Father Reuben Hatcher, a retired priest and member of the former parish, with his wife Ruth, made St. Philip’s their new place of worship. He approached The Rev’d Randy Lockyer, rector of St. Philip’s, wondering if the congregation would permit the Christus Rex to be hung. The congregation was delighted to do so, both to honour the history, life, and ministry of St. Michael’s, and as a tribute to the ministry of the late Canon Felix Honeygold, who served as rector there from 1956–1976 and was instrumental in designing the Christus Rex.

Bishop Samuel Rose, who once served as priest-in-charge of St. Michael’s, preached and led the congregation in the prayers for the re-dedication of the Christus Rex, while Rev’d Randy led the celebration of the Eucharist. Parishioners from the former St. Michael’s were invited to come along for the service, including several retired priests of the parish. Peter Honeygold, parishioner and son of the late Canon Honeygold, also spoke of the honour it was for them to participate, and how appreciative they were to have the Christus Rex re-dedicated in his father’s memory.

Following the service, fellowship and refreshments were held in the Canon E. B. Cheeseman Parish Centre. It was a very special time, and everyone was so pleased to see the former parish of St. Michael’s, and a beloved former rector, honoured in this way.

The post Christus Rex Finds New Home appeared first on Anglican Life.

Archbishop Cottrell is now the interim Archbishop of Canterbury.

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As we navigate through life, we acquire many friends at different stages along the way. On this journey, whether long or short, there are always some who stand out more visibly than others. Clemie was one of those. I met Clemie when I migrated from Saint Peter’s in Upper Gullies to St. John the Evangelist here in Topsail. We first bonded through church-related activities and outreach, especially through the Anglican Church Women’s Association, where we worked in partnership over the years.

Clemie was noted for her generous and giving nature—a characteristic she often displayed by volunteering both her time as well as her money. Clemie was proud yet humble, jovial yet serious. She was also a very social person, holding many memberships in several organizations—especially the Worsley Park Seniors Club, where she enjoyed a game of cards and bingo.

Clemie loved to join the crew from church for lunch at McDonald’s after Sunday morning service. We will always miss and visualize that special place she occupied within the group.

Clemie lived a long and fulfilling life, and despite her declining health over the past year, she always kept remarkably active and involved—qualities that demonstrated her exceptional resilience. Clemie was one of a kind. She was someone to look up to. When you know someone like Clemie, who has had such an impact, the whole community feels the loss. Besides her immediate family, she will be greatly missed here at St. John the Evangelist.

You have come to the end of life‘s journey,
But your wisdom bestowed will still stay.
In the lives of all of us who bear witness
To the lessons you taught along the way.

We will treasure your memory. Rest in peace.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1 Corinthians 15: 22

The post Reflections on the Life of A Dedicated Parishioner, Clementina Jane Smith appeared first on Anglican Life.

Also, at that service, we had 31 chemo caps taken to the church, and a prayer was said over them by The Rev’d Deacon Joshua Haggstrom. These caps were knitted or crocheted by our ACW ladies and others. They were later donated to our local hospital.

Thank you to all of the people involved in this worthwhile project.

The post A Night of Remembrance and Giving appeared first on Anglican Life.

The post A Day of Fellowship and Service appeared first on Anglican Life.

Participation will be limited to 30 teams and registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Teams will be asked to articulate a campaign goal and project focus at the point of registration. Most costs associated with youth projects and programs, including staffing, are eligible.

SYTK is an annual fundraising appeal sponsored by AFC. Launched in 2021 to encourage church-led pandemic recovery programs and initiatives, the SYTK movement has now provided $755,000 in funding to more than 150 beneficiaries and fundraising partners for youth-focused ministry and outreach across the Anglican Church of Canada.

“The top three ministry impact zones have been faith formation, arts and education, and outdoor recreation,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director. “It’s wonderful to see the year-over-year impact as so many churches and dioceses are using SYTK to invest in youth retreats, Vacation Bible Schools, and part-time staffing to revitalize children and youth ministry programs.” Other impact zones include food security and poverty reduction, reconciliation, and health and well-being.

At the close of the 2024 campaign AFC surveyed past SYTK participants. “Seventy-five percent of respondents told us they use SYTK to create a sustainable revenue stream for an ongoing ministry and that it’s an important source of funding for them,” says Brubacher. “We also heard how influential the AFC Angel Donor matching gift program has been to local campaigns. We are all very grateful to the lead donors who, over the past 4 years, have championed this cause with donations totaling more than $100,000.”

At the close of the 2025 campaign, teams will have secured a grant of 80 percent of the funds raised, including any matching gifts or leadership giving boosts provided by AFC. Campaign funds will be disbursed in August. The 20 percent share that is retained by AFC will build up the Kids Helping Kids Fund to enable even more youth-focused grants across Canada.

Visit www.anglicanfoundation.org/apply/sytk to register today.

What about Newfoundland & Labrador?

“Over the past five years, we have been deeply moved by the support the Say Yes! to Kids movement has received from Newfoundlanders,” says Michelle Hauser, AFC’s Development & Communications Officer. “In 2021, nearly $12,000—more than ten per cent of the national total—came from supporters in the Diocese of Central Newfoundland. And last year, Bishop Sam Rose captained the team for the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador, becoming the first Diocesan Bishop to lead a SYTK fundraiser.” Hauser says the Foundation also received a generous donation in 2024 from the Parish of Fortune-Lamaline. “They became the first Sunday School to adopt Say Yes! to Kids as a beneficiary. It was just wonderful.”

Since 2021, the Foundation has provided a total of $43,000 in funding for youth-centred projects and programs in all three dioceses and approximately half of that has come through the Say Yes! to Kids movement. “We look forward to seeing the more we can imagine together this year!”

For more information contact:

Michelle Hauser, Development & Communications Officer

Anglican Foundation of Canada:
169 Bridge Street West, Napanee, ON  K7R 2V5

Home office:
1-877-354-6387
mhauser@anglicanfoundation.org

The post Anglican Foundation Launches 5th Annual “Say Yes To Kids” Campaign appeared first on Anglican Life.

This program provides a fun way to exercise both your body and mind while enjoying the fellowship and company of friends. Holy Trinity warmly invites everyone to join us for these sessions. We meet in the Old Parish Hall at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Participants range in age from their sixties to their nineties, making it a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and reconnect with old ones, all while keeping our minds and bodies active.

The post Active Minds and Healthy Bodies: Seniors Exercise Program at Holy Trinity appeared first on Anglican Life.

She saw through it right away.

For one thing, she’s not all that fussy on black. She had also just recently got another blanket, which is also pretty nice (though not as comfortable as the one I got for her, in my opinion).

No, the truth is… I got it for me.

Have you ever done that? Gotten someone a gift that you probably like more than they do, consciously or unconsciously, because you’re looking forward to using it? It’s probably not the most sensitive thing to do, but nobody’s perfect.

I did get her other stuff too, thank goodness. I’m pretty sure she has forgiven me.

Why is it that so many of us have such a hard time with forgiveness? I meet so many people who, when the subject comes up, confess that there are people in their lives whom they simply cannot forgive. They know the Bible. They believe strongly in the love of Jesus. They are good people, trying to learn and grow and be closer to God. And yet, forgiveness is so often elusive. It sometimes just seems so hard to forgive someone, even when you know that you should.

And I think that’s because we get forgiveness wrong. We don’t actually understand it, and so it becomes a barrier to living lives of love. We tend to think of it as letting someone “get away” with doing wrong to us or saying, “It’s okay that you hurt me.” We treat it like it’s relieving someone of the consequences of their actions, and so we deny forgiveness out of a sense of justice.

But forgiveness is not for the person you’re forgiving. It really isn’t. It’s for you.

Let’s say someone rear-ends my car, causing damage to my vehicle and injury to me. They drive off, never to be seen again. They’ve hurt me, and I’m angry and bitter about it. But my anger and bitterness have absolutely no effect on the person who did it. They don’t even know me. Likewise, should I choose to forgive them, my forgiveness doesn’t affect them either. They wouldn’t even know.

But for me, the forgiveness I’ve offered means that the anger and bitterness no longer live in my heart. I can let them go and so live in greater freedom. I don’t have to carry the sins of the other person with me, weighing me down and keeping me from experiencing a greater love in my life.

Or I could not forgive… and, in my heart, the person just keeps hurting me over and over, forever.

Do you see? Forgiveness isn’t a gift of relief for the other person. It’s a grace given to us by God for our own freedom. It’s the ability to repent of those negative things that keep us from loving our neighbour as ourselves.

When we ask God for forgiveness, it’s not a gift for us; it’s a request that God lets go of anger for the wrongs that we have done so that our relationship is restored. That’s the point of the death and resurrection of Jesus: God letting us know that no anger or resentment remains and that we are loved.

So, if you have trouble forgiving someone else—if it’s a gift you struggle to give—remember, it’s not really for them. It’s for you. And through it, you are comforted and free.

The post The Gift of Forgiveness appeared first on Anglican Life.

During Canon Abbott’s time in the Parish of Isle aux Morts, he oversaw the formation of the “Coastal Choir,” which included participants from the communities of Margaree, Fox Roost, Isle aux Morts, and Burnt Islands. The choir was created to perform at the annual Ecumenical Service.Thank you Canon Abbott. They are pictured at the top of this page.

Christmas Eve 2024

Below is a photo taken on Christmas Eve, 2024, at St. Augustine’s Church in Margaree – Fox Roost, which was Canon Ken Abbott’s last official service before a well deserved holiday, and the move to his next parish. We wish him well!

Other Photographs

The post News From Margaree-Fox Roost appeared first on Anglican Life.

The duration of Earth Hour may be sixty minutes, but it extends to 24 hours, which may be why this year’s theme is “The Biggest Hour for Earth.”

Earth Hour takes place on the last Saturday in March, which in 2025 is March 29, from 8:30–9:30 p.m., wherever you are. Earth Hour began in 2007 as an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which describes it this way:

“Earth Hour is a moment of unity that brings the world together, shines a spotlight on nature loss and the climate crisis, and inspires millions more to act and advocate for urgent change. Each year, we work together to turn a single Earth Hour into thousands and millions of hours of action for our one shared home.”

The site earthhour.org has this to say:

“Can an Hour change the world? Earth Hour invites you to switch off and spend 60 minutes doing something—anything—positive for our planet. Just 60 minutes? Yes, just one hour. It may not seem like much, but the magic happens when you, and those like you in Asia and Africa, North and South America, Oceania and Europe—supporters in over 190 countries and territories—all give an hour for our one home, creating the Biggest Hour for Earth.”

There are many ways to participate in Earth Hour—the simplest being turning off the lights and electronics, lighting a candle, and taking an hour to relax, breathe, talk, socialize—anything, really.

Earth Hour helps raise awareness about what the World Council of Churches calls the climate emergency facing our world. Although there are climate change deniers, the truth is that most people accept and understand that our planet is under threat. We speak of climate change, a climate crisis, and climate justice. Poorer communities are the most vulnerable and the least equipped to deal with the problems associated with climate change. But all communities everywhere are affected by events like wildfires and droughts.

Most of us feel hopeless—we wonder what one person can do, and even if we did know what to do, we despair that it can make a difference. But in 2024, there were 1,567,230 hours given for the Earth—hours spent in activities “off the grid.”

The more people are aware of the crisis facing our planet, the more they are likely to embrace solutions, even difficult or costly ones. And while we may feel powerless, we can all turn off the lights for an hour—it’s a small but tangible way of expressing our concern for our Earth—our home. It’s our way of turning climate crisis into climate hope.

The post Some Light in The Dark appeared first on Anglican Life.