In September, the Guild of St. Joseph (affectionately referred to as the Holy Joes) gathered for a shared meal.
The last time this Cathedral men's group held a barbecue was in June 2019, over 3 years ago, and members were pleased to enjoy this time of fellowship, along with their spouses and Cathedral staff members.
Approximately 25 people attended and enjoyed socializing over hamburgers, hot dogs, fresh local corn on the cob, salads and desserts.
The Guild's motto is “Serving God and Church with heart and hands.” The focus is the maintenance and repair of the fabric of the Cathedral, the Green, and Memorial Hall.
Typically, the Guild hosts an annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper (which they hope to resume this spring) and provides a Halloween watch, spring flood watch and the 'Greening of the Cathedral' during Advent.
The group meets in the Hall Lounge on the first Tuesday of each month (September through June), and warmly welcomes new members. For more information, speak with the Guild President, Gary Barfitt, or contact the Cathedral Office.
John Stackhouse is the Samuel J. Mikolaski Professor of Religious Studies and Dean of Faculty Development at Crandall University in Moncton.
On 12 October, 2022, he will present a lecture in Christ Church Cathedral, hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, offering a diagnosis, prognosis, and prescription for the condition of contemporary Canadian Christianity. The title of the lecture is Thick Churches: The Answer to Christianity's Decline in Canada.
This presentation is open to all, regardless of denominational affiliation or faith connection, and will be available in person at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton or through webinar format. There is no change for admission.
Professor Stackhouse will sum up the grounds of the Canadian Confederation in three sentences; the religious history of Canada in three stages; and the social history of Canada in five minutes. He will show that we are now in a post-Christian Canada and, more broadly, in a post-postmodern civilization. For many of our neighbours, the Christian Church seems like an enemy and the Christian gospel a threat. How, therefore, can Canadian Christians remain faithful to God while also reaching out in useful and welcome service to our fellow citizens?
Progessor Stackhouse has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Edinburgh, Bristol, Hong Kong, Macquarie, and Otago universities as well as across Canada. His work has been featured by media as diverse as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Times Literary Supplement, ABC News, and CBC Radio.
Click here to register for the lecture on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (virtual or in-person).
Questions can be directed to Shawn C. Branch, Parish Development, Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, (506) 459-1801 ext 1008.
Since Queen Elizabeth II's death, many people have been reflecting on her life of service to her country, the Commonwealth, and the Church.
The Queen traveled to New Brunswick five times, visiting Christ Church Cathedral during her time in Fredericton. Here are photos of some of those visits.
In 1951, Princess Elizabeth signed the Royal Bible while in the Cathedral. In the photo below, you can see Dean Gray on the left, Bishop Morehead on the right, and Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh behind Bishop Morehead.
Here you can see the signatures written in the Cathedral's Royal Bible.
In this photo, Princess Elizabeth is seen leaving the Cathedral in 1951 with Bishop Morehead.
This National Film Board documentary of the 1951 royal tour shows a brief clip of the royal motorcade passing admirers outside of the Cathedral, and then visiting UNB. Scroll to the 42:10 minute mark.
Queen Elizabeth attended worship in the Cathedral in 1984, while in New Brunswick to celebrate the Bicentennial. She is seen in this photo, with Bishop Nutter wearing the mitre. Behind him is Dean Noseworthy. Prince Philip is standing behind the Queen.
At the 5:29 minute mark of this CBC video reflecting on the Queen's visits to New Brunswick, you can hear the bells of the Cathedral, hear Prince Philip read from the Bible, and see the Queen greeting spectators.
Rest eternal grant unto her, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her.
Thank you to all who assisted with the Provincial commemorative service for the Queen. Photos from the memorial will be shared on our website soon. *
A Provincial commemorative service for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be held in Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton on Monday, 19 September at 2:00 p.m.
Order of Service (read order)
Order of Service (booklet print order)
Attendance will be by invitation only, but the public is welcome to gather on the lawn. Loudspeakers will be placed outside. Please be aware that parking will be limited.
The service will be livestreamed by the Province of New Brunswick. It is
A Book of Condolence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be available in the Cathedral on Monday, 19 September, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Online condolences can be shared on the Government of Canada website.
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A national memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II will be held at St. James Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario on Tuesday, 20 September 20 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (4:00 p.m. Atlantic). The service will be livestreamed on the Anglican Church of Canada's website.
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Read statements about the Queen's death from the Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, from Archbishop David Edwards, and from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Gracious God, we give thanks
for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth,
for her faith and her dedication to duty.
Bless us as we mourn her death
and may her example continue to inspire us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Members of the Cathedral congregation are invited to gather after 10:30 a.m. worship on Sunday, 11 September for food and fellowship!
Corn on the cob, treats and lemonade will be served on the Cathedral lawn. Feel free to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket. If the weather is poor, we will bring the festivities inside Cathedral Memorial Hall.
Are you able to prepare a plate of sweets to share? If so, please contact Kirsten McKnight at the Cathedral Office by email <office at christchurchcathedral.com> or phone (506) 450-8500.
Thank you to our volunteers - many hands make light work!
The Calithumpians theatre troupe has been entertaining audiences in Fredericton for over forty years, and in 2020, its headquarters moved to Cathedral Memorial Hall.
For the last three summers, the Cathedral lawn has been filled with the sights and sounds of children participating in drama day camps. Kids and teens spend each weeklong camp singing, dancing, acting and playing outdoor games.
According to the Calithumpians' website, "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."
Drama camps are offered between Canada Day and Labour Day for kids between 6 and 14 years old, and scholarships are available. With the support of local business sponsors, children from families with limited financial means are given the opportunity to attend camp with the fee waived. The camps foster creativity and confidence, and since 2011, over 500 children have benefited from the scholarship program. Spaces are still available for August 2022, so reach out for more information.
In addition to camps, each day at 12:15 p.m., the public is invited to watch a free, family-friendly musical theatre performance outside the Cathedral. Four shows are rotated throughout the summer, each showcasing local issues and historic figures in a a humorous way. On Fridays, the campers also perform a short play before the performing troupe launches into its show.
The Calithumpians also perform in other downtown Fredericton locations. The repertoire includes guided walking and motorcoach tours, historical interpretation, training and consultation, school visits and workshops, dinner theatre, and Haunted Hikes.
View the performance and tour schedule.
From July 15-17, downtown Fredericton was filled with the sound of music from the Sweltering Songs music festival.
A tent on the Cathedral Green was set up for the music festival.
Christ Church Cathedral was pleased to be a strategic partner of the festival, permitting use of the 'Green', the Cathedral's waterfront land, for a performance tent.
A spin-off initiative of the long-running winter music festival, Shivering Songs, Sweltering Songs was designed as a multi-day summer folk festival and launched in 2021. This is the Cathedral's first year participating.
“Shivering Songs has long been known as ‘a cure for the winter blues' in Fredericton, but given the challenges with COVID-19 during the past two winters, featuring a summer edition has allowed us to prioritize supporting artists and small businesses locally, as we've always done,” said festival co-organizer, Zach Atkinson.
Performances were held in two tented venues in downtown Fredericton: one on the Cathedral 'Green', hosting programming Friday and Saturday morning; and one on Carleton Street Saturday and Sunday. Additional shows were held indoors at The CAP.
Sweltering Songs offered a mix of all ages, family-friendly events and licensed adult-only events, featuring 19 artists including: The Weather Station, Julie Doiron, Aquakultre, The Hypochondriacs, Motherhood, Les Hôtesses D'Hilaire, Cedric Noel, and more.
During the festival, the Calithumpians also performed family-friendly musical theatre on the lawn beside Christ Church Cathedral.
Guided tours of Christ Church Cathedral are available throughout July and August, Monday to Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and after worship on Sunday until 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 Sophia Pacione, and Alex LeBlanc, who is returning in the position for a second summer.
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 and German.
