Message from Canon Geoffrey
It is an honour and privilege to join you at St. James’ Cathedral as Sub- Dean & Vicar Designate. Some of you know that SJC has a very special place in my heart, being my home parish where I was baptized and nurtured in the faith. Singing in the choir, serving as acolyte and crucifer, even working as summer Verger for three summers are all part of my experience I cherish. While the city around us has changed enormously over the years, the message of the Gospel at the heart of the Cathedral’s ministry remains strong and constant.
St. James is a vibrant witness of the love and light of Jesus Christ and the hope he brings to a needy world. The inscription of welcome at the entrance reminds us well of our mission:
We who minister and worship here welcome you to this Cathedral. Let it speak not only of human crafts and skills, “but of the splendour and mercies of God in whom we live and move and have our being”. I am excited to be sharing this ministry with you, grateful for the encouragement and warm welcome being given and for the faith at the heart of our common life.
Geoffrey+
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We are delighted to announce the appointment of the Rev. Canon Geoffrey Sangwine as the next Vicar and Sub Dean of St. James Cathedral, succeeding the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields upon his retirement.
Canon Geoffrey joined us on May 11, 2026, and we look forward to having Geoff and his partner, Mark, as part of the Cathedral community.
Biography:
Ordained deacon at St James’ Cathedral in May 2000 and priest at St Clement’s, Eglinton in 2001, Geoffrey Sangwine served as Assistant Curate and later Associate Priest at St Clement’s for four years. Geoff went on to St Joseph of Nazareth in Bramalea, a dynamic multicultural parish in Brampton. In 2010, he moved to historic St John’s, Norway, where he worked with the parish to reinvigorate the music ministry and Church School. Appointed as Priest in Charge of St Simon-the-Apostle in August 2016, Geoff led the amalgamation with St Peter’s, Carleton Street and was instituted as Incumbent of the newly amalgamated parish of St Peter and St Simon-the-Apostle in June 2017 where he currently serves.
He attended the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Music (Ed), and later the Master of Divinity degree from Trinity College. For many years Geoff was a chorister at St James’ Cathedral, a faith community he says has always been close to his heart and instrumental in his formation.
Geoff was installed as an honorary Canon of St James’ Cathedral in January 2020. He currently serves as Regional Dean and is a member of the Diocesan Postulancy Committee. With a passion for the Anglican tradition, Church music, and working with a diverse group of people, Geoff says “I am delighted to be returning to St James in the role of Vicar and Sub Dean to join in the Cathedral’s vibrant mission and ministry in the heart of the city”.
As well as loving theatre and concerts, Geoff relishes spending time at his cottage which he shares with his partner Mark, where they enjoy canoeing, hiking, campfires and spending time with family and friends.