The Christmas Angels are soon coming back to the Cathedral.
“In 2020, with the uncertainties of the pandemic and no vaccines in sight, we donated $1,800 instead of running the usual toy drive,” explained Outreach Committee treasurer Doug Milander. “The cheque reflected the value of the toys usually provided by our congregation to the Greener Village Food Bank. The managers were really pleased with our help.”
This year 50 paper angels will be hung on a little, lighted tree in the cathedral. Each will indicate the name and age of a local child in need as well as a suggested toy or other gift. Some requests will be for stocking stuffers instead of specific toys.
“A new twist this year is that the food bank wants all of the items returned to them by November 15th at the very latest,” Doug added. “This will allow in-person or online shopping to be done well before the Christmas rush, and it will give their staff more time to arrange for deliveries to the hundreds of registered families.”
As in past years, collection bins will be set up at the cathedral and at the church office to receive the toys and stocking stuffers.
“The cathedral family has a long and generous history with the Christmas Angels program, and people always seem happy to put a big smile on a child's face at Christmas,” Doug said.
He added, however, that the Outreach Committee will dip into its budget to supply any of the 50 gifts missing at the deadline.
As soon as the paper angels arrive from the food bank in October, more details will be provided to the congregation. Stay tuned!
The World Council of Churches’ Conference on World Mission and Evangelism met in Arusha, Tanzania, in March 2018. From this meeting, the more than 1,000 participants, who were all regularly engaged in mission and evangelism, issued the Arusha Call to Discipleship. At our own national church General Synod in 2019, resolution A-129 was passed that we affirm the Arusha Call; encourage bodies within the General Synod to integrate this call into the guiding principles of baptismal living for the shaping of national ministries; and commend the Arusha Call to dioceses for study and inclusion in their considerations of evangelism, witness and discipleship.
Spiritual Development Team members and others are offering reflections in the New Brunswick Anglican on the 12 points within this call. This is Call # 12, written by Archbishop Davis Edwards. Cathedral Dean Geoffrey Hall previously wrote a reflection on Call #5, Director of Christian Formation Kurt Schmidt wrote a reflection on Call #7, and chair of the Diocesan Spiritual Development Team, Cheryl Jacobs wrote a reflection on Call #11.
We are called to live in the light of the resurrection, which offers hope-filled possibilities for transformation.
In 2018 the World Council of Churches (WCC) issued the Arusha Call to Discipleship, then there was COVID-19. The pandemic has highlighted many of the issues which Arusha raised, but also points to something very important. We are one. It does not matter what the issue is, as residents of this planet we are in this together.
The Arusha call is a call to live in ways that are faithful to the Gospel. The first line is of vital importance, “As disciples of Jesus Christ, both individually and collectively...”. It then goes on to list the 12 points of the call. We learn to be disciples of Jesus as individuals, but also together. In John 17:20 Jesus prays for those who will believe because of the words of the disciples that we may be one with each other and with him and the Father.
This is part of the bigger story. In John 20: 30 -31 the Apostle writes:
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”
The Gospels are not a random collection of stories with meaning. They are intentional about revealing the purposes of God. One of the ways in which this is done is through living a different life in unity with the resurrected Jesus and each other, to demonstrate what the people of God look like, that others might see and believe.
In essence the final point of the Arusha call is a call to life, that being to live in the light of the resurrection, which offers hope for transformation. This happens on all levels, relationship with God, relationship with others and relationship with creation.
During the past year I have read three very sad and disturbing books. They were written by “successful” Christian leaders from different denominations who have not only turned their backs on church, but also on God.
Individually, they had various reasons for leaving, but one thing was consistent: either they or their congregation members were not living transformed lives. They were not necessarily talking about moral failing, but that following Jesus did not seem to be transformative in the way people looked at the world. The models of the world had been adopted by the Church.
I sometimes ask myself what it is to live life in the light of the resurrection? Although I am sure we could all pick holes in the Arusha Call, its overall trajectory tells us what this is like. It involves looking away from self and towards others, once again on both the personal and collective levels.
This can be something very simple, but there will be a cost. One of our parishes has partnered with a local coffeeshop/restaurant in a pay-it-forward scheme. They bought a number of free coffees for those who cannot afford them. Cards have been stuck to a board and anyone can take one. This has inspired other people to join in paying it forward.
There are also the big things that we are called to and which we do collectively on a large scale, such as the issues surrounding Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples. This is something we are working on as a national church.
If we look to Jesus, we see the resurrection life being lived. It is not centred on self, but on others. That is the call we are faced with.
As the Arusha document reminds us, this has to be surrounded with prayer.
“This is not a call that we can answer in our own strength, so the call becomes, in the end, a call to prayer: Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centred. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.”
By now, you may have had an opportunity to check out Sarah Ecker's profile on our website under Clergy and Staff: Parish Nurse. While it gives you a glimpse into the life of this amazing, outgoing, bubbly, professional nurse, we think it just scratched the surface. And so, here's a slightly deeper look at our newest staff member.
Sarah was born and raised in Fredericton and thanks to her 'build one and sell it' father, she has lived in many different houses in different parts of the city. In typical New Brunswick fashion, it didn't take long to find a degree of separation connection between Sarah and I (Gail MacGillivray).
My Dad would not even consider the purchase of a vehicle that was not sold by Alison Monteith of Monteith Motors - Sarah's Dad! I recall many stops at Monteith Motors over the years. Alison was such a good salesman that he even managed to recruit Sarah to work for him. Her career as a used car salesperson lasted for about 2 years.
It was quite a leap from selling cars to nursing, and a whole lot of life experiences before and after both for Sarah.
Shortly after graduation, at the ripe old age of 17, Sarah headed for Virginia. A close friend of hers was heading off to a Bible College and Sarah decided to follow. Sarah's upbringing was as an Evangelical and this study of Theology gave Sarah a broader understanding of the many different ways that we worship. It was one of many life experiences where Sarah felt a calling to be in that place at that time. Her time at the College also gave her a chance to travel throughout the USA, to Northern Ireland and Jamaica, and to experience diversity in race, language, religion, lifestyle and more.
While Sarah was studying Nursing at UNB, she spent a summer working at a children's camp on the Miramichi. It was here that she met her husband, Andrew. Andrew was working on a degree in social work. Andrew was born in Ontario but grew up in Miramichi. As Sarah put it, "they just clicked" and by the next summer they were engaged.
Sarah and Andrew currently live in Mactaquac) and they have two children, chickens, a dog, a cat and a deep love for their community!
She describes their 6 year old son, Elias, as being "too smart for his own good" and says he is frequently referred to in her family as "the Mayor" as he always has a handle on what is going on and is more than willing to assume a leadership role. Elias is in Grade One and it sounds like he is destined to be class president! Daughter Mercy is 4 and her Mom describes her as "fire and ice". A deeply passionate spitfire who is also very tenderhearted. Andrew currently works for the Mobile Crisis Unit, a division of Horizon Health which responds to mental health crises.
Sarah and her family are deeply focused on their Christian beliefs and living a life in Christ internalized. When the Pandemic first broke out, like many people, Sarah and Andrew spent time at home in reflection. As Sarah put it, COVID gave them a chance to examine closely the human qualities most important to them, recognizing that what they wanted was "to be a part of a community that was part of their values." They came to the conclusion that their Church family, especially, had to reflect those values of justice, mercy and humility.
Sarah is "loving the new job" as our Parish Nurse. She describes herself as someone who "loves working in a team environment" and especially loves collaborating with different sectors and "building bridges". She looks forward to having the opportunity to work as part of a team focused on "bringing wellness to people in body, mind and spirit".
Once again, a hearty Cathedral welcome to Sarah, who hopes that everyone will reach out to her, if only just to say hi. She is looking forward to her role in Pastoral Care and to working with the many volunteers that allow the Parish Nurse to make a positive difference in the lives of our congregation members!
Visit the Cathedral on Sunday, 03 October for an exciting collaboration between Atlantic Sinfonia String Orchestra and Thomas Gonder, Cathedral organist and Director of Music. Looking Back is part of MusicUNB, an annual concert series that features chamber and cutting-edge classical music performances.
Over the centuries, composers have looked to those before them for inspiration. This program explores the music of a Canadian and a British composer who were inspired by music from years ago, as well as that of the Italian, Respighi, who was a twentieth century composer that bucked the trends of his day to explore music from the past.
Presented by the UNB Centre for Musical Arts. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, 03 October. Click here for ticket information.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.”
The Christmas Angels are soon coming back to the Cathedral.
As in past years, collection bins will be set up at the cathedral and at the church office to receive the toys and stocking stuffers.
