Earlier today (October 8, 2011) surrounded by friends and holding the hand of Abbot Bishop Brian Brown, Bishop Mary Ann Croisant passed into eternal life. Bishop Mary Ann had been in ill health for some time and spent her last days in a hospice center. Quite apropos to her life, Mary Ann was as much a minister at hospice as she was being ministered to. After having spent many years in Chicago, Mary Ann had in recent years moved to Ashville, NC.
Bishop Mary Ann began her faith life as an Episcopalian and even studied for the priesthood at Seabury Seminary in Chicago. However, before ordination she discovered that a disconnect had developed between her sense of faith and that of the religion that had nurtured her for so long. She turned to the independent catholic church movement and was ordained a deacon and then a priest. After years of searching and having been instrumental in founding several different social justice ministries, Mary Ann turned to Abbot Bishop Brian Brown for her final faith home, Christ’s Catholic Church. On April 18, 2009, Mary Ann Croisant was consecrated bishop for the Diocese of The Road to Emmaus with Abbot Bishop Brian Brown as the Principal Consecrator (both pictured above). As her residence was in Chicago at the time, that became the seat of the diocese. Her ministries there included “the Open Cathedral,” a program for feeding the hungry and homeless in Chicago’s Loop, and a cooperative of knitters who produced hundreds of hats and gloves for needy Chicago children. During that time a diocesan blog was initiated as another form of outreach and several home Masses were celebrated at the home of Fr. David Cronan. In the fall of 2009, she was elected to be one of the three Convening Bishops of Christ’s Catholic Church, a position she has held until her passing.
In 2010, Bishop Mary Ann moved to the South for family reasons and the Diocese of the Road to Emmaus “travelled” with her eventually ending up in Ashville, NC. It was Bishop Mary Ann’s move that prompted the beginning of this the diocese. Mary Ann nominated Fr. David Cronan as the bishop-elect of a new diocese to be formed in the Chicagoland area that became the Diocese of the Epiphany.
While plagued with failing health for many years, Bishop Mary Ann touched the hearts and lives of people wherever she was and however she could serve. In her bio on Christ’s Catholic Church’s website, Mary Ann cites the following as her guiding light: “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” MICAH 6:8 NRSV Those of us who knew her couldn’t agree more. We will miss her in so many ways. Please join us in praying for the repose of her soul. And rejoice with us as we celebrate other saint in the great Cloud of Witnesses who stands ready to support and assist us. Mary Ann, rest in peace!
