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Gander Raises Funds for PWRDF

February 22, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

From the March issue of Anglican Life, written by Sheila Boutcher

On Thanksgiving Sunday 2018, the Reverend Brian Candow, Rector of Saint Martin’s Cathedral in Gander, challenged the congregation to raise funds to build a Medical Dispensary in Mozambique. It was listed as a “Big Ticket Item” in the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, World of Gifts catalogue. Raising $7,500 would become $52,500 under the All Mothers and Children Count program which is matched on a 6:1 ratio by Global Affairs Canada. Rev’d. Brian prepared special offering envelopes and distributed them to the congregation, along with an explanation of the project. The idea of being able to provide thousands of people with access to health care and thus save lives generated a lot of excitement and moved people to respond generously. Comments like, “This is the best gift I’ve given this Christmas,” were common. By Christmas, donations from the congregation had reached over $5,000 and Shawn Wiseman, a parishioner, music teacher and local entertainer, donated all of the proceeds from a Christmas concert he and his students held, to the cause: $3,800!

Surplus funds will be used to stock a dispensary and provide sterile birth kits, also available via the World of Gifts catalogue. In addition, I am aware of numerous gifts of goats, pigs, chickens, and even a whole farm, being given to family and friends through PWRDF. Many, many thanks and congratulations to the congregation of Saint Martin’s, Shawn Wiseman and his students—to God Be the Glory!
Matthew 25:40 NRSV And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Open Door Ministry, Corner Brook

February 20, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

This article will appear in the March issue of Anglican Life,
written by The Rev’d Roberta Woodman:

The Open Door, a free lunch hosted by the Humber Deanery every Monday at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, graciously received a variety of donations throughout December! Items such as quilts, mitts, hats, scarves, socks, and toiletries help to enhance this outreach ministry. Many knitters and quilters, groups, churches, and corporate sponsors help to provide a much needed product for our guests. Pictured here are three students, Savannah, Joseph, and Ethan, from Eastside Elementary in Corner Brook who made a generous donation on behalf of all the students and staff. Thank you all for your kindness and support in helping to respond to human need by loving service. Pictured with them are The Very Rev’d Kay Short (Dean and rector), The Rev’d Tanya White (All Saints’), and The Rev’d Roberta Woodman (St. Michael and All Angels).

Septuagesima Sunday

February 19, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Do we really need time to prepare to repent, you ask? Do we need to prepare for Lent for three whole weeks? Yes and no. While I don’t know that we need to spend every waking moment preparing for the great fast of Lent, I do think that it’s good to be reminded that it’s coming. Many of us lead busy, full lives, and Lent can actually sneak up on me. One minute it’s Valentine’s Day, and the next it’s Ash Wednesday, and I have to suddenly come up with a plan for the next forty days.

Last Sunday would have been called “Septuagesima” if you attend a church that still follows our Book of Common Prayer calendar. The Revised Common Lectionary did away with some of these older terms, which is a shame, as we have lost this part of our heritage. The word Septuagesima comes from the Latin word for “seventieth,” this being the seventieth day before Easter. The following Sundays are Sexagesima (for sixtieth), and Quinquigesmia (for fiftieth). After that, we start counting the Sundays in Lent until Easter.

This pre-Lenten time was a chance to prepare for the fast days of Lent—perhaps to decide what things you are going to take on for Lent, or what things you are going to give up.

The Gospel lesson for Septuagesima Sunday is from Matthew, chapter 20: the parable about the labourers each receiving a penny for their work, regardless of how long they’d been there. St. Chrysostom wrote of this passage: “[Jesus] calls the first last, and the last first, not so that the last may be more honoured than the first, but that they may become co-equal; and that between them there is no difference by reason of time.” What a reassuring thing to think about as we prepare ourselves for the fast of Lent and the forgiveness of Easter—it is never too late to return to the Lord.

Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard by Lawrence W. Ladd (from http://www.commons.wikimedia.org)

St. Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Editorial from the February 2018 issue of Anglican Life:

And just like that, we’re back to the shortest month of the year, and often one of the coldest and most miserable for us in Newfoundland. February is the month that I always use in my examples of horrible weather, as in: “Well that’s a nice long driveway in the summer, but just think of shovelling it in February!” While we started winter months ago, we had the warm cheer of Christmas, and then new year and its resolutions. But now February has set in, and it’s cold, and it’s still dark.

But we have a lovely bright warm spot in the middle of the month with Valentine’s Day. As a kid, that meant making a “mailbox” in school from an old cereal box or something, and then the excitement of passing around Valentines to our friends, and getting them in return. As we get older, there is the romantic pressure of the day—the expected grand gesture or gift. But of course there must be more to the story of Valentine than the gifts, the fancy suppers, and even more than the funny little cards that we gave to our classmates.

Actually, there is very little that we know for certain about St. Valentine. We know that he existed in third century Rome, and that he was martyred for his faith and buried in a cemetery that is north of Rome. The name “Valentine” itself was popular at the time, and comes from the word valens, which means worthy, strong, or powerful. There are about a dozen saints in the Roman calendar who are venerated, and who share this name.

The most common version of the legend of this St. Valentine is that he was the Bishop of Terni, Narnia, and Amelia in central Italy. While under house arrest, a Roman judge questioned him on the legitimacy of Christianity and the faith in Jesus Christ. Valentine was challenged to restore the sight of the judge’s daughter through the power of prayer, and if he could do that, the judge would do whatever Valentine asked. So Valentine put his hands on the girl’s eyes, prayed, and her sight returned.

The judge asked what he should do in response to this miracle, and Valentine replied that all of the idols that were around the judge’s house should be destroyed, that the judge himself should fast for three days, and he should then be baptised a Christian. The judge agreed, and also freed all of the Christian slaves that were under his authority—he, his family, and all of the members of his household were baptised.

Valentine was later arrested again, and was sent to the emperor Claudius Gothicus himself. The emperor liked Valentine, but grew angry when Valentine tried to persuade him to be baptised too. Claudius insisted that Valentine should renounce his faith or else be beheaded. When Valentine refused this request, he was executed on February 14^th, 269.

There are many other legends of Valentine, and many reasons given for his later association with romantic love, including theories about Valentine’s Day being an attempt to take over the pagan holiday of Lupercalia (celebrated mid-February in Roman times). Many of these legends were actually invented in 14^th century England, notably by the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, and are now dismissed in serious academic circles. However, in the almost complete absence of any real stories of Valentine, there seems little harm in taking time in the middle of a cold and dreary month to think about loved ones, to celebrate important relationships in our lives, to cut out red cardboard hearts, and maybe even to eat a bit of chocolate. The saints are there to point us to the love of God, and in many ways, regardless of the truth behind his many legends, St. Valentine reminds us all to love, and that is fundamental to our lives as Christians.

Confirmation in the Parish of Bay St. George

February 12, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

On December 16th, 2018 the Parish of Bay St. George was proud to welcome The Rt. Rev’d John Organ, Bishop of the western Diocese and his wife, to St. Michael & All Angels’ Church in St. David’s for the celebration of confirmation, followed by fellowship in the church hall.
This story will appear in the April issue of Anglican Life.

GPS 2019

February 6, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Article by Phoebe Burrows (Ascension), Sarah Hedderson (St. Mary’s), Keara Savoury (Good Shepherd), and Keegan Pike (St. Lawrence)

For the past 5 years, youth between the ages of 12 and 19 have had wonderful experiences learning about God, their faith, and how to incorporate them into everyday life. GPS (God’s Positioning System) is an annual conference for youth held around the province focusing on vocation, self discovery, and building relationships with fellow youth.

In previous years, youth have had the opportunity to hear from many different keynote speakers including Scott Evans, Bill Cliff, Mark Dunwoody, and Sheilagh Mcglynn, as well as participate in other activities such as outreach projects for local charities, wellness activities, arts and crafts, and fun games. This year’s keynote speaker will be Jenny Salisbury. Jenny is an arts major from Toronto with a theatre background who is sure to provide a fun and enriching weekend for everyone involved. This year the conference will be held at the Lavrock Camp and Conference Centre from April 5-7th. This retreat venue offers great accommodations and an enjoyable outdoor environment, exceptional for fun and recreation!

Youth from grade 7 and up are invited to join us this spring for a faith enriching and overall fun experience. Everyone will be sure to have a great time. Many participants from previous years say it’s an incredible experience exploring faith while making new friendships outside of everyday church life, and all have enjoyed themselves tremendously. We hope to see new faces this April: all are welcome! GPS

For more information about GPS 2019, please contact Canon Amanda Taylor at:
revamandataylor@gmail.com
or Archdeacon Roger Whalen at:
angcathedral@nf.aibn.com

A few photographs from last year’s GPS Conference:

From the Diocese of Central Newfoundland

February 6, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Candlemas

February 2, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Candlemas Day—February 2nd—falls 40 days after Christmas. There are many traditions associated with this day in the Church, and indeed there are secular traditions that fall of this day as well (such as Groundhog Day).
Candlemas is called that because this is the day in the Western Church when priests would bless the beeswax candles that were to be used throughout the coming year, some of which would be taken homes of the faithful to be used there.
Increasingly since the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church has begun to refer to this day as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and references to candles and purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary are downplayed in favour of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and the Prophecy of Simeon.
There are many poems and traditions surrounding the day as well. For example, the poet Robert Herrick (1591-1674) wrote:
“Down the the rosemary, and so
Down the the bays and mistletoe;
Down with the holly, ivy, all,
Wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas Hall.”
This was traditionally the day that the last remaining Christmas decorations were taken down, for if anything remained after today, it was said that it would bring death at that place before the year is out.

Everybody Needs to Confirm Subscriptions to The Journal and to Anglican Life

January 31, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

Turning the Tables on the Migrant Worker Experience

January 30, 2019 · by anglicanlifenl

This article can be found in the February 2019 issue of Anglican Life:

Article by Dr. David Morgan
Member of the Society & Justice Committee, Anglican East NL

150 million.

Though an incredibly difficult figure to define and calculate, that’s the total number of international migrant workers in the world in 2013, based on a 2015 report of the International Labour Organization. That’s roughly 4 times the population of Canada, and roughly 300 times the population of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Most readers of Anglican Life have at least a small sense of what the migrant worker life is like. You might have a brother, daughter, or friend who was travelling “up to Alberta” on rotation. Or, you might have done it yourself. 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. 3 weeks on, 1 week off. Get up early, catch a plan, fly across the continent, live in a trailer, eat camp food, punch a long day of work, exercise in the evening, catch another plane and have a bit of time home before doing it all again. Constantly putting your life on hold—missing birthday parties and never tucking the kids into bed.

You know what…these Alberta-bound friends and family aren’t even counted in the 150 million because they are working in the same country in which they are citizens. Not to suggest that the Alberta commuting life is an easy one, but it’s the same language, same currency, and more-or-less the same climate, food, and culture. All the same Canadian rights and freedoms apply, your healthcare is (for the most part) still covered, and your mobile phone probably works fine.

So, let’s change it up a bit. Remember that friend who was catching a plane for Alberta? They’re now catching a plane to Dhaka. It’s way hotter there than it was back home in Pouch Cove. Hardly anyone speaks any English and the food is totally different (your friend had to travel with a bag of hard bread and a pack of Mt. Scio savoury “just in case”, but there was a long period of questioning by Bangladeshi Customs officers over the savoury and the treats from home were eventually confiscated).

Your friend lives in a basement apartment with four other people who also only speak a bit of Bengali. Every day involves an hour-long bus ride to and from work for a 12-hour shift (but not on every second Saturday, because that is their day off). Calling home is hard, because by the time your friend gets off work and back to the apartment, it’s the middle of the night back home.

Oh, and your friend isn’t gone for 2 weeks—they are gone for 8 months. But, it’s not like they could come home earlier anyways because they aren’t making much money and are sending whatever they can back home.

Last week your friend had stomach cramps and had to visit a doctor. The doctor and medicine cost a small fortune, and they weren’t totally sure they were given the right medicine anyways (they couldn’t explain their symptoms in the local language, they didn’t really have any friends that they could ask to go with them, and they can’t understand what the medicine bottle says). To cap it all off, on the way home from the doctor, someone cursed on them and told them that they should go back home because they were stealing jobs from Bangladeshis. When your friend called that evening to tell you about their horrible day, they cried on the phone for nearly 5 minutes. You told your friend to imagine that you were wrapping your arms around them in a big hug and that you were never going to let go; when the call was over, you cried too, and then your spouse gave you a hug for real.

The above photograph is showing migrant workers in a field in Ontario, May 23, 2018.
photo © intuit from http://www.shutterstock.com

This “reverse” tale of international migrant work might have upset you—for that, I am sorry. And, if you are one of the readers of Anglican Life for whom this story is a little too close to your reality here in Canada, then I am especially sorry if I have upset you; if you see me around and ever want to talk, please introduce yourself—we can have a chat (I’ll buy coffee, but I am not much of a hugger).

Nobody should be fooled into thinking that the hard realities of international migrant work can’t be found in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are plenty of international migrant workers in this province. In fact, the Government of Canada reports that, on December 31, 2013, there were 1236 people with permits to work in NL under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (that’s just one program—there are others). Some of these workers might have picked up a copy of Anglican Life around town, while others might be reading a copy while sitting a pew. When you see someone in your community who seems lost or alone, perhaps they are far from family and home – it only takes a second to offer a prayer or say “hello.”

God our refuge, you share the journey with migrants and refugees, lightening their footsteps with hope. For you, Lord, are close to the broken-hearted. Pour out your Spirit upon world leaders. May they see the tragedies of our human family, and be moved to respond with wisdom, compassion and courage. Open our eyes and hearts to the God-given dignity of all your people. Move us to welcome our neighbours, and so bear witness to your love. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. – Rachel McCarthy, Catholic Agency for Oversees Development

For more information and resources on social justice, check out http://www.anglican.ca/publicwitness/ And for more on local social justice efforts, check out http://www.parishoftheascension.ca/society.php and http://www.facebook.com/Anglican-East-NL-Society-Justice-Committee-500337617113660

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