Crosstalk — December 2022

Crosstalk

Bishop’s charge challenges Anglicans in this diocese to change parish ministry and thrive

BY LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

At an evening Eucharist service on Oct. 20, Bishop Shane Parker delivered his charge to open the 142nd Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. “We are poised to make major decisions that will infuse the life and work of our diocesan church with new purpose and direction,” he said.

He was referring to the fact that a key focus of the Synod was consideration of proposals relating

to the shape of parish ministry in the diocese, the result of a two-year consultative process. “We have been attentive to one another and to the Holy Spirit as we drafted three proposals which are action-oriented. These will result in significant steps to strengthen and nurture parish ministry and offer new approaches to engage with the world—in rural areas, villages, towns, and cities,” he said.

The Anglican Church is smaller and has less influence than it had in the past and now wrestles with

questions of how to reimagine itself and to connect with people in an increasingly secular and pluralistic society. Urging the church to proactively guide change rather than passively being changed by social factors around it has been an important focus for Bishop Parker since he was elected in 2020.

Consultations involving every parish in the diocese re-examining parish ministry resulted in the proposals being considered at this year’s Synod.

THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF OTTAWA | SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2022

Christmas welcome, Saint Thomas Silver Creek, Deanery of West Quebec.

PHOTO: THE REV. GILLIAN HOYER

PHOTO: LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

Looking past distractions to remember what matters most at Christmas

BY THE RIGHT REVEREND SHANE PARKER

In December, when our minds stretch to imagine the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, be mindful of the many cultural layers that have been placed upon the Christmas story— as well as the many unrealistic and stressful expectations that have been layered onto how we celebrate the Feast of the Incarnation.

For most of us, Christmas has become a westernized story, with a chubby blond baby, a tall, stoic Joseph, and a milk-skinned Mary, all gathered into a wooden stable near soft grassy fields. Parts of the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke are often merged together on seasonal cards to show shepherds in medieval European garb and three exotic kings converging at the same time before a rustic timber stable— creating a Christmas mash-up which bears little resemblance to biblical, ethnographic, or archeological accounts.

These accounts tell us that Jesus was likely born in a stone grotto or cave, surrounded by rocky, earthen fields, with sparse tufts of deep green vegetation, to Middle-Eastern people with black hair, brown skin, and dark eyes.

If you visit Bethlehem today, a walk through the bullet-pocked buildings which surround the general location of Jesus’ birth doesn’t conjure up happy Christmas scenes—even archaeologically, ethnographically, or biblically accurate ones! As you eventually wind your way into and through interconnected, overlapping churches, very little feels familiar. Everything is enclosed, with stone floors which have been worn and polished by generations of pilgrims, and walls made dark by the smoke of thousands of candles. Not to mention the riot of oriental lamps with decorations on them, as you can see in the photograph that accompanies this column.

When you finally come near to the sacred site, there is usually a long queue before you are able climb down a short flight of steep stairs and through a narrow portal.

You wait a bit longer in a short, crowded vestibule and then proceed into a small, dimly lit cave. It takes a moment to realize that you now stand in the site revered by countless pilgrims as the place where Mary gave birth to the Christchild: the Grotto of the Nativity.

It is at first hard to connect this congested, tapestrywalled, lamplit place with anything close to the traditional images of Christmas you have carried in your mind for years— and the sensation is not entirely comfortable. But as you gaze at the small, ornate altar which stands above the sacred spot, a sense of holy peace and reverence begins to grow in you; and when everyone starts to sing Away in a Manger, you join in, and the feeling of disconnect between what you had expected and what you are seeing and feeling falls away completely. Your heart begins to fill with the eternally

familiar warmth of Christ.

When it is your turn to kneel down at the altar, you look across a marble surface into a small opening set in an intricately embossed silver star that lies over the spot where the infant Jesus is believed to have been born—you feel compelled to follow the tradition of countless pilgrims, and you allow your hand to reach in and touch the ancient, smooth stone.

In the close comfort of the Grotto of the Nativity, you remember what matters most as we celebrate Christmas: the God of all time and space came to us in love and great gentleness, and in simplicity, calling us to find our truest selves by following the way of Jesus. Anything layered onto this, be it nostalgic scenes or the stressful expectations we place on ourselves and others at this time of year, are unnecessary distractions.

PHOTO: DOUG MORRIS

Lamps near the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The Rev. John Holgate has been appointed as the Assistant Curate for the parish of St. Helen’s, Orleans, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

The Rev. Canon David Clunie, will retire on December 1, 2022

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Brauer has been appointed Incumbent of the parish of St. John the Evangelist, Smiths Falls, effective Jan. 11, 2023.

The Rev. Geoff Chapman has been appointed Regional Dean of Ottawa Centre, effective Oct. 7.

Jane Scanlon retires as member of senior staff

The diocesan director of communications and stewardship closes her laptop and picks up her paint brush

BY LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

After 14 years with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, Jane Scanlon retired from her position as director of communications and stewardship at the end of October.

When she was hired as a stewardship officer, she had worked as a fundraising and public relations professional for universities and hospitals, but she said, for the most part, my career has been with religious based organizations because that’s where my heart is, and mainly focused on raising money to help very vulnerable people,” she told Crosstalk

“When I first came to Ottawa, there really wasn’t any fundraising in place, and there was no database, so it was in many ways building it up from scratch, but for me that was an interesting challenge.” Developing relationships is essential to fundraising, she said, noting that she spent time getting to know people and parishes in her first years here.

A highlight of her time with the Diocese and career was working on the Growing in Faith Together campaign, which raised $12 million over a five-year pledge period.

“It’s rewarding to think of the impact that that campaign had on individual churches as well as on the Community Ministries and the national church programs,” she said.

Scanlon said she also enjoyed developing Today for Tomorrow, mainly because of its focus on the Community Ministries, which are very close to my heart,” she said.

Bishop Shane Parker told Crosstalk, “Jane is a diminutive but determined person who raised stewardship and financial development in our diocese to a new level, She once described

her work to me as a “calling” and I readily saw that her commitment was born from a clear sense of being in ministry. We saw and benefitted from Jane’s knowledge and passion for stewardship development.”

The bishop added, “We eventually became aware of the artist that dwells within her when she took on the role of director of communications: her creativity made her receptive to new ways of seeing and describing the ministry of our diocese—leading to a very successful rebranding process, as evidenced in our wonderful, colourful “ray” logo.”

Scanlon’s decision to retire was precipitated by a serious car accident last winter and injuries from which she is still recovering.

But she has faith that God can draw good things out of terrible experiences. “I’m retiring from my 30-year career, but I am retiring into a new phase in my life, which I am very excited about,” she said.

Scanlon and her husband have started Red Portal Consulting. Their current project brings her back to her childhood years spent in Moose Factory, where her father was a priest from 1964 to 1969 at St. Thomas Anglican Church. There is a local project to restore the church, which is the only Canadian church with wooden plugs in the floor.

“Part of its history is that the island was so flooded one year that the church was floating away up the Moose River. The people went out with their boats, and they towed the church back on to the land. The bishop at the time said to drill holes in the floor and put plugs in. If there was flooding again, he told them to take the plugs out so the water would come in and hold the church in place,” Scanlon recounted.

The Anglican congregation now worships in another building, but the executive director of the Moose Factory Heritage and Hospitality Association wants to turn the church into a space for cultural regeneration for the Cree, a place where they can have community events…. It’s really all about lifting up Cree culture and celebrating it,” Scanlon said. They asked Red Portal to help to write grant applications and Jane is on the communications and fundraising committee.

Closer to home, she says she is looking forward to being more involved with her own church St. Paul’s, Almonte, particularly with the local All My Relations group.

And as the bishop alluded to, Scanlon is a talented artist. “I’ve been creative and artistic all my life, but I haven’t had much time to develop, so I am really looking forward to becoming the artist that I am,” she said, adding that she would also like to become a certified art therapist.

The Rev. Simone Hurkmans has been appointed as the Incumbent of Epiphany Ottawa, effective Nov. 22, 2022.

The Rev. Rosemary Parker has been appointed as the Regional Dean of Ottawa East, effective Oct. 19, 2022.

At the Eucharist service opening the 142nd Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, Bishop Shane Parker installed the Ven. Rhonda Waters as Archdeacon of Ottawa East and the Ven. Patrick Stephens as the Archdeacon of Pembroke.

On Oct. 20 at Christ Church Cathedral, the Rev. Canon Aigah Attagutsiak was installed to the Cathedral Canonry of Saint Mary Magdalene and the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer to the Cathedral Canonry of Saint Alban.

PHOTO: LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

PHOTO: THE REV. COLIN MCFARLAND

Jane Scanlon

“Flying Through a Zone of Turbulence” by Esther Berg (Scanlon’s artist’s name)

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

 Bishop’s Charge, 2022 continued from page 1

“The proposals are saying we are prepared to address urgent questions and to creatively use our collective resources to strengthen and nurture thriving parish ministries. This is worth restating: we are saying we want to consolidate our overall parish ministry structure and the operations which support it in order to have well-resourced churches that can thrive,” the bishop told the crowd assembled in Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa.

“The proposals are saying we want lay leaders across our diocese to be well-supported and well-equipped to share in robust parish ministries. We want to create new worshipping communities and learn how to share the love of God in an age where many are very wary of religion. We want to be part of a church that is thriving.”

The bishop thanked all those who worked on the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultations. “I am very grateful for the hours of work represented in the three proposals coming before our Synod.” And he made a commitment to the ambitious plan for work ahead: “I am also conscious of the hours of work we must do as the people, clergy, and bishop of this diocesan church if we adopt them—because they have to be implemented in a timely and disciplined manner. With Ascension House staff and our key lay and clergy leaders, I stand ready to make the implementation of these proposals a top priority over the next 18 months.”

Bishop Parker frequently describes the diocesan church as a body with two arms—parish ministry and community ministry. Diocesan Community Ministries include the Anglican Day Programs (St. Luke’s Table, Centre 454 and The Well), Centre 105 in Cornwall, Ont., Cornerstone Housing for Women, the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, and the Refugee Ministry.

“As our parish ministry arm is being reshaped to thrive, our community ministry arm is likely being called to expand,” he said. “We are very good at providing day programs and affordable housing, and, sadly, there is a growing need for both as socio-economic inequities continue to play out in our communities. I firmly believe that we can build our diocese’s capacity to carefully expand our community ministry to serve those who cry out for justice, compassion, shelter, and dignity.”

The bishop’s charge also emphasized the church’s commitment to social justice, particularly decolonization and reconciliation work with Indigenous peoples and the diocesan AntiRacism Project.

Bishop Parker made particular mention of two efforts to live up to commitments in the Anglican baptismal covenant “to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain, and renew the life of the Earth.” He pointed out that in 2015, Synod was to “direct Diocesan Council to chart a course for the complete decarbonization of all the buildings of the Diocese, that will involve measurable benchmarks and a defined set of actions.”

Unfortunately, he said, “we did not act decisively on this motion, and I intend to table it again at Diocesan Council, trusting that the increased urgency of the climate crisis will compel us to address its concerns in an appropriate and effective manner —with the guidance of our new director of property and asset management.”

The second effort is part of a global one. When the bishop travelled to the 2022 Lambeth Conference in July, meeting

Crosstalk is published 10 times a year (September to June) and mailed as a section of the Anglican Journal. It is printed and mailed by Webnews Printing Inc., North York.

with bishops from across the international Anglican Communion, an initiative called the Communion Forest was launched. It can include a broad swath of “activities of forest protection, tree-growing and ecosystem restoration undertaken by provinces, dioceses and individual churches across the Anglican Communion. The Communion Forest is described as ‘a global act of hope.’ The forestation activities are determined locally so they are ‘geographically, culturally and environmentally appropriate.’ The forest ‘will therefore look very different in different parts of the Communion.’ Local expressions ‘might be about trees but could equally be about grasslands,

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wetlands or coastal habitats.’” The bishop encouraged everyone in the diocese to embrace the initiative, and he said he would ask Diocesan Council to request that the new Partnerships Committee establish a relationship with the Communion Forest organization.

Having described the challenges ahead, Bishop Parker concluded his charge by encouraging everyone.

“This is an exciting time, and we must seize both the moment and the momentum and respond with faithful determination to the important tasks which have fallen to our generation. There is no doubt in my mind that our diocese has the capacity to do this, and, with God’s help, we will.”

Crosstalk acknowledges that we publish on traditional Anishinàbeg Algonquin territory. We recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries.

Leigh Anne Williams

To shape our parish ministry, we want well-equipped leaders and new worshipping communities

The Communion Forest is intended as a “global act of hope.” Actions are determined locally and can be about trees but also ecosystem restoration.

COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

St. Luke’s Table carries on after fire

BY LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

Following a devastating fire on Oct. 11, St. Luke’s Table hopes to be operating from a temporary leased storefront location before the end of the year.

The fire caused major damage at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Ottawa, forcing the temporary closure of St. Luke’s Table facilities in the church basement, where there was widespread water damage. The next day, staff from the Anglican day programs were already outside the church providing breakfasts for the people who normally came to St. Luke’s Table for hot meals and a variety of other supports.

Participants were also immediately invited to The Well, a sister agency in the basement of St. John the Evangelist, that normally serves only women, where they could get meals and access to showers and laundry machines, as well as help navigating the social service network and health care system.

“The reason we’re able to do this and pivot so quickly is because of our lockdown COVID experience,” explained Rachel Robinson, the executive director for the three Anglican Day Programs in Ottawa — St. Luke’s Table, The Well and Centre 454. The three separate Community Ministries of the diocese began working more closely together during the pandemic when COVID hit in March 2020. It took a couple of months to work out what to do and to acquire a van, she said. “But because we did that, we were able to do it literally the day after the fire. We responded so quickly because of what we learned through COVID. And even the pooled resources from the three programs, that wouldn’t have happened as easily when there were three separate agencies.”

A story in the November issue of Crosstalk announced the launch of

the merged programs under a new collective brand, but the fire has delayed that launch.

Robinson said that Joel Prentice, director of property and asset management for the Diocese, was negotiating a lease on a storefront property in the neighbourhood of St. Luke’s that can be used while the church and the St. Luke’s Table space is restored.

In the meanwhile, Robinson said participants from St. Luke’s programs “are struggling with not having a space to connect with staff and connect with one another in a social way. We are doing our best to support them.” Many of them are going to The Well, in the basement of St. John the Evangelist (Somerset

Oct. 11

According to a statement issued by Bishop Shane Parker on Oct. 12, the fire broke out in the east transept of the church, causing extensive damage to the sanctuary and nave. “Fortunately no one was injured; unfortunately, the building cannot be used by the congregation or the day program any time soon,” he wrote.

The timing of the fire made the loss more poignant. The congregation’s 150th anniversary was Oct. 16, including 100 years in the building itself.

“Bishop John Chapman, who has been providing pastoral leadership to the congregation in a period of intentional discernment, quickly arranged for them to meet on Sundays in the Chapel of All Saints Westboro until the way forward becomes clear.”

and Elgin), while others are going to Centre 507 (another day program in Centretown United Church) and some have even gone to Centre 454 on King Edward.

“They are having their basic needs met in terms of getting a meal,” said Robinson, noting that the laundry machines and two showers at the Well are in constant use. (The basement location of St. Luke’s Table had recently been renovated to expand the kitchen and add showers and laundry facilities.

“But it’s that social connection and breaking isolation and loneliness that is the hard thing without a space because people live in a room, literally a room, that could be 10 feet by 10 feet with a single bed and no communal space in the rooming house. So you really want to go out, like we all do…. And the day programs provided structure to many people’s days, so that’s the thing I would say people might be struggling with.”

The storefront spot won’t have a kitchen or other amenities that the church basement had. Robinson said

they would find a way to provide a meal, perhaps with food cooked and delivered from the Well. But the focus at the storefront location will be on social connection and recreation. “It is going to be more like a community centre. We’re calling it a café at the moment, where people can come and sit and connect. We’ll still do some social work, referrals to other agencies, if someone comes in and needs to be referred to a housing worker,” for example, she said.

The staff and usual participants at The Well are coping with the change. “It’s hard to navigate, and a few women are unhappy that there are men here, which is totally understandable, and we want to protect a safe space for women 100%,” said Robinson. “We’ve got two rooms that we are using where women can go if they want to be…. It’s not ideal, no one would pretend that this an ideal situation. Many women are actually fine and comfortable, and in fact, quite enjoy having a mix and a change. It’s a bit more lively, there’s more people to socialize with.”

The staff, she said, “are doing an amazing job. They are really responsive and flexible, but everybody is very tired.”

St. Luke’s battered by fire,

PHOTO INDIA BEDSON

PHOTOS INDIA BEDSON

Cornerstone celebrates the return to restored Booth Street residence

BY LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS

Cornerstone Housing for Women had lots of reasons to celebrate in October and November. Not only did the residents of its Booth Street residence get to return to their newly renovated building that was damaged by a fire in June, but the fundraising campaign to help pay for the renovation quickly exceeded its target of $50,000, with a total of $65,000.

“Kudos to our community,” Cornerstone’s executive director Sarah Davis told Crosstalk, explaining that the call to help cover the expenses of restoring the Booth Street building after the fire was received with broad support from the community. “We were promoted by a number of radio shows. Sam Laprade has always been a really great supporter of Cornerstone, and she had us on her show. I had the opportunity to speak about the great news [that renovations were done] a couple of times, including on CTV,” Davis said. “Some of our long-time donors really stepped up yet again. It’s just Ottawa, our Cornerstone community, the diocese, everyone has really supported us to get the women home.”

It’s a happy ending to an incident that was a blow to Cornerstone

during a difficult year when its emergency shelter had to be relocated during renovations and when women in its shelter suffered through the “Freedom Convoy” occupation of downtown Ottawa.

The Booth Street Housing Residence is home to 42 women and gender-diverse people. The residence provides a permanent, affordable home with 24-hour staff support to women over the age of 50 and to women who have complex mental health, mobility challenges, trauma, or substance use disorders. During the summer, residents were unexpectedly uprooted after a fire in one of the rooms and the effort to put it out

led to extensive water and mold damage throughout the building.

“Honestly, it was shocking when we were told we had to move out,” said Ashley Jordan, senior program manager of the Booth Residence explained in a statement about the impact of the fire.. “The residents have been through so much over the last few years. For a lot of them this is the first time they’ve ever had a home. Knowing they were being ripped away from that was really difficult.”

They spent two and a half months in a sports facility while their residence was restored. “It was far from ideal,” said the Rev. Canon Dr. Peter John Hobbs, the

director general of the

the

Ottawa on Oct. 21. He added that he was pleased to announce that the women were moving back home that very afternoon.

Cornerstone staff turned the moving day into a welcome home party. “We had balloons, decorations. We really wanted to celebrate it, and not to be in the continued feeling of loss that we’ve had through COVID and through all of the different moves that our organization has gone through,” said Davis. “Really, it was a celebration of coming home and being all together again.

Community Ministries told the annual Synod gathering of

Anglican Diocese of

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Generous bequests provide vital support to Community Ministries

BY DAVID HUMPHREYS

Bequests can be an important pillar of support for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s Community Ministries. Centre 454 and The Well recently were beneficiaries of $50,000 bequests, the largest they have ever received. Cornerstone Housing for Women has also received a bequest of $50,000, one of 10 it has received in its 40-year history.

To encourage more people to leave bequests in their wills, Cornerstone is sponsoring workshops to raise awareness of their value and the means to implement them. Archdeacon Chris Dunn, whose parish of All Saints Westboro was also a recent beneficiary, says there is a takeaway for Anglicans: There are many worthwhile charities out there, but as Anglicans let’s remember the work of our own charities and their need for support.

Here’s how bequests from Shirley and Frank Taylor and Janet McInnes are continuing their legacies of caring.

Shirley and Frank Taylor

Shirley and Frank Taylor made the parish of All Saints Westboro their family for more than 20 years until their deaths in 2016 and 2020.

In their wills, Shirley and Frank left a bequest of $50,000 to Cornerstone Housing for Women and another of the same amount to the day program at Centre 454.

Archdeacon Chris Dunn, rector of All Saints at the time, says the Taylors were always very engaged and concerned parishioners. They also left a bequest to the parish which will help support its ministries, including the Westboro Region Food Bank, as well as infrastructure.

Many of their friends were fellow parishioners, including Peter Nicoll and his wife, Marci Taylor (no relation). Before coming to

Canada to work with L’Arche, the charity for people with intellectual disabilities, Marci Taylor had been advisor to the Governor of Indiana on homelessness.

She and Shirley became close friends and talked often about homelessness and women’s concerns. Shirley and Frank became ardent supporters of Cornerstone and Centre 454.

“They were wonderful people,” Archdeacon Dunn says. ‘They saw the parish as a family and the family gathered around them when they died.”

Both Rachel Robinson, executive director of Centre 454 and the other day programs, and Amber Bramer, director of communications and fundraising for Cornerstone, agree that the respective bequests will have a significant impact.

They cite escalating costs for food and supplies and the increased demand for their services coming out of the pandemic. Bramer says the Cornerstone shelter is full and has been forced to turn away as many 40 women a day.

Janet McInnes

Janet McInnes had personal experience with overcoming adversity, experience that she

practised in the service of others as executive director of The Well.

When she joined The Well in the mid-‘90s she had faced a difficult childhood and the loss of her husband at a tragically young age.

“The tenacity she had in her life was to turn it around,” her daughter Shawna-Rose says. “You can be faced with adversity and fear and you can turn it around with the right community support.”

Patricia Connolly, who shared executive director duties with Janet for three years before Patricia retired and Janet took over, says Janet “was one of the most generous women I’ve ever met.”

Her spirit and her generosity live on at The Well through a bequest of $50,000, the largest The Well has received.

“Janet’s commitment and devotion to social justice, and in particular to the women of The Well, was remarkable,” the Rev. Canon Dr. PJ Hobbs, director general of Community Ministries, says. “It is a testament to her that she thought to remember The Well in her will.”

Shawna-Rose says her mother was always committed to helping others. “It encompassed not just her work but all of us, her family. I hope this will encourage others to give back as well for those who need it.”

Patricia Connolly says Janet’s compassion and strong desire for social justice embraced the word, ministry. “She worked diligently for and with a community of women who trusted her enough to share their life journeys with her. Many lived on the edge of homelessness and helplessness and Janet strived to help them overcome the barriers that kept them from reaching their true potential…”

Darlene Carew, senior program support worker and long-time friend, was part of the team that took over the direction after Janet, diagnosed with cancer, was forced to retire. “She absolutely loved The Well and she was a really good leader.”

Shirley and Frank Taylor, members of All Saints Westboro parish, left generous bequests to two Community Ministries.

Janet McInnes was executive director of The Well.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

"I live in a rooming house where I can't afford to pay rent and buy groceries. It made a big difference to my life when I started going to St Luke's Table every day for nutritious meals. My life would be so much harder without the support of St Luke's and the day-to-day practical support and hope it offers."

Christmas

Anglican Day Programs bring together three day programs that provide a full range of support ser vices to the city's most vulnerable. Anglican Day Programs believe in a community where everyone belongs, feels safe, and receives support to bring about positive change in their lives. When people are empowered, the community benefits as a whole.

• Centre 454 offers shower and laundry facilities, computer and phone access, a community fridge, and social support. This location supports more than 100 people a day.

• St Luke's Table worked with partner agencies during the pandemic to provide hundreds of meals daily. Until the recent fire, this service continued at St Luke's along with facilities for rest and access to laundry, showers, and social connection for more than 100 people a day. In the midst of this crisis, the day programs are now working together to ensure these vulnerable people are served

• The Well, a safe space that provides basic needs for women and children, has more than 50 visits a day. Meals, showers, laundry, and social services are provided.

Today 4 Tomorrow raises funds for the Community Ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. We are calling on you to help the Anglican Day Programs, Centre 105, Cornerstone Housing for Women, Ottawa Pastoral Counselling

Anglican Diocese of Ottawa

"I grew up on the streets and got into crime, drugs, and alcohol. I was dead in so many ways. It was at that time in my life that I connected with Centre 454. The Centre has been with me for a long time through so many hard times providing support and helping me choose hope." Shawn

Provide an individual with hygiene supplies for a month.

Help an individual access clinical support for psychiatric disabilities and addictions.

"It's amazing how when I started coming here it gave me that hope, that fight, that extra push I needed. The Well gave me a welcoming, safe community where I could be accepted as me. It has literally changed my life." Dee Dee

Provide women and children at The Well with nutritious suppers for one week.

Provide healthy breakfasts for one month at The Well.

Brian

How to give:

ONLINE

Please visit today4tomorrow.ca, and send a greeting card directly to the individual(s) you are honouring.

PHONE

Call 613-232-7124, ext. 221

MAIL

Insert your form and gift into the postagepa id envelope

PROVIDE FUNDS FOR WOMEN'S SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND EMERGENCY SHELTER

Cornerstone Housing for Women helps more than 600 women each year transition from crisis to hope, healing, and housing. It is the largest women and gender-diverse only housing and shelter provider in Ottawa with four (soon to be five) supportive housing residences, one emergency shelter, plus an outreach program. Its vision is for everyone to have a home in a community that supports them to live with dignity and hope.

"I remember seeing my apartment for the first time and being shocked at how wonderful it was to have my own home. I have been able to reconnect with my Indigenous culture thanks to the Minwaashin outreach program.

I love it here." Elizabeth

PROVIDE A SAFE COMMUNIT Y FOR REFUGEES

Your gift will help the Refugee Ministry Office support families, parishes and community groups as they strive to sponsor refugees fleeing from perilous experiences in their home countries to settle in welcoming communities in Canada. Sponsored refugees are supported to learn English as a second language and to find employment while safely housed.

"Parishes and other partners are very important to helping individuals and families settle and integrate into our communities. Your financial support is essential to helping with their transition from perilous situations at home to the safety of our communities."

Refugee Ministry Staff

Contribute to providing a refugee family with clothing as they begin their new lives here in Canada.

PROVIDE A WELCOMING PLACE FOR PEOPLE IN CORNWALL

Invest in providing a welcoming atmosphere and social recreational programs for so many people within Cornwall's most vulnerable population. Centre 105 serves 300 nourishing breakfasts each week and offers a safe gathering space, laundry service, and health support. It reaches out to the homeless and those at-risk making connections for them to Cornwall's social service networks and ensuring that they receive the help they need.

"I participate in the Centre 105 Breakfast Club because we are treated like family. The people that work here are friendly and kind. If we need anything, they help us out. They treat us like people like everyone else in the Cornwall community. I love coming here." Phyllis

Provide a hearty breakfast for one person, three days per week, for one month.

Contribute to providing a refugee family with housing when they arrive in Canada.

Help people at Centre 105 to access support services such as pastoral counselling, legal aid advice, and public health nurse visits.

Provide home-cooked meals for one month for one person in emergency shelter.

Provide shelter for one person for one month.

EX TEND COUNSELLING SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO LACK RESOURCES

OPC has been offering professional counselling and psychotherapy services for 50 years. The staff works with people regarding a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, grief and bereavement, and marriage counselling and relationships. They provide services for individuals, couples, and families including children and teens. Donations to the OPC's Counselling Support Fund help people access counselling services.

"People reach out to the OPC seeking care and counselling support. Many do not have the financial resources for counselling services. Thanks to your generous giving, your donation to the OPC's Counselling Support Fund helps us to extend our services now to those seeking help."

Sharon York, Executive Director

Support counselling services for children and teens.

Help provide counselling to a family in crisis.

Anglican advocacy for affordable housing gets positive results

BY DAVID HUMPHREYS

Many parishes encouraged members to advocate for affordable housing during the Ontario municipal election campaigns by circulating questions for candidates or using prepared bulletin inserts. Some were able to take extra initiatives that paid off with tangible results.

In Perth, the St James the Apostle outreach team got a commitment from the winning candidate for mayor to sell a parcel of land for one dollar to build affordable housing.

At Christ Church Bells Corners, where the Hollyer House project is in the final stages of construction, a working relationship was established with a winning candidate for city council, auguring well for community relations in the future.

St George’s church South Alice in the Parish of the Valley was able to bring 50 residents of the rural community together with its “Election Café” that provided one-on-one opportunities for voters to discuss issues with candidates for mayor and reeve of Laurentian Valley municipality.

In Perth, the availability of town land has been a stumbling block in Caring Community Housing Initiative Perth’s (CCHIP) drive to develop affordable housing. St James had previously established a steering committee to guide the project.

St James circulated the Diocese’s call to action throughout the parish and encouraged attendance at an all-candidates meeting.

St James rector, the Rev. Canon Kenneth Davis, met with mayoralty candidate Judy Brown who identified a piece of serviced town land, zoned for multi-unit housing that had a hold on it. She undertook

to introduce a motion to council to lift the restriction and make the land available to the CCHIP project without development charges for a dollar.

As a result, the project is moving ahead with the launch of a website to support a fundraising campaign. The St James team is working with the new mayor and council, confident of success.

Besides distributing questions for candidates in a weekly e-mailout the parishioners Christ Church Bells Corners reached out to candidates for election in College Ward,

including winner Laine Johnson who has a strong background in affordable housing. Having an informed and supportive city councillor can only be advantageous as the project moves through final stages of construction.

Supply and labour issues have delayed opening of the building that will have 35 housing units and community services from December until next spring. The diocesan fundraising is closing in on $1million towards its goal of $1.6 million.

The mission statement of St George’s South Alice, a small but

active part of the Parish of the Valley, is “Building Community through Food, Friendship and Faith.”

Volunteer Wanda Hilts says the parish saw an opportunity during the election campaign to give meaning to its mission statement with the allcandidates election café at the Alice and Fraser Recreation Centre.

The biggest issue appeared to be municipal regulations that prevent severing land for sale that is zoned residential. Older landowners may look to sell a portion of land to help support them in retirement. When land is sold it is usually used for housing purposes. In this rural context, Official Plan regulations prevent additional housing from being built.

Feedback from both candidates and voters was positive. Candidates said it was a good opportunity to explore real concerns of voters.

Voters similarly found the café provided a means to get to know the candidates. By all accounts, it was better attended than a Chamber of Commerce all-candidates meeting. Perhaps this is a format that could be applied more broadly.

While these examples of Anglican outreach differ in scope they have in common that they all made an impact and a difference in their communities. And they illustrate the value of the maxim that it is always better to get to know your elected representatives before they are elected and before you may need their attention and their help.

David Humphreys is a member of the diocesan Homelessness and Affordable Housing Working Group

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Volunteers from St. George’s South Alice who organized an “Election Cafe” are, from left, Bernard Raglin, Wanda Hilts, Kim Silkie, Bill Kennedy and Harris Schroeder with the Rev. Matthew Brown.

The “little

St. Thomas Silver Creek recognized as historic building

BY MERIEL BRADFORD

On a beautiful crisp late September morning, a small group gathered in front of St. Thomas Silver Creek, as the mayor of the municipality of Lochaber-Partie-Ouest, M. Pierre Renaud, made a presentation on how important it is to have a citation of a heritage asset and how proud the citizens are to see their cultural heritage preserved. He then unveiled two historical plaques, one in English and one in French. This chapel has stood near the crossroads just northwest of Thurso since 1877 and the plaques outline the history and importance of the building.

St. Thomas Silver Creek has served the small rural community of Anglicans for almost 150 years. Services are held twice a year, at Christmas and at Easter, as well as on occasions when clergy can be found to conduct a service. The most recent service was held on August 24, 2022, and was well attended as worshippers could finally gather in person.

Local support for the chapel has helped ensure its continued existence. Mr. Dan Berndt has

been tending the charming chapel garden and Mr. Royden Brown is the chapel steward. Royden wished “to thank the Diocese of Ottawa for the support navigating through this process [the erection of the plaques] and look[s] forward to a renewed

relationship with the municipality…. especially [as this is] the only church within their boundaries”.

The unveiling was attended by representatives of the municipality, local residents, as well as the Ven. Eric Morin, Archdeacon of West

Quebec; M. Michel Prévost, president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais; Mme Marie-France Bertrand, cultural development officer for the MRC of Papineau; Meriel Beament Bradford, diocesan representative on the Outaouais advisory table for the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec (CPRQ).

The mayor, M. Pierre Renaud, the municipal Heritage Committee and its chair, councillor Guylaine Ouellet, helped spearhead the effort to recognise this local historical jewel.

The CPRQ is a Quebec government agency which promotes the preservation and transformation of religious heritage buildings and cemeteries, through funding, information sessions and special events such as les Journées du patrimoine religieux, held each September. Several churches in the Deanery of West Quebec, including Christ Church Aylmer and St Paul’s Shawville, have benefitted from the CPRQ funding programs.

St. Thomas art auction raises funds for Water First

Selling art is not the easiest way to fundraise for a cause, but the art auction organized by St Thomas Anglican Church in Stittsville managed to raise a decent amount of money to offer to Water First, a charity devoted to providing and maintaining clean water to Indigenous communities. The total raised was $1,385.00.

Eight paintings were on offer, each one donated by a local artist, all of whom lived in Stittsville except for one person from Ottawa. The auction was open to the general public, not just the parishioners of St. Thomas. All the themes were nature-inspired with the idea of

supporting Indigenous people’s connection to the land.

When Robin Tilgner, one of the bidders, was asked why she wanted to take part in the auction, she replied that she “was delighted to see what the money was going to and getting a lovely thing in return was wonderful!”

Water First provides paid technical internships to Canadian Indigenous youth to teach them to run and maintain clean water equipment in their communities. This ensures that the system, once in place, will continue to run well and offers good career opportunities to the young people. — Barbara Bottriell

Mayor Pierre Renaud unveiled plaques in French and English.

Karen Davie, one of the successful bidders, with her oil painting of Nova Scotia Harbour by Warren Blackburn.

PHOTO: MUNICIPALITY OF LOCHABER-PARTIE-OUEST

SYNOD 2022

Shape of Parish Ministry proposals approved

The 142nd Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa was primarily focused on three proposals that resulted from the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultations (SPMC), a two-year process that has involved every parish in the diocese.

The Rev. Tim Kehoe, a member of the SPMC team, began the discussion on Oct. 21, the first day of the Synod meeting, by describing the aims of the whole consultative process. “We set out together to address two urgent questions: What are the shapes of parish ministry that God is calling us to explore? And where is God calling us to be and where, or perhaps how, are

Proposal 1

The Rev. Tim Kehoe and Barbara Gagné opened up the discussion of the first proposal.

During the consultations, “We heard concerns about lack of clarity about what parish models are actually on the table and how they work. We heard concerns about long-term sustainability, volunteer fatigue, rising costs, but as well about the desire to collaborate better as a diocesan church in order to consolidate our energies and resources to be more effective, efficient and better stewards.”

They presented Proposal 1 in three parts based on the three types of action they involve: clarifying, consolidating; and collaboration and interdependence.

we called to invest the resources that we have been entrusted with?

“We are all stewards of those resources,” Kehoe reminded Synod members. “And the point is not simply that our parish ministry can survive. It’s that we’re called to take risks, to be creative, so that we can be shaping, under the influence of the Spirit, new things so that we might thrive. So the result is the three SPM proposals before the Synod, which are intended to strengthen, nurture and inspire our parish ministries on the ground, across every part of the diocese.”

of the bishop, take action to stimulate innovation and collaboration between parishes, including a forum of clergy and lay leaders in order to share experiences and offer recommendations to the bishop and to Diocesan Council.

Collaboration and Interdependence

“We heard most emphatically about financial pressures, volunteer fatigue, and capacity issues. We heard as well of the desire to work collaboratively and to work smartly, doing what we need to do and making the most of our tools and resources,” said Gagné.

Primate offers encouragement

Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, was the invited guest speaker and offered four reflections over the two-day Synod. She began her final remarks by recalling what it was like at the beginning of the pandemic. Here are some small excerpts: “We had established ways of being the church. We had ways of living in parishes…. COVID brought it to a crashing halt. And there were many at the time that COVID put us into lockdown who asked ‘Could the church survive?’... Because we were so used to gathering inperson that we couldn’t imagine anything else. And there lots of anxiety and fear…

“We had to go back to prayer…. We had to change how we did things… We had to listen to the voice of Jesus calling us to read the scriptures and discover that it says nothing in there about meeting on Sunday mornings. It says nothing about having to meet in particular buildings, at a particular place... And we had to discover afresh that we could be with God in new ways. It could be life-giving even as we mourned and grieved what we had lost….

“My sense of what you have done in these last two days is that you are at that moment …You have begun to discern this new life that is possible, that change is possible. You are willing to take a risk.

“I did still hear some of the anxiety that has been expressed. There’s still some fears. What will be lost? What might we have to let go of?...That can and may bring conflict, … but I also heard trust, deep trust in the discernment that has gone on already through prayer, through consultation, through study, through listening to one another deeply … I hope and pray that you will hang on to that consultative process and that trust will allow you to be vulnerable with one another about the things you are afraid of. We often tend to hide those things but it is in sharing them that we discover that we can support and care and grieve together.”

— Leigh Anne Williams

Clarifying the structures of parish ministry

Proposal 1A asked: That [before Synod 2023] diocesan bodies and staff, under the direction of the bishop, develop a guide to be approved by Diocesan Council, defining and confirming the structures of parish ministry and expectations related to their implementation: such as clergy deployment, scope of ministry, governance, administration, property management and finances

Proposal 1B asked that Synod a) request a guide, authorized by the bishop, for leaders of parishes to help discern when the time is right to move into a different parish structure; and b) urge parish leaders who have discerned that the time is right to begin active conversations with the bishop and their territorial archdeacons, in consultation with parish members, with a view to effecting the desired changes as soon as possible; and that a report on concrete actions taken be presented to Synod in 2023.

Consolidating

“The idea of parish structures is not static. We don’t all remain in the same form forever. We heard that some parishes are actively on the path of discerning where their future structure lies. And others are asking themselves is now the time to start asking those questions,” Gagné explained. “Our conversations within our diocese identified a benefit of having tools and support to embark on those periods of change. There were also opportunities identified to learn from each other and incorporate those experiences from neighbouring parishes or others involved in like ministry.”

Proposal 1C asks that staff and relevant diocesan bodies, under the guidance

“These themes led to the recommendations which follow that focus on re-examining our sources of income and budgetary allocations. The need to examine processes was also fundamental to ensuring that we move forward organized with thought and purpose. The motions which follow highlight the request for a review of financial processes like Parish Fair Share. It is also being recommended to reduce duplicated activity, take advantage of economies of scale where possible, take advantage of those who are best positioned to take on a function or an area of responsibility. Data collected should be that which drives our decision-making processes, be accurate, be easily identified and easy to report.

Proposal 1D asked that Diocesan Council strike a task force as soon as possible, with membership approved by the bishop, to conduct a review, involving input from parish leaders, of the current method of calculating Parish Fair Share, and that any recommended changes be brought to Synod 2023 for approval.

Proposal 1E asked that Synod approve the use of dividends from undesignated and bishop’s discretionary trusts held by our Diocese in the Consolidated Trust Fund for the purpose of contributing to the overall, shared costs of parish ministry.

The last part of Proposal 1, Gagné explained, looks at “where should functional responsibility lay for a particular program. Is it best placed with Ascension House, at a regional level, [or] within parishes? Should they be optional to parishes? How do we get the most out of our money? [Possibly with] Bulk purchases, vendor agreements for common services like landscaping or snow clearing. But,” she cautioned, “we always have to be cognizant as well that one size does not fit all. We are a very diverse type of diocese. We have urban centres and rural centres, and so some of these solutions may not work for everyone, but we need to look for them.

“We also need to address the tools. Do we have the tools for a 21st Century office? Like templates, have we accessed all of the technology that will best suit

us?” Gagné mentioned diocesan-wide, web-based financial systems, as an example. And do we know who has the skills that you may be looking for? That could be found in an enhancement of the human resource information system. These are just to name a few.”

Proposal 1F asked that staff, under the direction of the bishop and in consultation with relevant diocesan bodies, be tasked to develop plans to improve services and processes, including those identified below and that the plans include associated costing, implementation, and evaluation considerations, to be approved by Diocesan Council.

Property and asset management

• Standardization of rental licenses or leases

• Establishment of vendor lists and agreements for common services such as snow removal, landscaping and tradespeople.

• Central lists of all building inventory and maintenance and inspection reports

• Subject expertise to support development projects

Finance

• Diocesan-wide web-based financial system with better reporting

• Streamlined statistical returns process that reflects decision-based data requirements

• Accounting support

• Human resources

• Subject expertise and support in all search and recruitment processes as well as engagement contracts

• Enhance the Human Resources Information System to create a database of talent

General administration

• Maintain central lists of members of the diocese and other key data

• Arrange purchase agreements with major vendors at discounted rates, so parishes don’t have to find vendors or negotiate prices

• Identify other common functions that could be centralized or regionalized.

Before the vote, Archdeacon Brian Kauk encouraged members to approve the motion. “Please, I urge members of Synod to not only to vote for this but when it comes time to make this and all the other things,… that we put not just staff time from Ascension House on to this, but that we embrace that we are the diocesan bodies that will make this happen and that this is a collective effort. If we do that and we have some clarity on structures, I think that would really kick some of these models into high gear.”

The motion carried.

Proposal 2

Introducing Proposal 2, Archdeacon Rhonda Waters said during the SPM consultations, two of the themes that emerged were the “twin challenges of volunteer burnout and a great desire to grow in ministry, to serve the communities around us, to nurture the faith of our own members and to strengthen our parishes in this time of change.” There’s no way to magically “summon new volunteers into existence to run all of the ministries that we are dreaming about,” she acknowledged. But she said, “We can ease that sense of being alone and under equipped by drawing on the strength of our diocesan church to connect people and parishes to the resources and experiences that are actually already at our disposal.”

Proposal 2 A – Parish Advancement

The Rev. Dr. Jon Martin introduced the second motion calling for the creation of a Parish Advancement program. “Drawing on our experience in the School for Parish Development Program and adapting those materials as well as others to be relevant and accessible to our diocesan context, we can begin to build a Parish Advancement program that will help parishes assess their current and contextual realities and adapt in ways that allow them to respond to the changing needs, he said, “Our Parish Advancement program would include several modules that address key areas such building trust and community; thinking strategically; assessing needs; managing change; and effective stewardship.”

Motion 2A asked that a working group, appointed and guided by the bishop and accountable to Diocesan Council, be tasked to develop and implement a parish advancement program for consideration by Synod 2023, including provisions for how it will be evaluated.

Proposal 2B

– Leadership Training

“Our ministry depends on strong lay leadership,” said Waters. “Over and over again, we heard requests for things like handbooks, resource manuals and training sessions to support those critical roles of warden, treasurer, administrator, parish councillor, head server… This motion seeks to develop useful, up-to-date, accessible training materials so that we all have all the information we need to do the work to which we are called.

Motion 2B asked that the preparation of up-to-date resources and regular training sessions (using technology where possible) for parish leadership roles be undertaken by staff and relevant diocesan bodies, under the direction of the executive archdeacon, prior to Synod 2023.

Proposal 2C – Resource Pods

“There are many resources out there for us to find and to use whether you are developing a children’s ministry or adult education, supporting the particularities of rural ministry or inner city ministry, addressing food security or affordable housing in our communities, nurturing pastoral care of seniors or of teenagers,” said Martin. “We also know that it can feel like you are the only one doing this work in your neck of the woods, which is a recipe for burnout.

“Resource pods aim to change that by gathering people together to learn from and support one another and to share what they have discovered with the rest of our diocese. For resource pods to be effective, they need to have a clear framework for how they will be formed, how they will function and how they will report back.”

Proposal 2C asked that a working group, appointed by the bishop and collaborating with staff and relevant diocesan bodies be tasked with the following responsibilities and presented to Diocesan Council by March 2023:

• Establish the process by which a resource pod is to be formed

• Create a template for the terms of reference to be used, including how they will be lead, supervised and monitored.

• Create an initial set of resource pods to test and refine the concept.

• Identify or create an ongoing structure of support for the development, maintenance, evaluation, and accountability of resource pods.

• Work with the Communications Panel and staff to develop a means for sharing materials or key findings developed by resource pods with the wider diocese.

All of the motions passed with broad support.

Proposal 3

Engagement with the world, new worshipping communities and contextual mission

“How is God calling us to proclaim the good news in our time and in our places?” This is the critical question which motivates our Shape of Parish Ministry proposal 3,” Archdeacon Mark Whittall said as he started the Synod discussions of the last proposal. “It’s a question that many of you asked during the SPM consultations. How do we engage with our neigbours?

“New communities can come together to express our faith in a whole variety of ways. These can range from the Messy Church services that are intended to engage children and their families, to the launch of new congregations such Epiphany as the result of an amalgamation in 1997 or the new congregation at St. Albans launched in 2011, pub churches, dinner churches, intentional communities…. This is a mission that invites innovation, creativity and risktaking.

“Why create new worshipping communities? There are good reasons to believe that creating these communities is an excellent way to foster the renewal of our diocese and our parishes, and to engage with people beyond our core membership, Here’s what the research says. New worshipping communities are better at reaching new generations, new residents and new demographics. Second: new worshipping communities will bring new ideas to our existing parish communities. They will serve as our R&D department in the diocese and act as agents of cultural change. New worshipping communities can be responsive and intentional about engaging with our regions’ changing demographics and increasing ethnic diversity. We need to engage with new people in new ways.”

In response to a question about whether these new initiatives could happen in rural parishes as well as urban ones, Bishop Shane Parker explained that “Contextual mission know no particular geographic location. We live in a multicultural country and every part of our diocese is diverse in its own way. … Contextual mission involves listening to a local story, wherever that is, and seeing the situations of people who are not part of our church. It involves learning how to listen to God as we listen to and see what is happening around us.”

Proposal 3A asked that Synod declare its commitment to the strategic priority of engagement with the world through developing new worshipping communities and contextual mission, and that a working group appointed by the bishop conduct one or two pilot projects in 2022 and prepare a detailed plan of action, including a time of intentional prayer and discernment, to be presented for adoption at Synod 2023.

Proposal 3B asked that resource pods (as defined in Proposal 2) concerning new worshipping communities and contextual mission be created in April 2023, with the purpose of gathering and sharing knowledge in these areas.

Whittall introduced the last of the three motions acknowledging that some of these new initiatives would require funding, but that the Diocese has an existing fund which is currently not being drawn on.

Proposal 3C asked that the existing “Second Century Fund” held by the Diocese in the Consolidated Trust Fund be renamed the “Future Fund” and be dedicated to the funding of new worshipping communities and contextual mission, and that a proposal for how this fund is to be used and further developed be brought to Synod 2023.

This third proposal generated the most excitement among Synod members. One speaker who expressed concern that these new initiatives would replace beloved traditional styles of worship was reassured that both new and old could co-exist. Most others spoke in favour of the motion. The Rev. Jonathan Askwith quoted someone in the June meetings who reviewed this proposal and recommended “putting a jet pack on it.”

Irene Barbeau encouraged everyone not to get “hung up on process or details,’ but to be open-minded and have faith in where the Spirit leads.“

In closing, the bishop said: “I am completely committed and determined to seeing the full implementation of everything we have declared we are going to do. And I am determined to do so in a manner that is consultative, that is respectful and that is attentive both to the Holy Spirit and to one another, and importantly, to the world around us where God already dwells and where we are called to serve.”

The motion passed with broad support.

The Rev. Dr. Jon Martin

Archdeacon Mark Whittall

Secretaries Kim Chadsey (lay) and the Rev. Stephen Silverthorne (clergy) joined Bishop Parker at the head table.

Read reflections from young adult observers at Synod in January’s Crosstalk

CLERGY REFLECTION

The blessing of slowing things down

Christmas in the Valley

BY THE REVEREND MATTHEW BROWN

than ok with it; I need it. My soul needs life to slow down.

As a child I also remember the “rush” of going Christmas shopping at various malls in Ottawa, scurrying about from store to store with my mother, father, and sister as we tried to purchase gifts to put around the tree. This year, if I’m not careful, most of my Christmas shopping will be done from my iPhone and delivered straight to my door. Of course, as someone who lives two hours away from a major urban centre, it’s nice to now have access to products that I potentially can’t purchase locally, without the cost of having to burn fossil fuels to get to a department store.

ARCHDEACON CHRIS DUNN

“Sleighbells ringing in the snow, Kissing ‘neath the mistletoe, Out in the barn the cattle low, It’s Christmas in the Valley.”

“Christmas in the Valley,” by Wayne Rostad

Growing up as a child in West Quebec – back in the bygone days before emails and texting, when the telephone was still attached to the wall next to the fridge in our family kitchen – I have fond memories of watching my mother telephone my grandmother each week to remind her to tune her TV to channel 4 (CBC Ottawa) to watch Wayne Rostad’s, On the Road Again. The program was a folksy half-hour featuring portraits of quirky Canadians from across the country, hosted by Rostad, and my grandmother loved it! And, in the days before VCRs, let alone PVRs or streaming services, she would get very annoyed if we didn’t call her to remind her to change the channel to “watch Wayne” after she had finished watching Jeopardy!

I hadn’t thought about Wayne Rostad or that 1980s childhood memory of my mother standing in the kitchen telephoning my grandmother for years, until I arrived in Pembroke in 2018. Driving to my office one day that November, I noticed a sign: “Christmas in the

Valley, with Wayne Rostad and Friends.” As it turns out, Wayne still comes up to Pembroke almost every year and plays to a sold-out Christmas concert at Festival Hall, raising thousands of dollars to support CHEO along the way. During the pandemic, the concert went virtual, proving that not even plague and pestilence can stop Ottawa Valley folks from singing about sleighbells, cattle barns, and mistletoe around the holidays. Rostad’s twangy Christmas anthem, which I’ve now sung with great affection more times than I can count, holds it all together.

The passage of time, at least for me, somehow seems to move just a little bit more slowly in the Ottawa Valley or perhaps in rural Canada in general. Either way, I’m ok with that, especially around the holidays. In fact, I’m more

…and more recently in Petawawa, with children Lily and Thomas.

But I wonder: when my two children grow up, what will their memories of Christmas shopping look like? Will they remember intentionally taking time to get ready for Christmas with their family? Will they remember their parents taking time away from their paid work to buy a tree, some presents, and a turkey? Or will they remember their parents buying all those things on their smartphones and laptops, and setting up the traditional Christmas decorations in a hurry, in between sending the latest email and text message?

Many a sermon has been preached on the need to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Perhaps we need a sermon or two more to encourage us to, “Leave time for Christmas.”

Amidst the hyperconnectivity of this postmodern world, where productivity has become an unholy idol, and wherein we are more tied to screens and devices in our pockets than ever before, we need to allow time and space to experience the beauty and mystery of the incarnation in all its grace and wonder. We need to intentionally allow time to connect with those whom we love and to hold them close, as Mary and Joseph hold the newborn Christ child close to their hearts. We need to experience the blessing of life slowing down.

Our very first Christmas in the Valley, my parents gave me the plastic illuminated Santa that sat on my family’s front porch when I was a boy. They had saved it in their basement for almost thirty years: a treasured memory of family Christmases gone by. This December, Santa will again greet me each night at my front door, reminding me as I enter to slow down and to cherish what lies within. May you too be blessed with moments that remind you to slow down and just enjoy.

Merry Christmas from the Valley.

The Rev. Matthew Brown is Incumbent of the Parish of the Valley and Regional Dean of Pembroke.

PHOTO:

The Rev. Matthew Brown is pictured here in Thurso, QC, circa 1988

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

DIOCESAN ARCHIVES

A Carillon, a Chime, a Peal and a Ring

BY GLENN J LOCKWOOD

Today, courtesy of climbing and photography done by Brian Glenn, we find ourselves in the belfry of the former All Saints Church, Sandy Hill, Ottawa, close by the biggest of the eight bells located in the large belfry at the top of the tower.

For many of us bells figure on Christmas cards. Some of us may think of the familiar carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Indeed the first published piece of sheet music in Canada was an 1840 composition by the organist at Christ Church, Bytown, one F.H. Lehmann, entitled “The Merry Bells of England,” which alluded to the new bell then being installed in the tower newly built at the front of that house of worship. Never mind that upriver one Hamnett Pinhey parodied this joyous winter piece of sheet music with a composition (to the same tune) entitled “the Merry Belles England.” Be that as it may, our theme here is bells.

We cannot proceed before correcting an error in the March 2020 Crosstalk photo-feature. There we stated this to be “the only Anglican church in the City of Ottawa with a carillon of eight bells in the upper tower on which hymns could be played.” We went on to wonder if prime minister “Mackenzie King’s (who lived across the street) insistence on a carillon on Parliament Hill may well have been inspired by the one he heard playing at All Saints.”

That article caused a reader to come by and explain that a

All Saints, Sandy Hill Ottawa East Deanery

carillon is defined by the number of bells. The Peace Tower carillon on Parliament Hill has 53 bells. However, we were assured, the eight bells at All Saints are not a large enough number to comprise a carillon. Instead they are known to those in the know as a chime. What excuse could the Archivist offer for this oversight? Was he perhaps spooked by learning from Bishop John Chapman that the ghost of Bishop Strachan is reputed to play

the chimes in the tower of Trinity Church, Cornwall?

How do we excuse our ignorance? Dictionaries are of no help in sorting things out.

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines a carillon as: 1. A set of bells so hung and arranged as to be played upon either by hand or by machinery 2. A melody played on the bells 3. An instrument imitating a peal of bells.

Altar Guild members gather in Smiths Falls

BY DEBBIE TWEEDLE

Diocesan Altar Guild members were greeted with coffee, tea, and muffins put on by Ann Hare, St John’s Altar Guild and ACW when they gathered for the annual general meeting in September in Smiths Falls.

Bishop Shane Parker led the Holy Eucharist and was assisted by the Rev. Canon Catherine Ascah. Sterling Bennett provided the music for the service.

The bishop’s homily began with thanks to St. John’s and the Diocesan Altar Guild. He reflected on the Queen’s death and how that was going to affect churches in the Diocese, including the Cathedral as they prepared for a memorial

service for Her Majesty. He remarked on her strong witness of faith in Christ.

Bishop Shane spoke of St. John’s celebration of the life and ministry of Edmund James Jack, priest and missionary to the Inuit. He

A chime is:

2. An apparatus for striking a set of bells so as to make them chime

3. Hence, a set of bells, so attuned as to chime when thus struck, or when slightly swung

4. The series of musical sounds thus produced.

A peal is

1. The ringing of a bell as a call or summons

2. The ringing of a bell, or a set of bells; spec. a series of changes rung on a set of bells

3. A set of bells tuned to one another, a ring of bells. And finally, a ring is

1. A set or peal of (church) bells

2. A ringing sound or noise” but gives a helpful quote from Samuel Pepys’s diary: “Here is also a very find ring of six bells, and they mighty tuneable.

All Saints Church was built in 1899, financed by Sir Henry Newell Bate. The original ring of five bells in its tower, as the inscription on this bell informs us, was made in memory of Catherine Bate who died soon after the church was finished. A few years later three more bells were added to mark the anniversary of her wedding day. As Sir Henry Newell Bate came the first chairman of the Federal District Commission (forerunner of today’s NCC) he would be pleased that All Saints after closing in 2015 is now a visitors centre for Prime Ministers’ Row.

The Archives collects parish registers, vestry reports, service registers, minutes of groups & committees, financial documents, property records (including cemeteries and architectural plans), insurance policies, letters, pew bulletins, photographs, paintings, scrapbooks, musical compositions, parish newsletters and unusual documents.

vestments that the executive and Leslie Worden had on hand have found new homes. Sandra Clark, treasurer, presented her report. When she asked for suggestions for distribution of the free will offering, Altar Guild members voted to donate to the Carebridge Community Support, specifically for the affordable housing unit being built in Smiths Falls).

Guest speaker Paul Bylington, a member of St. John’s Altar Guild, spoke on the theme of “In the Cross of Christ.” Paul had on display and spoke about the large collection of crosses that he had acquired from various countries.

A short business meeting was held after

All

Following the meeting, members were treated to a wonderful lunch put on by St. John’s ACW. We look forward to getting together again in 2023 when Christ Church Bells Corners will be our host.

Diocesan Archives 51 O17 15(a)

mentioned the Diocese has the largest population of Inuit outside of the North. He also expressed his gratitude to all members of Altar Guilds in the diocese for our service.

the service.

Dec. 1

Cards and games

10 a.m. at St. Mark’s on Fisher Ave. See notice below.

Dec. 2

Compline for Advent

9 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral 414 Sparks St.

Dec. 4

Scarf and Jewelry Sale

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Matthew’s, Ottawa 217 First Avenue, Ottawa

Email: admin@stmatthewsottawa.ca Phone: 613-234-4024

https://www.stmatthewsottawa.ca/

O Antiphons

4 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral 414 Sparks St.

Dec. 8

Coffee and conversation 10 a.m. at St. Mark’s on Fisher Ave. See notice below.

Dec. 11

Nine Lessons and Carols

4 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral 414 Sparks St., Ottawa

Dec. 15

Christmas Joy 10 a.m. at St. Mark’s on Fisher Ave. See notice below.

Dec. 24

Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Choral Eucharist at 7 p.m. and Festal Eucharist at 10 p.m. 414 Sparks St., Ottawa

Dec. 25

Christmas morning at the Cathedral

Holy Eucharist (BCP) 8:30 a.m. and Choral Eucharist at 11:30 a.m. 414 Sparks St., Ottawa

Jan. 1, 2023

Festal Eucharist

12 noon at Christ Church Cathedral 414 Sparks St., Ottawa

Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, will preach.

Jan. 29

Journeying as Allies book club

2 p.m. at Julian of Norwich on Rossland Ave. See notice below.

BULLETIN BOARD

All My Relations Circle

The All My Relations Circle is collecting photos of the ways in which parishes have used or displayed the ceramic feathers that were distributed to all parishes in 2020. Please send photos to: allmyrelations@ottawa.anglican.ca.

Marriage Preparation goes online

Christmas welcome, All Saints, Petawawa.

PHOTO: THE REV. GILLIAN HOYER