Easter 2026

Easter2026 
"Why do you look/or the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen." (Luke 24:5-6) 

Dear Friends, 
Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Lord. 
lbroughout the season of Lent, we have walked together on the path of repentance, prayer, and renewed faithfulness. We have examined our hearts, reflected on our common life as a Church, and followed Christ toward the cross. Now the Church bursts forth in joy with the proclamation that stands at the very centre of our faith: Christ is risen! 

Easter is not simply the conclusion of the Lenten journey; it is the beginning of a new kind of life shaped by resurrection. The empty tomb declares that sin does not have the final word, suffering does not have the final word, and even death itself does not have the final word. In the resurrection of Jesus, God has opened a future filled with hope. 

For us as a diocese, this Easter message speaks directly into our life together. We continue to face challenges, changes, and important decisions about the future of our parishes and ministries. Yet the resurrection reminds us that the Church is never sustained merely by its own strength or resources. We are sustained by the living Christ who goes before us and calls us into his mission. This year, as we gather in Synod under the theme "Team Rupert's Land: Courage, Connection, and Change," the Easter proclamation gives that theme its deepest meaning. 

Courage is born at the empty tomb. The disciples who once fled in fear are sent out in boldness because Christ is alive. As a diocesan family, we are called to face our realities honestly not with anxiety, but with resurrection confidence. Connection is restored in the risen Christ. Easter is the gathering of scattered disciples, the healing of broken relationships, and the forming of a new community rooted in grace. In a time when many feel isolated or uncertain, we are called to be a Church that draws people together. Let us be reconciled to God and to one another. Change is the very heartbeat of Easter. Resurrection is not a return to what was before, but the beginning of something new. As we discern the future of our parishes and ministries, we do so, trusting that God is already at work. God is bringing new life, even where we might see only limitation. 

The risen Lord sends his disciples into the world not with fear, but with courage, connection, and hope-filled change. As we continue to grow as a diocesan family may we do so as Easter people. Let us trust that God is always at work bringing life where we might see only limitation. I encourage every parish in our diocese to keep the joy of Easter alive beyond this single day. Proclaim the good news boldly. Extend hospitality to neighbours and strangers. Let the fifty days of Eastertide reshape and renew your life through the victory of Christ. 

My prayer for you is that the light of the resurrection will fill your homes, strengthen your faith, and renew your hope. As Team Rupert's Land, may we live with courage, deepen our connections, and embrace the change to which God is calling us. 

May the risen Christ bless you and those you love. 

With every blessing, 

Bishop Naboth Manzongo