Peaceful new home
A refugee from Nigeria who survived being shot in the head by the army while his wife and two young children were tortured and terrorized, has found a spiritual home in St. John’s Anglican Church in Halifax.
Barineka Pius Gbarazia says he was very fearful when he arrived in Canada but has discovered “”a home away from home”” at St. John’s.
Mr. Gbarazia became a government target after he spoke out against human rights violations. He was left for dead but another group of soldiers treated him and hid him in their barracks until he and his family escaped from Nigeria.
The Canadian government granted them refugee status and paid their fare to Halifax last October where they now live in a small apartment and worship at a church committed to social change. Mr. Gbarazia plans to travel across Canada trying to win support for a boycott of Shell products and to discourage Canadians from investing in Nigeria.
The Diocesan Times
A life-long pursuit
A lay reader for 65 years has been honoured by the bishop of central Newfoundland and the members of St. Edward’s congregation in Glovertown.
Clarence Riggs recalled that after completing a six-month teacher training course at 17, he, like all Anglican male teachers then, was expected to hold two church services and superintend Sunday School.
“”A lay reader then, especially in smaller places where the rector visited rather infrequently, was the bulwark of the church, performing most of the services normally provided by the parish priest,”” Mr. Riggs said.
Lay readers did so, without any remuneration, except the occasional meal or load of firewood, he added.
Newfoundland Churchman
