2024 ADVENT-ures

The new Church year is once again upon us!

 Why not add something to your devotional life to mark a fresh start?

Choose from the following list of diverse opportunities on the Advent weekdays to deepen your prayer and/or study and/or worship.

MONDAYS - beginning 2 December

  • The Four Last ThingsSeasonal study of the traditional eschatological themes—death, judgment, hell and heaven. Facilitated by the Dean, Geoffrey Hall. 1:00-2:00 pm in the Boardroom; online connection option.
    * Email to register <dean at christchurchcathedral.com>

TUESDAYS - beginning 3 December

  • Taizé Worship: A simple and contemplative half hour of scripture, prayer, silence and song. 5:30 p.m. start.
    3 and 17 December on Zoom
    10 December in-person and livestreamed from the Cathedral
    * Link through the Cathedral Calendar or from Kurt.

WEDNESDAYS - beginning 4 December

  • Celtic Advent Spirituality Series: Contemplative ideas and practices for Advent and beyond, presented in the “Threshold Gathering” model/format. Led by Kurt Schmidt. In-person, 3:00-4:30 pm, Memorial Hall Lounge.
    * Please reserve your seat with Kurt for any/all sessions.

THURSDAYS - beginning 28 November

DAILY / ONGOING

  • Divine Office: Regular, short daily prayer opportunity in the Cathedral. Morning Prayer at 8:45 a.m., Evening Prayer at 4:45 p.m. Weekdays.
    * Just drop in any time -- or sign up to lead!
  • Dante Group: But reading not-Dante now! Led by Alan Hall. Thursday evenings, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Cathedral Memorial Hall Lounge.
    * Just drop in any time!
  • Holy Eucharist: Wednesday mornings, 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral.

 

You are encouraged to add at least one new Advent-ure to your schedule this year!


Questions
or expressions of interest can be communicated to Cathedral Director of Christian Formation, Kurt Schmidt by email <formation at christchurchcathedral.com> or by phone/text to (506) 259-3711. Thank you, and Advent Blessings!

 

Listen, Love and Pray: Grief and Loss Support

Join Deacons Isabel Cutler and Debbie Edmondson for a new program called Listen, Love and Pray: Grief and Loss Support.

Growing in faith, grace, gratitude, hope, and love - holding space for being together with loss. People feeling grief and loss of all types will gather to reflect and support each other’s experiences.

Beginning Monday, 09 December 7:00-9:00 p.m. and continuing on the second Monday of each month. Cathedral Memorial Hall, Lounge, 168 Church Street, Fredericton.

Anyone from the community is welcome to attend.

 

 

Prayers for Truth and Reconciliation

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we are encouraged to continue our prayers.

Gather with us in the Cathedral on Monday, 30 September, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

The Cathedral Office will be closed that day, in recognition of the holiday.

 

Creator God, Sunkwiyatisu and Gitchi Manitou,
Of peace, justice, and concord;
Open our ears, our eyes, our lungs, and our hearts,
Give us the spirit of condolence.
Instill in us the Good Mind.
Let us seek your justice in a broken world,
Let us search for understanding in your Creation.
Help us to be reconciled to you and to each other.
In the self-giving ethic of the Cross,
Let us be emptied of hatred and apathy,
Greed and selfishness.
Fill us with the wideness and wildness of your Spirit,
In the name of your First Son, Jesus Christ,
We ask all this. Amen.

~ Collect for Orange Shirt Day

 

You might also find the following of interest:

Visit from Indigenous Archbishop… and a corn boil!

We were pleased to welcome National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Chris Harper to the Cathedral on Sunday, 15 September.

It was a privilege to learn from him. If you were not able to attend and hear him preach, watch a recording of the service.

Following worship, we were treated to a corn boil and picnic on the lawn. It was a beautiful and warm day, and many people stayed for food and fellowship. Special thanks to the Welcome and Hospitality Committee, and the many volunteers who pitched in to make the event possible.

Photos from the event are below, including some prep volunteers, Archbishop Harper with a Bishop's Crozier presented to him by the Parish of St. Andrews, and members of the congregation enjoying the event.

The NB Anglican has also posted an article about the Archbishop's visit to New Brunswick.

Fall Formation Opportunities

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 Wednesday Spirituality Series 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.

Life in the Eucharist 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>.

Volunteers needed for Corn Boil

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!

New Brunswick Day 2024

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.

The Cathedral will be open for guided tours from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Discover the unique history of the Cathedral in our city and province!

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!

National Indigenous Bishop visits September 15th

Council of Indigenous PeoplesNational Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper will visit the Diocese of Fredericton in September this year and will preach at the Cathedral at 10:30 a.m. on 15 September.

The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Anglican Church of Canada began the search for the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop (NIAB) in 2005. appointing the first in the spring of 2007 with the installation held during the General Synod of 2007 in Winnipeg. The Elder’s of Indigenous Ministry gave the Archbishop five charges:

    1. To speak for Indigenous Anglican People in the Councils of the Church
    2. To interpret what the Councils of the Church are saying to Indigenous people
    3. To be a spokesperson for Mother Earth
    4. To act as a midwife for a self-determining Indigenous Church
    5. To represent the authority of Indigenous identity within the Anglican Church of Canada

The national Indigenous Anglican archbishop is the presiding elder of the Sacred Circle. Indigenous Ministries of the General Synod supports the Indigenous Peoples of Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) spiritually, socially, economically and politically recognizing that the purity of the land base provides for all our needs. As active participants in the life of the church, the Council of Indigenous Peoples strives for reconciliation with the Anglican Communion and works towards Indigenous self-determination.

At the announcement of his appointment in late 2022, Primate Linda Nichols said, “Archbishop-elect Chris Harper brings years of experience in ministry among and with Indigenous Anglicans, urban and on reserve,” she said. “He has a passion for walking together with respect that will be essential as the Sacred Circle within the Anglican Church of Canada establishes its way forward.”

Archbishop Harper is the son of a residential school survivor, a Plains Cree and worked as an emergency medical technician before earning his certificate of Indigenous Anglican theology from James Settee College in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He received his master’s of divinity degree from Wycliffe College in 2005 and was priested the same year. In 2016 Harper was appointed as Indigenous native priest for the diocese of Toronto, a role he held until his election as bishop of Saskatoon in 2018. He has served on numerous committees of the church including the Council of General Synod, and is a member of Sacred Circle.

Learn more about the role of the Indigenous Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Tour the Cathedral

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.

Summer Music Series 2024

The annual Summer Music Series at Christ Church Cathedral is back! All are welcome to attend these concerts, designed to fit perfectly within the lunch hour.

Fridays from 12:10-12:50 p.m., 05 July - 30 August. 150 Church Street, Fredericton.

Join us inside historic Christ Church Cathedral as we present a series of concerts featuring soloists and instruments such as piano, violin, cello, guitar, organ, fiddle and viola.

View the poster.

Free admission, donations encouraged. Performers will receive an honorarium and proceeds will support the Organ Renovation Fund. Online donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes emailed immediately.

July 5
Katherine Moller, fiddle
Tom Richards, guitar

July 12
Acorde Trio:
David Adams, violin
Sonja Adams, cello
Martin Kutnowski, piano

July 19
Christian Vanicek, organ

July 26
Muriel Falkenstein, soprano
Thomas Gonder, piano

August 2
Luke Noftall, baritone
Thomas Gonder, piano

August 9
Natalia Delacroix, viola
Thomas Gonder, organ/piano

August 16
Steven Peacock, guitar
Howard Baer, bass

August 23
Kathrin Welte, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Gonder, organ/piano

August 30
Thomas Gonder, organ

* * *

MAKE A DONATION
(tax receipt emailed immediately)