Do you like to relax, pray, be challenged during the summer? We have something for everybody at the Cathedral during the coming weeks.
For a thought-provoking talk come to hear Father Michael Apsley on Saturday August 1 at 7 pm in the Cathedral. Fr Michael is an Anglican priest who was active in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, serving as chaplain to the ANC, among other roles. He continues to work towards reconciliation and peace in South Africa as the director of the Institute for the Healing of Memories and in developing models to assist faith communities in the process of healing the psychological, emotional and spiritual wounds of violence. Clearly what he says will resonate with many of us in all kinds of ways. See the Facebook event page.
Some of you might have noticed that Fr Apsley’s talk will follow the usual Saturday concert in the Cathedral. The Oasis concerts are a wonderful way to relax, drink some iced tea, nibble on a bar of fair trade chocolate and listen to musicians of the highest calibre.
Saturday, July 18 Christian Vachon, violin, and Frédéric Lacroix, piano, will play the rarely performed Nielsen Sonatas for Violin and Piano.
Wednesday, July 22, you can hear a fascinating combination of instruments – Jonathan Bailey, flute, Jules Payette, alto saxophone, Donald Pistolesi, cello, Alain Payette, piano – playing in a concert with the title Une rencontre avec Alain Payette et ses amis.
If you would like to read a novel that is both fascinating and challenging try the book group’s summer read, Us Conductors by Sean Michaels. This is the story of the man who invented the theremin, an unusual musical instrument that is not touched by the musician. He also invented a number of gadgets that were precursors of our TV remote controls, garage openers etc. Moreover he was a possible Russian spy and had a tempestuous love affair with the woman who played his theremin in concerts. A book to relish on a lazy summer evening!
In the long years before the appearance of Us Conductors and its success, Sean Michaels supported himself as a paralegal and a music journalist. In 2003 he launched the world’s first MP3 blog, saidthegramophone, and it’s still going strong. (Thank you to Vivian for this information)
Another book to relish is St Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians which a small group is discussing very informally on Monday evenings at 5:15. Call Tania at the office if you are interested.
Our Sunday worship is prayerful, joyful and thoughtful.
Have you tried out the Sunday evening Eucharist at 6 pm? This is a less formal service than the morning services. This week Rhonda is presiding and preaching and Joseph Hafner is providing the music.
The Sunday School children are having a happy time outside in the Cathedral grounds during the 10 am service, learning about the psalms and creating their own music.
Last weekend was very hot, but nevertheless quite a large number of Cathedral members staffed the two tables which were our participation in this year’s Ste Catherine Célèbre, the annual street fair.
One table displayed information about the Cathedral’s activities and included some historical tidbits from the archives and the schedule for last year’s Journées de la culture along with an invitation to visit us during this year’s events in September.
The Cathedral’s Fair Trade group, spearheaded by Jonathan, collaborated with Montreal Ville Equitable to inform people about the possibility of Montreal becoming a Fair trade Town. Jonathan, being super-human, spent most of the day dressed as a banana! A few other people took a turn but nobody lasted very long in the hot yellow costume. The fair traders distributed 4 crates of fair trade organic bananas generously contributed by Equifruit. We weren’t allowed to sell or give away whole bananas so the team chopped up several hundred bananas and offered the pieces as samples to the passing crowds. The group used the giveaway as a teaching opportunity, explaining the difference that buying fair trade bananas makes to the farmers and their communities and telling people where they can buy fair trade products. They also gathered 164 signatures on a petition calling for M. Coderre to drink fair trade coffee at City Hall. In spite of the heat the event was a success and we actually had fun.
A banana plotting to take over the world – Could that be Jonathan?
No bananas this weekend, but you can visit the Fair Trade Kiosque after the 10 am Eucharist on Sunday and support justice for producers and farmers around the world. You might also visit the display at the back of the church which promotes the PWRDF Summer Appeal, the “Fred Says” Food Security Campaign which will help some of the thousands of people who don’t have enough to eat.
A date to remember : Sunday 9th August – Come to evensong at 4pm as we say farewell to Bishop Barry and wish him well for his future ministry.