Following The Light—Updates From The Parish of Upper Island Cove

As I write this, the calendar year draws to a close, and so do the hours of sunlight available to us each given day. Much like our ancestors did for generations upon this island, as the light dwindles and we move towards the darker days to come, the people of the Parish of Upper Island Cove gather. Over the past few weeks, we have been busy creating opportunities for our community to gather and share gifts, resources and celebrate.

To open Thanksgiving Day weekend, on October 11th, St. Peter’s Church hosted an afternoon of fellowship aptly named “Soup, Songs and Fellowship,” at St. Peter’s Church, in the Reverend Pearce Hall. The hall was filled in abundance with the smell of homemade soups, sandwiches, and seasonally baked goods, all prepared and donated by members of St. Peter’s Church vestry and parish members. In addition, the hall was filled with lively music, performed by local parishioners—gifted musicians who generously share their time and talent with our community. It was a wonderful gathering space to celebrate and give thanks for the blessing of vibrant fellowship in our parish.

Food scarcity continues to pose as an issue for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and as a faith community, the Parish of Upper Island Cove responds to help our neighbours by holding an annual food drive for the local Helping Hand Food Bank in Bay Roberts each fall season. Both St. Andrew’s Church in Bryant’s Cove, and St. Peter’s Church in Upper Island Cove, participated. Members from #4547 Upper Island Cove C.L.B. Company joined the parish vestry and ministry team as they do each year, creating an opportunity for youth members as young as 5 years old to take compassionate action as empowered community leaders by greeting and thanking the people who donated, as well as carrying and sorting the donations.

On a crisp, sunny, autumnal day, the Rev’d Aubrey Young of St. Peter’s Anglican Parish of Upper Island Cove, was officially installed as a CLB Battalion Chaplain at The Cathedral of St. John The Baptist in St. John’s. It was October 19th, a date also shared with The C.L.B. on its 132nd Anniversary Parade. Members from Upper Island Cove C.L.B. Company were on parade, celebrating the historic presence and contributions of Newfoundland and Labrador’s oldest youth organization while simultaneously celebrating this special moment for the newest minister of our parish. Let it be noted, Rev’d Aubrey doubles as a member of the Brigade, as Battalion Chaplain for Trinity Conception Battalion, and of course is a former youth member and commanding officer of Upper Island Cove Company itself. It was fitting on many levels that  Rev’d Young provided the sermon for this service as he stood in the pulpit, looking down on so many familiar comrades. Amid the festivity and warm autumn sunshine, Rev’d Young poignantly chose to share his message about following the light of God along one’s life path. First, inviting us to reflect in hindsight, and look at the present, for those glimmers of light from God’s call to us; then to accept the light and call of God in our lives. Finally, and perhaps most resonantly, a message of validation of the oft non-linear path of following the light. At times, Rev’d Young advised, it may feel as though we walk in darkness, but it is through remaining steadfast in hope and faith that a light will re-appear for us to follow, clearing our way.

That same evening of Rev’d Young’s installation, St. Peter’s Church held a Healing Eucharist Ceremony, officiated at by Rev’d Noseworthy. Blessed and authorized by Bishop Rose, a holy oil was used to anoint parishioners seeking healing. Followed with a healing prayer, the laying of hands, and receiving Holy Communion, this sacrament encourages individuals to bring their burdens of all kinds to Jesus—the great physician— for healing or, as the beloved hymn goes, “bring it to the Lord in prayer.” The point being, as Rev’d Shirley movingly stated in her sermon that evening, we do not have to carry our pain alone. As we look toward the twilight seasons of the year, we can lean into faith, surrender our fears and pains, and receive spiritual healing from God.

To close out the month of October, a memorial service to remember loved ones who died during the COVID-19 pandemic took place at St. Peter’s Church officiated at by Rev’d Noseworthy. A deeply moving service saw St. Peter’s Church filled with families who’d lost loved ones during this difficult time, and whose grieving process was undoubtedly disrupted by the necessary restrictions at hospitals, funeral homes, and churches across the province. This service clearly filled a communal need as numbers were underestimated for the service, and more bulletins needed to be printed for the attending families, revealing that communities benefit from not just celebrating together, but also from grieving together in a sacred space. In addition to benefiting family members who were able to attend, this memorial service was live streamed on the parish social media account for those who could not be there in person. Two memorial tables at the foot of the altar steps were lined with photos of the fallen, some with personal memorabilia (like an old A.C.A.A. sash of one devoted member). One special feature of the service was the candle lighting ceremony. As each fallen family member’s name was spoken, a memorial candle sitting in front of their photograph was lit, until at the end, a long line of twinkling candlelight shone on the smiling faces of so many dearly departed looking back at the congregation. It was a touching moment for all sitting in the pews and chancel to share. St. Peter’s choir struck up with the choir anthem, “Where the Roses Never Fade,” and moments one could describe as healing continued. Families and friends, who in these small, tight-knit communities of Bryant’s Cove, Bishop’s Cove and Upper Island Cove, grieved and honoured those who passed into the darkness of such a dark time, together.

A community that shares life together lives in faith together. For over two centuries, the Parish of Upper Island Cove and its communities has co-created a sense of living faith by sharing life—both the light and the dark aspects—coming together to support one another and celebrate one another. By sharing the joyous and celebratory, the sorrowful and challenging, we follow together, in our own non-linear fashion, the light of Jesus and the unconditional, eternal love of God.