Mary Irwin-Gibson, Montreal's first female Anglican bishop, installed
Consecration service at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
The Anglican Diocese of Montreal has the first female bishop in its 165-year history.
The Very Reverend Mary Irwin-Gibson was installed as the twelfth bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal at a consecration ceremony at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral on Tuesday evening.
Prior to taking up her role as bishop-elect earlier in September, Irwin-Gibson was rector and dean of St.George's Cathedral in Kingston, Ont.
Before that, she served in parishes in and around Montreal for 28 years.
In an interview with CBC Montreal Daybreak Tuesday, she said that not everyone is comfortable with female priests.
"I'm just going to be me, and they can figure it out."
"I think that's what happened with the early women priests was people just figured out that the call is God's hand on people," said Irwin-Gibson. "It just takes time for some people to get around that spot, and it's best not to push."
"The gifts I bring are the ones that [people] thought are the most suited to this time and this place," Irwin-Gibson told CBC Daybreak host Mike Finnerty.
Since she took up her duties, the Montreal diocese has been focused on raising money to help Syrian refugees, she said.
"We're going to keep working toward what we think our goals are, our mission and our vision and finding the passion and economic drivers to make that happen," said Irwin-Gibson.