Many Cathedral programs are kicking off or resuming over the next few days and weeks -- that is, during and for this Season of Creation.
Godly Play resumes (biweekly) on Sunday, 08 September.
Taizé Worship resumes (biweekly) Tuesday, 10 September -- and we are moving Taizé gatherings (back) to Tuesdays. The first session will be online via Zoom and afterward alternate biweekly with in-person/livestreamed in the Cathedral.
The WednesdaySpiritualitySeries resumes (biweekly) Wednesday, 11 September, at 3:00 p.m. in the Hall Lounge. September's theme will be the wisdom of creation-mystic Hildegard of Bingen.
LifeintheEucharist first communion preparation program launches on Saturday, 14 September (biweekly, 2-3:30 p.m. in the Cathedral) with its 2024 cohort -- which currently stands at 8 candidates.
An Art & Faith session (online, 5:30-6:15pm) is scheduled for Thursday, 19 September. One session of Art & Faith will be offered each month for September, October and November -- then weekly during Advent.
Hoping to launch this (school-)year's edition of CYG (Cathedral Youth Group) on Sunday, 22 September.
Any inquiries or expressions of interest can be sent along to Kurt Schmidt, Cathedral Director of Christian Formation. Email <k.schmidt at cccath.ca>.
The Cathedral's Prayer Shawl Ministry began in 2006 during the early stages of the Parish Nurse and Health Ministry. It was under the leadership of the late Wendy Brien, and she soon invited Marilyn Lewell to join her in making the shawls.
Prayer Shawl Ministries exist worldwide, and provide shawls free of charge to anyone who requests one. We make them primarily for those who are undergoing stress in their lives, usually for health reasons, but we have made them for happy occasions as well, such as weddings and births. Since these are for the women, our team decided to make soft fleece blankets for men. They are washable and cozy, and provide much comfort.
Since the Cathedral Prayer Shawl Ministry began, we have made almost 300 shawls, and 82 blankets for all ages and genders. They are wrapped in tissue and presented in a gift bag, accompanied by appropriate, beautiful prayers. Some families have even buried them with their loved ones or wrapped the shawl around the urn during a funeral service.
If you know of anyone who would benefit from a shawl or blanket, please contact the Cathedral Office or the Dean.
Unfortunately, we have lost our team of crafters, and Marilyn Lewell is currently the sole maker of blankets and shawls. If you wish to become a knitter, crocheter, or blanket maker for the Prayer Shawl Ministry, or donate to the cost of the yarn and/or fleece, please let the Office know.
On 15 September, 2024, we will host a corn boil and picnic, following 10:30 a.m. worship. National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper will preach at the Cathedral during the service, and we hope that everyone in the congregation will stay for food and fellowship!
We need your help to make it happen. Many hands make light work!
Volunteers are needed for the following roles:
* Set-up – Arrange tables on lawn, some chairs, table cloths, disposable dishes, large garbage bins, serving trays, fill drink dispensers, butter & salt, arrange sweets, etc.
* Kitchen Duty – Boil water, cook corn, put in covered trays to be delivered to Cathedral lawn, cut watermelon, clean kitchen afterwards
* Runners – Carry trays of corn from kitchen to lawn. Get any other supplies needed from the kitchen or sacristy during the event
* Corn Table – Serve corn (napkins and paper plates will be on the table). Direct guests to a separate self-serve table with butter and salt
* Drink Table – Serve drinks. Direct guests to a self-serve sweets table, if they haven’t been there already
* Popcorn Machine – Make popcorn using our own machine
* Clean-Up – Put away garbage, pack up leftovers, bring serving dishes to kitchen, wash drink dispensers, put away tables and chairs, etc.
The Welcoming and Hospitality Committee will organize the purchase of supplies.
Donations of sweets will be appreciated.
Contact Andreas Decken to volunteer. Email: <adecken at unb.ca>. Thank you for your assistance in making this event possible!
This summer, we are pleased to have Angus McDonell working as a Cathedral Tour Guide. He is working with Alex LeBlanc.
It’s my first time working as tour guide for the Cathedral and as a tour guide in general. I have been enjoying the work quite a lot. I love giving tours and learning the history of the Cathedral, for example, how it was built, who has been here, and so on.
I find the wide variety of people who come to visit to be quite impressive. You meet people from all over, with a lot of them travelling from Europe and Asia. You get to know them, and that’s fascinating. It’s surprising that there are so many people who come from around the world.
The tour that stood out the most for me was three weeks ago. I met a man, who grew up in the same town as my father. He was familiar with the Cathedral because of his former posting in Oromocto. During our conversation, we realized that we were third or fourth cousins! We were interested in a lot of the same things, and I found it really enjoyable getting to meet him.
It has been really great, working as a Cathedral tour guide. I am not part of the congregation, so previously, I had only been there a couple of times and never long enough to actually look around. However, it’s an incredible building with a lot to see. I found it quite interesting learning the Cathedral’s history, and I found it even more interesting being able to share the history.
This fall, I will continue working on my political science degree, and in the future, I am planning to go to law school.
Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton NB is seeking a Sexton, a position which is integral to our overall operations.
Reporting to the Dean of Fredericton and working with the Property Committee, the successful candidate will be tasked with maintaining Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Memorial Hall and the grounds in a clean and orderly condition, and performing minor repairs as required.
Work involves overseeing and monitoring building operations in person and via camera systems. Duties also include opening and closing of both buildings, set-up for special functions, and attention to the Cathedral clock and tower, sprinkler system, sump pumps and other equipment and appliances.
This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits, and flexible working hours, including occasional weekends and evenings.
Please submit a resume and a cover letter which explains why you have applied for the position and why you feel you are a suitable candidate. Applications may be submitted by mail, email, or in person during office hours (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday-Friday).
Christ Church Cathedral Office
168 Church Street
Fredericton, NB E3B 4C9
Applications must be received by end of day Thursday, August 22, 2024. Christ Church Cathedral appreciates all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.
Once again, some of the provincial celebrations for the New Brunswick Day holiday will be held on the riverside Cathedral Green, next to the walking trail.
The Cathedral Office will be closed on Monday, 05 August. On that day, we encourage you to spend time with friends and participate in the celebrations!
New Brunswick Day festivities will be held on both sides of Queen Street, at the Legislature, the Cathedral Green, Beaverbrook Art Gallery and Officer's Square. Beginning at 12:00 noon, family-friendly activities and entertainment will include: cultural performances, music, art workshops, street performers, bouncy castles, face painting, and food. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery will have free admission, and the Legislative Assembly building will be open to the public, with photo ID.
Emancipation Day will also be celebrated at the same time, with activities in Officer's Square. This recognizes the Abolition of Slavery Act enacted in 1834 by the British parliament, which became law across all the colonial territories claimed by Great Britain, including land that is now referred to as Canada. Commemorating Emancipation Day along with New Brunswick Day highlights its historical and present-day importance. Family-friendly activities will include music with DJ-Wakanda, a photo booth, local artists, and a photo booth.
A variety of food trucks will be downtown during the festivities, and the night will end with fireworks over the Westmorland Street Bridge.
Read the details, and come on down to celebrate history and heritage!
Here are some letters from the current recipients of Cathedral scholarships. Three students are currently receiving scholarships to attend high school in Belize. Their school year ended in June, and we received report cards and letters from each student. They are very thankful for the support of the congregation. Read their letters below, and scroll down to learn more about the scholarship program and how you can help.
Sylvia Trapp (recently completed Grade 9)
Dear Friends:
I am writing to thank you for your financial support. This year had many challenges, but I overcame them. I studied hard to achieve the top of my class and plan on working harder to achieve my educational goals. I also tried to be as friendly as possible to anyone I meet and I care deeply for my best friends that I met this year. I'm grateful for having friends who push me to go further. I also tried to participate as much as I can in school activities such as the Christmas event, harvest dance and the children's day activities. I am truly grateful for your support with my educational journey. I have been promoted to second form and I will try as hard as possible to come in first place again. I'm looking forward to you continuous support. Thank you.
Yours truly,
Silvia Trapp
Caleb Martinez (recently completed Grade 10)
Dear friends of St. Hilda's.
The school year has ended and all the grades are in, it has been a roller coaster journey at Belmopan Comprehensive High School.
In cycle #1 I struggled getting back familiar with waking up early and going to bed late. In the class, some of the new math concepts were more challenging than others so there was an up and down of my grade for math. Also with some new students in my class I was being distracted a lot because of the noise but I asked my homeroom teacher to move me so I can focus on my school work.
In cycle #2 I paid more attention in class and studied more and all-in-all just focusing on my work. And as I said in the previous letter, I said that I was going to join the school track and field team, at regionals I came in 4th in the 100 meter dash and 4th in the 200 meter dash and next year I plan to continue athletics.
As for the subject that I will be majoring in next year, I'll be taking arts because for my job career I plan to work in the TV industry.
Lastly, I can’t thank you enough for this scholarship as it has been the key to all my obstacles in my academic career.
May you have a wonderful day, friends of St. Hilda’s.
Caleb
Korey Kelly (recently completed Grade 11)
Greetings Friends,
I hope everyone is doing great and enjoying their year. I am entering a new year of school and I am continuously grateful for the help you have offeredme in acquiring my education.
I will be moving on to 4th form even though I had a bit of a rough last semester ending up having to take summer classes for English. During Summer Classes my grades in English have improved. I have to say I believe it is due to me paying more attention in class and listening to the teacher when she teaches. I think and hope that I will perform better in English class when I enter 4th form.
Again, I am very thankful for the scholarship that you gave to me which helped to lessen my mom’s burden.
Korey
About the Cathedral's Belize High School Scholarship Program
Currently, the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral provides scholarships for three students who would not able to attend high school without support, since high school is not publicly funded in Belize. This additional education provides them with important skills and opportunities. Each scholarship is $1000 CAD per year. We intend to provide a scholarship to a student entering high school in September, so we will again be supporting one student in each grade.
In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of tuition for high school, which families must pay. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line.
The Cathedral has a special relationship with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, an elementary in the rural village of Georgeville. Over two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8, in addition to a recently established preschool.
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 participated in a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work at St. Hilda's through organizational support, donations and prayers.
In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed students from St. Hilda’s 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, and all have gained knowledge and experience that will help them in their future.
We are grateful for all who have helped to provide scholarships for these teenagers, and support for programs at the elementary school. Learn more about our mission work in Belize.
You can contribute to the mission in Belize through offering envelopes or donate online.
If you are interested in participating in future endeavors benefiting the students in Belize, please contact the Cathedral Office to connect with members of the Belize mission committee.
Many Anglicans in the Diocese will know the name Pickett-Scovil, but did you ever wonder who these people were?
In our Diocese, the Pickett-Scovil Memorial Fund, administered by the Anglican Church Women (ACW), assists retired clergy and widow(ers) with dental and medical expenses not covered by medical plans and Medicare.
Elizabeth Scovil, a nurse, started the fund in 1910 with friend and fellow nurse Lucy Vail Pickett, and...
Have you taken a tour of the Cathedral? Even if you regularly worship here, you're likely to learn something new!
Guided tours of Christ Church Cathedral are available throughout July and August 2024. Visit us Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Tours are free, donations are welcome (fill out a donation envelope to receive a tax receipt).
Drop by to welcome new tour guide Angus McDonell and Alex LeBlanc, who is returning for a fourth summer as Lead Tour Guide.
Tours made possible due to receipt of a Community Funding Grant from the City of Fredericton.
Self-guided tour booklets are available in English, French, German, and Spanish.
Our friends at St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize have been hard at work and sharing their findings during a recent science fair. Principal Ms. Jane Martinez sent us a note with a few photos. Please continue to pray for her, the rest of the teachers, the students, and families.
Hi Kelley,
I pray that all is well with you, your family and the church family. I’m just sharing some pictures from our Science fair that we had yesterday. It was short notice but students and teachers worked hard to prepare.
We are almost at the end of the school year and I am looking forward to vacation time. It has been a very challenging year for me personally and as the school administrator. There were teachers absent due to illness so I spent a lot of time juggling teaching and administration.
I just wanted to say hi and hope that you are all doing well. Thank you for your continued prayers and support for St. Hilda’s Anglican School.
Best,
Jane
You can contribute to the mission in Belize through offering envelopes or donate online. We provide funds to St. Hilda's Anglican [elementary] School each year, and we provide scholarships for students interested in pursuing high school. Learn more about our mission work in Belize.
If you are interested in participating in future endeavors benefiting the students in Belize, please contact the Cathedral Office to connect with members of the Belize mission committee.
Many Cathedral programs are kicking off or resuming over the next few days and weeks -- that is, during and for this Season of Creation.
