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.
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Hall
Dean of Fredericton
GMH
Mothering Sunday, not to be confused with Canadian Mother's Day, is celebrated in Anglican Churches on the fourth Sunday in Lent; and dates to the custom in England when domestic servants in the grand houses of the landed gentry were permitted to go home to visit their home church and mother. Often the housekeeper or cook would allow the maids to bake a cake to take home to their mother. Sometimes a gift of eggs or flowers from the garden (or hothouse) was allowed, or they may have picked wildflowers from he wayside, violets especially.
In Canada, Mothers' Union branches observe Mothering Sunday by distributing flowers to mothers and serving the traditional Simnel cake and/or cookies after worship. Simnel cake is a light fruit cake made with a layer of marzipan in the middle and if desired a layer on top. The cake is decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, the betrayer of Christ. If 12 balls are used, the 12th one is to represent Jesus.
Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday
Even more ancient custom is the Fourth Sunday in Lent referred to as Laetare Sunday, when the Church took a bit of a breather from Lenten practice and opened the Eucharist with the entrance antiphon, “Rejoice, Jerusalem … be joyful, all who were in mourning!” – from Isaiah chapter 66. The Latin word means “rejoice..”
On this Sunday, in churches that had them, priests would wear rose coloured vestments on both Laetare Sunday and Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent). The colour was used as a sign of the joy characterizing these two Sundays. The use of rose vestments may even originate in an even more ancient tradition of the Church blessing golden roses that were sent to heads of state on the Fourth Sunday in Lent.
In addition to attending Sunday worship a family might choose to mark Laetare Sunday by anticipating the Easter feast; a Sunday brunch with roses on the table or during this beginning period of spring to plant a rose bush on this day. Noting the medieval tradition of visiting one’s “mother church” (the church where one was baptized) on this day might suggest a family trip to see where mom and dad or the children began their journey of faith. In any case, this Sunday seemed to be a most appropriate day for “Mothering Sunday.”
Recipe for Simnel Cake
| 3/4 cup soft butter 3/4 cup sugar 4 eggs 1/2 tsp almond extract 2 cups raisins 1 cup currants 1/2 cup mixed peel |
1/3 cup chopped candied cherries 2 tsp lemon rind 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 500 grams of almond paste, at room temperature |
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add almond extract. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to eggs, then add the fruit and mix.
Put 1/2 the mixture in an 8” springform pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Roll half of almond paste and place in pan. Spoon remainder of batter on top. Bake 30 min at 350°F then reduce heat to 300°F and bake 1 1/2 hours longer. Cool 10 min. Heat oven to 425°F.
Roll remaining almond paste into an 8” round circle and 12 small balls. Put the circle on top of the cake and place the balls on top like the numbers on a clock.
Listen to Deacon Isabel Cutler speak about Mothers' Union at the Cathedral on Sunday March 10th.
His first service as organist was Oct. 21, 2021. Since then he’s been taking weekly lessons from Thomas Gonder, Christ Church Cathedral’s organist. “He’s a phenomenal organist,” said Christian of Thomas. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s played all over Canada. He’s shown me techniques I never knew.”
Originally posted at the Diocese of Fredericton
Christian Vanecek
When Sandra Gereau moved to Prince Edward Island, St. Peter’s in Fredericton was left without an organist. So the former rector, Canon Ross Hebb, began asking around.
“Jokingly, Ross Hebb asked my dad if he could play the organ. He said ‘No, but my son does,’” said Christian Vanicek.
The joke was on Christian, because he’d never played an organ in his life. He was, however, an accomplished pianist.
“I had no experience, but I was willing to learn. Sandy gave me a few lessons to show me how it worked,” he said.
BECOMING AN ORGANIST
His first service as organist was Oct. 21, 2021. Since then he’s been taking weekly lessons from Thomas Gonder, Christ Church Cathedral’s organist.
“He’s a phenomenal organist,” said Christian of Thomas. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s played all over Canada. He’s shown me techniques I never knew.”
The organ lessons are in addition to his piano lessons, Grade 12 studies, and soccer playing. The 17-year-old is a busy guy, just finished his first semester high school exams and about to sit for his Grade 10 piano exam with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Despite all this, he is keen on playing the organ to the best of his ability.
“This is a great organ for someone just starting out,” he said of the Tracker organ whose beginnings date back to 1835.
“This is considered an original instrument,” said Sandra in a story from 2016. “It means it’s in its original state. The mechanisms are pretty basic — wood, tin pipes, reeds, leather connectors and wire holding the parts together.
“It also means this type of organ will last a long time. There is very little to go wrong on it.”
For Christian, it’s all about the sounds he can produce.
“It allows me to be creative,” he said. “I’m somewhat limited on piano, but this is expressive, loud. I’m making music the way I see it.”
He finds a big difference between the organ he plays every Sunday morning and the Cathedral’s organ.
“The Cathedral’s has four keyboards. There must be at least eight times as many stops compared to the one,” he said. “The Cathedral’s is nice and grand, but I like the simplicity and how this one feels to play.”
FUTURE PLANS
Despite coming from a musical family, playing the piano since the age of 4 and now playing the organ, Christian is not planning a musical career. He has been accepted into the foundations program at the University of Kings College in Halifax, where the Rev. Ranall Ingalls (former rector in Sackville) is the chaplain.
“There’s an organ in the chapel there, and I hope to help out in some capacity,” he said.
Christian hopes to pursue a degree in history, and then he has his mind on law school.
History, he says, is where his heart is.
“There’s so much to learn,” said Christian. “It helps to know where we come from to give us a better perspective of who we are.”
Christian is the youngest child of Filip and Marianne Vanicek. His brother, Sebastian, 22, is in medical school in Scotland, and his sister, Caroline, 20, is at UNB studying math and physics.
ST. PETER’S
The Rev. Canon Elaine Hamilton is thrilled to have Christian among her congregants at St. Peter’s.
“With his great skill at the organ, and the choir at St. Peter's, the music each Sunday elevates our worship,” she said. “When starting to fill in at St. Peter's Church one-and-a-half years ago, I was thrilled and impressed to find such an accomplished teenager at the organ bench.
“Christian is a lovely, quiet, unassuming and wonderfully talented young man, which bodes well for his future.
“He graduates this year from high school and will be off to university. I know he will succeed and wish him well as he traverses university life and beyond. We will miss him immensely.”
THOMAS
When Christian leaves for university in the fall, Thomas will be missing more than just giving lessons.
“He’s by far the best student I’ve ever had,” said Thomas. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime student, and I am going to miss him terribly.
“He’s a nice person to be around. He has a startling lack of arrogance. He’s very humble and I think that makes a person a better musician.”
Christian is a Cathedral Organ Scholar, a title granted to a deserving student which comes with the opportunity to play on occasion.
Because he’s at St. Peter’s on Sunday mornings, he plays for the monthly Evensong at the Cathedral. He’s also played in the summer recital series in 2022 and 2023.
“He brought in more donations than any other series, and probably more people as well,” said Thomas. “I think he broke attendance records for the summer series.”
About his playing, Thomas has seen vast improvement over two-and-a-half years of lessons.
“He’s come a long, long way,” he said. “He’s naturally gifted. His organ lesson on Friday night is the highlight of my week.”
While Thomas wholeheartedly agrees that Christian could have a career in music, it’s not the easiest to forge, he said. It seems Christian knows that as well.
“Even though I’ve been playing music my whole life, I’ve never wanted it as a career,” said Christian. “But wherever I settle, I’ll always be open to helping out at a church, playing or whatever.”
Best wishes and blessings to Christian from the Diocesan Synod.
Gisele MacKnight
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. The women who wrote the World Day of Prayer Service this year are from Palestine. The Theme is “I Beg You... Bear with one another in Love” based on Ephesians 4:1-3.
March 1, 2024 is the official date chosen as the World Day of Prayer.
Two World Day of Prayer services will held in-person in Fredericton:
An online Canadian National World Day of Prayer Service will be held beginning at 2:00 p.m. AST on 09 March 2024. Reserve a ticket for free here.
The World Day of Prayer service video for 2024 is available to watch online now. The 58 minute video, produced by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, can be watched at any time. A 6 minute devotional video is also available.
If you have questions about the work of the Council or the 2024 prayer services, please contact Deborah Heustis with Fredericton Women’s Inter-Church. Email <djheustis at gmail.com>.
Advent 2023
Dear Friends,
We miss it again and again, year after year. Christmas is well on its way now. Even though the retail sector has been cranked up for weeks with non-stop Christmas tunes in the background, we still miss it.
In the beginning, perhaps the first Christmas, or in the very beginning when everything was made, the glory of God was revealed and we missed it. A late night comedian recently suggested it was high time we got Christ out of Christmas since we’ve shown over and over, year after year, that we don’t really intend to follow him. We love to have the baby Jesus in a manger because he hasn’t said anything yet. Once he does begin to speak he causes nothing but upset. Get Christ out of Christmas so we can have the best party ever – the one that we all deserve.
The first chapter of the Gospel of John curiously contains logically contradictory words. “The true light ... was coming ...” (v. 9) John says. “We have seen his glory (v. 14) ... he was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” (vss. 10, 11) How can this be? How does an intelligent human race miss this? It seems we keep doing it everyday.
This Christmas there are folks who will be reunited with family they haven’t seen in months. There will be quiet, cozy Christmas gatherings and celebrations of all that’s good about life. Others will take one more step in suffering because of illness or loss, loneliness or misfortune that makes celebration difficult, if not impossible.
Either way, it’s important that we not miss this. The gift God once gave, and continues to give to the world, which is Christmas, is “grace upon grace.” He is “the one true light.” Of all of the other lights in our lives, this light “shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (vs. 5) Whatever our circumstance, the message of Christmas is “from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace,” (v. 16) perhaps especially those who need it most. Christmas light shines for all.
For those of us who have somehow come to understand that we own the light, we best be reminded that we miss it regularly. Light shines where it wills. Nothing prevents the littlest candle lighting the darkest dark. If we’re in the dark we need to look to the Light. But we need to look. It shines for me. It shines for you. Darkness [will] not overcome it. To those who receive, he gives “power to become children of God.” (v. 12)
Join us during the Christmas season to worship the One who is the Light of the World. If you’ve drifted away from a communal expression of gratitude for grace upon grace, why not make a special effort to return to where others share in celebrating the Eternal? A schedule of worship is included here. As I pray that we don’t miss the Light today or in the days of a coming new year, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Hall
Dean of Fredericton
GMH
Celebrate Christmas in historic Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Fredericton!
You are warmly welcomed to join us in worship, whether you are a Christian who has worshipped in the Anglican tradition, are of another Christian denomination, another faith entirely or, simply interested in understanding more about what our faith community is all about. There is no dress code, you are free to sit where you wish and to participate as you feel comfortable.
Join us Christmas Eve morning to celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent, and then in the evening for 3 different types of Christmas Eve Worship. Join us again on Christmas Day.
4th Sunday of Advent (Sunday, 24 December 2023)
* 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer) [no music]
Christmas Eve (Sunday, 24 December 2023)
* 4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Contemporary/family) [organ & hymns]
* 8:00 p.m. Come Worship Eucharist (Contemporary) [band]
* 11:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Traditional/Book of Common Prayer) [organ, choir & hymns]
Christmas Day (Monday, 25 December 2023)
* 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer) [organ & hymns]
Children are welcome at any time. The 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service is a particular favourite of families with young children, and it lasts approximately one hour. An infant changing station is available in one of the washrooms. This service promises a couple of special treats for the Cathedral family – and families – this year. Some of the youngest ones among us will be helping to narrate the Godly-Play-inspired story of Christmas and the Créche. And then some of those same ones will be leading us in song as a newly-formed Youth Choir!
Masks/respirators are available for those who would like them.
Christ Church Cathedral is located at 150 Church Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick. On-street parking is available in our neighbourhood. Several accessible parking spaces are marked and available in the Cathedral driveway. The Cathedral is wheelchair accessible and has an accessible washroom.
Livestreams and recordings available on our YouTube channel.
If you would like additional information, please phone the Cathedral Office at (506) 450-8500. Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Those who lead Sunday intercessions gathered on Tuesday, November 7th with Deacon Isabel Cutler to discuss and share resources used in this ministry of prayer.
An invitation had been made to others with interest in joining the team which is comprised of about 12 individuals. Assignments are currently determined by way of the Cathedral Signup for worship and all were encouraged to sign up well in advance to facilitate planning and to make opportunities open to all who participate.
Prayer leaders facilitate the prayers of the congregation and encourage all who worship to be actively involved in the process by offering their intentions and petitions in silence or aloud reflecting their own need and those known to them. While there are several categories often routinely addressed like: prayers for the church, the world, the ill, those who have died and those who mourn, it's not necessary, possible or preferred to pray for "every thing or every body every time." The main goal is to assist the assembly in its corporate prayer.
Among topics of discussion were Anglican "models" of prayer, preparation time, pros and cons of extemporaneous vs formula prayers, the context of the day's scripture or season, the value of diversity, style and content, the need to be cautious with politically-loaded opinions, instructing God about how to behave, and resisting preaching through prayer. The usual or most common categories included in the Sunday intercessions or prayers of the people were identified.
Attendees were also encouraged to offer resources they have found helpful in preparation. Among were many that can be found online including:
Several books in print were briefly discussed noting that many are available at a reasonable cost by way of a web search of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) number which often discovers items on sale or used book sources as well as affordable e-book options.
If you're interested in this ministry your welcome and encouraged to content Isabel Cutler or the Dean to explore. Mentoring or tutoring can be arranged to assist in becoming an intercessor.
GMH
Maybe you’ve heard it said that for lavish worship, congregations must have a “Worship Design Team” — experts gathered to design, script, rehearse, and coordinate the event. In detail. Every. Single. Week. But what if small congregations have a more powerful option — one that expands participation, emphasizes lay leadership, ends the burnout of meetings, invites local gifts, and heightens anticipation? They do. It’s called Stone Soup worship planning.
Teresa Stewart says that small congregations have a powerful worship planning option that expands participation, emphasizes lay leadership, ends the burnout of meetings, invites local gifts, and heightens anticipation. It’s called Stone Soup worship planning.
Stone Soup is a popular European folktale. It’s told in different ways around the world, but the essence is this: A stranger shows up in a small village. The stranger is hungry. So are the villagers ... Read more
Saturday, 30 September is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and we are encouraged to continue our prayers on that day
Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, 01 October, 2023
Watch here
Listen here
Read the letter from Linda our Primate and Chris, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop
The Cathedral Office and Memorial Hall will be closed on Monday, 02 October.
Merciful God, you call us to loving relationship with one another.
Be with us now as we seek to heal old wounds and find joy again in this relationship.
Replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh.
Give us the gifts of honesty and openness, and fill us with your healing power and grace.
We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
[The Anglican Healing Fund]
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