A Canon to the Ordinary wears many hats

Update⁠—December 30, 2019: Canon John’s message of thanks to the people of the Diocese of Central New York is now available at the end of this article.

…in answer to that question, “Where have you seen God lately?” [we] respond with one voice, “In you, John, we see God in you!”

A Canon to the Ordinary wears many hats, and Canon John Crosswaite wore a few of those during his farewell luncheon on Monday, December 16th. Clergy, laypeople, and friends from around the diocese came together to celebrate and thank John as he retires from his position as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Central New York, a position he has held since January 2017.

In honor of Canon John’s service and leadership, we reprint in full this resolution passed by the 151st Diocesan Convention in November 2019:

WHEREAS the Rev. Canon John Crosswaite has served as Canon to the Ordinary since 2017 and in that capacity has served on the Diocesan Board, its Finance and Ministry Support Committees, the Formation Committee, the Liturgy Committee, the Commission on Ministry and in the Learning Communities Initiative of the Diocese, and

WHEREAS in these ministries he has brought the fullness of his sharp intellect, deep compassion, keen intuition and abiding faithfulness, and

WHEREAS he has had a very calming presence, rising to challenges others would find daunting exhibiting a groundedness clearly rooted in Jesus, and

WHEREAS he is the embodiment of grace, always finding the good, always having a kind word for everyone, warm and inviting by the way he encourages people to be their best selves, and

WHEREAS he knows how to light up a room with well-timed humor, with personal engagement and genuine curiosity, is extremely fun to work with and an all-round good guy, and

WHEREAS he is stepping down from his position as Canon to the Ordinary at the end of December but will probably never quit asking the question for which he is known,

BE IT RESOLVED that this 2019 Diocesan Convention offer its heartfelt thanks and profound gratitude for the dedicated ministry of the Rev. Canon John Crosswaite and in answer to that question, “Where have you seen God lately?” respond with one voice, “In you, John, we see God in you!”

On December 30, 2019, Canon John sent the following message of thanks to the people of the Diocese of Central New York:

Dear fellow spiritual travelers here in the Diocese of Central New York,

“Oh the journey we are on! God is so good!”

I just would like to say thanks for the kind words you offered to me this last month on the occasion of my moving into semi-retirement from the position of Canon to the Ordinary. It was a real privilege and honor to serve the Bishop in this capacity and work with so many of you in the Diocese of Central New York. There are many great things going on in so many of our congregations as we try to understand what it means to be the church, anew!

I am especially grateful to those of you who were able to attend the farewell luncheon on December 16th. Your presence was deeply appreciated. The diocesan gift of the book Pilgrimage; Great Pilgrimage Routes of Great Britain and Europe will serve as a touchstone as I plan my long-desired trip to the Emerald Isle later this year. Special thanks, too, for the generous purse. Most of it will go toward the pilgrimage to Ireland but a portion will be used for a saw I have picked out to assist me with future woodworking projects.

I hope to do some retreat work and spiritual direction work in the future and, perhaps, work part-time in a parish. I am taking the next few months to re-purpose myself, in the hope of listening carefully to what God is up to.

Blessings to all.

Prayers for 2020,

John+

The Reverend John Crosswaite