Summer 2024 Archives - Montreal Anglican https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/tag/summer-2024/ Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:22:59 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/montreal512-150x150.png Summer 2024 Archives - Montreal Anglican https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/tag/summer-2024/ 32 32 216911946 Around the Diocese https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/around-the-diocese-5/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/around-the-diocese-5/#respond Tue, 28 May 2024 17:40:59 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175639 The post Around the Diocese appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

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Jane Hamilton and Clodagh Wheatley at the launch of the Saving Grace campaign for Grace Church Sutton, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tim Smart.
Palm Sunday mass March 24, 2024 at St John the Evangelist. Photo by Janet Best.
Palm Sunday mass March 24, 2024 at St John the Evangelist. Photo by Janet Best.
Matilde Park at Palm Sunday mass March 24, 2024 at St John the Evangelist. Photo by Janet Best.
Bishop Mary and Father Keith Schmidt at his farewell lunch on April 27, 2024. Father Keith retired after serving as Priest in Charge at St John the Evangelist. Photo by Janet Best.
Michael Curry and David Delderfield on April 27, 2024 at Fr. Keith Schmidt’s farewell luncheon. Photo by Janet Best.
Guests at the farewell lunch on April 27, 2024 for Father Keith Schmidt. Photo by Janet Best.
The Rt Rev Oge Beauvoir at the Black Heritage celebration February 10, 2024 in Fulford Hall. Photo by Janet Best.
Willaine Juliassaint (Artist from La Nativité) at the Black Heritage celebration February 10, 2024. Photo by Janet Best.
Frantz Benjamin( Member, Assemblée Nationale du Québec) at the Black Heritage celebration February 10, 2024. Photo by Janet Best.
West-Can Folk Performing Company at the Black Heritage celebration February 10, 2024 in Fulford Hall. Photo by Janet Best.
The Rev Deborah Meister at the Black Heritage celebration February 10, 2024. Photo by Janet Best.
at the launch of the Saving Grace campaign for Grace Church Sutton, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tim Smart.
Walter Gibson with Andre Gagné at the launch of the Saving Grace campaign for Grace Church Sutton, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tim Smart.
at the launch of the Saving Grace campaign for Grace Church Sutton, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tim Smart.
At the launch of the Saving Grace campaign for Grace Church Sutton, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tim Smart.
The Rev Rodney Clark and Lucas Desjardins walk in the Rawdon St. Patrick’s Parade, March 17, 2024. Photo by Kimberly St Denis.
Mary-Jo Rosenquist, directing the municipal choir at the St. Patrick’s parade, March 17, 2024.
Palm Sunday mass March 24, 2024 at St John the Evangelist. Photo by Janet Best.

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/around-the-diocese-5/feed/ 0 175639 A Prayer from the Diocesan Representatives The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/a-prayer-from-the-diocesan-representatives-the-anglican-fellowship-of-prayer-canada-4/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/a-prayer-from-the-diocesan-representatives-the-anglican-fellowship-of-prayer-canada-4/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:31:53 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175602 What a gift she has been! Heavenly Father, we thank you for the ministry of Archbishop Linda Nicholls, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada since 2019 and ordained priest since 1984. We prayerfully acknowledge your steadfast presence in her ministry of compassion, reconciliation and trailblazing. A first-hand witness to the struggles and triumphs […]

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]]> What a gift she has been!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the ministry of Archbishop Linda Nicholls, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada since 2019 and ordained priest since 1984. We prayerfully acknowledge your steadfast presence in her ministry of compassion, reconciliation and trailblazing.

A first-hand witness to the struggles and triumphs of women’s role in ordained ministry, Archbishop Linda challenged the church to do the hard work of improving broken relationships through anti-racism practices and active listening and responding to Indigenous voices within the community. We give thanks for this challenge and pray that with God’s help we will continue this important work. We also give you thanks Gracious God for the wisdom and guidance you instilled in Archbishop Linda through which she made many great contributions to the church here in Canada and abroad.

In recognition of her role as a “beacon and pathfinder for the ministry of women here, and overseas”, the House of Bishops seeded a new Theological Education Fund in Archbishop Linda’s honour. It will provide bursaries for theological education to lay or ordained women. In gratitude and thanksgiving, she expressed her delight with this tribute and prayed “that this fund will enable more women to live into their God-given gifts for the good of the whole Church and the world.” We pray that those who were touched by Archbishop Linda’s sincere and fruitful ministry will join the Bishops and give generously to this initiative.

Gracious God, we implore you to instill in Archbishop Linda permission to rest and to savour this well-deserved break from responsibility. This transition can be hard for such dedicated people. We know that with you by her side, she will discern new pathways where she can “enjoy walking with God’s people, not as a leader, but as a friend, teacher and mentor alongside opportunities that allow her soul to sing—literally and figuratively.” We humbly pray that this singing goes on and on and on.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Valerie Bennett & Stacey Neale

The quoted statements are from articles posted to anglican.ca and anglican.foundation.org. Specific references are available upon request.

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/a-prayer-from-the-diocesan-representatives-the-anglican-fellowship-of-prayer-canada-4/feed/ 0 175602 Apprivoiser sa mortalité : oeuvres récentes Exposition de Holly Ratcliffe https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/apprivoiser-sa-mortalite-oeuvres-recentes-exposition-de-holly-ratcliffe/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/apprivoiser-sa-mortalite-oeuvres-recentes-exposition-de-holly-ratcliffe/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:30:00 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175599 Une exposition de céramiques récentes de Holly Ratcliffe, prêtre anglican, anthropologue et céramiste aura lieu à la cathédrale Christ Church à la fin de l’été. Holly s’intéresse aux traditions funéraires de sa propre culture et d’autres cultures et explore leur sens et leur richesse artistique à travers l’argile. À travers ses céramiques funéraires, marquées par […]

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Une exposition de céramiques récentes de Holly Ratcliffe, prêtre anglican, anthropologue et céramiste aura lieu à la cathédrale Christ Church à la fin de l’été.
Holly s’intéresse aux traditions funéraires de sa propre culture et d’autres cultures et explore leur sens et leur richesse artistique à travers l’argile.

À travers ses céramiques funéraires, marquées par des formes classiques, des textures et des traitements gestuels, l’artiste crée un espace de dialogue autour du problème spirituel de l’absence de sens de la mort dans notre culture. Ses œuvres permettent à l’observateur de réfléchir à son attitude habituelle face à sa mortalité et de l’amener à un état contemplatif désarmant, voire un état de communion, allant jusqu’à déstabiliser le visiteur qui s’y attarderait.

Ces œuvres sont issues de sa récente résidence d’artiste au Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, UVic, intitulée Pentimenti : Ceramic funerary vessels as biographies of spiritual homecomings.

Pendant l’exposition, Holly proposera des visites guides et des ateliers sur le thème “Apprivoiser sa mortalité avec l’aide de l’argile” à la Cathédrale.

 Contactez la cathédrale par le biais du site web pour connaître les dates, les informations et les modalités d’inscription.

 

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/apprivoiser-sa-mortalite-oeuvres-recentes-exposition-de-holly-ratcliffe/feed/ 0 175599 Befriending our Mortality : Recent Works Exhibition by Holly Ratcliffe https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/befriending-our-mortality-recent-works-exhibition-by-holly-ratcliffe/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/befriending-our-mortality-recent-works-exhibition-by-holly-ratcliffe/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:28:49 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175596 An exhibition of recent ceramics of Anglican priest, anthropologist and ceramicist Holly Ratcliffe will take place at Christ Church Cathedral at the end of the summer. Holly is interested in funerary traditions of her own and other cultures and explores their meanings and artistic richness through clay. Through her funerary ceramics, marked by their classic […]

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]]> An exhibition of recent ceramics of Anglican priest, anthropologist and ceramicist Holly Ratcliffe will take place at Christ Church Cathedral at the end of the summer.
Holly is interested in funerary traditions of her own and other cultures and explores their meanings and artistic richness through clay.
Through her funerary ceramics, marked by their classic forms, textures and gestural treatments, the artist creates a place for dialogue around the spiritual problem of the meaninglessness of death in our culture. Her works enable the observer to reflect on their attitudes toward their mortality and elicit a disarming, contemplative state.
These works are from her recent artist’s residency at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, UVic called Pentimenti: Ceramic funerary vessels as biographies of spiritual homecomings.
Holly will offer visits and workshops on Befriending our Mortality with Clay at the Cathedral during the exhibition. Please see the Cathedral website for dates, information and registration.

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/befriending-our-mortality-recent-works-exhibition-by-holly-ratcliffe/feed/ 0 175596 Reflections on Vocations Day https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/reflections-on-vocations-day/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/reflections-on-vocations-day/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:27:14 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175593 “Vocation is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet” – Frederick Buechner* On April 27th, I attended an amazing Vocation Day at the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. There were speakers, interactive sessions, and an explanation of the process of ordination. The day opened with Bishop Mary’s beautiful story of her journey in […]

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“Vocation is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet” – Frederick Buechner*

On April 27th, I attended an amazing Vocation Day at the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. There were speakers, interactive sessions, and an explanation of the process of ordination.

The day opened with Bishop Mary’s beautiful story of her journey in faith, her ordination as a priest in 1982, and her first experience celebrating the Eucharist in Hudson. She remembered clearly thinking, “I’m standing on the X of my destiny. I’m standing where God has called me to be.” Wow. What an inspiring way to start off this session and to launch into spring, a time of rebirth and renewal.

The Rev Canon Dr Jesse Zink then spoke. I love his observation that Discernment not always easy, that discernment means to pull apart, “like taffy” or like a cat’s stretch. It’s an invitation to listen to what God is calling us to do.
He noted that when we decide to listen to God’s call, every “Yes” is a “No” to something else.

Jesse Zink spoke of his own resistance at first being called to the priesthood. He felt a loss at saying “No” to his life as a layperson. Then, understanding that this is what deciding means, he was able to move on.


His learning: be attentive to what you are already doing. As Christians, he emphasized, we believe you discern within community, where in the midst of that sometimes emotionally challenging response to God’s call, we find support and encouragement. Here are some of his main points:

  • In the church I see the following needs … (fill in the blanks for yourself), ex: inter-cultural understanding
  • God has given me the following gifts …
  • With these gifts, in response to those needs, I believe God is calling me to …. {verb} ex. Teach and {role} ie. High School Teacher.
  • Know that you can and should change over time.

Vocations Day Sessions included:

1. Chaplaincy

  • Jen Bourque cited the model of the “living human web” by B. McLmore-Miller that helped her in her work first at the Hospital (for 12 yrs) and now at Concordia. In her case study, she mentioned that as a Spiritual Care Professional, one should consider this question: how can you care for and meet with non-Christians?
  • Alain Brosseau shared how Military Chaplains care for the moral and spiritual wellbeing of military personnel and their families – domestically and internationally. He said that we “are rooted in our faith and that energizes us.” For example, he is not a psychologist, yet he journeys with people to accompany them and if they need a psychologist, he finds one.

2. Spiritual practices of sustainable ministry

  • To start, Jesse Zink had us stand to sing the Isaac Watt’s hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Embodied activities, like singing, is an antidote to burnout, which, he noted, is a real thing.
  • There are three types of prayer Individual, Corporate (with others), and Eucharistic. Jesse Zink offered helpful, and guilt-free guidance here. He said, “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”
  • For some, it is the eucharist that is the centre of their faith, for some, the “daily office” (lectio divnia style) is helpful, and still others have prayer lists. To explore and find that way that you can pray is a loving invitation.

In 2017 I attended a three-week session of Diocesan Supper Club**, hosted by Lee-Anne Matthews. The session, led by Gideon Strauss, called, “Your Next Five Years,” was on how to design your life and vocation in a faith-based way.
In the time elapsed from then, I have reflected a lot. This year’s Vocation Day was a timely continuation of that learning.

Now, with so much shifting in our modern world, it’s a good time to consider our gifts and how to deploy them. When I started High school in the 1980’s, I wanted to be a priest. My career took another trajectory, and yet, my commitment to love, respect, and uplift others has remained.

*”Vocation: gladness and hunger” (Frederick Buechner, cited by Jesse Zink at Vocation Day at Anglican Diocese of Montreal April 27th, 2024)
**Supper Club – www.montreal.anglican.ca/supper-club

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/reflections-on-vocations-day/feed/ 0 175593 Rewilding of Church Properties https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/rewilding-of-church-properties/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/rewilding-of-church-properties/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:25:17 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175590 I recently approached the Stewardship of the Environment Committee with a proposal to embark on a campaign encouraging the rewilding of Church properties in the Diocese of Montreal. They were very receptive to taking steps in this direction. Read on to find out about the proposal and how to take action. Like many of us, […]

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I recently approached the Stewardship of the Environment Committee with a proposal to embark on a campaign encouraging the rewilding of Church properties in the Diocese of Montreal. They were very receptive to taking steps in this direction. Read on to find out about the proposal and how to take action.
Like many of us, I am concerned with environmental stewardship and decolonization practices. It struck me that the rewilding concept is accessible, impactful and most importantly, do-able for our context in the Diocese of Montreal.
Given the current economic situation, exacerbated by ongoing pressures on Churches to recruit new members and retain existing ones, I didn’t want to further burden our leaders. The good news is that this proposal frees us to lean into the deep wisdom inherent in nature herself and to find peace with what is. And, it can be done within the existing frameworks of effort and at little or no cost.
The concept of rewilding church properties is one that not only revitalizes green spaces but also fosters environmental sustainability, promotes biodiversity and support community well-being. Of equal importance to Anglicans, is that this as an opportunity to honor Creation and our commitment to decolonize Churches.

What does this mean?

The rewilding movement aims to restore and protect natural ecosystems by reintroducing native plants, removing invasive species, and allowing natural processes to occur with minimal human intervention. The goal is to reverse habitat degradation, enhance biodiversity, and create healthier, more resilient ecosystems.
We are encouraged to consider all of our green spaces, even those that are not visible from the curb, perhaps flanking the building or the parking lot. For some, this would be the place to start since these areas may be neglected or overlooked.

What can we do?

A few obvious things that we can do immediately is to avoid planting grass, mowing lawns and being mindful of raking leaves to accommodate the life cycle of insects and reptiles. Instead of grass we can plant clover or wildflowers as a means of promoting biodiversity. Instead of annuals we can plant native perennials that will provide food for pollinators. Instead of removing dandelions, we let them flourish as they promote soil health and provide a habitat and food for pollinators and insects.

The book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer was a source of profound inspiration. Having read the book I feel moved to examine my own life, actions and behavior with greater scrutiny.

“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.” (Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants).

“In the Western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top—the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of Creation—and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn—we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They’ve been on the earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out.” (Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants).

Even here in our own diocese there are numerous churches that are well underway in their rewilding efforts and we can learn from them.
Consider for example, St Philips church in Montreal West with their ample fruit trees, raised garden beds and ongoing impressive dedication to community and environmental stewardship.

While I am not an expert – just a concerned citizen and a lover of the natural world – I have found many sources of knowledge on this topic, the results of of which are in the boxes below.

 

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/rewilding-of-church-properties/feed/ 0 175590 Holy Week Youth Retreat at All Saints Church, Dorval https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/holy-week-youth-retreat-at-all-saints-church-dorval/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/holy-week-youth-retreat-at-all-saints-church-dorval/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:23:07 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175588 Before the pandemic All Saints by the Lake in Dorval had a tradition of keeping watch with the Reserved Sacrament all night, from the end of the Maundy Thursday service until midday on Good Friday. In 2020, during lockdown, we held a “virtual vigil” before the Reserved Sacrament in my guest room, which many participants […]

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]]> Before the pandemic All Saints by the Lake in Dorval had a tradition of keeping watch with the Reserved Sacrament all night, from the end of the Maundy Thursday service until midday on Good Friday.
In 2020, during lockdown, we held a “virtual vigil” before the Reserved Sacrament in my guest room, which many participants found surprisingly meaningful. I simply opened a Zoom link, lit a candle, and let people come and go throughout the night as they wished. Then I reverently disposed of the remaining bread and wine (from our last service in the church on March 15 of that year) and we didn’t have Eucharist again until Easter of 2021.
Since there was no sacrament on Maundy Thursday in 2021, there was also no vigil before it.
In 2022, after having installed an alarm system but with many still being somewhat cautious about leaving the house, we kept vigil before the sacrament from 9pm to midnight and 6am to noon, but not in the middle of the night.
In 2023, we planned a similar vigil, but it ended up being cancelled when the power went out.
It had occurred to me on Palm Sunday 2023 (with the force of revelation such that it was very difficult to get to sleep for my Pastor Nap that afternoon!): if the problem is that folks who are getting up in years don’t feel comfortable staffing a vigil in the chapel between midnight and sunrise, why not get a bunch of teenagers together (people notorious for being awake at antisocial hours) and have them do it?!
Hence, the idea for the Holy Week Youth Retreat was born.
Peter Lekx and I coordinated the planning and leading of the event. It was embedded within the existing rhythm of a parish Holy Week: we began with the Maundy Thursday dinner and liturgy at All Saints’, and concluded at a Good Friday Breakfast at Christ Church, Beaurepaire.
In between, about 15 teenagers and young adults took part in activities, prayer, and fellowship in the evening; slept overnight in the All Saints’ church hall; took turns watching before the reserved sacrament for an hour; and shared prayer, reflections, and snacks before packing up and heading to the breakfast.
The Rev’d Neil Mancor, Canon for Congregational Development, and Marie-Claude Martz, a parent and teacher from All Saints’, filled out the adult leadership team. We had participants from five parishes on the Island of Montreal.
After we shared an agape meal, washed feet, and celebrated the Eucharist with the congregation of All Saints’ by the Lake, we gathered and introduced ourselves and then spent a couple of hours in our activity groups. The options for activities included:
• Decorating the altar of repose in the chapel with me
• Making hot cross buns with Marie-Claude
• Working on Stations of the Cross with Peter (which were used the next day at the Good Friday event at CCB)
• Decorating the “Alleluia” banner which had been “buried” in the All Saints’ font on Shrove Tuesday.
In addition, the confirmation class (three kids from All Saints’ and one from St. John the Baptist, Pointe-Claire), rehearsed and recorded a video skit of the book of Jonah (an assignment for the class), which was then shown at the All Saints’ Easter Vigil.
During the night, adults from several parishes joined the retreat leaders in order to maintain a presence of at least three people in the chapel at all times. Devotional reading material was provided. Everyone else slept downstairs in the church hall on gym mats, air mattresses, and sleeping bags.
When we gathered at 8am – yawning, disheveled, and unshowered – to reflect on our experiences, many of the participants expressed a feeling of surprise at how quickly the time went and how meaningful it was to stop, reflect, and pray in this unique way.
We then cleaned up and headed over to Christ Church Beaurepaire, where we met with another cheerful group of people with whom we shared prayers and an excellent spread of food.
Our group had a great time and at the end of the retreat were already asking when we could do another inter-parish youth event. Peter and I look forward to planning another one soon!

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/holy-week-youth-retreat-at-all-saints-church-dorval/feed/ 0 175588 Saving Grace Campaign Launch April 13, 2024 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/saving-grace-campaign-launch-april-13-2024/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/saving-grace-campaign-launch-april-13-2024/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:21:54 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175586   Our Saving Grace Campaigns purpose is to repair, restore and preserve the fabric of Grace Church to fulfill its evolving mission and maintain its historic significance.Grace Church has served Sutton’s Anglican community throughout most of the town‘s existence. It all began with the construction of the present stone structure and the onsite visit on […]

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Our Saving Grace Campaigns purpose is to repair, restore and preserve the fabric of Grace Church to fulfill its evolving mission and maintain its historic significance.Grace Church has served Sutton’s Anglican community throughout most of the town‘s existence. It all began with the construction of the present stone structure and the onsite visit on 1 August 1846 by Bishop Mountain from Quebec. Since then, 14 beautiful stained glass biblical images have been installed, filling every window and becoming a valued part of Sutton’s cultural legacy. Services can now be experienced on Zoom and its faith community is open and welcoming.
Inevitably, significant parts of the structure have needed attention: the organ was replaced in 2021, the steeple rebuilt in 2022, the oil-burning furnaces were replaced with heat pumps in 2023 and the community-active church hall has been redecorated. But the work continues: a new roof, more thermal insulation, drainage control, access improvements and internal upgrades remain.
While the completed work has been paid from available funds, Grace Church must now rely on a fund-raising campaign that reaches out to the wider Sutton community and beyond. A very successful launch event was held in the church hall on April 13 with noted author, Louise Penny, as Honorary Chairwoman. Attendance reached 70 and Bishop Mary spoke in support of the campaign.
Grace Church has a vital role to fulfil in the ongoing development of its Christian mission and of the community of Sutton. As such, we appeal to everyone who agrees that maintaining its fabric is necessary to continue and expand this role. All donations will receive a tax receipt.

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/saving-grace-campaign-launch-april-13-2024/feed/ 0 175586 The Meaning of Mission: Grappling with 150 Years of History at Montreal Dio https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/the-meaning-of-mission-grappling-with-150-years-of-history-at-montreal-dio/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/the-meaning-of-mission-grappling-with-150-years-of-history-at-montreal-dio/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:20:35 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175584 In preparation for Montreal Dio’s 150th anniversary, I spent a fair amount of time digging around in the diocesan archives. On social media, I shared amusing stories from the earliest college magazine around the turn of the 20th century, silly pictures from freshman initiation nights from the 1960s, poems and comics from old college publications, […]

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]]> In preparation for Montreal Dio’s 150th anniversary, I spent a fair amount of time digging around in the diocesan archives. On social media, I shared amusing stories from the earliest college magazine around the turn of the 20th century, silly pictures from freshman initiation nights from the 1960s, poems and comics from old college publications, and historical tidbits that exemplify positive changes in the culture of the church.
But for every piece of college history I shared, there were countless magazine columns and student recollections that I chose not to share and that did not feel worth celebrating. Much of them centred on one word: mission.
College magazines published in the late 19th and early 20th century often had articles about preparing students for mission that were full of the colonial rhetoric that was characteristic of the time. Although it is not surprising to find this rhetoric in publications from that period, it is certainly cause for deeper reflection when we encounter it so explicitly in the institutions we continue to inhabit and celebrate 150 years on.
It is one thing to know on a general level that the Anglican Church was implicit in the attempted cultural genocide of Indigenous people. It is another thing to read, as I did in vol. 8 no. 6 of the The Montreal Diocesan Theological College Magazine (1900), an urgent call for missionaries to the Diocese of Moosonee “because the Indian must be prepared for larger civilization and the Gospel is the best preparation.”
With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to think: “well, we know better now”. An anniversary is a time to interrogate that thought and to really consider the questions: “How far have we come, really?”, “In what ways are we still falling short?” and “How can we do better?”
Anglicans today inherit a legacy of growth and change with regards to mission that began in the mid 20th century. In 1963, Anglicans around the world formalized a commitment to re-imagine mission in the Mutual Responsibility and Interdependence manifesto unveiled at the 1963 Anglican Congress in Toronto.
What does this mean exactly? It means the church recognized that mission is not one sided and that relationship and mutual learning should in fact be at the centre of mission work. It means the church began to conceptualize a framework for mission that does not deploy salvation as an excuse for hatred or cultural genocide.
Under the MRI framework, mission brings us into deeper relationship with the church and Jesus Christ not in converting but in observing, listening, and learning from the other. Since 1963, MRI and its implementation have been criticized for not addressing the structural considerations that get in the way of mutuality (ingrained hierarchies within the church, structural racism, and a culture of failing to listen, for example). However, it continues to articulate a vision of mission that is in keeping with the gospel of Jesus and is therefore worth striving towards despite our failings.
I recently spoke with The Rev. John Barton who graduated from Dio in 1957. John spent decades of his life working in mission first as a missionary in Uganda and then as the Director of World Missions. I asked him what he thought was the most important thing theological schools could do to reconcile the harms perpetrated by the church through mission. His response was simple: “It’s being present with people who wish to be present with you that brings about change.”
He recalled a classmate from India who he studied alongside during his years at Dio. “When you have a Christian from another culture with you for two years, it has its impact. His presence, more than any teaching, was what really counted.” He brought this experience into his mission work in Uganda, where he was stationed from 1960 to 1968 as a teacher at a theological school. “I came to understand how the Gospel transcends culture and is able to unite people. I had not understood that before.”
He learned new ways of experiencing Christ and came away transformed and able to see the Gospel with fresh eyes, not because of what he had done for others, but because of how he had allowed others to transform his spirit.
Theological schools play a key role in the church’s continual re-shaping of Christian mission, not only because they form the future leaders of the church but also because of the tremendous opportunity they provide for intercultural dialogue. More and more students are coming to theological colleges in Canada from Asia and Africa where the Church is growing. And as the church declines here in Canada, ecumenism becomes the way of the future.
Over half of the students at Dio this year are from outside of Canada. We have students from Nigeria, Haiti, Rwanda, France, Tanzania, and South Korea in addition to Canada and the United States. Our students come from Pentecostal, Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, and United Church backgrounds.
One no longer has to go abroad to experience the kind of transformative presence that John Barton described as having the capacity to heal the church. One only needs to listen to the diverse voices in our churches and local communities.
At Dio, active presence with one another in study, in worship, over shared meals, struggles, and joys, is something we are working to make the centrepiece of life at the college. This is not without its challenges. We have struggled to order food that is appetizing to all members of the community, to plan community events that don’t just appeal to white westerners, to find liturgical music that suits everyone’s spiritual needs. The list goes on.
But with every mistake, we are learning. We have learned new songs from each other around the campfire at our year-opening retreats, increased the flexibility of our community liturgies, found regular caterers who meet the various tastes of our students.
Dio students are still going to the Diocese of Moosonee, but it is now as part of an intercultural encounter to listen and learn from the Cree people of Waswanapi. We have learned that welcome is not just about extending an invitation, it is about compromising one’s own comfort. It is not just about opening a door, but about expanding the boundaries of the room.
As our 150th academic year comes to a close, our prayer for the next 150 years is this: that we open our arms, but do not close them. That we listen more than we speak. That we taste new flavours and learn to like them. That we hear new songs and learn to sing them. That we question the rules we take for granted and listen to the wisdom of those who do not know the rules. That we do not seek to transform the other, but that we let ourselves be transformed by them.

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]]> https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/the-meaning-of-mission-grappling-with-150-years-of-history-at-montreal-dio/feed/ 0 175584 Crossing Cultural Backgrounds: A Partnership Interview with Fr. Linus Buriani https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/crossing-cultural-backgrounds-a-partnership-interview-with-fr-linus-buriani/ https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/crossing-cultural-backgrounds-a-partnership-interview-with-fr-linus-buriani/#respond Thu, 23 May 2024 19:18:36 +0000 https://montreal.anglicannews.ca/?p=175582 The Diocese of Montreal has had a longterm partnership relationship with the Diocese of Masasi, in southeastern Tanzania, since 2007. The Diocese of Masasi was founded in 1926, when Tanzania (known at the time as British Tanganyika) was still a colonial territory. Today, the Diocese of Masasi covers some 68,000 square kilometres, and encompasses 230 […]

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]]> The Diocese of Montreal has had a longterm partnership relationship with the Diocese of Masasi, in southeastern Tanzania, since 2007. The Diocese of Masasi was founded in 1926, when Tanzania (known at the time as British Tanganyika) was still a colonial territory. Today, the Diocese of Masasi covers some 68,000 square kilometres, and encompasses 230 churches.
Swahili is the official language of Tanzania, but 126 different tribal languages are also spoken throughout the country. Masasi is inhabited mostly by small-scale subsistence farmers. The land is dry, and severe drought is a common hardship, increasingly exacerbated by the growing climate change crisis: the cashew crop, a mainstay of the local economy, repeatedly fails.
In 2015, I had the privilege of visiting Masasi as part of a youth delegation. During our time there we had the opportunity to dialogue with other young people from across the diocese. It was on this trip that I first met Fr. Linus Buriani, a young priest whom the Partnerships Committee has been sponsoring to attain a Bachelors in Theology at McGill University over the last two years.
Fr. Linus will soon be completing his studies in Montreal and returning to Masasi, where he will take up the position of principal at St. Cyprian’s College. St. Cyprian’s College is Masasi’s diocesan theological school; it is hoped that with his new education Fr. Linus will help to make St. Cyprian’s College a regional centre for theological education throughout East Africa. Recently, I interviewed Fr. Linus to hear his perspective on the last two years.

What do you think is the benefit of diocesan partnerships?
Diocesan partnerships provide important opportunities for building up the body of Christ across cultural backgrounds: we pray together, we pray for each other, we share our experiences, we learn from one another.

What is your favourite thing about studying in Montreal?
I have really enjoyed having access to libraries. Studying in Tanzania, education is heavily dependent upon what knowledge the teacher can provide. Studying here in Canada, I have loved reading so many books, and being able to use the McGill Birks Reading Room and the library at Presbyterian College. I love to read, and the experience of studying here makes me want to write my own book!
What was the biggest challenge you faced studying in Montreal?
The biggest challenge I faced was being so far away from my family — especially my children. I am thankful for the communication technology that has kept us together across such big distances.

What do you think is the single most important thing you have learnt from your studies in Montreal?
Many priests in my country have not had the opportunity to study theology at a higher level; schooling is expensive, and not everyone can afford it. Studying at McGill, I have learnt the importance of investing in the theological education of the Church’s leaders (both lay and ordained) so that they can better perform in their ministry. Education is important. I hope that my studies will strengthen the quality of education that we can provide to our own students at St. Cyprian’s College.

Is there anything you’d like the churches of the Diocese of Montreal to know?
I want to thank the Diocese of Montreal for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream of studying at McGill, one of the major universities that the world has to offer. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity, which was only made possible because of your generosity.

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