Ralph Spence (bishop)

Spence in April 2011

Spence's badge of office as the Albion Herald of Arms Extraordinary

David Ralph Spence, FRHSC is a retired Canadian^[1] Anglican bishop.^[2]

Spence was born on 10 March 1942 in Hamilton, Ontario. He received a B.A. degree from McMaster University, Hamilton in 1964 and a L.Th. from Wycliffe College, Toronto in 1968. He was ordained a deacon on 5 May 1968 and then a priest on 1 December 1968^[3] by Bishop Walter Bagnall. Spence was an assistant curate at St. George’s Guelph (1968-1970) and then the rector of St. Bartholomew's Hamilton (1970 -1974). After further incumbencies at St. John's Thorold (1975-1982) and St. Luke’s Burlington (1982-1997) he became the Archdeacon of Trafalgar in 1992 until his consecration to the episcopate as Bishop of Niagara on 21 September 1997 at Christ's Church Cathedral. He was installed at that same cathedral as the tenth Bishop of Niagara on 11 January 1998 and he retired on 29 February 2008.

In 2008, Spence became the Chancellor of Renison University College, Waterloo.

Heraldry

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  Halton Region's Coat of Arms designed by D. Ralph Spence

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  Flag of the city of Hamilton, Ontario designed by D. Ralph Spence

Since his youth, Spence has had a passion for flags and heraldry. He has designed numerous personal coats of arms (including his own^[4]), coats of arms for churches in the Diocese of Niagara as well as for communities and organizations in Ontario. In 1981, he became a Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.^[5] For his contributions to Canadian heraldry, in 2006 he was appointed Herald Extraordinary^[6] with the Canadian Heraldic Authority and in 2007 he was given the title "Albion Herald Extraordinary" by the Governor General of Canada.

Honours and awards

• appointed a canon of Christ's Church Cathedral - 1980
• awarded Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal - 1977
• awarded 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal - 1992
• awarded D.D. (Honorary), Wycliffe College, Toronto - 1999
• awarded D.D. (Honorary), Trinity College, Toronto - 2000
• awarded Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal - 2002
• awarded D.D. (Honorary), Huron College, University of Western Ontario, London - 2005
• awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal - 2012

References