On Saturday 23 September, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Cathedral Memorial Hall Lounge, we'll screen and discuss The Letter, an 82-minute documentary film providing environmental illustration, exploration and context to Laudato si’, the encyclical letter on the care of creation that was released by Pope Francis in 2015.
The movie tells the story of a recent gathering in Rome where Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from many corners of the world met with Francis to respond to Laudato si’. The film is a fine witness and reflection on the climate crisis -- connecting climate change with human migration in Senegal; explaining the influence of unsustainable agriculture on deforestation and loss of human life in Brazil; telling the stories of Australian bush fires and flooding in India; and showing coral reef loss around Hawaii.
The stories in the film are presented in original languages with continuous translation.
Our screening will be followed by a brief reflection discussion.
Please reserve a seat with Kurt Schmidt: <k.schmidt at cccath.ca> or 506-259-3711.
The Cathedral Office and Memorial Hall will be closed on Monday, 02 October.
Merciful God, you call us to loving relationship with one another. Be with us now as we seek to heal old wounds and find joy again in this relationship. Replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. Give us the gifts of honesty and openness, and fill us with your healing power and grace. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen. [The Anglican Healing Fund]
Join us for Chair Yoga at Christ Church Cathedral, gathering with others for this gentle exercise.
An initiative of the Health Ministry, the classes are led by experienced yoga instructor Monique Smith.
Ideal for both young and old, chair yoga is a unique way to exercise while sitting in a chair. Classes are held in the Cathedral, making it easy even for those with mobility issues.
As Monique explains, “As far as abilities, even beginners will feel welcomed! … The key is to listen to one’s body.”
These weekly classes are sure to provide a stress-free way to exercise your body, mind, and spirit in fun and friendly group sessions.
Chair yoga classes are held on Fridays from 10:15-11:00 a.m., with occasional breaks for holidays. Check our calendar to confirm dates. All classes are open to the public to drop-in, with no need to register. The cost is $5 per session, payable each week. 150 Church Street, Fredericton, NB.
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!
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.
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.
We're pleased that once again the Waterloo Stage will be held on the riverside Cathedral Green, July 22-23. Additional shows will be held at The CAP on Queen Street.
Sweltering Songs co-organizer, Zach Atkinson, says, “We’re excited to return to the area after bringing our Waterloo Street Tent to life for the first time in 2022. It’s a cozy and beautiful setting to host a wonderful line-up featuring old friends and musical peers, new favorites, and emerging artists alike for Fredericton listeners.”
Learn more about the festival, artists and tickets.
Christ Church Cathedral will be the host venue for Fredericton's 175th anniversary concert, A Celebration of Us, to be held on Tuesday, 08 August, 2023, 7:30 p.m. This article was shared in a recent newsletter from the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival.
Bérubé began his composing career later than most, and he has more than made up for it with his wealth of credits which include film and video game scores. When asked about his entrance into composing and arranging, Bérubé states that “[he] began by writing piano arrangements for The Doors and Led Zeppelin, after finding [himself] unsatisfied with existing versions of [his] favorite songs.” Finding a love for the creative aspect of composition, he dove straight into the deep end by writing a piano sonata that won first place at the provincial music festival. Soon after, he switched from Biochemistry to Music at the University of Alberta.
This summer, Bérubé is writing a new piece for the Atlantic Sinfonia Orchestra, bringing local influences and an element of celebration to the work. He states that “it is a privilege to write a concert piece, and for instrumentalists to learn [his] work. It takes so many hours to create and rehearse something like this.” In early August, 13 musicians be at Christ Church Cathedral as the venue to perform a collection of Fredericton’s historical pieces, fan favorites, and Bérubé’s new creation. This event will be one of seven projects that received support from the City of Fredericton to mark the anniversary.
“I am looking forward to working with musicians, sitting in on the rehearsal progress, and hearing the final performance” (Bérubé).
Bérubé [has spent] two months creating and working with Atlantic Sinfonia and the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival. “[His] job in this case is to write a piece, an entertaining piece, a musically interesting piece, that is a celebration of us.”
Fredericton, A Celebration of Us takes place on Tuesday, August 8th, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral. For more information, visit www.nbsummermusicfestival.ca.
Repertoire
Now-Baroque Suite – Richard Gibson
Aperture Akimbo – Christian Bérubé
Subway Thoughts – Eldon Rathburn
Song without Words – Robin Bayley
Improvisations on Two Latvian Folk Songs – Janis Kalnins
Free will offering. Seating is on a 'first come first served' basis.
The Belize Mission Committee is thrilled with the outcome of a yard sale raising funds for high school scholarships in Belize. Between item sales and envelope donations, approximately $3000 has been raised so far - enough for three scholarships!
Currently, we provide scholarships for four 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. The Cathedral also provides $2000 per year to St. Hilda’s Anglican School in Georgeville, Belize, which is used for supplies for the elementary school.
Held on Saturday, June 24, the yard sale attracted hundreds of community members searching for treasures and deals. Items in the yard sale were provided by members of the congregation and community who decluttered and donated their items to be sold at the pay-as-you-wish sale.
A dozen volunteers helped throughout the week to set-up, unpack and sort items, assemble photo collages, greet customers, collect donations, repack items, and distribute leftover items to organizations such as the Multicultural Association, the puzzle lending library at Wilmot United Church, Farraline Place, and charitable stores. Many leftover novels and children's books were also brought to Little Free Libraries and book houses around the city, for our neighbours to enjoy.
A number of people attending the sale asked about the scholarship fund and our relationship with students in Belize.
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 still 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.
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., 30 June - 25 August at 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, guitar, organ, fiddle and viola. View the poster.
Free admission, donations encouraged. Proceeds will support the Organ Renovation Fund. Online donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes emailed immediately. Thank you for helping us to preserve the organ!
June 30
Julien LeBlanc, piano
Matthieu Deveau, violin
Julie Ekker, voice
July 7
Stephen Peacock, guitar
Natalia Delacroix, viola
July 14
Katherine Moller, fiddle
Tom Richards, guitar
July 21
Kathrin Welte, voice
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ
July 28
Christian Vanicek, piano and organ
August 4
Barachois Summer Music Academy
August 11
New Brunswick Summer Music Festival:
Natalia Delacroix, viola
Nicholas Roy, piano
August 18
Jillian Bonner, voice
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ
Join us for a special multimedia event to mark this Season of Creation!
