Dear Friend of the Cathedral
Have you received your invitation to the Preview Launch of the Cathedral’s Major Fundraising Campaign?
Our campaign leaders, from both within the congregation and the wider community have been hard at work earning the support of community leaders and major donors, and are eager to share news of their progress with you. Our architects will present an update on the repairs and restoration planned, and how it will affect us over the next several months and beyond. All will be glad to answer your questions. We will also distribute information kits, including the campaign brochure. And we will preview the final version of the video produced specially for the campaign.
DATE: Tuesday, June 7, 2016 *** TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. *** PLACE: Cathedral Place, second floor
We hope very much that are planning to attend. If so, would you please let us know? There will be food and wine, and we need to plan quantities. Contact Monica Lodygensky at 843-6577 ext, 246 orcampaign@montrealcathedral.ca.
If you haven’t received an invitation it might be because we don’t have your mailing address – or it might be the fault of Canada Post. I didn’t receive the invitation which was mailed to me. The organising committee would love everybody to attend and make this launch a truly festive occasion.
Musical Oasis series at St. George’s Church, Place du Canada!
Another festive launch takes place this Sunday. Since its re-launch in January 2014 L’Oasis Musicale at Christ Church Cathedral has presented over 150 high-quality classical music concerts, open to all, many featuring local emerging musicians. The organisers of L’Oasis Musicale are thrilled to announce the launching of an additional new Musical Oasis series at St. George’s Church, Place du Canada!
To celebrate this, they would like to invite us all to the launch concert this Sunday June 5th at 2pm and the post-concert reception, to be hosted by The Anglican Bishop of Montreal, Mary Irwin-Gibson. The concert features soprano Andréanne Brisson Paquin and Rendez-Vous Baroque Français in a concert entitled ” Îles et Rivages”. Jonathan writes “This is an exciting moment for St Georges Church as they seek, through this musical outreach initiative ‘to actively witness to the love and hope that is given to each of us…. and to share this whole‐heartedly with those who live, work and study in downtown Montreal.’ I hope you can come along and support St Georges as they take this new step this Sunday.” https://www.facebook.com/events/1602760786718651/
You can also visit their blog http://oasismusicale.blogspot.ca/ or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OasisMusicale/
The next two L’Oasis concerts in the Cathedral are, on Saturday, June 4 at4:30pm, I Love Life presented by Douglas Renfroe (bass-baritone) and Nataliya Labiau (piano), a concert featuring Scottish and English songs, German Lieder, opera arias and songs from the shows, and on the following Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30, Recital for cello and piano with Noémy Braun and Sanaz Sotoudeh. This concert presents the most popular music for cello and piano by French and Spanish composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and will end with the ‘Grand tango’ by Astor Piazzolla.
We offer our condolences to the family and friends of Ruth Toohey, a former parishioner, who died recently. We also extend our sympathy to Mary, our bishop, and her husband Paul Gibson on the death of John Gibson, Paul’s father. May light perpetual shine upon both Ruth and John.
SJAG is organising a letter-writing event this Sunday and next Sunday, inviting people to write letters and sign a petition to the Quebec government concerning the implementation of Call 62.
The cathedral offers many opportunities to volunteer. Here are 3 pleasurable ways to share some time:
- Anika Gerols is looking for people to help care for the newly planted community garden.
- Bob King is looking for Sunday stewards. This is a very rewarding job and a great way to get to know members of the congregation.
- Natasha Henderson is compiling a rota of people who would like to spend a few hours greeting summer visitors. You will be given all the information you need to answer questions.
Two events have been cancelled:
Ø Lunch and Chat will not take place on June 7. People are encouraged to go to the Major fundraising campaign event instead.
Ø Pain, partage et prière which was to have met this Sunday will meet on June 12 instead, following the special Sunday service when the people who go to the 12:45 service will host francophone members of St George and downtown churches for a joint service and meal.
Sunday June 19
Two previously anounced events which will take place are the book group meeting on Sunday, June 12, when it will discuss Finding Home by Eric Wright, and the parish picnic and blessing of the garden on June 19.
A new announcement: The next LGBT Event will be the customary pot-luck BBQ on Saturday June 18 at 6 pm. Bring your meat, drink and a salad or dessert. Speak to Jean-Jacques, Donald or Paul for more details.
A reminder : Parking in the forecourt On Sundays before and during the 10am Eucharist and on the evening of June 7th parking in the forecourt is reserved for people with a parking pass with reduced mobility.
An invitation from the Diocese: Education for Ministry, a program of theological education directed towards lay people, is inviting new people to start the course in September. Please see the attached document which includes contacts.
We are very fortunate to hear such excellent preaching every Sunday. You can get a second hearing (or reading) by going to www.montrealcathedral.ca and looking for sermons. Reading it is the suggested spiritual exercise this week. I will also attach the summer reading list prepared by Episkopé.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Tuesday, June 7.
Ann Elbourne, Office Volunteer
Summer Reading 2016
For children (babies to school-aged) and people who like to read to them:
Images of God for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval, illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni, 2010 (Jen Bourque)
Non-fiction
Accidental Saints: Finding God in the all the wrong people, by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Amy Hamilton)
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, 2014 {Jen Bourque)
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith, by Diana Butler Bass (Jane Aitkens)
God’s Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God’s Will, Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ (Paul Kennington)
Grounded: Finding God in the world-A spiritual revolution, by Diana Butler Bass (Amy Hamilton)
Leaving Church: A memoir of faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor (Amy Hamilton)
Not In God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence by Jonathan Sacks (Jane Aitkens)
Available in hardcover or ebook – paperback isn’t out until February next year.
Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Jen Bourke & Amy Hamilton)
Post-Capitalism – A Guide to Our Future, Paul Mason. FSG (Peter Huish)
Seamless Faith: Simple Practices for Daily Family Life by Traci Smith 2014 (Jen Bourque)
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi (Donna Riley)
Fiction
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese. Vintage (Peter Huish)
The Heart Goes Last, Margaret Atwood, 2014. (Jean-Jacques Goulet)
Islands of Decolonial Love, by Leanne Simpson, 2013. (Vivian Lewin). Available at the McGill Bookstore.
The Orenda, Joseph Boyden. Penguin (Peter Huish)
The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley (Donald Boisvert)
Sweeter Than All the World, by Rudy Wiebe, Vintage 2002 (Jean-Jacques Goulet)
A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham (Donald Boisvert)