Author Archive: Kirsten McKnight

‘Difference’ Course Returns

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The Difference Course returns this fall, hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton. Running online 06 October - 03 November, it will be facilitated by Cheryl Jacobs and Shawn Branch. Register here.

In 2 Corinthians 5 we read that God "has committed to us the message of reconciliation." God has taken the initiative to bring us back into relationship with him. And he calls us to be reconciled reconcilers. Reconciliation is in the DNA of the disciple.

Many of us feel that conviction to cross divides and to transform broken relationships. We long for our faith to have a positive impact, to be the starting place for change.

But the world we live in is complex and overwhelming. Despite all our good intentions, relationships are hard. What's more we live in a world where we see — and many experience - deeply entrenched inequality and injustice, discrimination and exploitation, violent conflict and greed.

Sometimes it can feel like the Church, rather than being part of the solution, is too often part of the problem.

We know that the world is not as it should be, and that the Kingdom of God offers an alternative possibility. We feel the prompting of our faith to speak into these issues, but the sheer scale of brokenness means we can be left feeling stuck and unsure of where to start.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has a passion for equipping the Church to be a reconciling presence in a complex and divided world. It is one of our greatest challenges but it has never been more vital.

... equipping the Church to be a reconciling presence in a complex and divided world ...

He's brought together leading thinkers and peacemakers to create Difference: a 5-session course that explores how we can follow Jesus in our everyday relationships.
Jesus' life points to what's possible when we follow him, making crossing divides, navigating disagreement and practicing forgiveness a part of our everyday discipleship.

This course provides a supportive and dynamic space for people to bring before God their own experiences and relationships and to learn the everyday habits and actions that help us live out our faith within them.

We can be a generation that crosses divides, bringing transformation to relationships, communities and societies through everyday acts of courage.

A people equipped by the Holy Spirit to embody hope in those difficult, broken spaces, and who have learned to persevere when it feels as if nothing will ever change.

It starts in the everyday moments of courage and risk, where we choose to join in with what God is doing. The Difference course is an opportunity to discover where God is inviting us to engage.

Register for D i f f e r e n c e : 06 October - 03 November

Download / View the Participant Guide
Difference on the Anglican Communion website

Joint statement on climate change by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch

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Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Canterbury join together for the first time in urgent appeal for the future of the planet

For the first time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion have jointly warned of the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation.

[Text from the Archbishop of Canterbury website: 21/07/09]

Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Justin Welby urge everyone to play their part in ‘choosing life’ for the future of the planet.

In a joint statement, the Christian leaders have called on people to pray, in this Christian season of Creation, for world leaders ahead of COP26 [the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference] this November. The statement reads: ‘We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us.’

The joint declaration strikes a clear warning - ‘Today, we are paying the price…Tomorrow could be worse’ and concludes that: ‘This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.’

The three Christian leaders spoke against injustice and inequality, saying: ‘We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure. But we also face a profound injustice: the people bearing the most catastrophic consequences of these abuses are the poorest on the planet and have been the least responsible for causing them.’

The statement calls on people to:

  • Pray for world leaders ahead of COP26
  • For individuals: To make meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the planet, working together and taking responsibility for how we use our resources
  • For those with far-reaching responsibilities: To choose people-centred profits and lead the transition to just and sustainable economies

Read the full statement here.

 

Season of Creation 2021 Prayer

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Creator of All,

We are grateful that from your communion of love you created our planet to be a home for all. By your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of living beings that filled the soil, water and air. Each part of creation praises you in their being, and cares for one another from our place in the web of life.

With the Psalmist, we sing your praise that in your house “even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young.” We remember that you call human beings to keep your garden in ways that honor the dignity of each creature and conserve their place in the abundance of life on Earth.

But we know that our will to power pushes the planet beyond her limits. Our consumption is out of harmony and rhythm with Earth’s capacity to heal herself. Habitats are left barren or lost. Species are lost and systems fail. Where reefs and burrows, mountaintops and ocean deeps once teemed with life and relationships, wet and dry deserts lie empty, as if uncreated. Human families are displaced by insecurity and conflict, migrating in search of peace. Animals flee fires, deforestation and famine, wandering in search of a new place to find a home to lay their young and live.

In this Season of Creation, we pray that the breath of your creative Word would move our hearts, as in the waters of our birth and baptism. Give us faith to follow Christ to our just place in the beloved community. Enlighten us with the grace to respond to your covenant and call to care for our common home. In our tilling and keeping, gladden our hearts to know that we participate with your Holy Spirit to renew the face of your Earth, and safeguard a home for all.

In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

- from the 2021 Season of Creation guide

Choral Fest 2021

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UPDATE: 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Choral Fest is postponed to Spring of 2022. Instead, NBCF is  holding a one-day online workshop, Saturday, October 16, on the Choral Fest repertoire, in preparation for next year’s event.

Choral singers are invited to register for Choral Fest 2021, to be held in Fredericton 15-17 October, 2021. We are pleased to welcome this long-running musical event to Christ Church Cathedral and Memorial Hall, and to share that Thomas Gonder, Cathedral Director of Music, will serve as accompanist for the event.

For almost 40 years, singers from New Brunswick and beyond have gathered for the NB Choral Federation’s Choral Fest to rehearse and perform a significant work of choral music under one of Canada’s leading conductors. Choral Fest 2020, like choral events everywhere, was cancelled due to necessary public health restrictions, with singers sacrificing the activity they love to keep their communities safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Thanks to vaccinations and ever-increasing knowledge of how to prevent transmission, the performing arts are coming back to life. The coronavirus pandemic continues to limit activities, but this year's Choral Fest will celebrate the music that we can make together.

Where: Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton NB
When: Friday October 15 to Sunday October 17
Music:
- Requiem by John Rutter (selections)
- Aesop’s Fables by Bob Chilcott
- Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above by Robin Bayley
- Ambe by Andrew Balfour

Clinician: Dr. Kiera Galway
Accompanist: Thomas Gonder

Singers are asked to pre-register by email or by using the online form available on the Choral Fest website. Spaces are limited. A certain number of spaces are reserved for tenor and bass voices.

Choral Fest 2021 will follow all public health guidelines, and will incorporate additional expert recommendations specific to choral events. Registrants’ health and safety will be the top priority. Details about health precautions can be found on the Choral Fest website.

Choral Fest 2021 is supported by the Fredericton Community Foundation, the City of Fredericton, and the New Brunswick Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture.

Remembering Gerry Carty

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Pioneer, trailblazer, a man of firsts — they’re all good adjectives to describe Gerry Carty. The man had a list of talents, skills and hobbies that would boggle the mind. He was always busy, always enjoying himself, always making friends.

He was the first Black pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the youngest commissioned officer at 18. He flew 35 sorties over occupied territory during the Second World War.

While recovering in England from a plane crash, he studied electronics, and when, post-war, Air Canada rejected him as a potential pilot, he opened his own electronics store.

He was the first to bring cable television to Fredericton. He set up a tower in his backyard to facilitate an early communications system for the Fredericton Police Force. And with partners, he opened a charter air service in the province.

But that’s not all. He taught people to fly and helped found the Fredericton Flying Club. He was a beekeeper, Air Cadet commanding officer, musician and gymnastics coach. You could often find him at the YMCA. And he was a family man, raising four children.

It’s difficult to overstate the positive impact Gerry Carty had on his community, his province and his country...

[Continue reading below]

Read the full article about Gerry Carty, a longtime member of our Cathedral congregation. The article was written by Gisele McKnight and published in the September 2021 edition of the NB Anglican.

Outreach Watches and Waits for the Right Time

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In this pre-pandemic photo, Cathedral members gather for fellowship with Outreach guests.

A couple years ago we had never heard of the coronavirus, the delta variant or the 4th wave. Now everyone is aware of these lurking threats to our health and safety.

“When the Province declared the green phase of the pandemic, we were excited to think that we could welcome back our Monday morning drop-in friends for weekly gatherings in September,” said Outreach Committee chair Penny Ericson.

“However, the delta variant is much more transmissible and deadlier than earlier versions of COVID-19; at this time we can't risk indoor, sit-down gatherings with a food buffet, live music, and a display of used clothing and housewares for people in need.”

Penny said it's important to be cautious and protective for the sake of the guests and the volunteers.

Rev. Kelly Burke of New Maryland United Church, whose congregation supports the cathedral's outreach efforts with volunteers, food donations and funds, agrees.

Before the pandemic, visitors were welcomed into the hall for a variety of food and drinks.

“It's hard not to come and be present to all our friends, but safety first,” she said. “This delta variant means that we need to be vigilant. We send our love and prayers and will see you again when it is good and safe to do so.”

Marc Schneider has been learning new songs on his banjo during the pandemic, so that the band at the drop-in would have a larger repertoire of gospel music when things returned to normal.

“It makes sense to wait, but it's sad,” he said.  “The personal relationships and support in the Monday morning community were very important to volunteers and guests alike. Maybe some day....”

Mary Lou Cotter worked in the kitchen on Monday mornings, serving coffee, making sandwiches, sharing her delicious homemade muffins. She is typical of other cathedral parishioners who help to run the program. “Let me know what I can do to help while we wait and see,” she said.

Goodie bags are currently distributed to Outreach guests one Monday each month.

Goodie bags with fresh fruit, cold drinks, homemade baking, cheese, and granola bars will continue to be distributed outdoors at Cathedral Memorial Hall on the last Monday morning of the month. People in need who stop by are also offered a $10 gift card for a local supermarket or some bus tickets. The average “attendance” is 46.

“We provided this modest help every single month throughout the pandemic, thanks to the support of our church family, our volunteers and St. Margaret's Anglican Church which supplies fruit,” Penny said.

“We'll keep doing it in this way, but we'll keep reassessing the situation until we're sure it's safe to welcome everybody back inside for what was always a fun time.”

-- by Ann Deveau

 

Parking Changes

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The City of Fredericton has launched a new Parking Management Pilot Program which will impact several streets near Christ Church Cathedral. The affected areas are highlighted on the map below.

Please note that parking on Church Street directly in front of the Cathedral and Memorial Hall will continue to have 2 hour on-street parking.

George Street and Charlotte Street will have new parking restrictions, as well as Church Street between George and Charlotte and near Queen's Square Park.

Starting 16 August, in the affected areas, "The existing free 2hr maximum parking limits on Monday to Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM have been removed and replaced with a time restriction of No Parking Monday to Friday between 10:00AM to 11:00AM; and 1:30PM to 2:30PM, except with a permit. Parking will be allowed at no charge outside of those restricted times."

Daily passes may be purchased digitally from the City's HotSpot Parking website or app. Residents may purchase annual passes.

Visit the City of Fredericton website for details about the pilot program, as well as an interactive map.

Kids are Back at Camp Medley

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Half capacity is better than zero capacity in the Rev. John Galbraith’s mind. While the director of Camp Medley would love to see 130 kids running around on any given week, 68 campers onsite was a blessing to behold during the second week of July.

Camp Medley was closed last year, so they concentrated on facility upgrades, and held family drop-in days to keep interest up.

Fortunately this summer, provincial protocols have allowed overnight camping...

* * *

Read the full article, written by Gisele McKnight and published July 27, 2021 on the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton website.

Pandemic Prayers

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Update: This resource has been updated with two additional prayers.

The Anglican Foundation of Canada has published 'Brought to our Knees: Prayers during COVID-19' featuring prayers for individuals who are ill, front-line workers, faith communities, musicians and choirs, students, and summer rest.

Digital copies are free.

Print copies are available for $5 each through the AFC Store.

The prayers were written by The Reverend Canon Dr. Judy Rois, author of two books of prayers for children, and Executive Director of AFC.

New Brunswick Summer Music Festival

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The New Brunswick Summer Music Festival is coming to Christ Church Cathedral. The annual classical music festival will host its main series, four evening concerts between 11-14 August, inside the Cathedral.

The festival, now in its 28th year, will run over a two-week period and include a variety of musical events, such as concerts, educational components, mentoring opportunities for young artists, free public events, lectures and exhibits.

The 2021 theme will reflect the difficulties of the past year, showcasing music from composers that were affected by previous pandemics. According to the festival website, “From the Influenza in 1918-19 back to others throughout the nineteenth century, several important composers were adversely set back as a result of the health issues of their day. But their lovely music transcends the difficult circumstances, and we will weave their stories with the music. Featured will be compositions of composers such as Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and others.”

Tickets for the evening concerts in the main series of the festival must be purchased in advance from the NB Summer Music Festival. Ticket prices range between $14.81 – $27.54. The main series will feature well-known performers: David Adams, violin; Sonja Adams, cello; Peter Allen, piano; Christopher Buckley, viola; Sally Dibblee, soprano; Nadia Francavilla, violin; and Richard Hornsby, clarinet. Details about the schedule and performers can be found on the festival website.

An additional event, a free noontime concert on Friday, 13 August, will be held as part of Christ Church Cathedral’s Summer Recital Series, and will showcase a sample of music from the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival. Donations at this concert will be collected, with proceeds supporting the Cathedral Organ Renovation Fund. Please reserve tickets for the noontime concert through the Cathedral website.