Gracious Emmanuel guide us as we continue to work out the COVID guidelines for worship and in-door gatherings. Ease our anxiety as we welcome strangers to our parishes who might not share our passion for being vaccinated, wearing masks, and keeping our distance. We pray for patience among your faithful who are growing weary of these rules and for hope that one day soon this pandemic will leave us.  

Wonderful Counselor, we thank you for giving us this time of deprivation. Through this journey we have come to realize just how many blessings we have and how we take them for granted. Help us to move out of this pandemic world as a more welcoming people, quick to love and help others, and slow to anger and fear.

Prince of Peace be with us as we walk in your ways. Help us to serve you by supporting those in need, visiting the sick and lonely, and reaching out to refugees and captives. We thank you that we can once again experience the joy of sharing with others in-person and witnessing their delight in being together. 

Light of the World bring us your joy and peace this Christmas and protect us from the disappointment of unforeseen circumstances. Help us to never lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas and to do everything possible to keep you at the centre as you are the reason for the season.

To you, O Lord, belong all glory and honor. 

Amen.
God bless, Valerie and Stacey

For more information on AFP-C, contact Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale at valstacey@bell.net

The post The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

There was a joyful congregation with as many present at the Cathedral as permitted given pandemic restrictions. In addition, a good-sized congregation watched the proceedings on Youtube live. 

Bishop Mary presided and the Rev Canon William Blizzard preached. Dean Bertrand Olivier, Archdeacon Robert Camara and the Cathedral staff, musicians, choir and servers were thanked by the Bishop for their roles in creating a memorable celebration.

I asked the recent ordinands to answer a few questions – some serious, others not – so that we can get to know them better. As you’ll see, they graciously cooperated… for the most part. 

We welcome Fresia, Susan and Benjamin as they take on new roles in the diocese.

The Rev Fresia Saborio is Deacon in Charge at St George, Granby and Assistant Curate in the Regional Ministry of Brome-Shefford

What are your hopes for ministry in this post-pandemic world? 

My hopes are turned towards a new sense of togetherness and of the importance we may give to walking our spiritual journey together. 

My hopes are turned towards a new understanding of our need to experience meaning, purpose, connectedness and transcendence. 

I believe firmly that through the gift and grace of the sacraments, by the presence of God amongst us, we are participating with the church at large in being the reflection of God’s love to the world, building a society that is more compassionate, forgiving and just.

What song would you sing if persuaded to participate in karoke?

Gracias a la vida – Violeta Parra

What is your favorite junk food? Chocolate – and more chocolate!

What is your pet peeve?  Definitely pretentiousness and arrogance

The Rev Susan Searle is Assistant Curate at St John the Evangelist and Associate Priest at St George’s, Place du Canada

What are your hopes for ministry in this post-pandemic world? 

That we will see and use this as an opportunity to NOT go back to “normal”

What inspired you to pursue ordination? 

Acombination of a desire to serve God and make sense of my own life (what a priest-friend referred to as “redeeming the time”)

What song would you sing if persuaded to participate in karaoke? 

Boulder to Birmingham by Emmylou Harris

What is your favorite book or movie?…Chocolat (movie)  Outlander series (books)

What is your favorite junk food? Mac and cheese

What is your pet peeve? Time! It either moves too slowly or too quickly. Too easy to get stuck in ”kronos”.

The Rev Deacon Benjamin Stuchbery is  Assistant Curate at the Parish of Vaudreuil

What are your hopes for ministry in this post-pandemic world? 

My deepest hope for ministry in a post-pandemic world is that all of us in the church come to a deeper understanding of our need for one another. God made us for one another. We are all beloved children of God. In my mind, ministry describes the quality of relationship to which all God’s children are called, that is, mutual loving service. This is the way of being exemplified in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a way of being that can only be lived out in community.

What inspired you to pursue ordination? 

This way of being, as it is embodied in my particular life, revealed itself as a call to ordained to ministry. My ordination is my response to God’s loving initiative in my life. It is my response to the love of the church. And it is my response – my ‘yes’ – to all those who pointed to this vocation and said to me, “Ben, become who you are.” Like all sacraments, ordination reveals what is already true. My ordination continues to reveal its truth to me, each day when I choose to assent anew to God’s activity in my life.

When pressed, Benjamin admitted to enjoying salt & vinegar chips

The post We welcome Fresia, Susan and Benjamin to the priesthood and diaconate appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

Myrna (as she asked to be called) began the workshop with her trademark gift of being thoughtful yet challenging, sensitive yet unafraid to provoke. She made it clear that, while she didn’t want anyone to feel attacked, she did expect us to feel uncomfortable. And we did. As Neil Mancor mentioned in his article on page four, participants of colour were frank in sharing their experiences of racism. It was moving and humbling to hear their stories. 

Myrna referenced Martin Luther King Jr and his letter from a Birmingham jail.  “…the judgement of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevent social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disapppointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.” 

Sadly, though written in 1963, this quote is still fitting today. We were reminded that as painful as it is to hear it we must not run from this. We must face it. 

We spent a good deal of time talking about people who live “above and below the line” which was another way of saying those with and without power. We learned that Black people have been primed to see themselves as inferior and internalizing this inferiority compels them to hide who they truly are, to wear a mask. 

Myrna reminded us that the church is intertwined with social action. Jesus was a social activist. He challenged the status quo – reaching out to lepers, to women.  She encouraged us to be bold in our activism. 

She talked about the legacy of white colonialism, of the glass ceiling that is still there. For instance, we’ve never had a non-white primate. It is critical that we look around and see who is missing from the table. 

We were reminded that that racism effects all aspects of life, even one’s physical health. She talked about the importance of being an ally for people of colour and all marginalized groups.

On Friday, we worked together in the breakout rooms to come up with things that the church members must do to bring about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in society. The following day we worked on identifying structural things that the church can do as an institution to bring about full EDI in its practice.

Following the workshop, several parishes, and the deaconry, have continued to educate themselves and are searching for ways to bring about EDI in their churches and their lives. 

Learn more: www.montreal.anglican.ca/antiracism-task-force

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To help keep out the damp air, I wrapped ourselves in a shawl that was crocheted by my mother for such occasions. It was just the two of us rocking back and forth. The only light was from a glimmering night light in the far corner. 

The room was quiet. I had never experienced this kind of silence. It wasn’t a sound but, a feeling…peace. 

I remember wondering, “How could I be in this peaceful bubble, when I was so tired?”. Although I desperately wanted to go back to sleep, with the same amount of desperation I wanted to stay in this moment. There were no thoughts of “what’s next?”, “what to do” or “how do we?”  No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past. Just us, rocking back and forth.

Every time Advent comes upon us and preparations for Christmas begin, I remind myself about that time in the rocking chair. 

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, in the preparations and expectations of the holiday seasons. 

I often wonder what Mary felt like when coddling her new born babe. 

Was she anxious about being in a barn? Were her expectations not met? Did she feel disappointed because this wasn’t what she thought the birth of her child was going to be like? 

The journey Mary had been on, since the day she found out she was going to be Jesus’ mother, was anything but what she most likely had ever expected. 

We must remember that as lovely and romantic we think the Christmas story is, it is also a story of danger and precariousness.  

Mary: Meek and Mild

In Luke 1:26-38, we read of when the angel Gabriel approached Mary to tell her she was the “favoured one” of God and chosen to be Jesus’s mother. In my Sunday school lessons, Mary was always portrayed as timid, obedient and almost docile. 

For the majority of the passage, Gabriel informs Mary of what’s going to happen. And Mary’s only responses are “how can this be for I am a virgin?” and “here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

I think there would have been a bit more protest. For Mary to accept what Gabriel was proposing, she was not just putting her reputation on the line, but her whole livelihood. To be pregnant out of wedlock at that time would likely result in her arranged marriage being dissolved. Mary could have been kicked out of her house and – even worse – been put to death. 

In the scriptures, when we see God calling on men, there is usually some form of dialogue, even refusals. Yet, Mary, so willingly, just said yes? There is way more to the story here. Don’t be fooled. Mary did not just lie down. Mary possessed great power in this moment. She could have very easily said no to God. By saying yes, Mary made a decision after which she not only had to have great courage, but she also had to be smart – and even cunning – to be able to convince her parents to help her in this situation.

Elizabeth and Mary: Bump Buddies

In Luke 1:39-56 we read the story of how Mary visited Elizabeth. This passage is always portrayed warmly as two cousins find out they are pregnant at the same time. How great is that? Yey, bump buddies! The kids can play together and grow up together. How very exciting! Though, in actuality Mary was probably sent to Elizabeth and Zachariah to hide. This would have given time for the families of Mary and Joseph to talk without putting Mary in immediate harm. 

Joseph: Step Dad Extraordinaire

I never really gave much thought to Joseph within the Christmas story. At first my impressions were, ahh what a great guy, or what guy would do that – dream or no dream from Gabriel. When Joseph says yes to accept Mary, there was no turning back. He would have to ensure there were no suspicions about Mary. Not only that, I am sure Joseph didn’t expect to become a refugee and flee to Egypt knowing King Herod was after Jesus.

Each year many of us get wound up in the preparations and expectations of Christmas. I don’t think that Mary and Joseph expected all they had to go through. What challenges they would face to bring Jesus into the world. Joseph didn’t expect to have a pregnant wife. Mary didn’t expect to be travelling (according to google maps) 30 hours by foot while pregnant. Neither of them expected to be giving birth in a barn. 

When we strip away all the expectations of Christmas, we are simply left with what is. A family, in one form or another. Together with no thoughts of “what’s next?” or “how do we?”. No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past or words spoken. Just Mary, Joseph and the baby rocking back and forth, in that moment of peace, joy, hope, love and light.

The post What Did You Expect? appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

Afghanistan Evacuation Air Traffic Control, August 16, 2021: “Okay, how many people do you think are on your jet?… 800 people on your jet? Holy f—, holy cow.” 

Where and what is your heaven on earth? Likely, it would involve a place, a place you call home, a place of family and community, work and leisure, a place made up of the things that define who you are. 

Imagine for a moment that you have become a refugee, defined by loss of place, of home, community and possibly even family. You have been forced to flee and are now faced with the daunting task of moving heaven and earth to find safety, shelter, a new place to call home. 

In its 2020 report, The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) indicated that “Despite COVID-related movement restrictions and pleas from the international community for a [global] ceasefire that would facilitate the COVID-19 response, displacement continued to occur – and to grow. As a result, above one per cent of the world’s population – or 1 in 95 people – is now forcibly displaced. This compares with 1 in 159 in 2010.” 

Despite the growing numbers of those seeking asylum, the UNCHR also reported that “only 34,400 refugees were resettled to third countries in 2020…This compares to 107,800 the year before and marks a dramatic 60 per cent decline – at a time when 1.4 million refugees are estimated to be in need of resettlement.”

In mid-August, 640 Afghans crowded onto a U.S. Air Force CF-18 in a desperate attempt to find safety in another country. It was five times the plane’s passenger capacity. The image flooding news broadcasts and social media feeds was a searing definition of moving heaven and earth.

Here in Canada, there is a small group of Anglicans who, in less dramatic but no less committed ways, go about the work of moving heaven and earth to bring to Canada those who have lost their heaven on earth. 

They are the Refugee Coordinators for the 15 dioceses that hold Private Sponsorship Agreements with the federal government’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ministry. Some of them are lay people, others ordained, some are paid, others are volunteers. 

PWRDF provides modest networking and advocacy support to this group known as the PWRDF Refugee Network. Since COVID-19 hit, the group has gathered regularly on Zoom to check-in, offer mutual support and mentoring and to strategize.

In the Diocese of Montreal, Carolina Manganelli is the Refugee Coordinator. Since 2015, parishes and families have welcomed 487 refugees to the diocese, no one in 2021. 

When representatives of the Refugee Network gathered in July to discuss what key messages they would like to share with Anglicans in Canada, they talked about the enormous global need for refugee sponsorship; a need they are confronted with on a daily basis in the form of appeals for asylum. 

As Jane Townshend of the Diocese of Huron noted,  “During COVID, three or four parishes in my diocese have come forward to say they would like to consider sponsoring a refugee family. I have a waiting list of 300 refugee cases looking for a sponsor.”

The refugee coordinators also spoke about the complexity of the needs of those seeking asylum. No two cases are alike. This is compounded by a labyrinthine and painfully slow sponsorship process. “What is discouraging is the three-year wait that can be soul-destroying for family members and individuals overseas,” said Tony Davis, Diocese of B.C. Refugee Coordinator. 

Yet this moving heaven and earth, of welcoming the stranger, can be transformative for refugees and sponsors alike. “It is an opportunity to encounter ‘the other,’” explained the Rev. Scott McLeod, who coordinates refugee sponsorship in the Diocese of Niagara. The professional, cultural and other gifts that refugees bring to Canada, the group noted, are beyond measure. “Resilience,” said Townshend, “is a key word when it comes to refugees.” 

At the same time, they are keenly aware that some refugees arrive in Canada deeply traumatized and in need of large measures of compassion and practical support. This can make for some very challenging sponsorships, said McLeod. “But that does not negate the legitimacy of the refugee sponsorship program which is legitimate in and of itself.”

Indeed, long before the United Nations defined who is a refugee, Jesus’ Judgement of the Nations spelled out clearly what our response needs to be to those who have moved heaven and earth to begin anew in Canada: 

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me… Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25: 34b-36, 40) 

To learn more about refugee sponsorship in your diocese, please contact Carolina Manganelli at director@actionr.org.

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This year’s guide supports 17 partners as they plan for a healthier and stronger future. 

Programs include restoring and preserving seeds in Bangladesh, providing families with supplies to raise chickens in Columbia nad Zimbabwe, continued support of “smart” dairy farming initiatives in Kenya and of course, back by popular demand, giving goats to people in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Cuba.

Go to www.pwrdf.org/worldofgifts.

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PWRDF has formed a consultative group for actions that affect the Canadian Indigenous communities. 

PWRDF’s Indigenous Program Advisory Committee (IPAC) includes representatives from the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP).

A brief bio of the members of IPAC can be found at: pwrdf.org/indigenous-program-advisory-committee

ACIP’s participation in the group is important because of its role in the Indigenous community. It’s our guess that many people have not even heard of ACIP. So let’s do some demystifying.

ACIP was formed during the second half of the 19th century and its current membership is drawn from Indigenous people across Canada. One of the criteria for membership is to be Indigenous. 

Since its formation ACIP’s goal has been to work towards self determination of the community of Indigenous peoples within the Anglican Church of Canada. More about ACIP and also our Indigenous partners can be found on the Anglican church website. www.anglican.ca/about/ccc/acip

There is so much we can learn from and about the Indigenous people. All people have needs, but doing things for others may be seen as implying that those others are inferior. 

People often need tools not others taking over!  PWRDF’s new venture tries to do just that. 

With the Indigenous Responsive Program, PWRDF is fundraising to create a bank of funds which the Indigenous community can access to carry out their own projects, to be developed and managed by themselves. 

We provide the general funds and the choice of the use of those funds is made by the Indigenous people as they apply for monetary support in one of four predetermined areas. These are:

• Community Health – programs aimed to foster awareness, educate, deliver and support to the Indigenous community in areas/sectors such as suicide and addictions prevention, family violence, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), HIV and AIDS, mental health promotion, traditional caregivers, midwives and doula/birth work support, etc.

• Youth Engagement – initiatives that promote knowledge, expertise, empowerment, self-sufficiency and practice of traditional cultural values, such as youth self-esteem and identity strengthening, leadership and entrepreneurship training and development, revitalization of their culture and language through connections to the land, knowing their history and values, etc. We affirm partners’ priority on youth’s aspirations for the future.  

• Climate Action – programs that assess and promote alternatives, opportunities and development of training and job creation in areas of Indigenous farming, trapping, fishing activities, including dissemination of community findings as response to climate change).

• Safe Water – programs that support work experience and training on maintenance and operation of drinking water infrastructure, including water treatment plant; as well as skills development in installation of water and wastewater systems as part of local strategic initiatives aimed to ensure safe, clean, drinking water in Indigenous communities).

A brief description of this venture can be found in the World of Gifts, and more on the PWRDF website www.pwrdf.org.

Montreal PWRDF will work hard through 2021-2022 to raise funds for this Program. Posters and other tools will be available to churches and other groups.

Contact Ros Macgregor (roslyn.macgregor@gmail.com), Ann Cumyn (acumyn@sympatico.ca) or your local PWRDF rep for information. 

The post The Montreal Unit of PWRDF supports the Indigenous Responsive Program appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

As the impact of Covid-19 starts to slow down, we are returniang to church at a slow pace. Yet since the start of the pandemic, we at St. Paul’s in Greenfield Park have not stopped working in the community. And although we were not able to gather in person to do what was needed, we found ways to continue our outreach; 

• keeping our ladies in the community busy at home by knitting articles for schools in our area, for our Christmas families, for men’s and women’s shelters and for the homeless 

• making frozen food for seniors and supplying approximately 400 sandwiches every Wednesday for Bread and Beyond, who in turn give them to seven shelters in Montreal, 

• continuing the breakfast program for our local school, 

• making blankets for cancer patients at the Charles Lemoyne hospital in Greenfield Park,

• collecting for our Christmas families as well as those in local shelters. 

We have been able to do all of this while not being able to meet in person but with a LOT of help from our community. 

In fact, the ladies and men of the Greenfield Park United church have all worked together to help with the sandwiches, knitting and blanket making. We have had strangers helping us make food for our frozen meals for the seniors, gather gifts for our Angel tree for our Christmas families, purchasing items for the homeless, offering to pick up and deliver food to the seniors, baking for our on line bake sale and much more.

It is amazing what a community can do when it comes together not just as a church but as people of God. The Lord wants us to gather in his name and to help those in need and that is what our community on the South Shore of Montreal is trying to do. 

Please take a moment, look around and see what you can do in God’s name. A pair of hands can do a bit but many hands can accomplish a lot.

The post A Community Coming Together appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

This Fall CMP has six mid-week groups meeting by Zoom: 

• a book group, lead by Selene Lau, reading and discussing James Bryan Smith’s The Good and Beautiful Community; 

• another book group, led by the Rev Chris Barrigar, reading Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; 

• a home bible study group (some meet in person while others participate in the same meeting by Zoom); 

• a French conversation group, for anglophone and allophone parishioners to improve their conversational French; 

• a GriefShare support group, led by Christine Creighton, and

• a DivorceCare support group, co-led by the Rev Neil Mancor and CMP member Heather Purdie. 

The two support groups were advertised by social media to postal codes in Ville St-Laurent, and so serve as a form of local outreach, though participants come from across the Montreal area. 

Although at one level people are quite tired of Zoom meetings, yet at another level people realize it is here to stay, and so continue to find ways to connect and minister through the convenience it offers.

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The church’s location is ideal – in terms of visibility – for the Biodiversity Garden, as it is located on the main street in downtown Granby with the bike trail running alongside the property. 

With a piano, colourful hand-crafted benches and beautiful foliage, the Garden stands out. Although, more significant than the physical space is that the values reflected with the Garden are at the core of our Anglican tradition and with St George’s vision of a sacred space.

 The Garden is a unique collaboration between the SÉTHY Foundation, Parkview School, the City of Granby, Atelier 19, Desjardins, the MRC de La Haute-Yamaska and St-Georges Church. 

The project leader from the SÉTHY Foundation explained that the conception of the garden was presented as part of their environmental education activities. 

In 2020, two grade 5 classes from Parkview School committed to the project, with the objective to make the population aware of the importance of biodiversity and the protection of natural environments in Haute-Yamaska. They prepared posters and interpretive signs that highlighted the importance of nature’s ecological benefits and their cycle of maintenance through diversity. 

Then, the work focused on the creation of the first flowerbeds. In the spring of 2021 the students and teachers (under the direction of the Foundation and with the support from the other partners) planted shrubs and perennials and installed birdhouses and insect nesting boxes to attract pollinators and birds.  Atelier 19 provided mosaic birdhouses and beautiful mosaic-decorated benches which showcased their intergenerational work expertise.

In the context of climate change awareness, educating about and advocating for protecting biodiversity has become essential. As Anglicans, we appreciate the responsibility to care for our God-given creation, but more than any other element of the project, St George’s was blessed by partnering with these different entities that shared a common goal. This was a spiritual journey that St George’s hopes to recreate next spring.

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