Category Archives: Events

Royal visits to the Cathedral

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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.


The Government of New Brunswick has prepared a video tribute to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's life and the everlasting legacy she left in New Brunswick.


A provincial commemorative service (Choral Evensong and Memorial) for Her Late Majesty will be held in Christ Church Cathedral at 2:00 p.m. on September 19, 2022.


She led a truly remarkable life.

Rest eternal grant unto her, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

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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. A ceremonial gun salute will take place in conjunction with the commemorative service, resulting in increased noise levels in the cathedral area. For safety reasons, traffic and pedestrian access around this area may be suspended. Learn more about provincial commemorative events.

The service will be livestreamed by the Province of New Brunswick. It is a joint effort of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Province of New Brunswick, in collaboration with the Diocese of Fredericton and Christ Church Cathedral.

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.

* * * * *

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.

Corn Boil

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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!

Songs and smiles on the Cathedral lawn

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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.

 

Festival brings live music to the Cathedral Green

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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.

Cathedral Tours

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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.

2022 Lambeth Call to Prayer

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The fifteenth Lambeth Conference will meet on 26 July – 08 August in Canterbury.

As the conference draws closer, the Archbishop of Canterbury has shared a call to prayer with the conference delegates and their wider church communities.

The call to prayer invites people to devote a day to prayer on Trinity Sunday – 12th June and to pray for the event in the weeks ahead.

The Archbishop of Canterbury says: “The Lambeth Conference theme of ‘God’s Church for God’s World’, reminds us that we are called upon as Christians to pray for the needs of the world. There are many calls upon our prayers at this time: World peace, the global climate crisis, the effects of the pandemic – to name but a few.

“I invite you to call all those in your care to pray for the Lambeth Conference. Please pray that as we meet and consider our shared mission and ministry, that we may hear the call from God. In turn, that we might add our voices to call others to make a difference for Christ in the world.”

A prayer guide has been developed by Brother Christopher John, who is part of the Chaplaincy team at the event.

Visit the Lambeth prayer resources page

2022 Summer Music Series

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Our Summer Music Series returns with nine noontime concerts, held each Friday between 01 July and 26 August. Join us inside historic Christ Church Cathedral as we present a series of concerts featuring choral music, soloists, fiddle, guitar, viola, organ and piano. View the poster.

Each concert will run from 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. All welcome!

Face masks are encouraged as a way of showing care for others.

Free admission, donations encouraged. Proceeds will support the Organ Renovation Fund. Tickets are not required, but online donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes emailed immediately.

July 1
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ

July 8
Natalia Lubimova, viola and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano

July 15
J. Thomas D. Gonder, organ
(unfortunately, the Metropolitan Choir School from London, Ontario is no longer able to attend)

July 22
Steven Peacock and Gerry Van Wart, guitars

July 29
Katherine Moller, fiddle and Tom Richards, guitar

August 5
New Brunswick Summer Music Festival ~ The Elm City String Quartet

August 12
Olivia Spahn-Vieira, soprano and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano

August 19
Luke Noftall, baritone, and J. Thomas D. Gonder, piano
(unfortunately, Olivia LaPointe is no longer able to perform)

August 26
Christian Vanicek, piano and organ

* * *

Make a donation to the Organ Renovation Fund
(tax receipt emailed immediately)

 

 

Thanks from Archbishop Edwards

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A letter from Archbishop David Edwards regarding celebrations on the Day of Pentecost and the conclusion of his Pilgrimage through the Archdeaconry of the Fredericton.

10 June 2022

The Most Reverend David Edwards
Archbishop of Fredericton
168 Church Street, Fredericton NB E3B 4C9
Phone (506) 459-1801 • [email protected]

Christ Church Cathedral
168 Church Street, Fredericton NB  E38 4C9

Dear Friends,
I am writing to you to convey my thanks and appreciation for your generous welcome and hospitality while I visited you during my final walking pilgrimage, this year through the Archdeaconry of Fredericton.

Thank you that so many came to join us on the bridge for the final walk to the Cathedral. I'm particularly glad that we were able to have a service in our Mother Church to celebrate the end of the series of archdeaconry pilgrimages.

Thank you for the heartfelt welcome and your company; but also for praying for and with me. It was a privilege to be with you and to hear of the joys and challenges you face.

In Christ,

+David

Archbishop of Fredericton

Honouring the Queen with a Jubilee Tea

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On Saturday, 04 June, 2022, the Cathedral Branch of the Mothers’ Union (with the support of the ACW and other Fredericton MU branches) hosted “The Queen’s Jubilee Tea” to commemorate the 70th year since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne.

The Cathedral looked beautiful with the red, white and blue bunting combined with the Pentecost decorations!

Approximately 60 people attended and greatly enjoyed the abundant sandwiches and sweets. We listened to British music and sang “God Save the Queen” while sipping tea, sampling the Jubilee cake, and enjoying the fellowship of those who were in attendance.

It was a wonderful celebration that was held in conjunction with similar events hosted by MU Branches around the globe.

Many thanks for the financial donations, to those who provided the fancy sandwiches and sweets, and to those who volunteered their time to make tea, decorate and serve at this event.

-- Susan Watson, Co-Branch Leader, Mothers' Union - Cathedral Branch

The Queen’s Jubilee Tea