Thanksgiving – wedding Ben and Erica – a prestigious prize for Remrov – October events: Indian Act lecture, Forum, General Vestry, Game time, Hommage à Luther (500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation) – New Capital Campaign blog—Successful Journée de la culture
Dear Friend of the Cathedral,
What a beautiful Fall we are enjoying! This Sunday our 10 am service will be a special Thanksgiving Service. My head is already ringing with the anthem “Thou visitest the earth” by Maurice Greene which will be sung after the communion. The church is being decorated on Friday morning (October 6) and last minute donations of flowers and vegetables are still welcome. Appropriately, this weeks’ spiritual practice is a reflection on Gratitude.
Two pieces of news about parishioners give us particular cause for joy this week. Ben Stuchbery and Erica Jacobs-Perkins are getting married on Saturday at 11 am. They have asked for our prayers and have invited members of the congregation to join them in the liturgy. The second piece of good news is that Remrov Casey Vormer won 3rd prize at the INAP (International Naturally Autistic People) Awards Convention and Festival in Vancouver last weekend. Many of us are familiar with Remrov’s meticulously detailed pencil drawings and know that this was a very well-deserved award.
For your October calendar:
Saturday, September 14. Co-sponsored by SJAG (Social Justice Action Group of CCC), a lecture and dialogue with Dr. Karl Hele in Fulford Hall from 10 am – 3 pm, on the topic of the Indian Act. Please bring bag lunch, beverages will be provided. Please contribute a freewill donation. RSVP:
Sunday, October 15. Cathedral Book Group will meet at 7 pm to discuss Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis – by turns sad, funny and horrifying, but always full of challenging ideas.
Tuesday, October 17. October meeting of Forum. The agenda and supporting documents will be sent out next week.
Saturday, October 21. LGBTQ+ Event: Game Time! Join us for a relaxed and fun time at Randolph Pub Ludique, 2041 Saint-Denis, at 4 pm. Admission fee $5+tax.
Saturday, October 21. Hommage à Luther October 21 l‘Église Très-Saint-Nom-de-Jésus, 4215, rue Adam, Montréal, at 7 pm. Please see the information below or go to their website
Sunday, October 22: The final part of the Annual General Vestry meeting will be held after the 10 am service. The audited financial reports will be submitted and there will be updates about the work on the spire and about the fund-raising campaign
Invitation to commemorate Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
At the end of October 500 years ago Martin Luther posted 95 Theses criticising the practice of giving papal indulgences to people with enough money to buy their way out of purgatory. Luther’s invitation to a scholarly debate is now recognized as the start of the Protestant Reformation. He maintained that salvation comes through faith, not deeds, and insisted that the bible is the central religious authority. Commemorations of Luther’s brave stance are taking place around the world, some of them here in Montreal. Members of St John’s Lutheran Church (where Joel Amis is currently doing an in-ministry stage) have invited our congregation to an event celebrating this anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. Admission is free. There will be music from the time of Martin Luther, music inspired by Luther, and guest speakers to highlight different aspects of Luther’s work. At the same time, they are also celebrating the renewed worldwide ecumenical dialogue: “From Conflict to Communion”, as presented by the Lutheran–Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, as well as the far-reaching effects on education, society, music and even politics of Martin Luther’s lifelong work and teachings. We are also invited to a second event on October 31. See http://www.rrc2017.ca/
If you’ve looked at the cathedral’s website or Facebook page during the past week you will have seen the announcement of a new blog focused on the restoration of the Spire. I found it very interesting. For instance, you can find out how much has been raised from private donations over the summer. The blog invites your participation, asking
Do you have a story about the cathedral that you would like to share? What are you curious about? Who do you want to hear from? We would love to hear from you! Please comment in the space below, follow us on the Christ Church Cathedral Facebook page or contact us at https://campaign.montrealcathedral.ca/
Finally, congratulations to everyone involved in the successful Journées de la culture last weekend. Close to 2000 people came into the Cathedral over the weekend. Our visitors were very respectful and appreciative, especially when being fed fair trade scones and tea on the forecourt after Evensong on Sunday. Now I’m looking for a couple of people to help run Nuit blanche next March. Please speak to me!
Happy October, happy Thanksgiving
Ann Elbourne
PS Do you know the difference between a spire and a steeple?