The Saskatchewan Anglican, November 2021 by The Saskatchewan Anglican

Saskatchewan

anglican

The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • November 2021

Immanuel Anglican holds First Nations worship service By Barb Cameron and Diane Gingras REGINA — On the Sunday before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Rev. Alexander Campbell led an Indigenous worship service at Immanuel Anglican Church. The service began the week to create awareness of the tragic history and negative effects that Indian residential schools have had on Indigenous children and recognize that “Every Child Matters.” Many parishioners wore orange to show support for the survivors of residential schools. Prior to the service, Campbell sent parishioners information on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also called “Orange Shirt Day,” which is Sept. 30 each year. The information concluded: ‘Orange Shirt Day’ is a day to raise awareness of Indian residential schools, their history, the impacts they’ve had on Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) children and the intergenerational trauma that has impacted Chain saw artist Kamron Garbe completes his third scuplture for Fort Qu'Appelle's Communities in Bloom, in front of St. John's Anglican Church. Photo by Alan Hustak/Grasslands News

The eagle has landed at St. John's By Alan Hustak FORT QU’APPELLE (QU’A) — Chainsaw artist Kamron Garbe has carved an eagle outside St. John’s Anglican Church in Fort Qu’Appelle. The eagle is a symbol of the apostle John, who wrote the most mystical of the four Christian gospels.

The carving is a companion piece to the one Garbe completed in front of St. Andrew’s United Church across the street. The carving was sponsored by Communities in Bloom. The location of the eagle in front of the church on Bay Avenue was pure serendipity.

Initially the eagle design was an option being considered for another tree, and was a last minute substitute for the stump. “It was totally by accident that the eagle wound up in front of St. John’s, believe me,” said spokesman Marie Bill. “No one on the committee Continued on page 7

and continues to impact survivors and their families. Though there is still a lot of work to be done, it is a small step towards reconciliation.' Before the service began, parishioners were invited to take part in an outdoor smudging ceremony. Sacred smoke was created by burning medicinal or sacred plants. This smoke, which heals the mind, heart and body, was wafted over each parishioner with an eagle feather. The parishioners being smudged pulled the smoke towards them with their hands and gently inhaled the smoke. Handouts were available describing the meaning and origins of this Indigenous tradition. The worship service opened with a processional drumming grand entry song, filling the church with the raised voices of six drummers. The drums were played at various times throughout the service creating awareness and a sense of oneness with the land and its people. Very soft drumming — almost sounding like a Continued on page 5

Online synod held to elect 13th bishop of Qu'Appelle Submitted REGINA — The electoral synod to choose the 13 th Bishop of Qu’Appelle was to be held via Zoom on Saturday, Oct. 16. Since the election was past the deadline of the

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Saskatchewan Anglican, results will be posted on the diocesan website at quappelle.anglican.ca. The December issue will include full coverage of the election and about the new bishop.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

Stewards of God's abundance

Many reasons to give to the Church By the Venerable Alex Parsons Executive archdeacon, Diocese of Saskatoon

n Canada there are at least 85,000 registered charities all asking for our attention, commitment and support. They cover every aspect for garnering generosity that we can imagine, from running stray cat rescue programs to funding hospitals, environmental concerns, alleviating poverty, addressing housing and medical concerns and so much more. In fact, the charitable sector covers almost every aspect of need one can think of, both within the country and abroad, often with little fanfare. And these are worthy causes that help make a difference, so much so, that it is hard to decide where to offer support in a world of hurt. It is hard to say “no” to so many requests. Yet, we cannot help everywhere with the money God has entrusted to us. So, the question arises, why give to the church? Social justice; lots of charities work do that too. Alleviating poverty through shelters and soup kitchens; lots of charities do that too. Visiting the sick and imprisoned; lots of charities do that too. Caring for creation; lots of charities do that too. And so on. The church does these things, it is true, but it is in good company here for such initiatives and no longer the only game in town as in the past. I have spent many years going door to door asking for donations for a number of groups I wish to help and am used to the answers of “gave at the office,” “not right now

The one thing that all other secular groups cannot do, which the church can, is address the spiritual needs of people. Photo by Karolina Grabowska thank you,” an outright “no” and “can you leave me some literature?” It is nice to speak with all these folks, but it is especially nice to have someone say yes and invite you in for a few minutes. Invariably they ask what my connection to the charity is and why I am doing this. A whole conversation can develop from there and it is often the case that the particular charity is in an activity that directly effects the homeowner or someone they know. Telling a story, such as how I explained my involvement with diabetes was through our cat that

developed this disease and how we treated her with insulin for a number of years, led to all sorts of responses. The point here is we have a great story to tell about what the church does that cannot be done by the vast majority of others vying for support. We cannot go door to door to tell it but we can go friend to friend, we can show through our lives how God lives in us, we can demonstrate the joy of belonging to a church community and we can share the Good News in every action and word we utter. We can indeed be

labourers of a great harvest that transforms us as much as those we meet. The one thing that all the other secular groups cannot do, that the church alone can, is address the spiritual needs that so often accompany the physical ones they seek to tame and offer hope in this world and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ in the next. In the darkest hours when our souls ache, and in our brightest moments when they burst with joy, we wish connection with God whether acknowledged or not. As St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” In fact, our hearts are restless and the temptation to fill them elsewhere is ever present often much to our detriment. A gift to the church keeps these embassies of God open not only for the worshippers within but as reminders of a larger presence and greater meaning to life than the mere here and now for the community at large. This is no small thing, although paying a power bill can seem mundane in achieving it, such generosity allows for the parish supper that brings in many to eat together, or the wedding that celebrates a new life beginning, or a funeral that gives closure to a life well lived, or solace to the mourners of one cut short. It feeds a need that is so deep within each of us it permeates our very being. To give to the church is nothing less than to give thanks to God and offers blessing far and wide beyond our expectations. It really can do more than we can ask or imagine when we give with a generous heart.

Clergy day to focus on Anglican-Lutheran connections Submitted SASKATOON —The three dioceses of Qu’Appelle, Saskatoon, and Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Synod of

the ELCIC, the College of Emmanuel & St Chad, and Lutheran Theological Seminary, will hold a clergy study day on Friday, Nov. 5, on the topic The Diaconal Church: An Anglican-

Lutheran Conversation. This is an opportunity to hear from a range of speakers from both denominations, offering fresh insights into the church’s call to go into the world in Christ’s

name. This is a virtual event, beginning at 10 a.m. and running to 3:30 p.m. Agendas and Zoom links will be distributed to clergy from their respective synod offices.

Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle. Published monthly except for July and August. Whole No. 292, Vol. 50, No. 3 A Section of the Anglican Journal SUBSCRIPTIONS For change of address, undeliverable copies and subscription list updates, contact: • Your parish • e-mail: circulation @national.anglican.ca • Or send to Saskatchewan Anglican, c/o Anglican Journal, 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2 RATES $10 in Canada $17 outside Canada SUBMISSIONS Submissions for the January issue must be received by the diocesan editor no later than Oct..29. All pictures must be sent as JPEGS and 1 MB (megabyte) in size. CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor: Jason Antonio SKAnglicanEditor@gmail. com 1501 College Ave Regina, Sask., S4P 1B8 Phone: 306-737-4898 Qu’Appelle: Joanne Shurvin-Martin joannesm@myaccess.ca 6927 Farrell Bay Regina, Sask., S4X 3V4 Phone: 306-775-2629 Saskatoon: Peter Coolen ptrcoolen@sasktel.net 820 Avenue I South, Saskatoon, Sask., S7M 1Z3 Phone: 306-244-0935, Saskatchewan: Mary Brown mary1949brown@gmail.com Box 25, Shellbrook, Sask., S0J 2E0 306-922-5159 Advertising agent: Angela Rush saskatchewan.anglican.ads@ gmail.com 905-630-0390 PUBLISHING DETAILS Published from 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5

November 2021

The Saskatchewan Anglican

The Bishop's Corner

Remembering, acknowledging, accepting By Bishop Chris Harper

evelation 21:6-7 says, “Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’” In this month of November, we classically see it as the month to “remember,” to look back and bring to memory that which was. As we remember, we in the service of the church lift up through special days set aside, such as All Saints on Nov. 1, All Souls on Nov. 2, Saints of the Old Testament on Nov. 4, Remembrance Sunday on Nov.14, Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, and then on Nov. 21 is The Reign of Christ, as the threshold for the First Sunday in Advent, which falls on Nov. 28. Remembering that which was and that which will be revealed. To acknowledge the past and to step forward to the future means also that we are in the season of change, and “change” is both uncomfortable and unsettling, because in change, we lose control.

To remember is to also bring to the fore, a focus on that which was and where we were in a specific moment in time. To remember is also to acknowledge beginnings and endings, while it is a reality that we often look back with nostalgia and maybe try to the make the past better than it truly was. Is this because we handle the struggle then and survived and then we make it a story of our success? In our present we look back to that which was a long time ago in another age, a time before COVID-19 when we, as children

of God, had it all in the palm of our hands and we missed the opportunities. We could have done it so much better. But we squandered the moment and change (COVID-19) hit us. This point of view might be depressing but it should also teach us a lesson that we, in this very moment, need to do all that we can and to live in the moment to better and bless all that which is around us. I personally watch the seasons and moments change, and I seek to acknowledge the hand and presence of God in all things. Yes, especially in the good and even the bad. To clarify, I personally do not believe that God throws at us the bad and painful things in life, but God is with us to weather the storms and to offer a better path. But, it is always up to us to choose. God Almighty is our beginning and our end, and God the Creator gives all things over to us to be good stewards to nourish and protect. It is us as human beings who have failed. We have failed to recognize our place in creation, we have abused mother earth and we have abused and neglected each other. COVID-19 has sent us literally to our rooms to think about what we have said and done. I remember the meaning and intent of a “time out” in parenting,

and maybe we, in this moment of our time out, should reflect on that which was and see an opportunity to better ourselves and that which is around us. But, be not despondent, God is with us, and God blesses us with each new day and a new opportunity to do something better. To do and be better today than we did and were yesterday. God is faithful, and God has not given up on us. He offers the path to a better life, hope and peace, but it’s up to us to acknowledge, accept, and live out a better truth than our own. To do this we, as people of faith, need to start opening our hearts and lives to God. We need to humble ourselves and seek the voice of God and ask, “What does God ask of me today?” We need to have a healthy dose of respect for others around us, for in them, we should seek to find Christ in the eyes of the other. We should be peace, love and blessing, and that comes from acknowledging and accepting who we are as children of God, and knowing who and what we are, through a living faith, that remembers and seeks the mystery and power of God, who is both our beginning and end. May God bless and strengthen us as we remember and walk forward into new life.

A long thin line of anguish By Ernie Pile War correspondent NORMANDY BEACHHEAD, June 17, 1944 — In the preceding column we told about the D-day wreckage among our machines of war that were expended in taking one of the Normandy beaches. But there is another and more human litter. It extends in a thin little line, just like a high-water mark, for miles along the beach. This is the strewn personal gear, gear that will never be needed again, of those who fought and died to give us our entrance into Europe. Here in a jumbled row for mile on mile are soldiers’ packs. Here are socks and shoe polish, sewing kits, diaries, Bibles and hand grenades. Here are the latest letters from home, with the address on each one neatly razored out – one of the security

A wreath honouring Canada's war dead, somewhere in Europe. Photo by Jason G. Antonio precautions enforced before the boys embarked. Here are toothbrushes and razors, and snapshots of families back home staring up at you from the sand. Here are pocketbooks, metal mirrors, extra trousers,

and bloody, abandoned shoes. Here are brokenhandled shovels, and portable radios smashed almost beyond recognition, and mine detectors twisted and ruined. Here are torn pistol belts and canvas water

buckets, first-aid kits and jumbled heaps of lifebelts. I picked up a pocket Bible with a soldier’s name in it, and put it in my jacket. I carried it half a mile or so and then put it back down on the beach. I don’t know why I picked it up, or why I put it back down. Soldiers carry strange things ashore with them. In every invasion you’ll find at least one soldier hitting the beach at H-hour with a banjo slung over his shoulder. The most ironic piece of equipment marking our beach – this beach of first despair, then victory – is a tennis racket that some soldier had brought along. It lies lonesomely on the sand, clamped in its rack, not a string broken. Two of the most dominant items in the beach refuse are cigarets and writing paper. Each soldier was issued a carton of cigarets just before he started. Today these

cartons by the thousand, water-soaked and spilled out, mark the line of our first savage blow. Writing paper and air-mail envelopes come second. The boys had intended to do a lot of writing in France. Letters that would have filled those blank, abandoned pages. Always there are dogs in every invasion. There is a dog still on the beach today, still pitifully looking for his masters. He stays at the water’s edge, near a boat that lies twisted and half sunk at the water line. He barks appealingly to every soldier who approaches, trots eagerly along with him for a few feet, and then, sensing himself unwanted in all this haste, runs back to wait in vain for his own people at his own empty boat. Over and around this long thin line of personal Continued on page 4

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

... A long thin line of anguish Continued from page 3 anguish, fresh men today are rushing vast supplies to keep our armies pushing on into France. Other squads of men pick amidst the wreckage to salvage ammunition and equipment that are still usable. Men worked and slept on the beach for days before the last D-day victim was taken away for burial. I stepped over the form of one youngster whom I thought dead. But when I looked down I saw

he was only sleeping. He was very young, and very tired. He lay on one elbow, his hand suspended in the air about six inches from the ground. And in the palm of his hand he held a large, smooth rock. I stood and looked at him a long time. He seemed in his sleep to hold that rock lovingly, as though it were his last link with a vanishing world. I have no idea at all why he went to sleep with the rock in his hand, or what kept

him from dropping it once he was asleep. It was just one of those little things without explanation that a person remembers for a long time. The strong, swirling tides of the Normandy coastline shift the contours of the sandy beach as they move in and out. They carry soldiers’ bodies out to sea, and later they return them. They cover the corpses of heroes with sand, and then in their whims they uncover them.

As I plowed out over the wet sand of the beach on that first day ashore, I walked around what seemed to be a couple of pieces of driftwood sticking out of the sand. But they weren’t driftwood. They were a soldier’s two feet. He was completely covered by the shifting sands except for his feet. The toes of his GI shoes pointed toward the land he had come so far to see, and which he saw so briefly.

Ernest Taylor Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize–winning American journalist. As a roving correspondent for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, he earned wide acclaim for his accounts of ordinary people in rural America, and later, of ordinary American soldiers during the Second World War. Permission to distribute and re-publish Ernie Pyle’s columns was given by the Scripps Howard Foundation. Photo by Oasi Samuel

DIOCESE OF SASKATOON EVENTS

Announcements for November 2021 g Saskatchewan Anglican online! Did you know that you can read current and past issues of the Saskatchewan Anglican online? It can be found at www. anglicandiocesesaskatoon. com/saskanglican or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ saskatchewananglican. g As we pass through the current wave of COVID-19, recordings and live streaming of church services are available from links on the diocesan website and diocesan Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on various individual parish websites and Facebook and YouTube pages, and locally (for Battle River Parish), on radio. When considering attending church services in person, check on service availability and requirements for preregistration that exist. If attending services in person, please follow all the indicated seating, movement, distancing, masking, and sanitization instructions in order to safeguard yourself and to protect others. g School of Discipleship Ministry Preparation Program: The Diocese of Saskatoon’s School of Discipleship Ministry

Preparation Program is a part-time three-year Licentiate. Courses for the 2021 seasons have now been announced (see the syllabus posted elsewhere in this issue). Students may take a course part-way through the three-year cycle unless pre-requisites for a specific course are stated. The first full complement for the ESC Licentiate in Theology is planned to be completed by spring 2023. People wishing to take one or more of these courses should consult with the School of Discipleship co-ordinator. People who sense a call to diaconal or priestly ordination will go through the diocesan discernment process at some point before the midway point. If you have any questions about our Ministry Preparation Program, please contact the School of Discipleship co-ordinator, the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy at tmccarthy@sasktel.net or 306-370-8378. g Ministry of Supervision: Presented by the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad and the diocese’s School of Discipleship; April 5 to 8 and May 16 to 19, 2022; 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; hybrid delivery

model; led by the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy. For further information please contact the Rev. McCarthy at 306-370-8378 or tmccarthy@sasktel.net, and see the notices posted elsewhere in this issue. g Safe Church Workshops: Mark your calendars for our two Safe Church Workshops: No. 1 “Nuts and Bolts” and No. 2 “Preventing Sexual Misconduct.” Please note as well that if your parish still needs to participate in this Safe Church No. 1 “Nuts and Bolts” workshop, that these can be set up as a Zoom meeting for your region. Safe Church Workshop No. 1 called “Nuts and Bolts” by ZOOM will take place on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m.to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Safe Church Workshop No. 2 “Preventing Sexual Misconduct” by ZOOM will take place on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, contact our Safe Church co-ordinator, the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy, at 306-370-8378 or tmccarthy@sasktel.net, or see the notice posted elsewhere in this issue. g Courses at the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad: The College of Emmanuel & St Chad welcomes inquiries and

applicants for its fall 2021 and spring 2022 courses. All teaching is planned to be offered only online. See the course listing for the fall of 2021 and 2022 posted elsewhere in this issue. For information on courses available through the Saskatoon Theological Union, please also contact their office at 306-975-1550 and see the course listing for the summer and fall of 2021 and for 2022 posted elsewhere in this issue. g Clergy Study Day: The Diaconal Church: The three dioceses of Qu’Appelle, Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Synod of the ELCIC, the College of Emmanuel & St Chad, and Lutheran Theological Seminary, will hold a clergy study day on Friday, Nov. 5, on the topic The Diaconal Church: An Anglican-Lutheran Conversation. This is an opportunity to hear from a range of speakers from both denominations, offering fresh insights into the church’s call to go into the world in Christ’s name. This is a virtual event, beginning at 10 a.m. and running to 3:30 p.m. Agendas and Zoom links will be distributed to clergy from their respective synod offices.

g All Saints, Saskatoon, Anniversary Celebrations: A Eucharistic service with the Right Rev. Chris Harper, Bishop of Saskatoon, on Oct. 17 officially opened a year-long series of 65th anniversary celebrations for All Saints Anglican Church, Saskatoon. These celebrations will take them from the anniversaries of the laying of the cornerstone on Oct. 7, 1956, to the dedication of the building on Sept. 18, 1957: all milestones on their way to celebrating 100 years since their first service held in 1925. Keep checking this column for more advance news of more upcoming celebrations. g To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be supplied to the associate editor by fax, email or “snail mail” by the end of the month, one month before the month in which the insertion is desired (i.e. October 2021 entries will be in December 2021 issue). Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included in this section, but should space allow, could be the subject of articles and notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.

November 2021

The Saskatchewan Anglican

... Immanuel Anglican holds First Nations worship service Continued from page 1 heartbeat — was played for the Four Directions Prayer. In this the congregation turned to face east, south, west and north with each direction symbolizing elements of nature such as the sun, eagles, wolf, nighttime and darkness, buffalo, and bear. Faint drumming also accompanied the Prayers of the People. The soft background drumming was again used during the sermon, which was delivered by Elder Archie Weenie. He reflected on his life and the influences of people in his life, and how listening to the Creator and church played an important part in his understanding, forgiveness, and moving forward. Elder Weenie then introduced some eagle feathers, and explained their significance and what they symbolized in Indigenous beliefs, customs, traditions and ceremonies. Campbell, on behalf of himself and the parish, had presented the elder with tobacco when he greeted him before the service. He explains, “This is always the custom when you ask an elder for advice, wisdom, support or any assistance. This is a sign of respect and has nothing to do with payment of services.” In the sermon, Weenie acknowledge that he had received the tobacco and was honoured. Campbell gave the dismissal in both English and Cree, and once again the church was filled with the stirring sounds of the drums and song as the drummers sang a resounding postlude. The Indigenous worship service is one way of Immanuel working towards being a place of learning about Indigenous ways, history, beliefs and importance in the community it serves. Immanuel will hold Indigenous worship services on a quarterly basis to coincide with the changes of the seasons.

The opening prayer of the service was a Four Directions Prayer. The Immanuel congregation faces south as the lector reads the prayer to the south. Photo by Nigel Salway

Elder Archie Weenie addresses the congregation of Immanuel Anglican parish at the Indigenous worship service on Sept. 26. Photo by Nigel Salway

In the sermon, Elder Archie Weenie explained the importance of eagle feathers. The bundle on the right is old and well-used and have been handed down by Weenie's ancestors. Photo by Barb Cameron

Many attending the service wore orange to show that "every child matters." Photo by Barb Cameron

Rev. Alexander Cambell stands in front of the altar while drummers from Open Sky Retreat, lead by elder Archie Weenie, drummed at the beginning of the Indigenous service. Photo by Nigel Salway

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

A historical review of residential schools in Prince Albert By Fred Payton (Editor’s note: This is part 2 in a two-part feature series. The first part appeared in October). PRINCE ALBERT — The ensuing discussions (about housing students) and replacing the bed-space lost in the Lac la Ronge fire neglected the needs of those who were most greatly impacted. The Diocese of Saskatchewan wanted the schools at Onion Lake and La Ronge to be rebuilt. This would, it was felt, go part of the way to balance the inequity that now existed between the number of schools administered by Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in the province. The Indian Affairs Branch was more concerned with establishing a school that could teach agricultural skills, regardless of the fact that most students who would be attending the school would return to communities in northern Saskatchewan, which were decidedly nonagricultural. The needs of the First Nations, and the children themselves, appeared to be totally insignificant within these discussions. It might be helpful at this juncture to indicate that the administration of the student residence was not actually the responsibility of the Diocese of Saskatchewan. That fell to the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada. So, although the diocese had some influence, decision-making was not in its purview. At the same time, the federal government department responsible was, in 1947, the Indian Affairs Branch of the Department of Mines and Resources. The availability of federally owned land and buildings (the former army training base) on

Grade 8 graduates from All Saints' Indian Residential School, Prince Albert, 1950. Photo courtesy Anglican Church of Canada archives the southwest side of Prince Albert ultimately resulted in a decision to amalgamate the St. Alban’s residence (those who had come from Onion Lake) and All Saints student residence (from La Ronge). However, the plan to open the amalgamated venue in its new location in the autumn of 1948 had to be amended due to the over-crowding that existed. For the remainder of the 1947-48 school year, the male students were housed at the former military establishment. They were, quite literally, trucked back and forth each day for classes and meals, sleeping in the former army barracks. Eventually, due to the same over-crowding, classes were scheduled on a half-day basis to accommodate the number of students. Staff within the Indian Affairs Branch were critical of the personnel being supplied by the Missionary Society,

referring to them as “old and decrepit.” The Missionary Society argued that the buildings supplied by the government were inadequate. Parents, chiefs, and councillors began visiting the site to determine the actual state of affairs, something the Indian Affairs Branch considered to be troubling. Visitors, they suggested, should only be allowed to visit in approved locations and after receiving the permission of the branch’s superintendent.

Chaos reigns

Once the school was moved in its entirety to the former army base, chaos reigned supreme. It was not until after the staff had suggested that they might all leave their positions — to which the Indian Affairs Branch responded that the overall operation would not suffer — and the death of the principal, that things began to improve. An interim principal

was brought in from the Gordon’s Student Residential School. It is, perhaps, a blessing that the interim principal did not stay long as he was not remembered with great love by either students or staff. However, a new permanent principal was appointed and appreciable improvement occurred in the administration of the school and its facilities. Shortly after this, in 1952, a report prepared by the deputy minister in charge of the Indian Affairs Branch indicated: “My general impression of the school was good. It is different from other residential schools and is more or less like a small village.” This is not to say that all problems disappeared. Indian Affairs Branch and the school’s administrators still made decisions on behalf of their students, and these decisions were made in keeping with the Federal government’s objectives of integration.

Decisions were still taken with as little expense to the public purse as possible. Now that the students were housed in a federally owned venue, Indian Affairs Branch also had to defend the quality of the site rather than being in its previous position of accusing the diocese of providing inappropriate and unsafe buildings. A school that had been established with the goal of housing 300 students had, by the autumn of 1951, was housing 436 pupils. Conflict between the Indian Affairs Branch and the Missionary Society continued, usually over costs, student population, and maintenance and upkeep of buildings. Caught in the middle were the students, most if not all of whom would rather be attending school in their home communities. In 1967 the newly established Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development commissioned a study of nine student residences in Saskatchewan. In addition to many findings, it found that there was confusion within the schools regarding their mandate. Following on this report, the 1969 Federal government White Paper resulted in the end of the church’s administration of student residences. The school in Prince Albert was subsequently administered solely by the federal government until May, 1985 when the Prince Albert District Chiefs Council assumed direction of the Prince Albert Student Residence. The school eventually closed in the late 1990s. A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to support former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

DIOCESE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Renovations have begun to enhance St. Alban's Cathedral in P.A. g At its recent meeting, the diocesan executive committee voted in favour of beginning the first phase of improvements to the synod office and St.

Alban’s Cathedral. The work commenced Oct. 18 with the replacement of the bathrooms in the hall and is expected to be finished

by the end of November. g Michael Lyons has been appointed as intern for the Rev. Jordan Draper. Lyons will also

be taking services at the community church in Candle Lake. g Teddy Williams is living in the rectory in

Tisdale and probably has his driver’s licence by now. (See story pg 15). He will be staying in Saskatchewan until Dec. 1.

November 2021

Historic Grenfell church for sale By Joanne Shurvin-Martin GRENFELL (QU’A) — The former St. Michael and All Angels church building is for sale. The nave of the church was dedicated and consecrated in October 1885, with a bell tower erected in 1892 and a chancel added in 1898. Over the years the parish membership had declined to the point that the parish could not continue to operate. The last service was held at the end of May and the interior decorations have been removed. Two stained glass windows, which had been donated by Sir Richard Stuart Lake, lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan

... The eagle has landed at St. John's Continued from page 1 realized the connection until after the work was finished.” The tradition of using the eagle to represent St. John the Evangelist predates the Reformation; examples survive in a number of medieval churches. Incidentally, the symbols for the three other evangelists are a lion for St. Mark, the head of an ox for St. Luke and a winged human face for St. Matthew. This article first appeared in the Fort Times, Sept. 10, 2021.

St. Michael and All Angels, Grenfell. Photo by Alan Hustak from 1915 to 1921, have been removed and are currently being stored by the diocese. The former rectory and parish hall have already been sold.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

Classes being offered for Saskatoon's ministry prep program SASKATOON — The Diocese of Saskatoon’s School of Discipleship “Ministry Preparation” Program is a part-time three-year Licentiate. Students may begin with courses part way through the three-year cycle unless pre-requisites for a specific course are stated. We will finish the first full complement for the ESC Licentiate in Theology in Spring 2023. People wishing to take a course should consult with the School of Discipleship Coordinator. People who sense a call to Diaconal or Priestly Ordination will go through the Diocesan Discernment Process ideally before the midway point of the individual’s program. People from other dioceses are welcome to participate in these courses. TO REGISTER, please

sign up by sending your registration information to School’s Coordinator (tmccarthy@sasktel.net) including: REGISTRATION in the subject line, the name and dates of the course for which you are registering, your name, snail-mail address, email address, phone number, parish name and town or city of your church. If you have any questions contact the School of Discipleship Coordinator: Rev. Dr Trish McCarthy: tmccarthy@sasktel. net / 306 370 8378, Or snail mail c/o School of Discipleship: 1403 – 9th Ave. N. Saskatoon, SK S7K 2Z6.

One remaining fall 2021 course

Liturgy and Preaching I with Rev. Dr Iain Luke and Rev. Dr Trish McCarthy on Friday, Nov.

5 from 7- 9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on ZOOM and in-person.

Winter, Spring 2022

Liturgy and Preaching II with Rev. Dr Iain Luke and Rev. Dr Trish McCarthy on Friday, Jan. 14 from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ZOOM and live. Advanced Pastoral Theology & Pastoral Care with Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy on Thursdays from 6 – 9 p.m., Jan. 13 – March 31, 2022. ZOOM and in-person Ethics I and II held by ZOOM and in-person on Friday, March 4, from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 5 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Friday, May 13, from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

'But life went on:' Jeanne Tweten, RAF wa By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA — Jeanne Tweten was “16, going on 17, just like the song” when the Second World War broke out. She had just finished school and was living with her widowed mother in the small English town of Fleet, in Hampshire. She went on to become a radar operator on the Isle of Wight, marry a Canadian soldier, and eventually immigrate to Saskatchewan with their young son. “In the first couple of years of the war I tutored three or four little children, then things settled down and the children went back to school.” She worked for a time as a receptionist and nurse for the local dental surgeon, and then enrolled in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She explains that at age 19 she decided to “join up and do ‘war work’ where I wanted to,” rather than wait to turn 20 when the government could require her to do factory work “or be a ‘Land Girl’ working for a farmer.” While she was still living at home, the war certainly affected daily life. Fleet was on the main railway line between London and Southampton, and a prominent bridge made the town a strategic target. One night three bombs landed in the woods at the end of her street, but missed the bridge and the town. The family did not have a bomb shelter in their yard, rather would take shelter under “a very stout table” that they pushed against the wall. “This was not the nearest bomb to me, but the first,” recalls Tweten.

At the beginning of the war, church bells across the country were silenced, to be rung only to signal an invasion. One night the bells began to ring, and the teenaged Tweten crept downstairs and took a large kitchen knife back to her bedroom. Fortunately it was a false alarm. She also recalls rationing, shortages of fuel, and the nightly blackout that was strictly enforced. She also mentions saving every scrap of paper, but does not recall what it was used for. “You could be fined if the dustman (garbage collector) found a bit of paper in your garbage.” “But life went on,” Tweten says, and gives an example, “When I walked the dogs I took a basket to collect twigs to use as kindling.” Tweten was called up in December 1941 and reported to Royal Air Force station, Gloucester. There she went through medicals and inoculations and was kitted out with a uniform. “We learned a little basic drill, enough so we could be formed into platoons and marched from one place to another in a reasonably good order.” Then they travelled by train to Morecambe, not far from Blackpool on the west coast of Lancashire. There “basic training began in earnest” with marching, drill, training lectures and films. After four or five weeks of basic training they were sent for trade training, and Tweten was sent to Bridgnorth in Shropshire. “Here we did more complicated fancy drills on the parade-square, lectures, training films and when they didn’t know what to do with us, added

Jeanne Tweten, who will turn 99 in November, wears her RAF tie and a collection of significant pins. The top pin shows she is a veteran of HM Armed Forces. The wings on the opposite lapel were on her aunt’s uniform cap badge. Tweten joined the WAAF at the age of 19, and later married a Canadian soldier and immigrated to Regina. Photo by Joanne Shurvin-Martin route marches.” A month later she was sent to London to train as a telephone operator. However, those with high enough education were encouraged to apply to be radar operators. Despite the fact that Tweten’s aunt, who was already in the air force when Tweten first applied, had advised, “Don’t go into radar,” she did, and says, “radar is much more interesting than being a telephone operator.” She was posted to the Isle of Wight, which she describes as “the first bit of land before Southampton.” Their

station was in a very old fort with a moat, on the cliff top closest to France, and their job was to identify German planes that were trying to fly “under the radar.” Tweten’s most memorable war experience — “the night I slept through an air raid” — occurred while she was stationed on the Isle of Wight. She says she heard the noise and saw flashes of light, but thought it was a thunder storm and went back to sleep. In the morning she learned it had been a dramatic raid. Along with training

November 2021

The Saskatchewan Anglican

ar vet and war bride, recalls time in WWII

Joyful people celebrate in London on May 8, 1945 to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe — VE Day. Photo courtesy WikiCommons and working, Tweten was also organizing a wedding. In November 1941, she became engaged to Corporal Marlowe Tweten of the Lorne Scotts, attached to the Saskatoon Light Infantry. The complications and scheduling required before the wedding would require another page of type, but they did get married by an army chaplain in a church in Fleet, in April 1942. That chaplain, Rev. Arthur Ashley, later became the rector at St. Mary, Regina, and baptized two of the Tweten children. “I was married in

my uniform,” she says, because rationing meant that fabric for a wedding dress was not available. At the beginning of their marriage, Jeanne followed Marlowe where he was posted and he found accommodation for her. They were in Scotland, where Marlowe Tweten was training for something top secret. “When they (the army) found out, they sent me to Fleet, and I had my baby there. The rest was civilian life,” she says. Marlowe Tweten was on leave with Jeanne when that top secret mission occurred, so he missed the

Raid on Dieppe. Jeanne agrees that was just as well. Back at her mother’s home in Fleet, Tweten lived with her baby son, Alvin; her sister and her two year old son; “and for a while during the Blitz, my mother’s cousin from London.” Thinking of those times, she says again, “but life went on.” On VE Day (May 8, 1945) the Twetens were in London, where Marlowe caught a train back to his unit in Holland. Jeanne learned that the war in Europe was over from a lift (elevator) operator. She didn’t stay

in the city for celebrations, but returned to her family in Fleet. Though the fighting was over, she remembers that rationing continued for a long time. After the war, all the Canadian wives were told to be ready to go, “so we lived with a suitcase packed.” In May 1946 she sailed on the Queen Mary with young Alvin. From Halifax they rode a special train, where the carriages were organized by destination – those going to the Maritimes in the last car, then Quebec, followed by Ontario, Manitoba and finally the

Twetens arrived in Regina on May 30. The next day, Marlowe drove her to see the family farm near Outlook, a trip that seemed to go on forever to Jeanne and Alvin. The family settled in Regina, where Marlowe worked for the CPR. Jeanne had 13 children, four of whom died in infancy. She was active in the Anglican Church for many decades, most recently in St. James the Apostle, which is now part of Immanuel Parish. Over the years, Tweten has told many people, “If you don’t feel like attending church or a meeting because you can’t be bothered, you will be missed.” She illustrates that with an incident that occurred during her basic training. One Saturday a sergeant told everyone to be at a certain corner at 9 a.m. for Church Parade on Sunday. On the Sunday morning Tweten and her room-mate went down for breakfast and discovered no one else was awake. “I was supposed to be ‘Head Girl’ in our Billet. When I did go upstairs to rouse them, each one moaned and groaned and promptly went back to sleep,” she wrote in her Memoires. When the two arrived at the appointed corner, only one other W.A.A.F., the corporal of the platoon, and the sergeant were there. “So the three of us attended church and the other 27 thought they wouldn’t be missed but most certainly were.” At roll call the next morning, “The sergeant attended and told us off in what my mother would have called, ‘very un-ladylike language.’”

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

DIOCESE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Grace Ellis continues to share God's blessing with others By Mary Brown MELFORT (Skwn) — In 2016 Grace Ellis received the Order of Saskatchewan. At that time, she was the organist and choir director, among other things, in the parish of All Saints, Melfort. When the Bishop and I stopped in Melfort on our road trip this summer, there was Grace, playing the organ for the service. I met Grace years before when Melfort was celebrating its anniversary. Grace was in at the synod office quite a bit then looking up historical information in our archives. I was not surprised when she was nominated for the Order of Saskatchewan. In the application she was described as a woman

of zeal, faith and kindness whose adventuresome spirit and perseverance in the gifts God has provided her has blessed those who know her. When I asked her what she was doing now I understood what they meant by their description. She is still playing the organ, looks after the gardens around the church, and always helps with coffee and tea. She cares for her family, helping her brother who has a serious illness, providing meals for her other brother, and helping family in Regina. Out of her clear conviction that we are all God’s beloved children, Grace reminds us that the same hospitality and blessing we receive at God’s hand ought to be shared with one another.

Grace Ellis sits at the organ at All Saints Anglican Church in Melfort. Photos by Mary Brown

Briercrest student Perry Siddons visited dozens of parishes this summer By Mary Brown

Perry Siddons

PRINCE ALBERT — Perry Siddons was one of the summer staff who worked for the diocese this year. He is a student at Briercrest in Caronport and is in his second year, with one more to go. Before enrolling in

Briercrest, Siddons was an undergrad at the Nipawin Bible College, where he came to know the Rev. Jeremy Boehr. After finishing his schooling at Briercrest he will acquire a Certificate of Anglican Studies through Wycliffe College in Toronto. He lives in Saskatoon

with his wife Andrea, who works with Power to Change at the University of Saskatchewan. Siddons is originally from Okla in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle. I would say that since July 11 when he started, he has been nearly everywhere in the Diocese of Saskatchewan.

He came to the parish of Leask/Shellbrook twice in August. He was also in Hudson Bay, Birch Hills, Kinistino St. Alban, St. George, MacDowall, St. Louis, Melfort and Tisdale. His term was up in September but I expect that is not the last we will see of him.

Torontonian Teddy Williams learned to navigate the back roads of Saskatchewan By Mary Brown

Teddy Williams

PRINCE ALBERT — Another newcomer to the Diocese of Saskatchewan this summer was Ted Williams. He came to Saskatchewan from Toronto. He was appointed to the parish of Nipawin

and Arborfield under the mentorship of the Rev. Gethin Edwards. Williams spent time teaching at an academy in Thailand. After coming back to Canada, he went to Nunavut for six months to work in lay ministry. He will be discerning his

The tomb of the unknown soldier in Ottawa. Photo by Gary A. Corcoran/Shutterstock

place in ministry in the coming months. On our road trip this summer, the bishop and I picked up Williams in Nipawin and took him to Prince Albert to meet up with Sarah Groat-Albers, who was giving him a ride to Camp Okema. On our drive into

P.A. we discussed how Williams will get his driver’s licence. When you live in a city like to Toronto you don’t really need a car, but he realized if he wants to live in Saskatchewan, he will have to get his licence. Let’s hope he got it.

November 2021

The Saskatchewan Anglican

Feeling the Holy Spirit

Invoking the Holy Spirit as easy as 1, 2, 3 By Rev. Gene Packwood

Calling all Clergy!

id you know that there is a whole litany in The Book of Alternative Services dedicated to invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit? I wonder why, if I take being charismatic seriously, I wouldn’t be praying this daily! It’s on page 123 and as easy to pray as 1, 2, 3. “Come, Holy Spirit, come” it says. Repeatedly. Ten times! Amen to that. In each petition, it also describes one of the Holy Spirit’s activities or properties: 1. Creator (Gen. 1:2), 2. Counsellor or helper (John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7), 3. Power from on high (Luke 1:35, 24:49, Acts 1:8), 4. Breath of God (Job 33:4, John 20:22), 5. Wisdom and truth (Eph. 1:17, John 14:17, 26, 15:26, 16:7 & 13). With all those attributes, Come, Holy Spirit, come, indeed! Here are the five petitions included in the litany asking the Holy Spirit to: 1) Renew the face of the earth When I pray this, I think of revival and all the great awakenings The LORD has wrought through the ages — of hearts strangely warmed, repentance, lives lived in Scriptural holiness, justice in the market place and full churches. Thoroughly prayer-worthy. 2) Touch our lips that we may proclaim your word Most of us Anglicans need to be a little touched in this way — considerably more than we are, actually. I know, I know; St. Francis said share the gospel always and in every way — if necessary, use words. Well, words, I suspect, are necessary more often than we would like (Rom. 10:14). Use this prayer, and as the Holy Spirit touches

Refresh Your Knowledge: Get Ready to Preach from The Gospel of Luke your lips write down and memorize a simple, Christianese-free statement of why Jesus and your church is important to you. Then, pray and watch for chances to share it (1 Peter 3:15) with the people in your life who have not yet tasted and seen how good The LORD is. It doesn’t have to be theological or literary. Just something honest and in your own words, using the word “Jesus” at least once, describing how you have been blessed and the hope you enjoy because of His presence in your life. 3) Make us agents of peace and ministers of wholeness Being Spirit-filled certainly helps with this (Gal. 5:22-23). Agents of peace and ministers of wholeness are agents of reconciliation (2Cor5.18-20). By the way they behave, they encourage and help people to be reconciled with God and with one another. 4) Give life to the dry bones of this exiled age, and make us a living people, holy and free The truth is, “this fragile earth, our island home” (Eucharistic Prayer 4, BAS, p201) is a temporary one. We are away from The LORD (2 Cor. 5:6-10), exiled for now and so our bones dry out and we die. But resurrection is coming —a home-coming (John 14:1-6, Heb. 11:14-16) and a new city (Heb. 11:10). There is Holy “sauce” for these dry bones of ours that enliven us, sanctify us and set us free from sin and death. Only Jesus has the recipe. 5) Strengthen us in the risk of faith R-I-S-K is how faith is spelled. R-I-S-K is the only way to experience any assurance of things hoped for, and to be convinced of things I haven’t yet seen Continued on page 12

Daytime: January 10 to 14, 2022 Hybrid Delivery: In person and online Instructor: Dr. Adam Wright Emmanuel and St. Chad’s New Testament Professor Register with Lisa McInnis: (306) 975 - 1550 esc.registrar@saskatoontheologicalunion.ca

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

Welcome back service at Immanuel, Regina At the Welcome Back in-person service on Sept. 12, Rev. Winna Martin (right) consecrates communion with Deacon Susan Page (left). In the photo, the reredos shelf and altar came from the former St. Luke; cross and both sets of candles came from St. Matthew; prayer

desks came from St. James and St. Matthew; chairs at the prayer desks came from St. James; cross in front of the lectern came from St. Matthew; and altar rails are from All Saints. Photo by Nigel Salway

Following the Sept. 12 church service, a bringyour-own lunch was held in the Immanuel parking lot. Photo by Susan MacPhail

... Invoking the Holy Spirit as easy as 1, 2, 3 Continued from page 11 with my own eyes. May The LORD so strengthen me and you that we may forgo mere safety and set out on the R-I-S-K-y road to renewal, proclamation, wholeness, holy freedom and strength. Oh, and one more thing. I’d add the following peti-

tion: Come, Holy Spirit, gift giver, may we earnestly desire the manifestation of your Spirit in all your spiritual gifts, especially that we may prophesy. Come, Holy Spirit, come. R-I-S-K. Easy as 1, 2, 3. Amen and amen!

AFC appoints new executive director By Michelle Hauser

field of excellent candidates. TORONTO — The board The interest of the Anglican Foundain the position tion of Canada (AFC) was a testahas announced Dr. Scott ment to the Brubacher as new execuoutstanding tive director beginning reputation and Oct. 18. leadership of Brubacher succeeds AFC.” Scott Rev. Canon Dr. Judy Brubacher Brubracher Rois, who retired Oct. 15. joined AFC in Archbishop Linda November 2015 Nicholls, Primate of the as executive administrator. Anglican Church of Canada “Scott is no stranger to and AFC board says, “Scott AFC. He brings with him was selected following a a thorough knowledge of thorough, national search the work and vision of the process which resulted in a Foundation,” added Arch-

bishop Linda. Brubacher is a passionate advocate for the role AFC can play as a catalyst for new ministry and growth. “I have seen and supported grant applicants across the country and know what is happening in different corners of the church," he said. "These are the stories that AFC can share—connecting people and projects from different parts of the country who are working towards the same goals in a way that few other institutions can.”

November 2021

The Saskatchewan Anglican

Lieutenant Governor recognizes three Anglicans with volunteer award Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty presented the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medals to 12 individuals in Saskatchewan, three of whom are Anglicans from the Diocese of Qu'Appelle. From left are Derek Harrison of

Derek Harrison honoured for years of volunteerism Reprinted (with minor updating) with permission from Fort Times, Aug. 27, 2021 By Alan Hustak FORT QU’APPELLE (Qu’A) — Few volunteers can match Derek Harrison’s record of public service. Harrison, 97, was recognized for his “selfless devotion and consistent dedication” to the community, when he received the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal at a ceremony at Government House in Regina on Aug. 26. Until the pandemic began, Harrison delivered Meals on Wheels for almost 40 years; is one of two original founding members of the Fort Qu’Appelle Lions Club still alive; is a core volunteer at the museum; and has played the organ at St. John’s Anglican Church for over 70 years. When bus service was discontinued, Harrison pitched in and drove local seniors to medical appointments in Regina. Harrison is modest about his achievements. “I’m not sure I ever volunteered to deliver Meals on Wheels. I think I was told to do it, did it, and was happy to do it. There weren’t too many of us around when the Lions were started. I’m proud to see what an asset the Lions have become to the community.” The biography read at the medal presentation included information that Harrison had served on the Lions Club executive, including two terms as president, and that along with being organist at St. John’s Church, he acted as choir director for many years. At the Fort Qu’Appelle museum, Harrison shares “his knowledge and love of his hometown with visitors.” Harrison previously received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee medal. Editor’s note: The Saskatchewan Anglican thanks Alan Hustak and Grasslands News for so generously and often sharing local news with our paper.

Fort Qu'Appelle, Valerie Cade on behalf of her late husband, Bob, of Regina and Eileen Herman of Qu'Appelle. Photos courtesy Brighten Creative Group Ltd.

Bob Cade receives Eileen Herman Saskatchewan earns another Volunteer Medal volunteer award

By Joanne Shurvin-Martin

REGINA — The late Bob Cade, a long-time member of St. Paul’s Cathedral, received the 2020 Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal posthumously. His widow, Valerie Cade, accepted the medal in a ceremony Aug. 26 at Government House. The biographical information that accompanied the announcement said, in part: Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Robert Cade led a life of service through his career in the Canadian Forces and as a dedicated volunteer. He served as past president and honorary life governor of the South Saskatchewan Division Corps of Commissionaires, past president and Director of Ceremonies at St. John Ambulance, national president of the Canadian Infantry Association National Council, and was a past president of the Royal Regina Rifles Trust Fund and former Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. Other organizations to which Robert gave his time include the Royal United Services Institute, Order of Armisticians, national Army Honorary Colonels’ Advisory Board, Regina Officers’ Mess, Saskatchewan Army Cadet League and the Federation of United Services Institutes of Canada. Robert also served as Aide-de-Camp for three Lieutenant Governors, including Principal Aide-deCamp for two Lieutenant Governors. Cade served in the Canadian Army for 61 years. He was instrumental in obtaining the title “Royal” for the Royal Regina Rifles with The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, as their Colonel-in-Chief. He retired from working for the provincial government in 1999, and from the Canadian Forces in 2010. He died May 5, 2021.

By Allison Kydd QU’APPELLE (Qu’A) — Former school teacher Eileen Herman doesn’t volunteer for the sake of volunteering, but focuses on her interests: nature, reading, grade-school-aged children, history and her church. Herman says, “The community was important to me because my grandfather and great uncle were business men in the town (of Qu’Appelle) in the 1880s . . . My mother grew up here and I (have) spent most of my life here.” It’s no surprise, therefore, that she helped found the Qu’Appelle Historical Society and contributed to Footprints to Progress: A History of Qu’Appelle and District, published in 1980. Herman didn’t teach after marrying. She and her husband, Earle Herman, farmed northwest of Qu’Appelle, where she still lives. She also gardens, and her cookies, jams and jellies are in demand at her church’s soup and sandwich sale, an annual event until 2020. Since she didn’t work outside her home, she felt “free to help the community. It just seemed the right thing to do,” she adds. Her volunteer activities are all long-time commitments. The Qu’Appelle Branch of the Southeast Regional Library nominated her for the recent Saskatchewan Volunteer Award. Not only was she branch treasurer for 20 years, but she served as interim librarian and built library shelves and cupboards. Herman’s first volunteer award was presented at the Qu’Appelle Lions Volunteer Award Gala in 2012, for volunteers nominated by their various organizations, in Herman’s case, St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Parish Synod delegate at that time, Herman preached at lay services, was ACW president for 26 years, taught Sunday school for 34 years and Continued on page 14

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

Obituary

Rev. Debra Ramage known for optimism, dependability, energy Rev. Debra Leona Ramage, Sept. 5, 1953, to Sept. 19, 2021. By Rev. Peter Coolen SASKATOON — The sudden and unexpected death of Rev. Debra Leona Ramage, 68 years, occurred in hospital in Saskatoon on Sept. 19. A public come and go viewing for Ramage was held on Sept. 27 at Funk’s Funeral Home, Rosthern; the funeral service was held, and also livestreamed, on Sept. 28, at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, Rosthern. The livestream of the service is available on Ramage’s obituary page. Arrangements were entrusted to Funk’s Funeral Home, Rosthern. Ramage graduated with her M.Div. from the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad. She was ordained a deacon in November 1998 and a priest in November 1999. She served as the incumbent of Good Shepherd Parish (Pike Lake and Delisle) from 1998 to 2002; as hospital chaplain from 2005 to 2006; as associate priest, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist from 2006 to 2009; incumbent at Unity Central Parish from 2002 to 2006 and incumbent, St. Augustine’s, Rosthern from 2018 to 2020, after which she retired. Ramage was well known in the diocese for her optimism, dependability and energy and made a positive effect in every community, parish and cause with which she was

By the Rev. Dr. Iain Luke Principle, College of Emmanuel & St. Chad

Reb. Debra Ramage. Photo courtesy the Ramage family involved. Always fun and with a twinkle in her eye, she enjoyed her life, work and family and added so much to the lives of those she encountered. Never a wallflower, she loved to dance and socialize and added an extra spark to every event she attended. She will be greatly missed by every community, parish, the clergy, staff and volunteers of the diocese and her family. Please hold Debra’s family and loved ones in your prayers. “Well done, thy good and faith servant.” Rest eternal grant unto Debra, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

... Eileen Herman earns another volunteer award Continued from page 13 was church treasurer since 1987. She also directed the local Vacation Bible School. Herman’s commitment to the Girl Guides has been similar, earning her the 2018 Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.

Practising ecumenism is a shared witness that builds mutual respect

Though she followed her own interests, her efforts have benefitted her whole community. In August, Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty presented Herman with the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal, in a ceremony at Government House, Regina.

cumenism is the core of who we are, and what we do, in the Saskatoon Theological Union. Our three colleges, like our denominations, each have their own structure and story. Yet, we have a shared aim, to join in with what God is doing in the world. We can’t do this without each other. On campus, formal co-operation began in the 1960s between LTS, St Andrew’s College, and Emmanuel & St Chad. But records show our friendship, and sharing of resources, go back years before that. Our move into one building, just last year, has us asking questions about the next steps in our partnership. It’s the way we are thinking about those next steps, which I want to share with readers. You could ask the same question of your own church and community. There are long histories of friendship between churches in many parts of Saskatchewan, and some formal agreements. The recent adoption of the LUARC Covenant (Lutheran, Anglican, Ukrainian and Roman Catholic) by our bishops, shows a genuine commitment to ecumenism. I hope that reflects real developments in how individuals and communities relate to each other and work together. What is the next step where you are? Perhaps a first step is building the habit of taking ecumenism seriously. Churches can feel like they have enough on their plate just to deal with their own programs, or their own challenges. But when we go out to serve the world around us, where God is at work, one

of the first things we notice is that other faith communities are doing the same thing. Who are the other churches, the other Christians, in your neighbourhood, and what are they up to? What intrigues you about them, puzzles you, worries you? If you know people from other churches, ask them what's up in their congregation. If you don’t, then see who you can get to know, and what you can find out. Don’t be surprised if they turn out to have questions, concerns, and mistaken impressions of your church, just like you do of theirs. Those impressions can create a barrier, but the invitation in this first step is to walk around the barrier, to find a way to spend time together, to work together, and to recognize the common goal of sharing God’s transforming love. As we get to know other Christians through our shared witness, the next step emerges, which is about building mutual respect. This comes from understanding and appreciating the differences between us and exploring what those differences mean. In many cases, the differences between denominations enrich our shared work. In the STU, Anglican, Lutherans and Uniteds bring three different histories, three different structures, and three different ways of doing theology together. We have our questions to ask of each other, and when we are done answering those questions, we have a much bigger picture of who we are, and who God is. At other times, official distinctions between churches mask similar patterns of disagreement

or tension in churches. I vividly remember an “a ha” moment when I discovered that Lutherans fight with each other, about exactly the same things Anglicans fight about! If anything, that drew us closer together. That is not to say there are not genuine points of difference, but in learning just where those are, we can overcome stereotyping, and learn to respect the areas where we cannot agree. From respect, we can develop an admiration for the integrity of other traditions. It’s possible to feel affection and love for a friend, without needing to change their wrong-headed opinions! As you work on mutual respect, it’s important to reflect on what you and your church bring to the relationship. What is our own integrity as Anglicans built on? What do others receive from us? I’ve been surprised and moved when people from other traditions reflect on Anglican gifts, like our seriousness about worship, or ability to hold together despite our tensions. Finally, and most challenging, the biggest step in ecumenism is to allow ourselves to be accountable to one another, for the way we live out and witness to God’s good news in Jesus. This means challenging and being challenged to do more for the world, and to go deeper in our relationship with God. It can also mean asking whether the resources God entrusts to us are best used in keeping up different church buildings, denominational structures and programs. As we grow in trusting God and other Christians, some of those separations can fall away. If this is where your church is on the ecumenical journey, I want to say, thank you for the way you are learning to love your neighbour, and to put your trust in God.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

Book review

Pandemic: Letters from a Prairie Minister Reviewed by Rev. Peter Coolen

R St. Mark’s, Outlook, ACW members enjoy an Antique Tea, when they shared treasured antiques that were older than themselves. From left, Elaine Mansfield, Shirley Schnarr, Merle Harrington, Catherine Featherby and Eletha Dewing. Photos by Lauren Featherby

Antique Tea makes ladies feel young By Lauren Featherby OUTLOOK (QU’A) — Drought, grasshoppers and continued COVID-19 cases — it was enough to make one member of St. Mark’s ACW, Outlook, remark that she was “feeling old.” On hearing this, Catherine Featherby, who at the age of 97 is the oldest member of the congregation, decided the ladies needed a reminder that they were still quite young. Featherby organized an antique tea, and on a beautiful fall afternoon, the ladies met in the church basement. The only catch was that each person had to bring along an object that was older than they were. Everyone enjoyed a cup of tea and several cookies and tarts, and then each lady shared her antique, telling the others where it had come from and why it was important to her.

Antiques the ACW ladies brought to the Antique Tea. The items ranged from a great-grandmother’s necklace and a treasured cheese dish to a handcarved wooden photo frame and photos from the First World War. Needless to say, there was plenty of discussion that included many memories and even a few laughs.

After enjoying a few hours of food, faith and friendship, Featherby handed out teapot-shaped sugar cookies made by her daughter, Gail Ponak, for each person to take home. Everyone left not only with the cookies but with the feeling that they weren’t really that old after all.

ev. Sheldon Carr of St. John’s, Borden has produced a book of daily reflections and devotional letters that he has written and emailed, over the past year, to his parishioners during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheldon describes the book as follows: “This book began as daily letters I wrote for my parishioners. Each day I focus on some small piece of Scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary. I wanted to help people to see that Scripture matters and it speaks to us in the 21st century. In the beginning I thought that I was writing for my parish. “As time went on, I realized that I too was learning to live life and experience this time of trial with psalms, the prophets and the Gospels as my guide. Primarily, I wanted my letters to encourage people in this time of pandemic. I want the letters to be a sign of hope when discouragement is everywhere.” The book is a good read, concise and chatty while reflective of local, national and world events and life in rural ministry. The readings speak to every reader as their approaches to the varied themes are universal and the presentation friendly and pastoral. The daily thoughts present the expand on and support the Scriptural quotes

in ways that are relevant to life lived in pandemic mode. The book works one page at a time, one day at a time, grounding and inspiring the reader in an anxious world. On reading this book, Rev. Dr. Carolyn Sharp, Neil’s Harbour, N.S., wrote: “Sheldon Carr’s carefully crafted meditations bear witness to a sustained and deeply personal encounter with the Word of God. “Readers will appreciate how his keen observations, astute insights and artful storytelling connect the Scriptures to the everyday world in which we live. Carr’s meditations are an open invitation to delve deeper into the life of discipleship.” “Pandemic: Letters from a Prairie Minister” by Rev. Sheldon Carr, published by Friesen Press, is now available at Friesen Press online bookstore, McNally Robinson, Universal Church Supplies and Amazon.

Emmanuel & St. Chad offering many courses for all Take a course, learn more and explore! Is God nudging you to find out more about Ministry Preparation? People Interested in taking an Emmanuel and St. Chad course should call the College or email our Registrar, Lisa McInnis: esc. registrar@saskatoontheologicalunion.ca or 306- 9751550. A faculty member will follow up to make a personal connection and to answer any questions. For most courses with an assigned class time,

students will be able to participate remotely by video conferencing. The option of in-class participation will open up as soon as it is safe.

Fall 2021 term: In progress. DLA Courses (Distance Learning Asynchronous): In progress.

Winter 2022 Term BE265 Minor Epistles (A. Wright) Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-3:00pm SE381 Theology of Work and Money (I. Luke) Wednesdays 9-11:45am PE346 Advanced Pastoral Care for Individuals and Congregations and Theological Reflection in Context (T. McCarthy) Thursdays 6:00-9:00pm BE378 Gospel of Luke (A. Wright) Jan. 10-14: This course is ideal for clergy since the Gospel of Luke will be the lectionary gospel for the coming year.

Lay people may find it to be a wonderful chance to prepare for the lectionary reading and learn about Luke more in-depth. DLA Courses: (Distance Learning Asynchronous) BE105/BE106 Introductory Greek I/II (A. Wright) BE161 Introduction to New Testament (A. Wright) Credit courses $1,120; audit courses $560; lay team group (up to five people) $1,120.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

November 2021

Lay worship leaders' workshop held at St. John's, Borden Editor’s note: This article and picture originally appeared in the October issue of the Saskatchewan Anglican incorrectly labelled as having taken place at St. Paul’s, Biggar. Our apologies for the error. By the Rev. Sheldon Carr

Pariticipants in the workshop for lay worship leaders were, in back from left, Rosann Carr, Tim Latimer, Jean Brooke, and Lorraine Olinyk, and in front from left, Sandra Long, Brenda Tumbach, and Sharon Assman. Photo courtesy Rev. Sheldon Carr

BORDEN (S’toon) — The Rev. Sheldon and Rosann Carr, St. John’s, Borden, traveled to Ontario in September to visit family there; in advance of their trip, they provided a Lay Worship Leaders Workshop on Sunday August 15th, 2021, on preaching and conducting services during the absence, for interested parishioners. The Workshop was held in the church hall at St. John’s, Borden. As a part of the Workshop, Sharon Assman, one of our musicians, showed people how she and the other musicians choose hymns for Sunday Worship. The Rev. Sheldon spent some time walking people through the Book

of Alternative Services as a worship resource for worship and pastoral care. Workshop volunteers had a chance to ask questions about sermons and help to plan each service for while the Rev. Sheldon was away. Brenda Tumbach was worship leader on Sunday, September 5th; Brenda has read Morning Prayer at St. John’s before. Sandra Long and Jean Brooke shared Morning Prayer on Sunday, September 12th. Sandra and Jean have led worship at Borden United Church before it closed. Lorraine Olinyk read Morning Prayer on Sunday, September 19th; she too has prepared services at Borden United Church. Sharon Assman provided music accompaniment on all three Sundays. Through this Workshop and the real experience of conducting services all involved learned something about our worship and strengthened their faith; these gatherings will likely become a regular part of worship at St. John’s.

Saskatoon continues to offer Safe Church program workshops Submitted SASKATOON — We all benefit from and can celebrate the work of people who are currently developing and implementing their Parish Safe Church programs. Vestries, church wardens, youth workers and priests are each asked to participate, in both distinct workshops as listed below.

If there is ample involvement (three people plus the priest) from your parish, Bishop Chris Harper and your Safe Church canon pastor, Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy, will award parishes with a glossy certificate to be hung in their church building stating that efforts are being made and training has taken place to help everyone to be safe in the church.

Mark your calendars for our two Safe Church workshops: No. 1 “Nuts and Bolts” and No. 2 “Preventing Sexual Misconduct.” Please note as well that if your parish still needs to participate in this Safe Church No. 1 “Nuts and Bolts” workshop, we will also set up a Zoom meeting for your region. Safe Church Workshop No. 1 called “Nuts and Bolts” by ZOOM will take

place on Saturday, Feb. 5 from 10 a.m.to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Safe Church Workshop No. 2 “Preventing Sexual Misconduct” by ZOOM will take place on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Zoom. To register please send to Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy at tmccarthy@ sasktel.net or 306370 8378, the date and name of the specific workshop, your full

name, your email address, your phone number and indicate your parish name. Thank you for your interest and may God guide and bless us all in our conscientious work. God says to you through the prophet Jeremiah: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, ... plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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