Pancake supper – Ash Wednesday – Lent study – Lent Quiet day – Group meetings – visiting choir Friday – Adrian Foster’s lecture/recital – Cesse, cruel amour – AGV and Forum – Nuit blanche – Mental Health conference – phone # pastoral emergencies – Donald
Dear Friend of the Cathedral
Are you tired of winter? Depressed by politics? Then cheer yourself up by coming to the pancake supper being organised by George Deare and the servers. Tuesday, February 28 at 6 pm. Cost $5 and there is a very reasonably priced cash bar.
The following day is of course Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
There will be three Eucharists in the cathedral with imposition of ashes at 7:30am, 12:15pm (choral), and 7:30pm (choral).
The Lent study course will start on the second Sunday in Lent, March 12, the first of 4 sessions led by Gideon Strauss, Associate Professor in Worldview Studies at the Institute for Christian Studies and a member of our congregation. Here is how he introduces the course:
What is Lent all about? In his Foreword to Dethroning Mammon, the 2017 Lent Book by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Jean Vanier answers that question: making room for Jesus. Join us for a Lenten book study on March 12th, March 19th, March 26th, and April 2nd. We will meet in a location to be announced on these Sundays from 12:30 to 2 pm. Sign up over coffee on Sunday and pick up one of the fifteen copies of Dethroning Mammon available for a cost of $20. (For a glimpse of the Archbishop’s teaching, watch this Q&A on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/archbishopofcanterbury/videos/1222964521091025/.)
Please also SAVE THE DATE for our March 25 Quiet Day, “HOLY LONGING”… a mid-Lent Saturday refreshment with simple liturgies and meditations… some in both English and French … led by members of our own pastoral team. Details to follow. 9:30 – 4 pm.
More food for the soul:
The Cathedral Reading Group will meet at 7 pm on Sunday to discuss Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf. Speak to Ann Elbourne for more details.
Pain, partage et prière : The French sharing and bible study group will meet on February 26 at 2:00 p.m. in the Hollis Lounge.
Hungry Minds: Bible study and supper for students and young adults meets Wednesdays at 6pm. in the Undercroft.
This Friday (tomorrow) at 5:15 p.m. about a dozen singers and bellringers from Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, will provide special music at Evensong. Mr. Randy Mills, the college Organist and Choir Director, writes, “this year’s group has learned Willan’s arrangement of fauxbourdons by V. Ruffo.”
Last week we mentioned that Adrian Foster will be giving his doctoral dissertation on Friday in L’Église Saintes-Anges de Lachine. After the letter was sent the start time was changed to 7 o’clock. Please speak to Patrick if you need a ride to Lachine, or can offer one.
There will be a great concert in the Oasis series on Saturday, February 18, at 4:30 in the cathedral. Catherine St-Arnaud, lead soprano in the choir will be joined by pianist Julien LeBlanc in a programme titled Cesse, cruel amour! “Tormented love, languorous love, unfaithful love, sweet love, cruel love, happy love… The theme of Love will guide you through a musical journey that goes from the baroque era to the post-romantic music.” The programme will include opera arias, French songs and piano solos.
Please don’t forget two important meetings: the annual General Vestry this Sunday (February 19) after the 10 am Eucharist and Cathedral Forum on Tuesday (February 21). The agendas for the two meetings are attached along with the minutes of earlier meetings and – most important – the cathedral budget for 2017. Please take a careful look at the budget before coming to the meeting. There will be not be a Eucharist at 12:45 so the 10 am Eucharist will be bi-lingual. The draft annual report will be available on Sunday.
A press conference for Nuit blanche à Montreal launched the programme for March 4. Watch out for our publicity on the website and Facebook and please help us by liking and sharing these posts. The press release in English and French written by Amanda and Catherine is attached. If you want to help out on the night please speak to Ann Elbourne.
Pastoral emergency number: For pastoral emergencies that happen after office hours and on weekends please call 514 608 1754. This will connect you to a cell phone that will be with a member of the clergy team. Please use only for emergencies.
Information from beyond the cathedral which might interest some of you:
Online registration for the first Quebec School-Based Mental Health Conference to be held on March 31, 2017 is now open. http://cemh.lbpsb.qc.ca/sbmhconference.htm
Finally, an update that Donald is recovering well, so please keep praying for him.
Please pray also for the annual vestry meeting.
Ann Elbourne