Dear Friend of the Cathedral
We are celebrating May in the cathedral with liturgy, music and gardens. Last Sunday the Feast of Pentecost included candles, multiple languages, Patrick playing Messiaen and a glorious service of ordination. This Sunday is Trinity Sunday when we will have a second chance to hear Jason Noble’s Missa Vitae Novae which was first sung on Easter Day. Jason is a member of the Cathedral Singers. Elizabeth Welch will be the guest preacher.
As our spiritual practice this week Vivian sends us the following link: Commenting on an address by then Archbishop of Canterbury to the Synod of Bishops in Rome (and linking to it) Richard Rohr writes, ” true religion is not trying to make human beings spiritual. We’re already spiritual beings. Great religion is trying to make human beings human.” A fitting thought to ponder before Trinity Sunday when we celebrate the incarnation.
On Thursday May 26 at 12:15 Paul will be celebrating and preaching at a special sung Eucharist for Corpus Christi.
Now for gardens: “A garden is a lovesome thing God wot” wrote Thomas Brown in his poem My Garden, so it is appropriate that gardens are on the minds of cathedral parishioners. Louise Lockhart is spearheading (spade-heading?) some changes to the landscaping around the church. She is looking for suggestions and for helpers. Meanwhile, Anika Gerols is planning a vegetable plot, also in the cathedral grounds. Some people are already growing seedlings as part of this project.
On May 28 at 1 pm there will be a planting and Gardening Workshop facilitated by Eco-Quartier. Anika writes “Come join us for our first workshop of the season! We are fortunate enough to have Ann-Marie from Eco-Quartier with us who will be leading a workshop of vegetable gardening and planting. We will plant the seedlings we have been growing over the spring as well as some others! We will have several pairs of gardening gloves and tools onsite however if you have your own feel free to bring them!” Here is the Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1574885859470565/
Still on the topic of flowers, Rob Wells is looking for people to provide flowers for the Church on Sundays June 12, July 3, 10,17, & 24 and August 14 onward. This is a lovely way to celebrate a happy event or remember a loved one. Please contact either Rob or the Cathedral office.
The flowers for the ordination were lovely, both in the church and Fulford Hall. A special thank you goes to Churchwarden Donna Riley who organised the reception. Here is a letter she sent recognising her helpers: “Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the reception after the ordination on Pentecost Sunday a really festive celebration. Particular thanks go to Peggy Simpson, Vera Burt, and Ketlyn Maitland-Blades, who presided together over the cakes table, to Jane Aitkens, who organized the cake ‘recruitment’, and to the generous parishioners who baked more than two dozen cakes for the occasion. Thanks also to Marie-Claire Fournier, Joseph Hafner, and Daniel Paradis for serving drinks and helping to put things in order after the event, and especially to Donna Jean-Louis for the perfect lemonade, the cheery spring centerpieces, and for her watchful attention to so many details. The caterers, Vert la Bouche, put out a delectable spread, and David Burnstun and Ardyth Robinson, on staff, worked quietly and effectively behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. We hope our six ordinands felt well and truly fêted.”
Another practical way to help in the outreach of the cathedral is to sign up for a stint as a summer greeter. Sign up in the baptistry or call the office if you can offer to greet visitors to the Cathedral for one or more sessions (11am – 2pm or 2pm – 4:45pm) during the summer, starting June 14. This is a very rewarding ministry. Mostly you just need to smile and offer a “Bonjour – hi” but sometimes the visitor wants to ask questions or just chat. There are sheets to help you answer questions and maps to help you give directions.
And here’s another way to partake in lay ministry – Do you have an interest and time to visit a shut-in on a monthly basis? If so, let Jean-Jacques or the office know.
Also, of course, volunteers are always welcome to serve a hot lunch to people in need at the end of the month lunch. The next lunch is May 29th.
Reminder about dates in June
Ø Tuesday, June 7, midday, Lunch and Chat.
Ø Tuesday, June 7, evening, you will receive your invitation soon to a special preview of the goals, plans, personalities, and progress of the Cathedral’s Major Fundraising Campaign.
Ø June 12 at 7pm the reading group meets to discuss Finding Home by Eric Wright. Speak to Donna, Ann or Jane for details. All welcome.
If you just want to relax there are two excellent concerts coming up.
Ø On Saturday 21st May at 4:30pm a concert dedicated to the American composer Leonard Bernstein, entitled “Leonard Bernstein: Arias and Barcarolles”. Arias and Barcarolles, completed in 1988, is Bernstein’s last major work. The humorous and personal song cycle about love and marriage was written for voice and piano (four hands). Other selections from opera and musical theatre will complete the programme, performed by soprano Marie Lyne Phare, baritone Andrew White et pianists Lauretta Altman and Graeme Wilkinson.
Ø On Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 pm Transcriptions and Works for the Spanish Guitar featuring Cary Savage, guitar. A concert featuring some of the greatest works ever written to be performed on the Spanish Guitar. https://www.facebook.com/events/163048087415519/
If you’d like to take in a play, I recommend Dramatis Personae’s spring production in Westmount the last weekend in May, The Fifteen Minute Hamlet by Tom Stoppard followed by A Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal. Details and reservations www.theatrewestmount.com (Full disclosure – I am a guard, the ghost of the king and the gravedigger in one play, a three star American general in the other!)
There are many events happening in the diocese. You can find out about them by subscribing to Nicki Hronjak’s weekly email. Contact her at programme.office@montreal.anglican.ca . This week there is news, for example about the bishop’s golf tournament (please see the attachment), and the PWRDF dinner on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:30, when the special guest will be Grand Chief Joe Norton. There is also information about signing up for Education for Ministry in September. The Anglican Journal with its insert, the Montreal Journal, is a printed newspaper sent out to a mailing list generated by the cathedral. This is about to be updated so it would be helpful to know
- a)Do you receive the Journals in the mail, but want to cancel?
- b)Do you not receive the Journals, but would like to?
If you go on line circulation@national.anglican.ca you will see that a subscription costs $10 a year. However, people identified on our parish list as givers receive a free copy because the cathedral pays the subscription. Consequently we want to be sure that only givers who want a print copy of the journal mailed to them will stay on the list. Please note free copies are usually available at the back of the Cathedral and in the Diocesan offices.
While we’re on the subject of media, I assume you’re all familiar with the cathedral website where you can sign on to the rotas, get information or read a sermon or a blog. Sunday’s sermons are recorded so you can listen to a sermon as well as read it. I rather enjoy listening with the text in front of me so that I can catch the preacher’s occasional improvisations! www.montrealcathedral.ca Do also visit the Cathedral’s Facebook page which Vivian curates. There are often excellent photographs as well as information about events. https://www.facebook.com/ChristChurchCathedralMontreal/
One recent photograph is of Peter Huish and Michèle Rattray receiving a Montreal Cares award on behalf of Communitas ([formerly Montreal Southwest Ministries). Communitas was recognised for its work in restorative justice through the reintegration of prisoners in the community. Congratulations to Peter and Michèle for a very well-deserved recognition.
Being an old fashioned print-loving kind of person I’m going to finish with the rest of the rather charming poem I quoted earlier
A GARDEN is a lovesome thing, God wot! Rose plot, Fringed pool, Fern'd grot— The veriest school Of peace; and yet the fool Contends that God is not— Not God! in gardens! when the eve is cool? Nay, but I have a sign; 'Tis very sure God walks in mine.
Ann Elbourne