On average, 60 people are served weekly by 20 volunteers from across the city’s churches. In the summer months, the congregations from the churches in Pasadena and the Bay of Islands provide respite as they serve a takeout meal of sandwiches or a BBQ.

We strive to provide a nutritious meal served with respect and dignity, as well as a welcoming space to congregate for those who are hungry, lonely, or simply wish to gather around the table with familiar faces. The need continues to grow, but so too does the response of those who provide the food, come to serve, or donate monetarily to allow this valuable ministry to thrive during difficult times.

“we serve until all are fed”.

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When inserted on the tabletop of the altar, known as the “mensa,” it gives continuity from the Church of the past to the Church of the present and the future. Often, the relics used in these stones are that of a martyr, someone who died for their faith. This is done to hold true to the belief that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. This symbolized the martyr’s tomb, where the early Church celebrated the Eucharist. This was specially the case before Christianity became a publicly recognized religion by the emperor Constentine in 381. Underneath the stone is normally held the documentation concerning the consecration of the altar itself.

The first Good Friday that I went to Howley was 2022. When I approached the altar, to my surprise, there was an altar stone! People would not normally know that it is there because every day, with the exception of during the Easter Tridium when the altar is stripped, the altar stone is not visible to the worshipping community. This year (2026), going to Howley for the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, before the arrival of the worshipping community, I took this photo of the altar stone, so that I could share it with you.

If anyone knows any of the history behind the current altar in the Church of the Ascension in Howley, I would certainly love to find out the story behind this beautiful piece of our faith.

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Personally speaking, when I am with them, the cares of the world, parish ministry, and my life in general go out the window. In blessings, we often use these words: “May you see the face of the Lord Jesus in everyone you meet.” I can say with certainty—whether looking at individuals or the group as a whole—one cannot help but notice the face of Christ. Not only can one notice the face of Christ, but the love of God as well.

This is one event where I must confess to the deadly sin of pride. I am proud of the willingness of the people of the parish to come together and provide a meal, dessert, Easter treats, decorations, and even an appearance by the Easter Bunny to deliver the treats. Everyone beams with happiness to be part of this event. It is in moments like these that the Church opens wide not only its doors but also its arms, to receive the embrace of love from people who not only show love, but show us how to love, and how to see the image of God in each other. I look forward to being part of this event again next year.

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It is not hard to imagine the weight of that moment. Nor is it far from our own experience. There are times in life and in the Church when something real and life-giving seems to be taken from us. A chapter closes. A voice is no longer heard. A familiar way forward gives way to uncertainty. We are left looking, as the disciples did, into a space that feels both full of meaning and strangely empty.

The Ascension allows us to stand there for a moment to acknowledge the loss. Yet it also gently turns us toward what is hidden within it. For what appears to be absence is not the end of Christ’s presence, but its transformation. The risen Lord is not leaving us behind. He is drawing us into a deeper way of being with him. He is present in all places. No longer seen with the eyes alone, he is known in word and sacrament, in community, and in the quiet work of the Spirit.

This is not an easy shift. It asks something of us. It asks us to trust. The promise of the Ascension is not that we will always feel certain or see clearly, but that Christ remains faithful even when he is hidden from our sight. “I am with you always,” he says. That promise does not depend on our ability to perceive him, but on his enduring love for the world he has redeemed.

In ascending, Christ carries our humanity into the very life of God. Our struggles, our joys, and our fragile and finite lives are not left behind. They are gathered up and held within the communion of the Trinity. In him, our future is already secured, even as we continue to walk through the uncertainties of the present.

The disciples are told not to remain staring into heaven. They are called to return, to wait, to pray, and soon to go out as witnesses. The space left by Christ’s going becomes the space in which their calling takes shape. Perhaps that is where this feast meets us most clearly. In the spaces where something has changed, where something has been lost or loosened, we are also being invited into a deeper trust and a renewed calling. The absence we feel may, in time, reveal itself as a different kind of presence. The uncertainty we face may become the ground in which faith takes root more deeply.

As a Church, and as a people, we do not move forward with everything resolved or made clear. We move forward with a promise. Christ has gone ahead of us. Christ remains with us, and Christ is drawing all things toward their fulfilment in God. So, we hold on to the promise of the Ascension with honesty and hope. We name the sense of loss, but we do not stop there. In that trust, we continue on together, sustained by the promise that nothing given in Christ is ever truly lost. In that promise, we find our hope.

Blessed feast of the Ascension.

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In the Gospel of Matthew, the women approach the tomb carrying grief and uncertainty. They were not expecting resurrection. They were simply showing up in love. Then the earth trembled, the stone was moved, and the angel spoke words that echo through history: “He is not here; for he has been raised.” (Matthew 28:6).

The stone was rolled away not so Jesus can get out, but so the disciples can see in. God makes space for them, for us, to witness new life. Easter asks us gentle but searching questions: what stones feel heavy in our lives and in our Church right now? Where do we feel sealed in by fear, fatigue, or doubt? Where does the future seem unclear? Resurrection does not pretend that those stones have never existed. Good Friday was real. The cross was real. The grief was real.

We are living in a season that calls for patience, humility, courage and deep trust in God. Across many parts of the Church, communities are discerning what faithfulness looks like in changing times. It can be tempting to hold tightly to what once felt strong and secure, or to become anxious about what the future may bring. In places where numbers have declined and familiar patterns have faded, hope can feel fragile.

Yet the empty tomb speaks directly into that space. The risen Christ remains faithful when we feel uncertain. He is present when energy feels low. He goes ahead of us into a future we cannot yet see clearly. Resurrection does not deny loss but proclaims that none of those realities are ultimate. God is still able to move what we cannot.

The stone rolled away is a sign of divine initiative. Before the disciples organized themselves, before they understood what had happening, God had already acted. Resurrection is not our achievement. It is God’s gift. That means we do not have to solve every problem or map out every step before God begins to move. The first Easter did not wait for clarity, consensus, or confidence. It unfolded while hearts were still confused and plans were still undone. God intervened in the middle of their uncertainty.

This Easter, we are invited simply to look into the open tomb and listen again. To hear the promise that life is stronger than death. To trust that even where we see obstacles, God sees possibility. To step forward, as the women did, with fear and great joy intertwined.

May we have the grace to see what God is opening before us. May we walk into that future together, trusting that the One who was raised from the dead is still living and leading amongst us.

The stone has been rolled away. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Mickton+

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The Rev’d Kudawashe Madzime (Rev’d Kuda), gave the message for the evening. He gave an uplifting sermon of how

we portray the image of God not by outward appearances, but by our inward selves. He said, “It is the Spirit of God that is in you and me. In the image of God we are equal.”

We celebrated the evening in song with UnCommon Praise (our St. Michael and All Angels’ guitar group) who played the congregational hymns. The Zimbabwean community delighted us with two selections of drumming, and dancing from the young children.

At the closing of the service, Ivy Danquah (from Ghana) sang an inspirational rendition of “Sanctuary”.

The festivities continued after the blessing with a tea in the hall. Many stayed to enjoy the taste of some Zimbabwean and Nigerian foods, including boiled peanuts which seemed to be a favourite with the children. As we say in Newfoundland and Labrador, “A good time was had by all!” which can be compared to an African saying that Rev’d Kuda shared, which translated it means, “I Am because We Are.” As Rev’d Mickton expressed this feeling wholeheartedly on St. Michael and All Angels’ Facebook page “…prayers rose to God in different languages, reminding us that the Church truly speaks with many voices, yet shares one Spirit.”

A very memorable night of celebration for all!

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