Nativity honoured in ecumenical worship

By Diana Swift
Published December 12, 2011

The Holy Family is watched over by an angel in a medieval nativity play at Toronto’s St. James Cathedral. Photo: Pedram Ziaei

An interdenominational service at Toronto’s Cathedral Church of St. James inaugurated "A Northern Nativity," a well-attended international conference on the creche in history and contemporary society.

The colourful Nov.10 service included clergy from the Roman Catholic, United, Coptic and Eastern Rite churches, as well as refugees from Romania and Africa.

In addition to the St. James choir and bell ringers, the service also featured the Coptic Deacons’ Choir, the St. Michael’s Boys’ Choir and the orchestra from Metropolitan United Church. An indigenous minister of the United Church of Canada opened the service with a traditional smudge ceremony.

On Nov. 12, the University of Toronto’s medieval players, Poculi Ludique Societas, performed excerpts from three Nativity plays of the English city of Chester– complete with the Magi riding wooden camels.

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Author

  • Diana Swift

    Diana Swift is an award-winning writer and editor with 30 years’ experience in newspaper and magazine editing and production. In January 2011, she joined the Anglican Journal as a contributing editor.

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