Personnel changes… Social justice events and request from Vanier … Pride Mass & other Pride events… Saturday concert … Dorie Cuming tea party: invitation & correction

Dear Friend of the Cathedral

You will notice some changes in personnel around the cathedral when fall begins. Donald Boisvert is about to start the retirement he has planned for some time. His last services with us as interim rector will be on August 27. He will preside and preach at all three Eucharists and then take a complete break in September and October. However, we hope he will be back with us in the future for the occasional service and sermon, a cause for rejoicing in this congregation which has greatly appreciated his preaching and his pastoring.

Meanwhile, Tania Lesack will begin her in-ministry year with Brian Perron at the Church of the Epiphany and also continue her studies at Dio, so she will resign her position as administrator in the cathedral office. We will miss her efficiency and creativity, but not lose sight of her completely as she is still a member of the Cathedral parish and one of our lay readers. Elizabeth Shama will combine the job of parish administrator with her current job as cathedral bookkeeper. Welcome, Elizabeth. We promise to be patient and not too demanding during your first weeks settling in.

There will also be a new verger, because Jeffrey Mackie is starting full time studies towards his Bachelor of Theology degree. Please share the notice asking for applications to the post of Assistant Verger with anyone who might be interested. Assistant Vergers have responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness and security of Cathedral property and for welcoming visitors and ensuring their safety. They prepare the cathedral for daily services, weddings and funerals and, as required, assist with special events and concerts outside regular hours.

This coming Sunday (August 13) will be quite eventful. The choral Eucharist will be a combined bi-lingual service for the 10 am and 12:45 pm congregations. During coffee hour you can visit the Fair Trade Boutique, a small way in which you can help bring justice to producers and farmers in the Third World, and you can also join people who will be writing letters or signing postcards on behalf of Amnesty International. If you are not familiar with the work of Amnesty International, take a look at their website:

Part of their mission statement reads

Our vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments.

Our mission is to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.

The Cathedral has been invited by Vanier College to participate in their Social Science Festival, Oct 16 – 20 by giving a presentation on the work that we do and our application of Christian values to social justice and service. I would love to hear from anybody who would like to participate in planning (and giving) this presentation.

The cathedral will be supporting another kind of social justice with the Diocesan Pride Mass at 6:30 pm Sunday August 13. (The photo is from last year’s event). Everyone is invited, both people who identify as LGBTQ+ and their friends and allies. Bishop Mary will preside, Jean Jacques will preach. and music is being provided by the Cathedral Singers Quartet under the direction of Patrick Wedd, The Montreal Gay Men’s Chorus, directed by Julie Roy, and also Hannah R. Brockow (harp), Zack Ingles (guitar) and Joseph Hafner (cello). It will be a beautiful service. I hope lots of cathedral parishioners will be there to greet the many visitors we are hoping to welcome.

Reading the Pride Mass bulletin I was struck particularly by two sentences: first the congregational response to the priest when he says “We break this bread to share in the body of Christ” – “We being many are one body for we all share in the one bread.” and secondly another congregational response near the beginning of the service “Puisse la flamme de l’Esprit de Dieu chasser les ténèbres intérieures et extérieures: Puisse la flamme de l’Esprit de Dieu embraser de joie nos cœurs et nos âmes.” If you can’t come to the service these are two good sentences on which to base a meditation this week.

You will also be able to read the bulletin on the web site after it has been posted later in the week. And you can hear Jean-Jacques Goulet being interviewed about the mass on CHOQfm, here.

Next weekend will also be busy when the Cathedral continues its participation in Pride celebrations. You can help out at the cathedral’s booth on Community Day, Saturday, August 19th, 11 am to 5 pm and join in the parade on Sunday. Meet at the Cathedral at 11:30 on Sunday or join us at St Mathieu & René-Lévesque. The parade starts at noon. The Cathedral’s marching unit is in the red section, so please wear something red if you can. There will be a sign-up sheet for Community Day in the baptistery this Sunday.

This Saturday (August 12)  at 4:30 pm Oasis Musicale presents: 4 cors et 1 mezza. The rich and noble sound of Katcor—Xavier Fortin, Simon Bourget, Alice Lane-Lépine and Lyne Santamaria—added to the beautiful voice of the mezzo Christianne Bélanger in a lyrical repertoire from German romanticism to American Cabaret Songs. Music by Delibes, Bolcom, Wagner, Dvorak, Hindemith, Strauss and Offenbach. For details of all the Oasis Musicale concerts visit http://www.oasismusicale.ca/

Finally, an apology and a repeat of last week’s invitation to the Dorie Cuming Tea Party on Tuesday, September 5 (note the corrected date). Robyn Cuming, Dorie’s daughter, will be a special guest. I’m so sorry I didn’t catch last week’s auto-correct of Robyn’s name. If you would like to come to the party and haven’t received your invitation, please contact Janet King. If you have had an invitation, please reply to Janet or the Cathedral Office.

Let us celebrate together many aspects of social justice in the coming week.

Ann Elbourne