese of Moosonee, people tell him, “ ‘Bishop, you’ve got to put it on paper before it is gone.’ So that’s my project. I’m going to write a book about the church of the north…I would like to embark on something like that.”  

Thanks and congratulations Tom. After my first reference to him as bishop I chose to refer to him as Tom with all respect to his position in the church. I did so because I have known him since our growing up years on Grey Street where we were next door neighbours and friends, even though I am a bit older than him.

Our families go back even longer as neighbours as my grandparents Edith and George Hunt, my mother Muriel and aunt Elsie lived next door to the Corston family in the early years of the 20th Century. One of my great memories was the day Tom's father Henry told me he thought of  my Mom as his sister -- there were eight boys in the Corston family. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

BULLETIN  Bishop Tom has agreed to be priest in charge at St John's Chapleau and at Foleyet for an "indefinite period" http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2015/04/bishop-tom-corston-agrees-to-act-as.html

Photos

Bishop Tom delivering Convocation Address

Bishop Tom Corston receiving the degree from Chancellor Barbara Bolton (beside her is Provost Dr. Robert Derrenbacker and Registrar, Dr. Ian Maclennan)
 
Tom and family Ruth, Andrew(L) & Stephen (R) (photos provided by Tom Corston

Bishop Tom Corston to receive Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

Rt. Rev. Thomas A. Corston, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee, will be presented with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion on April 13.

Bishop Corston, who was born and raised in Chapleau, the son of Frances (Jardine) and the late Henry Corston, serves as Chaplain to the Ontario Command of the Legion. For many years, he was the padre of Legion Branch 72 in Sudbury, when he was rector of the Church of the Epiphany.

He was elected Bishop of Moosonee in 2010. St. John's Anglican Church, Chapleau, which he attended,and where he was ordained deacon, is part of the diocese.

Upon learning the news, Bishop Corston posted on his Facebook page: "Just been informed that I am to be presented with the Queen's Jubilee Medal by the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion on April 13th. Very humbling. I am mindlful of the sacrifices made by my father, wounded at Caen, France in 1944 and all Veterans past and present."

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them", he added.