Monthly Archives: May 2023

Weddings in the Cathedral: Cindy & Mike

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The month of June has long been known for its brides and it’s coming right up! Why, we wondered, were “June brides” so popular?

Well, it turns out that the tradition of “June Brides” dates back to Roman times when Juno and her husband Jupiter were celebrated on the first day of June. Juno was the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Continuing on to Victorian times the availability of fresh flowers made June a good month to wed. And since baths tended to be taken in the warmer months of May and June in medieval times, those sweet smelling bouquets came in handy!

The Celtics also had a hand in promoting June! Young couples would be paired on Cross-Quarter Day or May 1st. They would then be expected to date until the next Cross-Quarter Day on August 1st. But alas, impatience led to more and more June weddings!

Finally, a June wedding in farming communities was a good thing. If the bride fell pregnant, she would still be in good shape to work the fall harvest!

All of this information got us to thinking about all the weddings that have been celebrated in Christ Church Cathedral! For the next few weeks, we are going to share some of those weddings and special memories from the bride and groom!

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Were you married in the Cathedral? Or do you have a story of relatives who were? We would love to hear your story and see a photo! If you are willing to chat with a member of the Communications Committee and be included in an upcoming series of articles, please contact the Cathedral Office. Phone (506) 450-8500 or email <office at christchurchcathedral.com>.

Cindy & Mike

September 24, 2005

Cindy Pope (nee Goucher) and Mike Pope shared this memory of their wedding:

"We married at the cathedral on September 24, 2005. Everything was absolutely perfect. From the verger, Hank, saying “It’s showtime!” as the doors opened in front of me, to Father Keith’s reflections on our relationship, to having my childhood minister, Father Jim Irvine overseeing Communion and close friends adding readings and song. Pure magic."

Mike and Cindy now have two teenage daughters, Alexandria (Alex) and Taylor.

NOVENA – Thy Kingdom Come 2023

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NOVENAJoin us at 5:15 p.m. on weekdays during Thy Kingdom Come.

Two options to participate: 1) In person in the boardroom, second floor of Cathedral Memorial Hall 2) Online via video conference. Check the Cathedral web calendar event to connect. Download or view the NOVENA reflections.

The word novena is taken from “novem,” the Latin word for nine. A novena is usually made up of nine days of prayer and meditation.

Novenas are an ancient tradition that goes back to the days of the Apostles. Jesus told his disciples to pray together after his ascension into heaven, so they went to an upper room along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, (Acts 1:14) and joined constantly in prayer for nine days. These nine days of constant prayer by the Apostles at the direction of Jesus led up to Pentecost. This is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:1-4). This pattern of 9 days of prayer is the basis of the novenas we pray today.

Thus, the novena is an imitation of the Lord’s command to the Apostles when they prayed for 9 days in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Bishop and Chapter News – May 2023

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Bishop and Chapter met on 15 May 2023 with 11 of 13 members present (11 0f 13). A printed version of preaching for the Fifth Sunday of Easter was circulated. (Audio here) Conversation re post-resurrection Sunday themes, contrasting planning from business and a spiritual perspective. Minutes of the meeting on 20 March 2023 were adopted.

FROM THE DEAN

Cathedral

  • outside Communions (3); committee/group meetings (3); Lenten book study; deaneries clericus; summary of Easter worship - total attendance 245; Vacation 11-25 April; MU Diocesan Rally 29 May; Ordination 30 May; Coronation Evensong 14 May; weekly staff meetings; marriage preparation (2); home visits (4); hospital/home communions (6); 1 funeral/3 funerals attended; challenge in meeting current pastoral needs.
  • Chapter vacancies: Chapter Property Committee, Vice-Chair, Nominating Committee membership.

Diocesan

  • Diocesan Finance Committee (1); Bishop’s Counsel 26 April; Clergy Day 04 May

Up-coming

Ascension Day 18 May; Thy Kingdom Come 18-28 May (Novena weekdays 5:15 p.m.); W. Turney funeral 30 May; V. Sinclair funeral 10 June; Ritz/Saulnier wedding 10 June; Installation of Canons and Collation 11 June; Swanwick/English wedding 17 June

CORRESPONDENCE

  • Anglican Church Women Executive - letter dated 04 May 2023 expressing serious concern about the vacancy of the position of parish nurse and requesting there be a search undertaken to fill the vacancy
  • Canadian Heritage - response to inquiry. Canadian Heritage does not support church heritage renovation projects

DISCUSSION

  • Parish Nurse - high degree of awareness of the need for Cathedral health ministry under our circumstances. The Dean initially responded to the correspondence with the reminder that the parish nurse staff position was included in the 2023 Budget with the hopes that monthly budget targets could be met. Further consideration needed

DECISION

  • Funds transfer - up to $50,000 from unrestricted invested funds to provide for cash flow May to September

REPORTS

Treasurer - 5 Sunday April (including Easter) revenue $50,785, slightly exceeding the budget target of $48,499 for the first time in 2023. The Year to Date deficit of expense over income stands at - $13,594.

Administration and Finance - advertising, training and hire of tour guides is a current priority

Worship - some decorating will be attempted for the Day of Pentecost

Property - no report

Health and Pastoral Care - exploration of possible programming with UNB student nurses

Mission Outreach - helpful first meeting with those engaged in mission and outreach ministries. Progress towards a draft policy to guide our response to requests made for funding

Communications - Chapter and others encouraged to join a schedule of 2 minutes for ministry presentations on Sundays

Christian Formation - exploring creating opportunities as part of advanced planning for the upcoming 2023 Day of Truth/Reconciliation

Welcome and Hospitality - newcomers event with 35+ in attendance Pentecost will include normal refreshments following 10:30 worship

UPCOMING

  • Ascension Day (18 May) and Thy Kingdom Come (18-28 May)
  • Day of Pentecost (28 May)

NEXT MEETING Monday, 16 June 2023

GMH

Getting to know each other at a newcomer event

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On May 10, we hosted a Newcomer Dessert Event at Cathedral Hall.  The evening was organized by the Mother's Union, Kurt Schmidt (Director of Christian Formation), and Andreas Decken (Chair of Welcoming and Hospitality).

Kurt and Andreas are extremely grateful to the Mothers' Union for doing an excellent job providing treats and setting up the Hall for the event. We had over 30 people in attendance; many congregational members that are part of various Cathedral Groups were present, but also a number of "new" faces to our worship.  We were able to formally welcome people that call Christ Church Cathedral their spiritual home after moving to Fredericton within the last few years.  Particularly noteworthy is the fact that many newcomers were active in other parishes prior to moving to Fredericton and bring their expertise, experiences and ideas with them.

Many in attendance also noted that this event was an excellent venue for members of the various groups within the congregation to talk to one another, learn more about each other's involvement and getting to know each other.

And yes, the desserts were amazing.

- Andreas Decken, Welcoming and Hospitality Chair

Mothers’ Union rally draws 50 members

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"The annual rally day of the Mothers’ Union was held April 29 at Christ Church Cathedral with 50 members in attendance. The day began with a service of Holy Eucharist with several members reading scripture. Dean Geoffrey Hall and Archbishop David Edwards presided. The bishop preached, telling those gathered that the role of a Christian is to reflect the image of God in the world. ..."

Click here to read the article by NB Anglican Editor Gisele McKnight.

 

Thy Kingdom Come 2023 – A guide for 11 days of prayer

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Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. What started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.

Download the Guide for Eleven Days of Prayer

Join the global wave of prayer calling all Christians to pray between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know the love and peace of Jesus Christ. We hope that you choose to participate in this global prayer movement. This year, a special emphasis is suggested as we pray for youth and young families.

Christ Church Cathedral will participate from 18-28 May 2023, with group and individual prayer initiatives. View the Guide for Eleven Days of Prayer for information about events, resources for all ages, and readings to help you focus. Printed copies are available at the Cathedral and Hall. Resources such as a Prayer Journal and Novena are also available to download for free on the Thy Kingdom Come website.

Thy Kingdom Come begins with Ascension and ends with Pentecost. Celebrate the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday 18, May at 7:30 p.m. in the Cathedral. Celebrate Pentecost on Sunday, 28 May at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the Cathedral, and 4:00 p.m. Choral Evensong.

In the days between Ascension and Pentecost, it has been the habit of many Christians, for centuries, to make the focus of our prayers the same as those first believers. Christ’s last instruction to His disciples on the day of his Ascension is to ‘wait for the gift my Father promised’ (Acts 1:4).

Join us on weekdays during Thy Kingdom Come for a local discussion (45 min) about the series of reflections by the Very Rev’d Bob Key on 1 John. We begin at 5:15 p.m. Friday 19 May in the Memorial Hall boardroom or via Video Conference (see our calendar).

Commit to attending the Daily Office in the morning (8:45 a.m.) and the evening (4:45 p.m.) in the Cathedral. Join us for this prayer Tuesday - Friday during Thy Kingdom Come (due to the Victoria Day holiday on Monday, May 22). It takes about 15 minutes.

Choral Evensong celebrating the Coronation

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Join us for Choral Evensong on Sunday, May 14 to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

Worship will begin in the Cathedral  at 4:00 p.m. with Dean Geoffrey Hall presiding and Archbishop David Edwards preaching. Music will be provided by the Cathedral Choir and Organist Thomas Gonder.

All are welcome and invited to attend.

Newcomer Dessert Event – 10 May

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Are you relatively new to the Cathedral family -- or "new at heart"?!

If so, you are cordially invited to a welcome, dessert and information-sharing event on Wednesday, 10 May in Cathedral Memorial Hall, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Come along to hear about the various ministries supported by individuals and groups from the Cathedral, and discover the many opportunities to participate, experience, share, or join. We'll introduce you to the wonderful work(s) undertaken by so many of our Cathedral members, and we'll find a way to match your gifts and abilities with one or more of the programs, groups or activities in our Church family. We'll even invent such a way if we have to!

All are welcome, including and especially any newcomers -- those who've joined within the last year or so -- and newcomers at heart!

Nicholas Saulnier ordained to the priesthood

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"Christ Church Cathedral was filled with people there to witness the ordination to the priesthood of Nicholas Saulnier, on April 30. Archbishop David Edwards presided, with assistance from Dean Geoffrey Hall and Bishop Nigel Shaw."

Click here to read the article by NB Anglican Editor Gisele McKnight, see photos and learn more about the ordination and Nicholas' unusual career path.

Nicholas and his fiancée Melissa will be married in the Cathedral in June. We wish them all the best!

Seeking shoes for outreach program

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The Cathedral Outreach Committee is requesting gently used running shoes for men or women. These will be offered to people in need who visit our monthly Outreach program.

Donations can be delivered to the Cathedral Office, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.

The Outreach program occurs on the last Monday of each month, from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. in the lobby and Formation Room of Cathedral Memorial Hall.

Guests in need receive: a few city transit tickets or a $10 gift card for a supermarket; a goodie bag with fresh fruit, homemade baked goods, cheese, a drink box or bottled water; and a wrapped sandwich. They may choose from a selection of non-perishable grocery items as well as browse tables stacked with used clothing, toiletries and small housewares. Each month, approximately 50 people attend.

This program is made possible thanks to volunteers and contributors from the Cathedral and other local churches.

Learn more about various outreach initiatives at Christ Church Cathedral.