Category Archives: Worship

All Souls – Remembering those we love

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All Souls’ Day will be observed at Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday, 06 November, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (after All Saints' Day on Friday, 01 November and All Saints' Sunday which will be observed on 03 November). Prayer requests for the departed may be added by using this online form, by email <office at christchurchcathedral.com> or phone (506) 450-8500.

Names must be submitted by the end of the day on Tuesday, 05 November, to allow time for adding to the list to be read during worship. Thank you.

~  ~  ~

This is a day of prayer for the departed faithful. Like All Saints’ Day, this commemoration is tied to the profession in the Apostles’ Creed of the communion of saints, which former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams broadly interprets as the “sharing between holy people” or the “sharing of holy things.” Based on the spiritual unity of all Christians, those living this earthly life and those who have gone before—the communion is a mystical bond in Christ not broken by death. The prayer cycle of the Office of the Dead is read/sung, and in some countries people pay tribute at their relatives’ graves.

- text from the Anglican Journal

 

Prayers for Truth and Reconciliation

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On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we are encouraged to continue our prayers.

Gather with us in the Cathedral on Monday, 30 September, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

The Cathedral Office will be closed that day, in recognition of the holiday.

 

Creator God, Sunkwiyatisu and Gitchi Manitou,
Of peace, justice, and concord;
Open our ears, our eyes, our lungs, and our hearts,
Give us the spirit of condolence.
Instill in us the Good Mind.
Let us seek your justice in a broken world,
Let us search for understanding in your Creation.
Help us to be reconciled to you and to each other.
In the self-giving ethic of the Cross,
Let us be emptied of hatred and apathy,
Greed and selfishness.
Fill us with the wideness and wildness of your Spirit,
In the name of your First Son, Jesus Christ,
We ask all this. Amen.

~ Collect for Orange Shirt Day

 

You might also find the following of interest:

National Indigenous Bishop visits September 15th

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Council of Indigenous PeoplesNational Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper will visit the Diocese of Fredericton in September this year and will preach at the Cathedral at 10:30 a.m. on 15 September.

The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Anglican Church of Canada began the search for the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop (NIAB) in 2005. appointing the first in the spring of 2007 with the installation held during the General Synod of 2007 in Winnipeg. The Elder’s of Indigenous Ministry gave the Archbishop five charges:

    1. To speak for Indigenous Anglican People in the Councils of the Church
    2. To interpret what the Councils of the Church are saying to Indigenous people
    3. To be a spokesperson for Mother Earth
    4. To act as a midwife for a self-determining Indigenous Church
    5. To represent the authority of Indigenous identity within the Anglican Church of Canada

The national Indigenous Anglican archbishop is the presiding elder of the Sacred Circle. Indigenous Ministries of the General Synod supports the Indigenous Peoples of Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) spiritually, socially, economically and politically recognizing that the purity of the land base provides for all our needs. As active participants in the life of the church, the Council of Indigenous Peoples strives for reconciliation with the Anglican Communion and works towards Indigenous self-determination.

At the announcement of his appointment in late 2022, Primate Linda Nichols said, “Archbishop-elect Chris Harper brings years of experience in ministry among and with Indigenous Anglicans, urban and on reserve,” she said. “He has a passion for walking together with respect that will be essential as the Sacred Circle within the Anglican Church of Canada establishes its way forward.”

Archbishop Harper is the son of a residential school survivor, a Plains Cree and worked as an emergency medical technician before earning his certificate of Indigenous Anglican theology from James Settee College in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He received his master’s of divinity degree from Wycliffe College in 2005 and was priested the same year. In 2016 Harper was appointed as Indigenous native priest for the diocese of Toronto, a role he held until his election as bishop of Saskatoon in 2018. He has served on numerous committees of the church including the Council of General Synod, and is a member of Sacred Circle.

Learn more about the role of the Indigenous Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Summer Music Series 2024

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The annual Summer Music Series at Christ Church Cathedral is back! All are welcome to attend these concerts, designed to fit perfectly within the lunch hour.

Fridays from 12:10-12:50 p.m., 05 July - 30 August. 150 Church Street, Fredericton.

Join us inside historic Christ Church Cathedral as we present a series of concerts featuring soloists and instruments such as piano, violin, cello, guitar, organ, fiddle and viola.

View the poster.

Free admission, donations encouraged. Performers will receive an honorarium and proceeds will support the Organ Renovation Fund. Online donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes emailed immediately.

July 5
Katherine Moller, fiddle
Tom Richards, guitar

July 12
Acorde Trio:
David Adams, violin
Sonja Adams, cello
Martin Kutnowski, piano

July 19
Christian Vanicek, organ

July 26
Muriel Falkenstein, soprano
Thomas Gonder, piano

August 2
Luke Noftall, baritone
Thomas Gonder, piano

August 9
Natalia Delacroix, viola
Thomas Gonder, organ/piano

August 16
Steven Peacock, guitar
Howard Baer, bass

August 23
Kathrin Welte, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Gonder, organ/piano

August 30
Thomas Gonder, organ

* * *

MAKE A DONATION
(tax receipt emailed immediately)

Resources for the Indigenous Day of Prayer – 21 June

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Are you planning worship for your congregation to mark National Indigenous Day of Prayer, June 21? We have resources you can download:

Propers for National Indigenous Day of Prayer are available in English, French, Inuktitut and Western Cree. On this page, you will also find additional suggestions for readings and hymns.

The resource Worship in the Vision of New Agape (2004) contains a full order of service for National Indigenous Day of Prayer (begins on page 50 of the PDF), as well as prayers, biblical reflections and hymn suggestions.

Finally, Honouring the Four Directions is a prayer resource based on the colours of the medicine wheel.

Help to plan a community music and theatre event

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Our Director of Music, Thomas Gonder, is eager to spearhead an effort to organize a dinner theatre/variety show event in the Fall.

This would take considerable organization that would need to begin shortly. This event would be geared to all ages and also the wider community. This could be a potentially thrilling event considering the amount of talent in our own community and that of Fredericton itself.

Thomas is interested in gauging a level of interest in putting this together and would be grateful to hear from you.

Please email <t.gonder at cccath.ca> if you are supportive of this initiative and/or wish to contribute. Next effort would be to assemble a team and have a brainstorming meeting.

Thomas will be pleased to hear from you!

Volunteers needed for hospital worship services

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Worship services will soon resume at the Dr. Everett Chalmers hospital in Fredericton, and volunteers from multiple parishes are sought for the following ministry options:

  • Lead in the Service of the Word
  • Lead in music ministry
  • Offer a brief reflection

Members of the Hospital Worship team will become members of the Spiritual Care Department at the hospital. This requires a yearly renewal by completing a series of e-learning modules from Horizon Health Network which are the basic requirements of all Horizon Health employees. Each module takes about 15 minutes to complete. Members are also required to have an updated criminal record check and sign a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Members of the Spiritual Care Department receive free parking, access to the employee entrance, and access to the Hospital Library and any educational offerings that are relevant (and/or of interest).

Anyone interested in assisting with worship services at the hospital should contact:

The Rev'd Debbie Edmondson, Deacon <debbie.edmondson at anglican.nb.ca>
Eva Morton <eva.moron at gmail.com>

Growing a new generation of pray-ers?

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Thy Kingdom Come

One thing I really look forward to during Thy Kingdom Come is praying with my grandchildren. Why not join in with me?

Here are five ways in which your family or your children’s group might join together in praying during Thy Kingdom Come, 18th-28th May 2023.

Plant seed stick prayers – Pray for your 5 non-Christian neighbours and friends and plant a seed! Write their name on the top of the seed stick and watch the sunflowers grow as you pray each day. Thy Kingdom Come Pray for 5 Seeds

Tune into the Cheeky Pandas! Why not tune in to an episode with the Cheeky Pandas, try an accompanying activity pack and order some of the Cheeky Pandas stickers and share with your friends?

Why not make some prayer beads – using these instructions? Prayer Beads Instructions. Here is an example of how the prayer beads can be used: Thy Kingdom Come - A wave of prayer across the nations

Why not try rocket prayers! If you have an outdoor space why not try lifting 5 friends in prayer? Buchan family fun - rocket prayers

There are a few ideas here such as Prayer Craft TKC 23 Ideas.

And a sneaky 6 th idea Take a glass of water and drop a fizzy vitamin tablet in it and as you watch it change the water ask God to pour his love into the hearts of those you are praying for.

by the Reverend Canon Jean Kerr for Thy Kingdom Come 2023

Toccata from Symphony No 5 by C.M. Widor

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The Symphony for Organ No. 5 in F minor, Op. 42, No. 1, was composed by Charles-Marie Widor in 1879. The full symphony lasts for about 35 minutes.

The fifth movement, in F major, is often referred to as just Widor's Toccata because it is his most famous piece. It lasts around six minutes. Its fame in part comes from its frequent use as recessional music at festive Christmas and wedding ceremonies.

2024 Easter Pastoral Letter

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Risen header

View in PDF

Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton NB Holy Week / Easter 2024

Dear Friends,

This year on Sundays we’re reading predominantly from the Gospel of Mark. If you are as all Christians need to be at some level a student of the Bible, you may know that Mark is unique. Being the earliest and the shortest of the four gospel accounts, scholars believe that all of the other gospel writers were aware of and, sometimes even relied on, the text of Mark’s gospel in the creation of their own – the majority of its words can be identified, sometimes verbatim, especially in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. But Mark had his own reasons for penning an account of the One who was born, suffered, died and rose again and how those events impacted those who belonged to “The Way” – the first Christians. (See Acts 9:1-2)

Among the most notable of the unique characteristics of the Markan text occurs near its end, including questions about when it actually ends. A couple of lines of text following Mark 16:8 is known as the “shorter” ending and Mark 16:9-19 is the “longer” version. Either of those endings make one thing very clear – the whole of the gospel culminates here. The reason Mark wrote this gospel was the shock, bewilderment, confusion, amazement and joy that set in on the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Mark’s reasons may have been many and scholars have deduced some of them from the cultural context and his words affirming the reality in which he and his contemporaries lived. The Gospel of Mark was written during very troubled times. His were times of political instability, religious conflict, violence, terrorism, war, persecution and bloodshed. Mark’s time was full of doubt, disillusionment and insecurity. Does this sound at all familiar?

For Mark the struggle for believers was to commit to Jesus and his Good News in the face of only Bad News. The unmistakable character of the times was the struggle to believe in the face of suffering, loss and death. We don't need to look too far beyond our own backyard for a description of Mark’s times to be one also of ours. There was need for reassurance and faith where there was only doubt and witness to the truth that in the end good triumphs over evil.

The Good News is the same for us as it was for Mark. Jesus met darkness head on, died so that we need not die eternally and, is the Light that continues to shine even though a cold dark tomb once held him. Our reaction to this news can only mirror that of the author of Mark and rightly so: shock, bewilderment, confusion, amazement and joy. The Easter proclamation is “Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!” God has spoken and the Word is Life.

Blessings to you during this Holy Week and Eastertide. The Holy Week and Easter schedule is included here.

Give onlineYours sincerely,

Geoffrey signature

Geoffrey Hall
Dean of Fredericton
GMH