The church family of Christ Church Cathedral bids farewell to Isabel Cutler who is retiring from her position as Parish Nurse. Isabel has been Parish Nurse for 10 years and Chair of the Health Ministry Team for the past twelve.
Isabel had a vision and a calling to serve her church family and in this way be able to do God’s work.
John 10:10 says: I come that they may have life and have it abundantly. I believe this has been lived out by Isabel in many ways.
Parish nursing had been circling in Isabel’s thoughts well before her retirement from her position at the Chalmers here in Fredericton.
As a beginning,the Cathedral Health Ministry was established with members of the congregation serving on the Team. Members were already serving the church family in very many ways and these were all co-ordinated under the umbrella of the Health Ministry Team. As a certified Parish Nurse, Isabel began leading us on a remarkable journey.
A pebble dropped in a still pond sends out waves in an ever increasing circle. It all began here with Isabel’s vision, the support of Dean Joyce, Bishop and Chapter and of course our Cathedral family. Her vision slowly and surely began to spread outward to embrace and be embraced by the greater community.
Today the CCC Parish Nurse is a respected partner with River Valley Health, UNB Faculty of Nursing, Brunswick Street Community Health Clinic, and many other health related organizations in the community. There are close links with Parish Nurses ,other faith communities in the city and throughout the province and indeed the country.
As co-ordinator of the Health Ministry Team and as Parish Nurse, Isabel’s one day of office hours was in reality a full time plus job.
Her days were filled with visiting in home and hospital, telephone calls, meetings, education programs for the public, for professional learning, UNB nursing community experience, the Monday morning outreach with UNB nursing students, office hours, staff meetings, Red Cross certifications for staff and congregational members. Did I mention telephone calls both incoming and outgoing working with families, health care and long term facilities to achieve safe living environments for clients but keeping the clients preferences in front all the time. Not an easy mutually satisfying outcome to achieve. There are BP clinics, fit club, visiting, helping hands and traveling throughout the Archdeaconry and beyond to spread the Parish Nurse vision. Did I say telephone calls, at any time, anywhere?
Isabel accomplished this and more with a deep, confident and abiding faith.
She will tell you this was not accomplished on her own and indeed one person could not do it! Our church family, health ministry team, the support of Bishop and Chapter, Dean Hall and the staff as well as many others made this vision a reality. It was Isabel’s gentle and determined leadership that made it all happen. As part of of the Health Ministry Team and the Parish Nurse team, we have been privileged to walk this path with Isabel.
John 10:10 says: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
I join the rest of our church family and Isabel’s family in wishing her a happy, peaceful and fulfilling retirement. May God continue to richly bless you.
“He” was born in 1927, in Lake Edward, New Brunswick. Or as he puts it, “I was born in the suburbs, on the outskirts of the city of New Denmark.” “She” was born in New Denmark. They were both raised on potato farms. They first met at Recreation Centre dances. Her family moved to Fredericton in the early 1950’s and he followed shortly thereafter. He was following his dream. She was his dream!
And so begins the story of Carolyn and Ken Howlett. Childhood sweethearts who will soon celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary (November, 16, 1956). I asked the standard question – “was it love at first sight?” Without taking a breath, Ken responded “Oh, yes!” And accompanying that pronouncement was a broad smile and a twinkling eye. In almost the same breath, Carolyn answered “No.” I must have looked a little confused as she proceeded to say “We’re very different people, you know”. But honestly, I think there was a little twinkle in her eye as well and maybe even a little blush. Very different; but apparently quite well matched!
Ken is proud of his Lake Edward roots and won’t hesitate to tell you that. Like most rural New Brunswickers of his generation, he learned his abc’s in a one room schoolhouse that went to grade eight and was presided over by one teacher. He grew up with three sisters and one brother and has many happy memories of his childhood on the farm. I asked if he had picked potatoes and Carolyn said his preference was to operate the potato picker. Apparently, he has always had a keen interest in all things mechanical! Ken was brought up in the Anglican faith and attended St. George’s Anglican Church in Lake Edward. His father had helped to build the church, which is still standing, in the early 1920’s. Ken was active in the church from a very young age teaching Sunday School. He noted, however, that he liked to finish his class as quick as he could so that he could listen to the other teachers.
St. Ansgar’s Church, Parish of Denmark
Carolyn was also brought up in the Anglican faith and attended St. Ansgar’s Church in New Denmark. St. Ansgar’s is also still standing and is a beautiful sight to behold on the crest of a hill as you enter the picturesque village. Carolyn’s family’s move to Fredericton in the early 50’s lead to her attending NB Teacher’s College and obtaining a teacher’s certificate. She taught school until the first of their four sons arrived.
Ken, who had originally worked in construction with Carolyn’s father, started his own construction business and built their first home in Devon. By the time the fourth son arrived, they began to think that separate bedrooms might make life a little more peaceful around the Howlett household and so, Ken built their second home in New Maryland where they have been since 1977. It is a lovely, warm and welcoming family home presided over by two lovely warm and welcoming people.
Ken and Carolyn started attending the Cathedral in 1963 – 52 years of almost perfect attendance! I asked them to tell me a bit about what they have been involved in over those 52 years and wound up thinking I should have asked if there was anything they hadn’t been involved in!
Ken has:
– served on Bishop and Chapter (many times)
– served as Property Chairman (many times)
– been a member of the Guild of St. Joseph
– served as a sidesman
– taught Sunday school
That’s a lot of service about which he is very humble. But then, we talked about the “little jobs” around the Cathedral that Ken has done, some of which I had heard people talk about in the way that we often talk about legends. Like climbing a forty foot ladder to change a light bulb. By my estimation, that’s about five average ceiling heights and those pesky sanctuary lights require one to step on the very top step in order to reach the bulb. Not for the faint-hearted, but changing the light bulbs in the steeple spotlights on the peak of the Cathedral also wouldn’t be for the faint-hearted, and Ken has done that. He maintained the bells; he wound the clock; worked on the pointing of the stone on the exterior of the Church; helped with the maintenance of the Deanery; etc. Also not for the faint-hearted (at least in my book), Ken has spent more than one night alone in the basement of the Cathedral with no one for company other than a very uncooperative boiler decidedly lacking in warmth. “Not even the famed Cathedral ghost” appeared, according to Ken, who shrugged off my horror of spending the night alone in any basement with a very matter-of-fact “I understood how it worked and the church had to be warm for Sunday services.” Just last year, Ken drove in to the Cathedral three times in the middle of the night to tend to that unruly boiler. I’m not sure what you or I will be doing when we are Ken’s age, but I’m willing to wager not many of us will be heading out at 2 am to tend to a boiler anywhere!
St. Ansgar’s Church, Parish of Denmark
Carolyn has an equally impressive history of service in the church. She too taught Sunday School, her first class at the age of 13 at the Church in New Denmark. She recalled having 20 children in her class of 7 to 9 year olds and enjoying them immensely. While Carolyn did obtain her teaching certificate and did teach for a short while, after her son’s were grown, she decided to launch a new career and went back to university in 1984 to obtain a degree in Social Work. Almost 30 years spent raising four boys, and she was not prepared to simply rest on her laurels! She worked for many years and was well known in the social work community of the Province of NB. At the Cathedral, Carolyn has been active in the ACW, the Little Helpers (predecessor to the Mothers Union), youth work at the Cathedral, a member of the Diocesan Youth Committee, a member of Bishop and Chapter and is currently, the Prayer Chain coordinator. In 1976, Carolyn became the first female from the NB Diocese to attend the General Synod meeting!
Four children, 6 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and 52 years later, Ken and Carolyn are still members of the Christ Church Cathedral congregation and are still serving. Carolyn pointed out that they have seen many changes over the years. They were both keen to note that the addition of the Health Ministry is one that they are very thankful for and one which they both feel has made a big difference to a sense of community in the Cathedral.
Thank you, Ken and Carolyn for allowing me into your home and sharing your story. You have accomplished and are still accomplishing so much in your day to day lives and certainly, in the Cathedral community. And no, Ken, I wouldn’t spend the night in the basement by myself no matter how well acquainted I was with the boiler!
On the bulletin board in Christ Church Cathedral, photos of children from Belize are a reminder of a link between our congregation and St. Hilda’s Anglican School. On the school playground in Belize, picnic tables affixed with a handmade wooden maple leaf and cross are a reminder of the Canadian missioners who care for the school.
Mission groups from Christ Church Cathedral have travelled to Belize four times: in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2013, and through these trips, bonds have been formed with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville. Two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8. Over 50 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.
On each of the Cathedral’s mission trips, the activities of the teams have been different, based on the current needs of the school and skills of the missioners. Our relationship with the Belizean people began in 2005 when the Cathedral Puppeteers responded to an invitation from the Anglican Diocese of Belize. They visited many schools during their trip, and during subsequent trips the Cathedral began to strengthen its relationship with St. Hilda’s School. Missioners from Fredericton have helped to: build a foundation for bathrooms at the school; paint classrooms; build much needed bookshelves; provide literacy materials and support; provide first aid training; wire the school for internet; and build the aforementioned picnic tables.
The former St. Hilda’s principal, Mrs. Ida Bennett, appreciates the ongoing support from Christ Church Cathedral, and the continuing relationship has been a blessing for both Belizeans and Frederictonians. Several missioners have returned to Belize multiple times, and it is always a joy to reconnect with students and teachers they formed a bond with on previous trips.
“Nobody had any idea it would grow into what it is now… the building of bonds between two distant Anglican congregations,” said Beverly Morell, who has been part of all four mission teams. “The reason we go is bounded in scripture. We are called to help those less fortunate. I feel that we are God’s hands and feet in the world; that we’re helping in some small way to further His kingdom.”
The support from our entire Cathedral family has been overwhelming. Thousands of dollars have been donated to the school over the past decade, and a portion of the funds are sent to St. Hilda’s each year to help with costs such as school supplies, crucial renovations, and continuing education for teachers.
In addition to providing infrastructure and academic support for the school, spiritual aspects of each mission have benefitted both the Belizeans and the Cathedral missioners. On the most recent trip, missioners made a special gift to the sanctuary guild at St. Hilda’s chapel — a beautiful set of altar linens in the liturgical colours of purple, red, green and white, expertly stitched by Lucy’s Sewing Group at the Cathedral. The sanctuary guild at St. Hilda’s chapel was very touched that people so far away were praying for them and wanted to help beautify their humble chapel. Each teacher at St. Hilda’s School was also given a cross necklace made by the Cathedral Pewtersmiths – crosses matching the ones worn by each missioner.
“I really think we received the greatest gifts,” Anne Thornton, a busy mother of two small boys, said about the 2013 trip. “We held daily devotionals to give our time to God. We stayed at a quiet mission centre surrounded by the beauty of nature. This was precious.”
Before traveling to Belize, each member of each mission team made a nearly year-long time commitment, as well as a financial commitment. Each team met more than a dozen times over several months, to get to know each other, share their skills, fundraise, learn about working in other cultures, and develop spiritually. The emphasis for each trip was on teamwork, building loving relationships with each other and with the Belizeans, and serving God in a beautiful corner of His kingdom.
“We enjoyed laughter and fellowship,” says student Lionel Hayter, who has travelled to Belize on 2 Cathedral mission trips. “We learned from each other and from the wonderful children and their hard-working teachers. We saw deep-rooted challenges due to socio-economic conditions, but also noticed compassion and dedication.”
“The physical work was hard, and there was a deep sense of satisfaction when we finished tiling and painting,” Diane Stevenson said of the 2007 trip. “But it was talking with the kids that touched my heart.”
Indeed, the smiling faces of St. Hilda’s students will forever inspire and motivate the Cathedral members who have travelled to Belize. “We felt blessed to be able to give something back to help others,” Doug Milander says. “They worked with us, and we learned so much from them. I’ve thought of the people I met in Belize every day since I got home.”
Elinor Joyce, who travelled to Belize in 2007, returned to Fredericton with “a renewed appreciation for all the things that we take for granted – comfortable homes, clean water, knowing that our children have hopes for the future. So many of the children won’t be able to afford to go past grade 8, and their futures are so uncertain,” she remarked. “In the midst of that, I keep seeing their beautiful smiles, and their joy in all the simple things that they do have.”
In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because high school costs $700 USD a year. Most families don’t have that kind of money. The average annual income is $8,400, and 43% of Belizeans live below the poverty line. Unemployment is high. People tend to have large families, and 75% of the children at St. Hilda’s School come from single-parent families.
The socio-economic realities are harsh, and education is so important. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed selected St. Hilda’s students to continue their education past grade 8. The rationale is that if we can give bright children a chance to graduate from high school, they will have a leg up on life. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education. Our congregation continues to support and pray for St. Hilda’s school, and hopes to send another mission team to Belize in the coming years.
Many people have asked our missioners if they decided to go to Belize from a sense of adventure, to help other people, to seek a challenge, to grow in their relationship with God, or to serve Him by showing love and compassion. Each missioner might answer that question differently, as their experiences have been deeply personal.
One person remarked, “It was an unforgettable experience to express my faith openly and to offer myself as the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.”
Student Natalie Barrie summed up the mission experience by saying, “We returned as different people with a new understanding of mission and a better outlook on life. We’re enthusiastic about what God is doing in the world, and we’re excited by what the future might hold for us and for St. Hilda’s.”
This is my last week as Parish Nurse. I retire at the end of this year after ten years as your Parish Nurse and two additional years as coordinator of the Health Ministry. I wish to say to you all I have been honoured and feel truly blessed to have been accepted so willingly by so many of you over the years as we have shared good times and some challenging times in our lives. Thank you for your love and care of me.
This is a team ministry and I could not have coordinated all that we have provided without the active help and support of the dedicated Parish Nursing Team: Michele LeBlanc, RN, Wendy Brien, Marilyn Lewell, Carol Hynes and Kathleen Snow RN. Alongside too are the multitude of congregational members who have provided their circle of care as Visitors, Helping Hands and in many other ways to our congregation at critical times in their lives. Thank you to Bishop and Chapter, the Health Ministry Team, Dean Geoff, Fran and the staff who have worked alongside to make this ministry work.
We do not know what the future holds for this Ministry at the Cathedral but we know God always has a plan, so we trust in Him to show us the way. God Bless you all and have a very blessed Christmas Season.
The 134th session of the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton was held on Saturday, November 7, at Christ Church Parish Church. The theme for the synod was “Walk the Walk.” The Cathedral’s representatives were Dean Geoffrey Hall, Jim Morell (present lay chair of B&C) and Chris Stevenson (a past lay chair).
Bishop David Edwards was consecrated last fall. This was his first synod as our bishop, and he delivered his first charge to 273 synod delegates (75 clergy and 198 lay) who were in attendance from 70+ parishes across the diocese. The stated main purpose of the synod was to receive his charge, which was based on Ephesians 4: 1-6, and to respond to it through discussion in small groups.
“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” NRSV
God calls us, as his disciples, to live together in unity and “to bear with one another,” even when we have differing opinions on church matters
Centering ourselves personally and corporately on Jesus, prayer and Biblical knowledge are the foundations on which we are to build our individual lives and our shared life in the church
Our worship is meant to be “intentionally oriented to lifting us beyond the everyday and enabling us to touch the edge of heaven”
The Bishop will be focusing on new, 21st century methods of education and training for our leaders – both clergy and lay; and he intends to establish new models of ordained and non-ordained ministry
Youth work is vital to our church, and in that we must be more creative
God directs us to engage our communities and to take the Good News of Jesus to people outside our congregations. He made special mention of our obligation to those who suffer in a broken world
Despite having to deal with many issues and challenges, Bishop David said he continues to be encouraged by many positive developments within our diocesan family – including the rebuilding of the Anglican church in Edmundston (Parish of Madawaska) following a fire and a $5.5 million bequest to the diocese by a quiet, faithful Anglican woman in Saint John
In response to a pre-synod motion delegates voted in favour of asking Diocesan Council to review diocesan canon two respecting ‘election of bishops.’ Discussion prior to the vote centred on the importance of delegates having more knowledge of those nominated.
Synod Prayer:
Almighty God, giver of all and ruler of all that is seen and unseen; we ask for continual divine grace to your Church and especially to the 134th Session of Diocesan Synod. May we walk in your way, leading lives worthy of our calling, in humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love and maintaining the unity of your Spirit in the bond of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Paper angels from the Fredericton Food Bank are waiting to be chosen from small trees in the cathedral and in the hall foyer. Each angel indicates a gift or stocking stuffers for a needy boy or girl of a specific age.
Unwrapped gifts, with the paper angels firmly attached, should be brought to the church or the hall on Sunday, Dec. 6th. Drop-off boxes will be set up near the angel trees.
If you cannot bring your gift on time, please take it to the drop-off box in the hall no later than Monday, Dec. 7th. That is the deadline for the Cathedral Outreach Committee to deliver the gifts to the Food Bank.
If you prefer to donate money instead of toys or stocking stuffers, please write a cheque payable to Christ Church Cathedral and indicate Christmas Outreach on the memo line. Your cheque or cash should reach the church office by Friday, Dec. 18th. These funds will be divided equally among the Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Transition House and the Fredericton Community Kitchen.
The Outreach Committee thanks you for your generous support in making Christmas special for needy families in our community.
What is God calling us to do about the Syrian refugee crisis?
That important question has been preoccupying the cathedral’s Missions Committee since September when we saw heart-breaking images of Syrian refugees fleeing a cruel civil war. Bishop Edwards issued a call to action, asking every congregation to respond in some way.
We have prayed about it. We know Jesus was a refugee himself. His family fled to Egypt ahead of Herod’s soldiers. We know the Bible tells us to love our neighbours — and our enemies. Jesus tells us to welcome strangers. Paul urges us to offer hospitality to sojourners.
As a committee, we think it is right to open our hearts to help Syrian or Iraqi refugees. It’s what we ourselves would want if a catastrophe struck our country, and we were fleeing bombs destroying our families, homes, businesses, our hopes and dreams.
But what to do? First, globally.
Through the weekly notices, we have been urging you to donate to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund. PWRDF has been assisting refugees for decades. They have offered food, water, shelter, health care and counselling to families who escaped to Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
Since September, PWRDF has received $170,000 for its work overseas. Until the end of December, the federal government will match donations dollar for dollar. The Missions Committee has sent money from our own budget. We urge you to do the same if you can. A cold winter is coming, and the refugees in those camps need your help more than ever.
Second, locally. The committee has been fact-finding. We’ve been reading sponsorship handbooks, monitoring the media and talking to people. We’ve attended meetings of the Refugees Welcome organization and the Multicultural Association of Fredericton. We have spoken with actual refugees who are living in New Brunswick.
The main message they had for us was this: Yes, there are millions in United Nations refugee camps waiting for a miracle. But they are not numbers. They are people, and fully half of them are children. They are in a state of limbo – they can’t find meaningful work or go to school or build a future. All they want is a chance to be productive and get their lives back, in a peaceful place.
We have contacted other local churches — Baptist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, United — to find out what they’re doing. Some are already raising money to sponsor a refugee family; some are studying the options, costs and risks; and some are struggling to combat fear and prejudice.
This is especially true since the massacres in Paris. But the people waiting in UN refugee camps are Muslim families fleeing conflict, not jihadists looking for more violence. They will undergo stringent security screening and health screening at the camps before they are approved, and again when they reach our shores.
We will count on the authorities to scrutinize thoroughly. And we refuse to live in fear. God is in control, and we have faith, trust and hope in Him.
If we want to get involved as a congregation, there are numerous options. Sponsoring a refugee family privately is a challenging, costly, slow process (probably a year) for any one congregation. It requires establishing a separate committee of about 10 to do considerable paper work and fund-raising and to arrange for accommodations, furnishings and resettlement assistance as the family transitions to life in Canada.
It’s very hands-on, and we would be responsible for them for one year. The cost to look after a family of four, for example, is about $28,000.
It would be quicker, easier and less expensive if we partner with an experienced organization which is already a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the federal government. The Atlantic Baptist Convention has told Bishop Edwards that Anglican parishes can apply under the Baptist sponsorship agreement.
The workload of raising money, dealing with logistics, getting the family into school and language classes, would be shared. A family could be here within three months of application. And there’s a way to arrange it so that the federal government would pay half of that $28,000 annual cost for a family of four.
Our archdeaconry has asked if any area parishes are interested. We have talked with St. Margaret’s Anglican church which is looking for other parishes to help them sponsor a family. They think an alliance with the Baptists, using its sponsorship agreement, is probably the way to go. We have met local Baptist pastors who welcome an ecumenical approach, as does our bishop.
On the other hand, we could forgo sponsorship and wait to see whether a cohort of refugees arrives at Camp Argonaut soon. We could help those people. The Multicultural Association is already offering training courses for volunteers, and it needs interpreters, housing, furniture, clothing, jobs and friends for the families who will stay in our area.
In addition, those families will have relatives back in the camps who did not ride the first wave. Some will be seeking sponsors to bring specific family members here. It makes sense to reunite a family, but it’s another challenging, costly, slow process. And Ottawa does not share the annual cost with sponsors.
So, given all the options, what is God calling us to do about the Syrian refugee crisis? Pray? Give to PWRDF? Partner with other Christians to sponsor a family? Wait to see what’s needed if people come to Camp Argonaut? Rescue somebody’s cousins later? None of the above? All of the above?
The Missions Committee really needs to know what you think. What are your ideas, recommendations, concerns? We especially cannot proceed down the sponsorship road, alone or with a Christian partner, without knowing that the church is unified in its response.
Will enough people be eager to serve on committees, give money, donate their time, offer goods and services, and stand alongside these newcomers as friends and mentors over the long haul? With no strings attached?
Some members of the Missions Committee are here. Would you please stand? (ID them) Please share your questions and thoughts with us after the service today. Or, there’s some bright yellow paper and pens in a basket at the back so that you can leave comments. Your feedback is really important so that the dean and members of Bishop and Chapter can make an informed decision about what to do.
Now I will close with a brief prayer for refugees that our committee has been using. It’s borrowed from the Church of England. Let us pray.
God of compassion,
whose own son experienced life as a refugee,
we remember those fleeing from danger,
hungry and afraid, with nowhere to call home.
God, we ask for them warmth, security, food and peace.
God of hope,
we thank you for those who are working to bring relief and
comfort to those displaced,
showing glimpses of grace in the darkness of despair.
God, give them strength.
God of justice,
guide the nations and the leaders of the world towards peace,
stir hearts to be generous and compassionate.
God, help us to play our part in bringing about the change
that we want to see. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Christ Church Cathedral Missions Committee – 22 November 2015
