Let’s give thanks for the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of our saviour. Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season!

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Channeling the great hope of the joy to come, a Christmas Teatime, Bake Sale, and Sing-along was hosted by St. Peter’s Vestry on the first Sunday of Advent. Below St. Peter’s Church proper, the Reverend Pearce Hall was at jovial capacity. It was alight with the smells of baked goods for sale—and goods to share among friends. Amid these delicious scents were vibrant sounds from the songs of the season. All gifts were shared freely: the traditional Christmas cakes, desserts, time spent in service, and, of course, the music as enjoyable and plentiful as the baked goods themselves.

The second weekend of Advent saw the Town of U.I.C., in partnership with both the Anglican Church Assistance Association (A.C.A.A.) and St. Peter’s Church, open the annual “Jingle Fest,” a week long event of Christmas festivities held in the town. Each year, these community groups and townspeople gather in front of St. Peter’s Church, and a countdown to lighting the Christmas Tree ensues. The crowd then gathers in the Reverend Pearce Hall to enjoy further band selections of the Christmas season. It is often heard that this town tradition marks the beginning of Christmas in many hearts, and indeed a sense of peace can be felt around the Christmas tree as the glow from the lights is seen on the faces of children and adults alike. In neighbouring Bryant’s Cove, the congregation of St. Andrew’s welcomed the peace of the Christmas season during their Lessons and Carols service.

Gathering steam, the third week of Advent marked the Children’s Christmas Pageant, St. Peter’s Lessons and Carols service, and, later that week, The Sounds of Christmas Concert held at St. Peter’s Elementary School. Many parishioners joined together during the morning service to watch the St. Peter’s Sunday School Children, the Junior Auxiliary (J.A.), and the Church Lad’s Brigade (C.L.B.) perform their Christmas concerts and returned that evening for a deeply moving Lessons and Carols Service.
In its second year, The Sounds of Christmas Concert is a benefit Christmas concert presented by a group of talented local musicians. Entrance to the concert is paid in the spirit of giving and humility: a non-perishable food item for the local food bank or a free-will monetary donation. One remarkable feature of this concert was the presentation of the 75th Confederation Service Medal to our very own Rev’d Howard Crane for his outstanding contributions to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Congratulations to Rev’d Crane on this remarkable achievement—your parish is so proud of you! Before moving on to the final week of Advent, it must be noted that during a Christmas sing-along for the students at St. Peter’s School some days later, the monetary donations collected at the concert were presented to leaders of the J.A., C.L.B., and St. Peter’s School Breakfast Program by the Sounds of Christmas committee with matching donations from the Town of U.I.C. itself. It is true that it is in the giving that we truly receive, as a feeling of joy in the fellowship of St. Peter’s School amid interconnected community groups was palpable to all.

At last, the final week of Advent, marked by the candle of love and the birth of Christ, was among us. On Christmas Eve morning, some two hundred and forty parishioners joined together for a Family Eucharist and Children’s Nativity Drama starring the children of Sunday School, who told the story of Jesus’ birth through story and song. A similar number of people returned that evening for St. Peter’s Carol Service, during which St. Peter’s Choir—joined by former choir director and special friend, Rev’d Arch Young—gave us a stunning evening of Christmas music ministry. The Parish of U.I.C. held its annual St. Stephen’s Day service at St. Peter’s Church on December 26th in partnership with the A.C.A.A. and Brass Band, followed by their traditional parade to St. Peter’s School for continued music selections. To cap off quite a full month in the parish, a service was held on the last Sunday of the month at St. John the Baptist Chapel with the theme “mugs and muffins.” Hosted by St. Peter’s Vestry, it was a relaxed atmosphere, where muffins, coffee, and tea were provided and enjoyed in fellowship during morning prayer.

To conclude, the Advent season of a parish is busy, and preparations must be in sync with Advent liturgy. But what keeps the oil of said liturgical communal response going, my friends, isn’t the muffins. It isn’t the music, or the concerts, or the candles, even. Now and always, the oil that keeps it all going is about the communal embodiment of the love of Jesus. May we move through each worship and each day grounded in word, thought, and deed by this truth—the true gift of the season.

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During the first week, each child was given the name of a person living in Cartwright to whom they would deliver a stocking filled with goodies. Every day when the children opened their own Advent calendars at home, they also put an item in the stocking (for example, a picture they drew, candies, a Christmas card, or other small items). These were then delivered on Christmas Eve. They did this as their Christmas outreach.

On Christmas Eve the children took part in the journey to the manger as part of the Christmas Eve service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church.

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St. Peter’s in Upper Gullies would like to thank Constable Fitzgerald for his informative presentation that will assist in protecting our seniors from fraud and other types of swindling and trickery.

This seminar was arranged by Gary Parsons on behalf of the Men’s Service Club. Gary also provided the photos.

This article includes a few pictures related to the seminar and the fellowship that took place after the seminar.

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The Holly Tea arose from the ashes of the year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the first Anglican Church in Topsail—the old heritage building.

Each month that year, in 2010, was marked with a special activity or guest relevant to the successful worship and endurance over the decades.

After twelve months’ duration, and to conclude things, we decided to have a once-in-a-lifetime finale. This was achieved by preparing a special luncheon, using our finest china, and serving it in an appropriately decorated environment while inviting friends from neighbouring parishes.

It was a proud year with a successful and pleasant ending.

As Christmas approached the following year, we kept receiving positive accolades about our previous presentation, which encouraged us to give it a second try—and the rest is history.

Consequently, it has grown exponentially since that trial beginning fifteen years ago, which started with a welcome, luncheon, door prize, and poetry reading.

I believe that what makes our Holly Tea stand out as so prominent and popular is that, right from the beginning, it took on a very personal persona.

We have many groups who reserve early, which results in full capacity long before the event begins. Some families return each year.

There is one family who has never missed an event. Faith Mallard came as a baby with her parents, grandparents, and great-grandmother. This year, at fifteen years old, she helped our team serve the refreshments.

Each year, we endeavour to add to the entertainment to make it more conducive to all ages. This includes door prizes and multiple smaller prizes on tickets.

To add to the drama this year, a six-year-old boy sang two songs while being accompanied by his mother on the guitar. Faith also sang a solo, and, of course, we had our usual home-grown poetry reading.

Our sincere thanks to Shirley Glynn, who organised the whole show.

At the Holly Tea, we reach outside our parish,
To receive old friends and welcome new.
Exchanging greetings for a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year too.

Serve the Lord with gladness
Come before his presence with singing.     
– Psalm 100: 2

The post A Tradition Unexpectedly Created appeared first on Anglican Life.

That’s how the old rhyme goes. But here in Atlantic Canada, we know winter doesn’t just pack up and leave in February—global warming or not. Over the years, Anglican Life has shared a few articles about Candlemas, one of the oldest Christian celebrations, but I think that it’s worth revisiting and thinking about again.

On February 2nd, Christmas is officially over. In medieval times, people believed that decorations left up after Candlemas might attract goblins! So, if your tree is still up, now’s the time to take it down—just in case.

These days, we don’t believe in goblins, and most people take their decorations down long before Candlemas. In fact, some folks are so eager to be done that their trees are out on the curb on Boxing Day! But goblins or not, it’s worth remembering that many Christian traditions are tied to older customs. Some people see this as a bad thing, but it’s really a strength. The Church has always taken what’s familiar and reshaped it through the lens of the Gospel.

Candlemas customs, like the blessing of candles, remind us that Christ is the light of the world. These rituals come from older traditions of lighting fires to push back the darkness of winter. In farming communities, Candlemas also marked the turning of the year—a time to prepare for the season ahead. Instead of fighting these connections, the Church embraced them, blending Scripture with everyday life.

In pre-Christian England, February was a time for purification and seasonal change. The Anglo-Saxons celebrated Imbolc, honouring Brigid, a goddess of fertility and light. The Church lined up Candlemas with these traditions, focusing on Jesus as the light who shines in the darkness. Based on Luke 2:22–40, Candlemas celebrates Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple, where Simeon recognised him as “a light to lighten the Gentiles.”

All of this came to North America with settlers and is still part of the Anglican Church of Canada today. Such traditions remind us that the Church isn’t separate from the world, but works within it—faith can make the ordinary sacred.

Candlemas invites us to take some time and reflect during the dark days of winter—February is a short month, but a cold and dark one. It’s a reminder that Christianity is not just about abandoning ancient stories and customs. By taking old traditions and connecting them to the message of Christ, Candlemas shows us how the light of the Gospel shines through every part of life, bringing warmth and hope to all who seek it. Whether through candlelight, community, or simple moments of reflection, this feast is important to keep, to inspire and remind us that even in the darkest times, light is never far away.

The post Candlemas: Old Traditions Through A Christian Lens appeared first on Anglican Life.

During weekly hour-long meetings, participants had time to quiet themselves and to hear the whole story of Christmas. This was followed by 30 minutes of silent time to reflect on the readings and make art in response. Next followed an opportunity to share personal responses and a “Prayer Over the Gifts.”

Each week featured a different part of the Christmas story with a related artistic prompt. Starting with The Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) and the prompt “Angel,” we proceeded through The Visitation (Luke 1:39–57) – prompt: “Adjoining Hearts”; The Nativity (Luke 2:1–14) – prompt: “Christ Child”; The Adoration of the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12) – prompt: “Your Own Star”; The Holy Innocents (Matthew 2:13–18) – prompt: “Transforming Tears”; and ended with The Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22–40) with the prompt “Dove.” Art materials were kept simple: plain paper, adult colouring sheets, markers, crayons, and leads, with watercolour paint palettes and simple wooden ornaments available for those who wanted to use them during the last two sessions.

By combining scripture, prayer, and creativity, Glorious Christmas continued the Christian tradition of using art to express devotion. Art has been described as a “unique language of the soul,” and the programme reminded participants that the process of making art can be an act of worship: honouring and giving thanks to the Divine Creator, who has likewise gifted creativity to us.

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In addition to this, when the lesson about stewardship was instructed, each candidate was given $5 to go and increase it to at least $10. This was based on the Parable of the Talents. From the twenty dollars that was given out, a total of $191.35 came back. This money was then given to the Deer Lake Christian Aid Committee to use towards the cost of providing Christmas hampers for those in need during the Christmas season.

We wish to extend thanks to all those who made our celebration of the sacrament of confirmation such a beautiful occasion in the life of our parish.

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As Anglicans, we refer to the head of the Canadian Anglican Communion as a Primate, but for many others a primate is a being in the wilds or a zoo. Even recently, the PWRDF office in Toronto received a letter saying, “If you are having difficulty locating primates, why not broaden your search category to include orangutans?”

And do the words “World Relief and Development” truly reflect how PWRDF works with others? Do we in North America have the answers to problems in the rest of the world?  Is PWRDF only for others, or also for Canadians? We need to ask: Who is doing what for whom? And, is it for, or with?

As PWRDF Board Member, The Rev’d Cynthia Haines Turner wrote in last month’s Anglican Life, “when you spend more time explaining the name than you do speaking about what you do, it’s time to change it.” It was obvious that PWRDF needed a name that is easy to say and understand, and that expresses the way it actually works.   

A Task Team established by the PWRDF Board to choose a more representative name concluded that the name needed to say that PWRDF works together with agencies around the world in the hope of creating “a truly just, healthy, and peaceful world.”  The two most significant terms that emerged from these discussions were “alongside” and “hope.”

These terms may be easiest to remember, if we consider their scriptural basis. “Alongside” emerged from reflections on how Jesus walked alongside two disciples on the road to Emmaus, disciples who recognized him when he broke bread and blessed it. And “hope,” was chosen because it reflects who we are called to be: a people of hope. As our baptismal covenant states: “There is one body and one Spirit. There is one hope in God’s call to us. One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (from Ephesians 4:4-5).

The name has changed, but the ministry has not. Our new name, Alongside Hope, reminds us that we are Anglicans and partners working together for change in Canada and around the world as we express our love for God and our neighbours.

With thanks to The Rev’d Cynthia Haines Turner,
submitted by Doreen Helen Klassen

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