The Robinson and McKnight girls helped to decorate the trees in the Cathedral.
Sixty-five paper angels from Greener Village (the Fredericton food bank) are waiting to be chosen from small Christmas trees in the Cathedral. Each requests a specific Christmas gift for a needy boy or girl in our city.
Please print your name and telephone number on one of the clipboards to indicate which angel you're adopting (each clipboard lists different numbers). This is important in case you misplace your angel, and helps us keep track of the gifts. Bring the unwrapped gift, with the paper angel firmly attached, to the Cathedral on Sunday, 24 November. Drop-off boxes will be set up near the angel tree.
If you can't bring your gift on Sunday, please take it to the Cathedral Office any weekday between 9 a.m. and noon. The final deadline is Monday, 25 November at 12:00 noon.
Please mark your calendar - the Outreach Committee will have to buy any gifts missing at the final deadline.
If you have previously participated in this program, you will notice a change to the angels. This year, instead of asking for stocking stuffers, Greener Village is requesting a $25 Regent Mall gift card. This will allow parents the flexibility to choose stocking stuffers that suit their child's unique interests.
For over 30 years, the Angel Tree program in Fredericton has provided gifts for children in need, and the Cathedral congregation has been involved for over 25 years. The need is great, and this year, Greener Village anticipates filling wishes for over 2000 children in our city.
Another way to give:
Would you prefer to support Christmas outreach initiatives in a different way? Write a cheque payable to Christ Church Cathedral and indicate Christmas Outreach on the memo line or mark your offering envelope. As in past years, these funds will be divided equally among the Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Women in Transition House Inc. and the Fredericton Community Kitchen. Please deliver these cheques to the Cathedral Office by Friday, 13 December, to allow time for distribution to the charities.
Doug Milander hands out vouchers to guests attending the monthly Outreach program.
Each month, volunteers from the Cathedral's Outreach Committee gather inside Cathedral Memorial Hall to offer support and hospitality to our neighbours.
When people in need visit Cathedral Memorial Hall for an Outreach drop-in, they receive a $10 grocery store gift card or bus tickets and a goodie bag containing fresh fruit, baked goods, a drink, a sandwich, and treats. Guests can also choose from a selection of non-perishable grocery items. During the Outreach program, visitors are also invited to choose items from tables of seasonal clothing and household items donated by members of the congregation and community. They are thankful for the the shirts, jackets, footwear, hats, gloves, water bottles, towels, and personal care items such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Charlotte McKnight and Sharon Miller set-up a table of children's items.
The need in our community is great, and volunteers typically help between 50-70 guests at each gathering.
The program would not be possible without the assistance of many people from the Cathedral and other churches (St. Margaret's Anglican Church and New Maryland United Church). Volunteers help onsite or with advance preparation, and others assist with baking. Many others regularly donate items or funds. We sincerely appreciate everyone's assistance!
Guests receive sandwiches, baked goods, fruit and non-perishable food items.
Recent requests:
The Outreach Committee has had requests from people in need for a few specific items: snow pants for a 7-year-old boy; mittens and winter hats for children; bottles of shampoo and body wash; a table to hold a computer and printer. Except for the toiletries, those items do not need to be new. Thanks for your support!
Ann Deveau displays warm, pretty lap blankets handcrafted by Mary Coffill Deveau of Kentville, NS, for people in need in Fredericton
Upcoming Outreach days:
* Monday, November 25, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
* Monday, December 16, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Click here to learn more about outreach activities supported by the Cathedral congregation.
If you would like to help prepare food or volunteer to help onsite, please contact the Cathedral Office (506) 450-8500.
Please pray for the students and teachers at Bishop McAllister College in Uganda, as well as the Reverend Canon Paul Jeffries, rector of the College and Seminary.
The Cathedral ACW (Anglican Church Women) support three high school girls enrolled at the school. New student Susan has just begun her studies, Deborah and Angel are continuing their education, and Moliance recently graduated, completing her advanced level.
Below, see photos of the students, along with their recent letters.
Along with this weather comes the flu, increasing numbers of COVID cases, and various viruses and colds. Flu vaccines and COVID vaccines, if not available now, will be very soon. Health care providers and pharmacies will be able to advise us and administer the vaccines.
Hand washing frequently, masking to protect yourself and others, and staying home when ill, are ways to protect ourselves and others.
October is Clergy Appreciation Month. Take some time to say thank you to our clergy! We are blessed by all that they do to support our congregation and community, through their leadership, faithfulness, integrity, pastoral care and prayer.
Our Cathedral congregation is blessed with the service of Dean Geoffrey Hall, Canon Jon Lownds, Canon Rod Black, Deacon Debbie Edmondson, and Deacon Isabel Cutler. We are also thankful for our Director of Christian Formation, Kurt Schmidt, and our Director of Music, Thomas Gonder, whose contributions enhance our worship and ministries.
Please join the members of Bishop and Chapter in expressing our appreciation for all that they do.
Special thanks also to Archbishop David Edwards for his service and leadership across the Diocese of Fredericton!
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.
As another year begins at St. Hilda's Anglican Elementary School, the Belize Mission committee acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the teachers. May they and the students have a positive start to this new school year. Please keep them in your prayers.
Please also remember in your prayers our Cathedral high school scholarship students, Korey Kelly (grade 12), Caleb Martinez (grade 11), Sylvia Trapp (grade 10), and new scholarship recipient, Amalio Revolorio, who is entering grade 9.
Are you familiar with the story of how the Cathedral congregation became involved in Belize, and why we offer a scholarship program for high school tuition? Read on!
About the Cathedral's Belize High School Scholarship Program
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. High school is not publicly funded in Belize, and many families do not have the financial ability to pay for their children to attend. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line.
Currently, the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral provides scholarships for four students who would not able to attend high school without support. Each scholarship is $1000 CAD per year, and we currently support one student in each of the four grades of high school. This additional education provides the teenagers with important skills and opportunities which can improve their lives.
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 continued 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 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.
Congratulations to Kathleen Snow on the announcement of her election as the new President of the Worldwide Mother's Union. The announcement was made via the mothersunion.org on September 3rd.
The new volunteer board, which will assume office in January 2025, remains women-led and reflects the diversity of our worldwide movement, with trustees from nine different countries. United they will continue to advance Mothers’ Union’s vision to end poverty, violence, and social injustice in communities worldwide.
Leading the new Board will be Worldwide President Elect, Kathleen Snow from Canada. Kathleen has served on the Board for six years as the Zonal Trustee for the Americas and has been a volunteer facilitator for the worldwide parenting programme and the Mothers’ Union Listens, Observes and Acts (MULOA) consultation, which engaged 200,000 members globally. She is also the Chair of the MU Development Committee, overseeing programmes like the transformational literacy initiative that empowers women and breaks the cycle of poverty.
Accepting the role, Kathleen commented “This is humbling, and a great honour. I look forward to working with members and staff to continue to build God’s Kingdom through Mothers’ Union. I am particularly excited that, as we carry forward the torch in January, we will be building on the firm foundations of our transformational programme work. Just this week we are starting a new campaign, speaking up to right the injustice which means that, still today, 765 million adults cannot read or write, 2/3rds of them women, meaning they are unable to read medicine bottles, register the birth of a child, vote or ensure they get the correct change in the market.
The Cathedral's Prayer Shawl Ministry began in 2006 during the early stages of the Parish Nurse and Health Ministry. It was under the leadership of the late Wendy Brien, and she soon invited Marilyn Lewell to join her in making the shawls.
Prayer Shawl Ministries exist worldwide, and provide shawls free of charge to anyone who requests one. We make them primarily for those who are undergoing stress in their lives, usually for health reasons, but we have made them for happy occasions as well, such as weddings and births. Since these are for the women, our team decided to make soft fleece blankets for men. They are washable and cozy, and provide much comfort.
Since the Cathedral Prayer Shawl Ministry began, we have made almost 300 shawls, and 82 blankets for all ages and genders. They are wrapped in tissue and presented in a gift bag, accompanied by appropriate, beautiful prayers. Some families have even buried them with their loved ones or wrapped the shawl around the urn during a funeral service.
If you know of anyone who would benefit from a shawl or blanket, please contact the Cathedral Office or the Dean.
Unfortunately, we have lost our team of crafters, and Marilyn Lewell is currently the sole maker of blankets and shawls. If you wish to become a knitter, crocheter, or blanket maker for the Prayer Shawl Ministry, or donate to the cost of the yarn and/or fleece, please let the Office know.
Here are some letters from the current recipients of Cathedral scholarships. Three students are currently receiving scholarships to attend high school in Belize. Their school year ended in June, and we received report cards and letters from each student. They are very thankful for the support of the congregation. Read their letters below, and scroll down to learn more about the scholarship program and how you can help.
Sylvia Trapp (recently completed Grade 9)
Dear Friends:
I am writing to thank you for your financial support. This year had many challenges, but I overcame them. I studied hard to achieve the top of my class and plan on working harder to achieve my educational goals. I also tried to be as friendly as possible to anyone I meet and I care deeply for my best friends that I met this year. I'm grateful for having friends who push me to go further. I also tried to participate as much as I can in school activities such as the Christmas event, harvest dance and the children's day activities. I am truly grateful for your support with my educational journey. I have been promoted to second form and I will try as hard as possible to come in first place again. I'm looking forward to you continuous support. Thank you.
Yours truly,
Silvia Trapp
Caleb Martinez (recently completed Grade 10)
Dear friends of St. Hilda's.
The school year has ended and all the grades are in, it has been a roller coaster journey at Belmopan Comprehensive High School.
In cycle #1 I struggled getting back familiar with waking up early and going to bed late. In the class, some of the new math concepts were more challenging than others so there was an up and down of my grade for math. Also with some new students in my class I was being distracted a lot because of the noise but I asked my homeroom teacher to move me so I can focus on my school work.
In cycle #2 I paid more attention in class and studied more and all-in-all just focusing on my work. And as I said in the previous letter, I said that I was going to join the school track and field team, at regionals I came in 4th in the 100 meter dash and 4th in the 200 meter dash and next year I plan to continue athletics.
As for the subject that I will be majoring in next year, I'll be taking arts because for my job career I plan to work in the TV industry.
Lastly, I can’t thank you enough for this scholarship as it has been the key to all my obstacles in my academic career.
May you have a wonderful day, friends of St. Hilda’s.
Caleb
Korey Kelly (recently completed Grade 11)
Greetings Friends,
I hope everyone is doing great and enjoying their year. I am entering a new year of school and I am continuously grateful for the help you have offeredme in acquiring my education.
I will be moving on to 4th form even though I had a bit of a rough last semester ending up having to take summer classes for English. During Summer Classes my grades in English have improved. I have to say I believe it is due to me paying more attention in class and listening to the teacher when she teaches. I think and hope that I will perform better in English class when I enter 4th form.
Again, I am very thankful for the scholarship that you gave to me which helped to lessen my mom’s burden.
Korey
About the Cathedral's Belize High School Scholarship Program
Currently, the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral provides scholarships for three 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. We intend to provide a scholarship to a student entering high school in September, so we will again be supporting one student in each grade.
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 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.
If you have previously participated in this program, you will notice a change to the angels. This year, instead of asking for stocking stuffers, Greener Village is requesting a $25 Regent Mall gift card. This will allow parents the flexibility to choose stocking stuffers that suit their child's unique interests.
