Archdeaconry recommends merging of five Regina parishes
Bishop Rob Hardwick and the Qu’Appelle diocesan council have received recommendations from St. Cuthbert’s Archdeaconry for the future of its seven parishes in Regina and one outside of the city.
The archdeaconry recommends the merging of five Regina parishes—All Saints, St. James, St. Luke, St. Matthew and St. Phillip—into one parish with a new name and common vision, starting in January 2021.
Under this plan, all five parishes would worship together at one main location still to be determined. Satellite locations may also be established for specific ministries.
A second recommendation is for a renewal team comprised of two representatives from each of the five parishes and up to five more people appointed by the bishop to serve as members-at-large. The team would develop an implementation plan and have general oversight over the process of merging into one parish.
The final recommendation is for a greater focus on communication and collaboration at all eight parishes in the archdeaconry. The formation of a covenanted Archdeaconry Group Ministry Council, including lay and clergy representatives from each parish, would be a key component of putting this plan into action.
The recommendations followed two years of discussion, meetings and prayer for the future of St. Cuthbert’s. Diocesan council finalized the recommendations on Jan. 25, communicated them to parish vestries and shared them with all parishioners Feb. 2. Parish annual general meetings in February were set to discuss the recommendations and provide feedback to the new renewal team.
—The Saskatchewan Anglican (Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle)
Fredericton team visits companion diocese in Ghana to plan mobile clinic
Three Anglicans from the diocese of Fredericton have visited their companion diocese in Ghana to look into the possibility of establishing a mobile health clinic in the African country’s Volta Region.
The Fredericton delegation headed to the diocese of Ho in Ghana on Jan. 12. The team included Robert Griffin, chair of the Companion Diocese Committee; Lilian Ketch, a member of the diocesan Mother’s Union executive; and Cheryl Jacobs, secretary to Bishop David Edwards and chair of the diocesan Spiritual Development Team.
When Griffin visited the diocese of Ho in May 2019, Bishop Matthias Mededues-Badohu had pointed to a desperate need for medical care in the rural parts of the diocese.
Bishop Matthias suggested that a mobile clinic might be a good start for providing care in these areas. The Companion Diocese Committee decided to explore the possibility of providing a mobile clinic in Volta—potentially in partnership with the Rotary Club, since Griffin is a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Manan.
On their trip to Ghana, the Canadians met with Anglican counterparts in Ho as well as local Rotary Club members. A partnership is now moving forward between the diocese of Ho, which conceived the project; the diocese of Fredericton, which is fundraising; the Rotary Clubs of Grand Manan and Ho for applying for the Rotary Global Grant; and the Teaching Hospital of Ho for operation of the clinic.
A $200,000 budget has been prepared to cover costs such as a vehicle, medical diagnostic equipment and a generator. The diocese hopes to raise about $30,000 US, with divisions of Rotary International covering the remainder.
—The New Brunswick Anglican (Diocese of Fredericton)
GTA church takes Easter story to the streets through visual arts
Anglicans in Richmond Hill are bringing the Easter story directly into their surrounding community this Holy Week with a range of creative events and activities.
Light on the Hill, Oak Ridges—also known as St. John the Baptist Community Church—will host events throughout the week using drama, music, art, video and sound recordings to tell the story of Christ’s death and resurrection.
The activities kick off on Palm Sunday, when church members will take part in a Parade of Triumph, singing, waving palm fronds and asking neighbours to join them. An actor playing Jesus will ride on a donkey at the back of the procession.
Adam Furfaro, executive director of Light on the Hill and a former theatre director, says the visual arts are an effective way to tell the story of Jesus, particularly to those who are not Christian and do not speak English as their first language. Reaching these communities is a priority for Light on the Hill, situated near Canada’s largest Farsi-speaking Iranian community, about 18,000 Mandarin speakers and residents from countries such as Russia and South Korea. Many members of the congregation are also artists, musicians and actors.
Daily evening prayer sessions for the community at large will take place through Holy Week. The church sanctuary will set up a “reflection table” encouraging people to share thoughts or images, while an audio loop plays songs, hymns and recorded monologues in remembrance of Jesus.
On Good Friday, the church will set up “stations of meditation”, a tasting experience with Jerusalem-style food, and a “Cross Room” featuring images of Jesus and an opportunity for visitors to nail their sins, written on paper, to a large wooden cross. Easter celebrations will include a live portrayal of Mary’s return from the empty tomb.
—The Anglican (Diocese of Toronto)
Diocese of Western Newfoundland leading pilgrimage to Holy Land
Twenty Anglicans, mostly from the diocese of Western Newfoundland, will lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land on April 13-24.
Along with Bishop John Organ and his wife Irene, the pilgrimage will include 16 lay and clergy members from the diocese of Western Newfoundland as well as an Anglican couple from Ottawa. Seven members of the group are newly ordained clergy and one is a postulant, who will do reading and written work on top of their pilgrimage to receive academic credit from Queen’s College.
Stelman Flynn, co-chair of the diocesan synod and a parishioner at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Corner Brook, organized a fundraising dinner to help cover some costs of the pilgrimage for those in need. Other gifts were provided by multiple parishes, the Dean Rusted Fund, and John and Irene Organ.
Bishop Organ says that it is important to encourage Christians, particularly clergy, to gain firsthand experience of the Holy Land and sites associated with the life of Jesus. The bishop first travelled to Israel-Palestine in 1989 with the support of a Queen’s College scholarship. From 2012 to 2015, he and Irene lived in Jerusalem where he served as chaplain to Archbishop Suheil Dawani of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
The diocese of Western Newfoundland hopes to offer more pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the future.
—Anglican Life: Newspaper of the Three Anglican Dioceses in Newfoundland and Labrador
Edmonton Cursillo hosting 30-year anniversary conference
To mark 30 years since the first Cursillo weekend in the Anglican diocese of Edmonton, the local Cursillo community will be hosting an anniversary conference for everyone in the diocese.
The conference—based around the theme “Going for Growth,” developed under the guidance of Bishop Jane Alexander—will take place at King’s University in Edmonton from June 19-20.
Approximately 1,000 people have attended the annual Cursillo weekend during its three decades in Edmonton. The Anglican diocese has an active Cursillo group that hosts these yearly retreats along with monthly Cursillo gatherings.
Cursillo, Spanish for “short course,” is a global apostolic movement that offers a primer on Christian living. At the multi-day retreat, speakers discuss the basics of the Christian faith and how to practice one’s faith in everyday life.
Speakers leading the program at the 30-year anniversary conference will include Bishop Alexander and Bishop Victoria Matthews, both self-described Cursillistas, who will speak on how we are called to use our gifts and talenets to serve our communities. Other speakers will discuss topics including church mission, prison ministry and understanding Indigenous history.
Guests will include former weekend directors and members of the national Canadian Anglican Cursillo Secretariat. The two-day program includes worship, music and meals, and will conclude with a Grand Ultreya, the meeting held after the Cursillo experience to which all are invited.
Registration brochures and posters will be sent to parishes throughout the diocese of Edmonton with additional details.
—The Messenger (Diocese of Edmonton)
