The Cathedral Outreach Committee is requesting gently used running shoes for men or women. These will be offered to people in need who visit our monthly Outreach program.
Donations can be delivered to the Cathedral Office, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
The Outreach program occurs on the last Monday of each month, from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. in the lobby and Formation Room of Cathedral Memorial Hall.
Guests in need receive: a few city transit tickets or a $10 gift card for a supermarket; a goodie bag with fresh fruit, homemade baked goods, cheese, a drink box or bottled water; and a wrapped sandwich. They may choose from a selection of non-perishable grocery items as well as browse tables stacked with used clothing, toiletries and small housewares. Each month, approximately 50 people attend.
This program is made possible thanks to volunteers and contributors from the Cathedral and other local churches.
On Saturday. April 15, the Ukrainian Community of Fredericton gathered at Christ Church Cathedral to celebrate Easter.
A priest travelled from Moncton to hold worship for over 100 attendees of all ages. Many wore traditional Ukrainian clothing and brought baskets for a special tradition - the Easter food basket blessing. They were thrilled to be able to worship in their own language, for the first ever Easter service of its kind in Fredericton.
Archbishop David Edwards, Bishop of Fredericton, gave permission for the Greek Catholic service to be held in the Cathedral. In that tradition, Easter was celebrated on Sunday, April 16 this year, so Ukrainians in Fredericton celebrated the Saturday evening before.
Oksana Tesla, volunteer with the Ukrainian Community of Fredericton, coordinated with the Cathedral. She shared,
"Everything went flawlessly and fabulously! We were singing acapella and the acoustics made the Cathedral sing along. Many community members mentioned to me that they were feeling this bright warm light inside during the service. Thank you so much for opening your doors for our community and we really appreciate your support."
Thanks to Cathedral members Hank Williams and Kurt Schmidt for facilitating the event.
Through the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Community of Fredericton, the group commented, "We are so happy to have such an amazing supportive community here in Fredericton. And the opportunity to celebrate at such an incredible place - the Christ Church Cathedral - is a blessing! ... We cannot thank you enough for such generosity! We felt like we are home at the Cathedral!"
We recently received this note from Montgomery Street Elementary's Home and School Association, to which the Cathedral has previously provided support for children in need.
I wanted to let the church know that with the remainder of the donation provided to our committee, after paying for the hot lunches and milk program to our children within the school who needed it, we were also able to help an urgent need to a family.
A recent call ended up with a family who had to quickly move out of their house due to pipes leaking through their ceiling. Home and School were able to purchase and drop off groceries for their family of six (with three children at Montgomery) and purchase their meals at the restaurant within the hotel for a few days. Without the donation from the church, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did for them until their insurance was able to take over.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for always supporting our committee and trust that we will help whenever and where we need to.
Reegan McDougall President/Volunteer, Montgomery Street Home and School Association
In December, Christ Church Cathedral donated $2000 to Montgomery Street School, a nearby elementary school with a number of children in need. The money, given by the congregation through a Giving Tuesday campaign, supported a school lunch program. We recently received a thank you note from the Home and School Association, signed by children in the school's Leadership Program.
A HUGE THANK YOU FROM US...
It is so heartening when we receive a gift from a generous group that allows us to say "yes, we can help" to one more child within Montgomery Street School. We would love to extend our appreciation and thanks from the children, staff and Home and School Committee to the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral.
With your generous donation that was provided, we are able to ensure that children are fed, have warm clothes for wintertime as well as all the extra needs needed by our students and families.
We are so lucky and grateful to have your support.
Reegan McDougall President: Montgomery Street Elementary School, Home and School
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:
At this time of year, as we recall and reflect on the nativity story, we’re reminded anew that Jesus really is the hope of the world.
In this month’s edition of our ministry update, I can see evidence of the hope, joy, and redemptive transformation that comes through the love of Jesus.
As we look back on the year and look forward to the next with hope and expectancy, Kara and I (Nelson) wanted to take a moment to thank you for partnering with us, for your encouragement, sacrificial giving and especially prayers that make our ministry possible...
...
Click here to continue reading the full update, and see more photos! They have shared details about food deliveries to families, a community kitchen for kids, a women's meeting, clerical retreat, and deputation time, when Kara and Nelson will be visiting New Brunswick to share information about their ministry.
We recently received messages and a video from Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal of St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize. As you can see, the families from St. Hilda's have faced hardship, tragedy, and also found joy. Please keep them all in your prayers.
Scroll down to watch the video below the letters.
[December 23, 2022]
Greetings,
I pray all is well with you. This first part of the school year has been a great challenge for us here at St. Hilda's Anglican school but God's grace has kept us. We've had victories and heartbreak but to God be the Glory.
I am also sharing a video of some activities at St. Hilda's Anglican for the first Cycle, September to December. I truly cannot find the words to express how blessed we are to have your support. We will continue to ensure that your investments are not in vain.
We love our Friends of St. Hilda's family and pray all the best for a wonderful holiday season and prosperous New Year.
Blessings,
Jane
[November 8, 2022]
Greetings Friends,
It is always a pleasure to send updates so that you know what is happening at St. Hilda's. I pray that all is well with you and your family as well as our Friends of St. Hilda's Family. The year has started out on a very busy note. I have been in classes since the beginning of September three to four times a week due to the absence of teachers so I have to multi-task.
The month of October has been a roller coaster month. I say this because we've had to deal with tragedy as well as celebrate God's goodness. We have experienced a lot of illness at school recently; both teachers and students. Many of them are out with fever, cough and cold. Please keep them in prayer. We were to hold our inaugural ceremony for our preschool on October 19th. Unfortunately, on October 18th, one of our preschool babies died tragically in a road traffic accident just a short distance from the school. He was sitting in the front passenger seat along with his 6 year old brother in their neighbor's vehicle when she lost control. There were four students with her but he sustained serious head and body injuries and died a short while later. His name was Zaiden Villanueva. His parents are Joycelyn and Sylvester Villanueva and his brothers are Randy and Akeem. Please keep them in prayer as well as the other parent who was driving. She sustained injuries to her face and body but is doing much better physically. The mental aspect is of concern. This incident was a shock to us all and we had to suspend classes for the day. Our counselors came in to do grief counseling the following day. The following week, I was out sick. I had pain all over my body and fever. I later discovered that I had a kidney infection. Thankfully, I am feeling much better.
The highlight of the month was our school and church harvest. It was a wonderful celebration after suffering such a tragic loss. Our inaugural ceremony will now be held on November 9th. We are also thankful that we were spared any damages due to Hurricane Lisa. The staff, students and their families are all safe and doing well.
In regards to the scholarship students, I do have mid semester reports for two of them so far. I will do my best to get the others and send them to you promptly. I pray that you have a great day and rest of the week.
Outreach Committee volunteers hand out 8 1/2 dozen muffins and 8 1/2 dozen cookies each month to people in need who visit the Monday Morning Outreach Program.
A few members of the congregation faithfully bake homemade goodies, but additional contributors would be most welcome to replace some folks who have stepped aside or who are seasonally unavailable.
If you could help out by baking muffins or cookies occasionally, please let the Cathedral office know and you will be contacted by the committee. Thank you! Email<office at christchurchcathedral.com> or phone (506) 450-8500.
The Outreach Program operates on the last Monday morning of each month. Volunteers provide food, vouchers, bus tickets, clothing and information about local support programs to approximately 50 guests each month. Learn more about this longstanding program to help those in need in our community.
This December, the Cathedral Outreach Committee supported a program from Prison Fellowship Canada, which provides gifts to children of incarcerated parents.
PFC's Angel Tree Christmas program connects church communities and individuals with the families of prisoners through the delivery of a Christmas gift on behalf of the incarcerated parent. Through the program, a prisoner applies, submits a list of suggested items for each child, and fills out a gift tag that will be attached to the gift. Prison Fellowship matches the children with sponsors in their local area, who purchase, wrap and deliver gifts to the family.
Through the program, children the joy of receiving a gift -- but more importantly, they know that their mom or dad is thinking about them at Christmas time. Prisoners experience some moments of brightness during a time of year that can be very lonely for them.
The Cathedral was approached in early December by the Atlantic Coordinator of the program.
"We have certainly had many prisoners among our Monday guests," said Outreach Committee volunteer Ann Deveau, "and we feel it's important for their families to have a connection at Christmas."
Outreach Committee volunteers purchased, wrapped and delivered gifts to six children in the Fredericton area. Charlotte McKnight, a young Cathedral volunteer, took particular pleasure in choosing gifts for kids just a bit younger than herself.
The Prison Fellowship's Christmas program operates in every province and territory in Canada. Last year, 3424 children received gifts thanks to the generosity of 1479 sponsors, including 113 churches.
The Outreach Committee also oversees a Christmas Angel program at the Cathedral which is coordinated by Greener Village, the Fredericton food bank.
In 2021, the Cathedral contributed funds towards a school lunch program, winter clothing, and the creation of two sensory rooms for children with developmental challenges. Adequate funding was not available within the school's educational budget, so the volunteer Home and School Association ran a fundraising campaign.
On 09 December, Dean Geoffrey Hall and Cathedral Treasurer Jamie Yeamans presented a $2000 cheque to Montgomery Street School. Members of the congregation had contributed to a Giving Tuesday campaign to raise money to help fund a lunch program at the school, which has a number of children in need.
This is the second year that the Cathedral has supported initiatives for children in need at the local elementary school. The Cathedral Bishop and Chapter approved a donation in 2021 to assist with its lunch program, provide winter clothing to students in need, and assist in the creation of sensory rooms for children with developmental challenges.
We're grateful for the contributions to this community outreach project which will help to feed children in our community.
The Principal of Montgomery Street School, David Burrell, also shared his thanks in a letter to the congregation:
(L to R) Back row: Sandi Mwenga (VP, Home & School Association), Jennifer Hamel (Home & School Association), Charlene Smith (Home & School Association), Geoffrey Hall (Dean, Christ Church Cathedral), Jamie Yeamans (Treasurer, Christ Church Cathedral), Reegan McDougall (President, Home & School Association), David Burrell (Principal, Montgomery Street School) Front row: students from Montgomery Street School's Grade 5 Leadership class
First of all, we are beyond thankful for the support given to Montgomery Street School again this year. As you know, students and families have been faced with new and unique challenges over the last two and half years. These challenges continue to push the need for support within our school community, and when we have partnerships with strong local groups such as the Christ Church Cathedral, we can provide much needed supports to our families.
This year, in collaboration with our Home and School Committee, we are again fostering lasting community partnerships that will continue to support our food programs such as hot lunch and milk programs. As food cost continue to rise, your donation will go a long way to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in our food programs. This generous donation will also support our clothing drive initiative that will guarantee all of our students have the proper winter attire so they can enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities that comes with living in Fredericton.
I am very thankful for the time, effort and support we have received from you. It will have a lasting positive impact on our school community!
For 'Giving Tuesday' this year, we've chosen a community outreach project - can we count on your support?
We hope to raise at least $500 towards a December $2000 commitment to a local school lunch program at Montgomery Street School, which has a number of children in need. Can you help? Donate to this project online using our Giving Tuesday donation page, or use an envelope marked "school lunch program". Donations will receive a tax receipt.
The elementary school is located up the hill from Christ Church Cathedral, beside the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University. The Cathedral Bishop and Chapter approved a donation in 2021 to assist with its lunch program, provide winter clothing to students in need, and assist in the creation of sensory rooms for children with developmental needs. We hope to continue supporting Montgomery Street School's lunch program for children in need, and hope that you will feel called to help.
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement which takes place each year after the retail sale days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The “opening day of the giving season,” it’s a time when charities, companies and individuals rally for favourite causes, encouraging people to give to charitable causes to transform their communities and the world.
We're pleased to help children in need in our neighbourhood. Christ Church Cathedral also provides community support with regular Monday Outreach events, providing space for community social programming, and hosting and encouraging the performing arts.
The Cathedral Outreach Committee is requesting gently used running shoes for men or women. These will be offered to people in need who visit our monthly Outreach program.
