Author Archive: Kirsten McKnight

Wildfire destroys Anglican camp in BC

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A cross at the end of a dock is nearly all that remains of an Anglican camp in British Columbia ravaged by wildfire.

Camp OAC (Oakanagan Anglican Camp), like New Brunswick's Camp Medley and Camp Brookwood, offers faith-based summer camping opportunities for children and teens, as well as religious retreats and rentals for secular functions and celebrations.

Campers and staff were safely evacuated on Thursday, August 17, but by that evening fire had destroyed almost the entire camp.

ABOVE: the dock at Camp OAC, as shown in the 2023 Anglican Churches calendar. BELOW: Fire burned 90% of Camp OAC, including the dock. The cross remains.

If you own a copy of the Anglican Church Calendar, you may recognize Camp OAC as the photo featured for the month of August. It shows a cross on a deck stretched out over the Oakanagan Lake, with beautiful forested mountains in the background.

In her pastoral letter, The Most Rev. Dr. Lynne E. McNaughton, Bishop of Kootenay, writes,

"Although most of the dock burned, the large white Cross at the end of the dock remains standing. As always the cross is the sign for us that God brings new life out of death. God will sustain us through this loss and rebuilding, that OAC will once again be a place of life-giving Christian community where children, youth, and adults can experience living in right relationship with nature and God."

The destruction of Camp OAC has triggered an outpouring of sadness from the generations of people who have attended the camp since 1950, and donations towards rebuilding are encouraged. Click here to read the update from Camp Director Ian Dixon and find out how you can help.

Please pray for all affected by wildfires and other natural disasters during this year of increased climate change, and pray for those ministering to serve those in need.

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (June 2023 update)

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The Reverends Nelson and Kara Mejia are SAMS Canada (South American Mission Society) missionaries and priests in the Diocese of Honduras. Kara Mejia is the daughter of retired New Brunswick priest Gordon Thompson and his wife, Bell.

The Cathedral Missions Committee supports their Ministry in Roatan, Honduras with yearly donations.

By the Revs. Nelson and Kara Mejia:

The ministry of the Church in Roatan has not stopped; the churches are open and the Gospel continues to be preached, and leaders in each of the churches have led the services worshiping Jesus Christ every week. It has been our responsibility to equip those whom God has placed in our hands for every good work of service, as Ephesians 4:12 says. To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up!

...

Click here to continue reading the full update from June 2023, and see more photos! We were pleased to see Kara and Nelson in June when they visited New Brunswick to share information about their ministry.

NB Day + Emancipation Day activities on the Green

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Once again, some of the provincial celebrations for the August civic holiday will be held on the riverside Cathedral Green, next to the walking trail.

The Cathedral Office will be closed on Monday, 07 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 and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Beginning at 12:00 noon, family-friendly activities and entertainment will include: cultural performances, music, art workshops, street performers, bouncy castles, games, face painting, and a craft market. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery will have free admission from noon to 5:00 p.m.

The Calithumpians theatre troupe will perform at noon on the Cathedral lawn, and the Cathedral will be open for guided tours from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Discover the historical impact of the Cathedral on our city and province!

Emancipation Day will also be celebrated at the same time, with activities on the riverside Cathedral Green from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 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 on the Green will include music with DJ-Wakanda, a photo booth, local artists, and vendors.

A variety of food trucks will be downtown during the festivities, and fireworks will be displayed over the Westmorland Street Bridge, beginning around 9:45 p.m.

Read the details, and come on down to celebrate history and heritage!

Good news from a Belizean scholarship recipient

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This message of good news was sent to Beverly Morell, former Belize Mission team leader. It is from Amieka Myers, a Belizean student that the Cathedral congregation supported with a high school scholarship, and continued supporting her with tuition for an associate's degree at the University of Belize, from which she graduated in 2018.

Since then, Amieka has become a mother, began a teaching career, and has returned to additional university studies. She has made a wonderful life for herself! As you can tell from her letter, she was grateful for the opportunity to receive a high school and university education, which is an outstanding achievement for a student from St. Hilda’s Elementary School. Please keep Amieka, her son, and all of our scholarship students past and present, in your prayers.

Greetings Ms. Bev!

I hope everything is okay; it has been a while since we exchanged emails. I hope you and your family are doing well. A lot has changed since the pandemic, and now, a lot has returned to normal, for which we must thank the Lord.

Cathedral member Jim Morell and Amieka Myers in 2018 in Belize.

On my end, I'm doing fantastic! I've had some difficulties in the last three years, but I've overcome them with the assistance of God. I am presently a high school teacher, teaching first and second year English and Belizean Studies at Belmopan Baptist High School in Belmopan City, Belize. In addition, I was accepted into UB's Bachelor in English Education program. My first semester began in January and finished on May 12th. Teaching, studying, and being a mother are not simple duties; nonetheless, my prior hardships inspire me to persevere. On the other hand, my son Amarion, is currently in kindergarten and, by God's help, will begin primary school in September. He has a speech issues, and as a busy mom, I haven't had time to coach him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

I thought I'd offer an update on my life as it's been a while since we exchanged emails. I also believe you and the church would be very delighted to hear I'm establishing a life for myself. I will be eternally thankful for the chance to attend high school and get an associate's degree thanks to the generosity of you, your family, and the church family.

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Amieka Myers

The Cathedral congregation continues to support students from St. Hilda's School with scholarships for high school tuition. Read about our recent fundraiser, a very successful yard sale to support the scholarship program.

Cathedral Faces: Alex LeBlanc, Lead Tour Guide

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Alex LeBlanc is back with us for the summer of 2024, again in the position of Lead Tour Guide, working alongside Angus McDonell.

The article below was written in 2023 when Alex was working with Muriel Falkenstein.

Hi everyone!

I am so glad to be back working for the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton and of course, Christ Church Cathedral this summer. Many of you probably have seen me around, either as a tour guide or parishioner. Nevertheless, let me tell you all a little about me!

I was born in Moncton, and moved to Fredericton when I was nine. I am celebrating 10 years as a Frederictonian this year! I am Acadian, so I am fluent in English and French. If you know me, I am extremely proud of my Acadian culture. I am a recent graduate from Leo Hayes High School and am currently working on a bachelor’s degree at St. Thomas University, going into my second year.

Since I was young, I have been always devoted to serving God by volunteering in the church. I was baptized into the United Church in 2005 and have been volunteering at Nashwaaksis United Church as member of the Property Committee, and the Outreach Committee. I first came to CCC in the summer of 2016 as a guest who was interested in the history of the building. Of course, I was enlightened by an amazing tour from then Verger, Mr. Hank Williams! I had a keen interest in the bell tower and got a VIP tour of the tower from Eric Hadley. This would then progress into a volunteer role with the church.

Since 2017, I’ve been winding our 170-year-old clock. Did you know that it is a prototype for Big Ben in London? I was so interested in the Cathedral’s history in fact, I applied to be a tour guide in the summer of 2019. My first job! In 2020 and 2021, as many of you know, COVID-19 prevented us from keeping the Cathedral open for guided tours and concerts. I began working at Walmart on the Northside in 2020 and am still working there as of July 2023. Say hi if you see me in the produce department! Amazingly last year, I found out that CCC was hiring guides again, and I had to apply. After another amazing summer of tours, meeting lots of people, and hearing great music, I began my first year at St. Thomas University, making the Dean’s list.

Fast forward to this year. I was overjoyed when I got the call asking me to return for a third summer as a Lead Tour Guide! This is my first time in a supervisory role, and I am so thankful for the experience it is giving me. It always helps when you have amazing coworkers!

That’s just a little about me, and I hope to meet you all at some point this summer!

You can also read Alex's story from 2022.

Summer theatre with the Calithumpians

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The Calithumpians theatre troupe has been entertaining audiences for over forty years. Headquartered at Cathedral Memorial Hall, the troupe is named after an ancient tradition wherein young people, dressed in costume and disguise, paraded through the streets celebrating and making joyous noise.

​From their humble beginnings performing educational shows in schools, the Calithumpians have expanded their repertoire to include family-friendly outdoor theatre, guided walking and motorcoach tours, historical interpretation, drama camps, training and consultation, school visits and workshops, dinner theatre, a Haunted Hike, and a variety of shows for audiences in and around Fredericton, and across New Brunswick and Canada.

Performers at the Haunted Hike

Calithumpians’ shows and services emphasize local history and pride, folklore and legend, environmentalism, health and wellness, and current social issues, all with a hint of humor and fun!

The Calithumpians perform a free, family-friendly musical theatre show at 12:15 p.m. on the Cathedral lawn, Monday to Saturday throughout the summer, and run children's drama camps on the lawn and in Cathedral Memorial Hall. Visit their website to see the schedule of shows and camps, as well as their other offerings throughout the city.

Cathedral Faces: Muriel Falkenstein, Tour Guide

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This summer, we are pleased to welcome Muriel Falkenstein as a Cathedral Tour Guide. She is working with Alex LeBlanc.

Muriel Falkenstein is a high school graduate, classical soprano, and active community member in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Her school extracurriculars included the Fredericton High School Concert Band (chair, flute section), Model United Nations, and the FHS Reach for the Top team. Outside of school, she is involved in classical voice, theatre, and piano lessons, and she intends to build a career as a classical singer. In voice, she has competed at local, provincial, and national music festivals and twice earned the Royal Conservatory of Music Atlantic Gold Medal, which denotes the most successful practical examination in the Atlantic region.

Muriel is also an avid composer and earned a silver standard at last year’s Canadian National Music Festival for her original composition, La Morte d’Eurydice. Her original composition entitled La Crise, a three-movement work exploring climate change, was recently awarded first prize at the New Brunswick Provincial Music Festival and will be adjudicated in July at the national music festival.

Muriel has had two original plays produced at the NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival and at UNB and STU, respectively, and in 2022, she performed the lead role Anne Shirley in Theatre New Brunswick’s production of Anne and Gilbert. She has volunteered at Theatre New Brunswick summer camps and is a high-achieving student. This year, she was shortlisted for the National Scholarship at both the University of Toronto and Western University. Starting in the fall, she will be enrolled at U of T, pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance as a C. David Naylor Scholar and Arbor Scholar.

She is excited to take on the position of Summer Tour Guide at Christ Church Cathedral and share the beauty and history of the Cathedral with visitors!

Weddings in the Cathedral: Gail & Ernie

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Were you married in the Cathedral? Or do you have a story of relatives who were? We would love to hear your story and see a photo! If you are willing to chat with a member of the Communications Committee and be included in an upcoming series of articles, please contact the Cathedral Office. Phone (506) 450-8500 or email <office at christchurchcathedral.com>.

Gail & Ernie

October 12, 2012

Gail and Ernie MacGillivray shared this memory of their wedding:

“It was a sunny fall day in October, 2012! The day felt just right and remains in our memories as pretty much perfect. Family and friends surrounded us! One of the very best parts of the day was having members of our Worship Band (led at that time by Dr. Willis Noble) sing and play. They really made our hearts soar!!! We were told afterwards that their final worship song was so uplifting that folks were tempted to dance in the aisles! We just felt wrapped in hugs. The Very Rev’d Keith Joyce officiated."

Diocese focuses lens on young adult formation

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The Diocese of Fredericton is expanding the Special Ministries supported by the Synod.

The position of Director of Young Adult Formation has recently been created, recognizing a need for support for teens and young adults in their faith journeys. Kurt Schmidt has been selected to fill this part-time role, providing leadership and pastoral care, with a particular focus on the university campuses. The position will include fostering the spiritual life of a diverse student community in fresh and innovative ways, and work closely with our Camping Ministries to coordinate areas of practical support and formation.

Kurt will also continue with his part-time position as the Cathedral Director of Christian Formation.

"I'm keen and eager to dive into my work right away to support the young adults in our diocese," he said. "I'll be aiming to provide innovative leadership and pastoral care, especially to the young people involved with our camping ministries and on our province's university/post-secondary campuses."

Kurt considers himself an educator at heart and has spent the last 20 years working as a teacher in diverse contexts and at various levels. Kurt’s own spiritual journey includes formative periods among his Jesuit teachers and mentors in high school, with monastic friends during university, alongside members of L’Arche communities in both Canada and the United States, and with various teachers of Celtic Christianity.

Learn more about Kurt on the Cathedral website and the Diocesan website.

Drop by for a guided tour!

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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, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 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 Muriel Falkenstein, and Alex LeBlanc, who is returning for a third 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 (a new offering this year thanks to the translation efforts of John and Rosa Macaulay). Booklets were written by Hank Williams.