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 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.
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
Between now and Easter Day we who begin the final leg of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem will take what is the most intense of Christian seasonal journeys. As the images go by we continue on our own personal ones. While some are celebrating new life or relationships, others are recovering from illness or have recently experienced losing a close friend, family member or spouse. Many struggle with the stress of work life that unrelentingly demands time and attention while others are learning about retirement. Students prepare for exams. While we’re all in different places and walk our own road we’re also invited each year to walk with Jesus to the cross.
At the beginning of the road we were invited to observe a holy Lent. “I invite you, in the name of the Lord,” were the words, “... to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.” Many of us have done that this year. A variety of worship, devotional and study opportunities have created possibilities for self-discipline or to focus for a time on something new to deepen our own spiritual life ourselves or with others.
The seasonal journey now comes closer to an important conclusion. It calls us to push pause on our own personal trek—and maybe even our troubles—long enough to look one more time upon the road of suffering and sacrifice taken by the one called Messiah. Joining him, we should expect it to be different each time we experience it. We hear in gospel texts that Jesus performed miracles. The most significant of all may be the choice made by this man, who was also God, to walk willingly into pain, suffering and even death for the sake of all who love him throughout time. He walked this road for us. His journey gives ours meaning as we rest on his promises.
At the first glimmer of Easter light angelic words made announcement to first witnesses. He was supposed to be in the grave, but “He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.” At the end of Jesus’ journey was light and life. In retrospect, because of who he is, could it have been any other way? He walked the painful way so as to enter as completely as possible into ours. He knows the drill. At the end of our journeys we can know that with faith, after bearing the burdens, there is light and life for us too. In the words of the Book of Common Prayer we pray that we might “be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” “entering with them into the fullness of God’s unending joy.”
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Join us as we walk with him liturgically and symbolically in worship through the week to come: Palm Sunday, weekdays in Holy Week, to the Upper Room and the hill at Golgotha, meeting on the other side at a tomb now empty. The schedule of worship follows. Please don’t hesitate to make contact if you need to schedule a home Communion. Extending blessing for the Season, I remain,
The woodcut piece in the Lady Chapel at Christ Church Cathedral is by New Brunswick artist John Hooper.
English-born artist best known for his polychromed carved wood sculptures, Hooper spent much of his youth in China and served as a captain in the British Army in India in 1944. He was educated at the Royal College of Art and Bournemouth College of Art and studied with sculptor Jacob Epstein. After working at the University of Natal in South Africa from 1956-1962, Hooper moved to New Brunswick where he was hired to establish the art program for Saine John schools. He worked as a teacher for many years before devoting himself fulltime to his art practice in 1974. Hooper was the sculptor of the celebrated bronze figure of Terry Fox that faces Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (from Ar(T)chives: Visual Treasures from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick - a booklet accompanying the exhibition at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery December 2022-May 2023)
Bishop and Chapter met on 20 March with members in person and by way of video conference. 12 of 13 members present. Members were asked to read in advance an article from Alban at Duke Divinity School “Putting the How Before the What,” Stephen Chapin Garner. Discussion about one church’s experience with a “call-based” approach to leadership, passion and energy for leadership and the importance of putting relationships/community as first priority. What could be identified as a crisis of organizational structure might rather be a crisis of faith. Minutes from a short meeting on 13 February 2023 dealing with the 2023 Budget were adopted.
FROM THE DEAN
Cathedral
• outside Communions (2)
• committee/group meetings (4)
• Monday Lenten book study / dropping in on Lenten programs
• weekly staff meetings
• Narrative Budget completed and circulated
• Vacancies
Chapter Property Committee
Diocesan
• Diocesan Finance Committee (2)
• Diocesan Council (1)
Up-coming
• Vacation 11-25 April
FOR DECISION
• Appointments
- Vice-Chair - nomination to the Bishop needed- Advisory Committee on Appointments - appointed
- Nominating Committee - inquiries for appointment to be made
- Safe Church Officer - Diane Wilkins appointed
- Property Committee - nomination needed for Bishop’s appointment
• 2023 Budget - slight discrepancy between Annual Report and Chapter-approved not affecting the bottom line. Motion to correct
REPORTS
Treasurer - Financials show a slight surplus having received the grant from the City for summer tour guides. Offerings in January and February slightly below budget. Parish Financial Return due 15 March now submitted.
Administration and Finance - helpful update from Envelope Secretary; noted difference in Chapter Budget and Annual adopted version; needs for 23 tour guide programme in view
Health and Pastoral Care - Health Ministry has several projects in process: health information session, Medley Tea; on-going: dementia support, Yoga, prayer shawls
Mission Outreach - reviewing annual reports and making contact with mission sub-groups and committees (Monday Morning, Belize Missions, Cathedral Missions) Monday Morning Outreach continues monthly with some new support for food contributions
Communications - nothing to report
Christian Formation - Review of Lenten programming, looking ahead to future. Considering future events on racism, indigenous reconciliation, anti-Semitism
Welcome and Hospitality - a committee meeting pending
Worship - contacting potential members for servers’ guild
UPCOMING
• Palm Sunday (02 April) Easter (09 April)
• 29 April Diocesan Mothers’ Union Rally / 30 April Ordination
Mothers' Union is an international Christian membership charity of 4 million members living in over 80 countries, who share one heartfelt vision — to bring about a world where God's love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships. Members actively pursue this vision through community programs, advocacy campaigns and a committed prayer life.
Mothering Sunday, not to be confused with Canadian Mother's Day, is celebrated in Anglican Churches on the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Learn more about Mothering Sunday, and get the recipe for Simnel Cake, a traditional Mothering Sunday treat!
You might not be so interested, but maybe your parents or grandparents would be. Why not show them how easy it can be? Did you know we podcast both worship and sermons each Sunday and there are many ways to listen?
1) Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Siri enables devices. If you have an Amazon Alexa device, for example, simply saying: "Alexa, play Christ Church Cathedral Audio" will play the latest Sunday podcast. Listen to up to two months of recorded worship and sermon podcasts for free.
2) On the Cathedral website, click the Watch and Listen tab and the most recent podcasts are listed on the left. Click "see more" for the whole list.
3) If you use Apple or Google podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Podchaser or Spotify podcasts, you can subscribe to receive new episodes when they become available or listen from those platforms on the web or on an Apple or Android app.
Telling our story.
Line item budgets are boring. Not only that, but seldom do they tell the real story. It’s too easy for us to make assumptions about how the dollar we give is used or not used on what we specifically consider important. However, no facet of church ministry operates in a vacuum. For instance, music may be one’s own personal focus, but music cannot happen without a warm, dry and lighted space. In fact, if we think deeply, we begin to realize that in a very real way everything depends on everything else.
Bishop and Chapter met 0n 16 January 2023 by video conference 11 of 13 members present. Members were asked to read in advance “5 Ideas for Managing Your Church Budget in the New ‘Normal’” by Ken Sloane (Discipleship Ministries - United Methodist Church). The “ideas” included: quarterly planning, approaches to past comparisons, recognizing “inflation dollars,” use of technology to making funding the budget more efficient and, study of building assets. Minutes from 12 December 2022 were adopted.
CORRESPONDENCE
• a note of thanks was received from Sexton Ashley Swim
Safe Church Officer
Synod substitute (16-35)
Assistant(s) to the Verger
Mission Outreach
• Diocesan Finance Committee
• Vacation 11-25 April 2023
FOR INFORMATION
Planning Study - Meeting of Bishop and Chapter, diocesan officers and Source Alliance regarding the planning study being conducted over the next several months to determine potential renovation fund-raising
FOR DECISION
Amendment - minor correction for accuracy to November 2021 minutes Reception of report - Cathedral Conditions and Issues Report official acceptance 2023 Budget - several issues pertaining to the 2023 budget were discussed and decided. Larger projects can complicate clear communication about giving targets and progress. Consideration of simplifying weekly bulletin updates in 2023 was discussed and may help continue to keep the most important information before us Annual Meeting - Sunday, 26 February 2023 Investment - movement of some funds for year-end
REPORTS
Treasurer - December was a strong month for offerings with $84,047 enabling us to finish December in a surplus position ($40,368 offering over expenses). Overall offerings year over year down by $38,000. Underspending on maintenance and staffing, finishes 2022 in a slight surplus position Administration and Finance - work on 2023 budget with the Stewardship Team working on a narrative version; intend return to staff handbook task; thanks to a retiring offering counter team; new team appointed Property - continuing to deal with critical issues while minimizing expense where possible Health and Pastoral Care - Health Ministry struggling to determine what events are appropriate under changing circumstances Nominating - challenges exist regarding nominations for Chapter
UPCOMING
• 24 January - Source Alliance, Chapter and Diocese
• 21 February - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
• 22 February - Ash Wednesday
• 26 February - Annual Meeting
• 02 April - Palm Sunday
Join us at 5:15 p.m. on weekdays during Thy Kingdom Come.
