Jonas Allooloo

Jonas Allooloo (October 25, 1946 – February 23, 2026) was an Inuk Anglican priest and Bible translator. He served in several pastoral roles in the Diocese of the Arctic of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), including as dean of St. Jude's Cathedral in Iqaluit from 2012 to 2019. He was also part of a team that translated the Bible into Inuktitut; their translation was the first complete Bible translation in Canada developed by native speakers of an indigenous language, rather than by missionaries.

Early life, family, and education Born in the hamlet of Igloolik on Baffin Island, Allooloo was raised near Pond Inlet. His father was also a Christian leader. Allooloo attended a residential school in Churchill, Manitoba, where he reported experiencing anti-indigenous racism. He went on to attend the University of Manitoba. While there, Allooloo felt called to ordained ministry. He attended the Arthur Turner Training School from 1972 to 1975, and was ordained as a priest in 1976. His theological studies at ATTS triggered an interest in Bible translation. Allooloo remained involved with the project after 2012, working to correct or improve the translation. Allooloo also worked on an Inuktitut children's Bible, and translated internal documents for his church.

Ordained ministry In addition to his translation work, Allooloo spent most of his ordained life serving in parish ministry. He was dean and rector of St. Jude's Cathedral in Iqaluit from 2012 to 2019, where he preached in both Inuktitut and English, sometimes during the same service.

Later life and death Within two years of retiring as dean, Allooloo had become effectively homeless in Iqaluit; he and his wife faced a four-to-five-year wait for housing availability and lived with their daughter in staff housing. Allooloo's plight illuminated a challenge for retired Inuit clergy, who generally had access to a rectory while working but had difficulty in securing costly local housing upon retirement. The Allooloos obtained housing after receiving donations from Canadians who were shocked to learn about their situation, and the Anglican Church Women established a fund for retired clergy in the nine member dioceses of the ACC's Council of the North.

Allooloo died on February 23, 2026, at the age of 79.