Our Summer Music Series returns with nine noontime concerts, held each Friday between 01 July and 26 August. Join us inside historic Christ Church Cathedral as we present a series of concerts featuring choral music, soloists, fiddle, guitar, viola, organ and piano. View the poster.
Each concert will run from 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. All welcome!
Face masks are encouraged as a way of showing care for others.
Free admission, donations encouraged. Proceeds will support the Organ Renovation Fund. Tickets are not required, but online donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes emailed immediately.
July 1
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ
July 8
Natalia Lubimova, viola and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano
July 15
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ (unfortunately, the Metropolitan Choir School from London, Ontario is no longer able to attend)
July 22
Steven Peacock and Gerry Van Wart, guitars
July 29
Katherine Moller, fiddle and Tom Richards, guitar
August 5
New Brunswick Summer Music Festival ~ The Elm City String Quartet
August 12
Olivia Spahn-Vieira, soprano and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano
August 19
Luke Noftall, baritone, and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano
(unfortunately, Olivia LaPointe is no longer able to perform)
The Principal of St. Hilda's Anglican School, Ms. Jane Martinez, recently sent a few photos from year-end activities, and a video of students singing during a worship service in the school's chapel for the Standard 6 (grade 8) graduates. Watch it below.
St. Hilda’s, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville, educates approximately 200 children between kindergarten and grade 8. Christ Church Cathedral has had a special relationship with the staff and students for many years. Cathedral teams have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers. As part of the Cathedral's ongoing financial commitment to St. Hilda's, we send funds each year to contribute to ongoing needs for the students and teachers.
These Standard 6 (grade 8) students have completed their final year of public education in Belize.
In addition to providing support for the elementary school, the Cathedral provides scholarships for selected St. Hilda's graduates. In Belize, the average child leaves the education system after Standard 6 (equivalent to Canadian grade 8), when they are approximately 13 years old. High tuition costs prevent many children from attending high school, because unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education. Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships.
Please pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda's elementary school, our high school scholarship students, and their families. Contributions towards the Belize mission are welcome and appreciated. You may give and receive a charitable tax receipt by making an online donation or submitting a donation marked 'Belize' through the Cathedral office or offering plate.
Your support makes a big difference in the lives of these children!
We hold our friends in Belize in our hearts, praying for the students and teachers at St. Hilda's Anglican School, as well as the scholarship students who have moved on to High School. Ms. Jane Ramirez, Principal at St. Hilda's, recently sent us this note about activities at the school.
Greetings Kelley,
I pray that this email reaches you in good health. It has been some time since we communicated so I just wanted to send a greeting and give you some updates about what is happening at St. Hilda's Anglican School.
We are now back fully face to face for four days each week. It has been a challenge especially since Covid19 is still among us. We have had a few teachers and students who became sick. Thankfully, no one has gotten extremely ill. We have protocols in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.
We are looking forward to the new school year. It is my prayer that our preschool will open in September. We already have 18 students waiting. We are on the finishing touches and are grateful for your continued prayers and support. We have had some difficult days but God has been faithful. He has been good. We are nearing the time of our graduation which will be held on June 22nd. Our school year is almost over! Yeah! I am really looking forward to some vacation time in July.
Please greet our Friends of St. Hilda's. Sending our love and appreciation. I will be forwarding the reports for the scholarship recipients as soon as I receive them.
I pray the best for you all and look forward to hearing from you.
On Saturday, 04 June, 2022, the Cathedral Branch of the Mothers’ Union (with the support of the ACW and other Fredericton MU branches) hosted “The Queen’s Jubilee Tea” to commemorate the 70th year since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne.
The Cathedral looked beautiful with the red, white and blue bunting combined with the Pentecost decorations!
Approximately 60 people attended and greatly enjoyed the abundant sandwiches and sweets. We listened to British music and sang “God Save the Queen” while sipping tea, sampling the Jubilee cake, and enjoying the fellowship of those who were in attendance.
It was a wonderful celebration that was held in conjunction with similar events hosted by MU Branches around the globe.
Many thanks for the financial donations, to those who provided the fancy sandwiches and sweets, and to those who volunteered their time to make tea, decorate and serve at this event.
-- Susan Watson, Co-Branch Leader, Mothers' Union - Cathedral Branch
Cathedral hospital visitors are eager to see patients at hospitals but no longer have access to patient information. If you or a member of your family is admitted and would welcome a visit, it’s necessary for us to know about the admission and the unit/room location of the patient.
If you have a planned admission or unexpectedly find yourself or a loved one in the hospital, please contact the Cathedral Office or the Dean with the unit and room number of the patient. Hospital visitors can no longer access private records from hospital records and patient listings are no longer provided.
Protocols at hospitals and care facilities have changed frequently during the pandemic, and we are still following the various safety procedures at each facility.
Communion at home or in hospital is available.
If you would like a home or hospital visit for yourself or a family member, please contact the Dean or the Cathedral Office.
Dean Geoffrey Hall: (506) 450-7761
Cathedral Office: (506) 450-8500
For each recommendation the report details the scope of the recommended work, the necessity for it, and the consequences of inaction.
A summary of the recommendations by category, with the current available funding, is included as an appendix.
To successfully complete this task will require developing partnerships with donors who share our interest in maintaining a historic heritage property.
Successfully raising the $8.5 to $9.0 million for restoration of the Cathedral is only a partial solution. In addition, we need to develop revenue sources that will support the annual maintenance at its required levels.
An experienced consulting firm was engaged in the Fall of 2022 to assist in the significant challenge of determining fund-raising potential.
To the Christ Church Cathedral community and family:
Lana, Piper and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you for the prayers, well wishes, gifts and cards [after the birth of daughter Sundae Joy]. We are so grateful and have felt every single prayer. I am honoured and blessed to be part of this church and church community.
On the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, 05 June we celebrated with Archbishop David Edwards the conclusion of his pilgrimage through the Archdeaconry of Fredericton, arriving at the Cathedral just before 2:00 p.m..
A picnic lunch with hot dogs, sandwiches, popcorn and sweets began at about 12:00 noon. About 25 headed across the river to meet the Bishop at the north end of the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge at about 1:30 p.m. The final celebration commenced just after 2:00 p.m.
We are sad to announce the death of Canon Tom Smith on Friday, 03 June. Tom was a much loved member of the Cathedral congregation and clergy, and his friendship and spiritual care will be greatly missed.
Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.
Funeral Service and Requiem Eucharist will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, 12:00 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. For those unable to attend, a live stream will be available on the Cathedral YouTube channel.
Each May, a country-wide event called Baznīcu nākts (Night of Churches) is held throughout Latvia. The festival lasts well into the night, with churches hosting concerts, lectures, discussions and prayer, and the public is invited to visit multiple churches to learn about cultural and spiritual values.
Typically, St. Saviour's -- the only Anglican Church in Latvia -- displays an exhibition of art created by members of its congregation. For 2022, Churchwarden Joseph Horgan had a different suggestion.
“One idea I had for this year would be a wall/display of postcards from many different churches throughout the Anglican world,” wrote Horgan. “That way, we would be able to represent not only ourselves on this special occasion, but our entire denomination and your church as well!”
In April, he reached out to Anglican dioceses across the globe, and was met with an overwhelming response from people eager to participate.
Congregations were asked to send or email a postcard with a photo of their church, and a message for the St. Saviour's parish or for Latvia in general.
The volume of mail and email increased throughout May, and by Baznīcu nākts, postcards had been received from over 250 churches in 36 countries. Cards were displayed in several areas of St. Saviour's, on walls and in a large display with cards hanging from strings so visitors could read both sides. A digital map was also created, which shows the location of each participating church.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we cannot thank you enough for supporting our Baznīcu nakts (Night of Churches) event by sending us cards for our special display,” wrote Horgan in a message to participating churches. “Throughout Saturday evening, more than 500 people visited [St. Saviour's] and were able to enjoy your cards and learn about your special churches.”
Horgan also mentioned that the event was held one day after the completion of a large ceiling renovation project, so the congregation was thrilled to welcome visitors to see the improvements and access the entire church. Our Cathedral Verger, Jason Parsons, visited St. Saviour's in 2018 and wrote about his experience in the NB Anglican newspaper. Shortly after his visit, the church began its ceiling renovation campaign.
Church leaders at St. Saviour’s were touched by the outpouring support for the postcard project, and have decided that the display will remain as a permanent exhibition, and they will continue to add any further postcards that are received.
Horgan says, “If you are ever able to make it out to Rīga one day, then perhaps you can find your card on our wall! Thanks again for your friendship and cooperation in making this idea a reality.”
Postcard display at St. Saviour’s Anglican Church in Rīga, Latvia
