Events Saturday & Sunday (Oasis Musical, Joe Deom & Indian Act, Social Service Society meeting, pain partage et prière) and Monday’s MDTC convocation – May is Fair Trade month – gift ideas for Mother’s day from the FT boutique – May Forum – Bishop’s visit to Masasi – a way to help this impoverished country – Bach, Stravinsky and Patrick Wedd, a web link to some scintillating events – our Assistant Organists in concert –good news about the refugee family we are sponsoring – how you can help
Dear Friend of the Cathedral
May and June will be busy months—in the nicest way—so I hope we all feel energized by the imminent arrival of flowers, sun and outdoor terrasses. First, a reminder of events this weekend and Monday:
This Saturday, between 10am and 1pm, in Fulford Hall, come and hear Joe Deom speak about the Indian Act: the promotion and protection of Native rights.
At 4:30, Oasis Musicale offers “Bach in Performance.” Patrick Wedd will play the fifth of his six-concert series featuring some of J.S. Bach’s most spectacular organ works. Come and hear Praeludium et Fuga in C, BWV 547 and Einige canonische Veraenderungen über Vom Himmel hoch, BWV 769.
On Sunday, the Social Service Society will meet after the 10 am service, and Pain partage et prière will meet at 2pm in the Hollis Lounge on the 2nd floor of Cathedral Place
On Monday, you are invited to attend the Convocation of Montreal Diocesan Theological College when parishioners Tania Lesack and Joel Amis will receive their MDiv degrees and Marian Dagher will receive a certificate for completing the challenging four-year EFM (Education For Ministry) course. Graduating with her from EFM are former churchwarden Randy Gates and diocesan social-media communicator Lee-Ann Matthews. The Primate, Fred Hiltz, will be the speaker. St George’s Place du Canada, 7 pm.
May is Fair Trade Month. The Cathedral’s fair trade Group will hold its monthly boutique on Sunday, May 13, in order to avoid the Victoria Day weekend. May 13 is Mothers Day—so you can celebrate your mother with gifts of tea and chocolate.
Cathedral Forum will meet on Tuesday, May 15. Look for the agenda and minutes attached to the email version of next week’s Newsletter (see the instructions below about how to sign up for that version). A suggested agenda item is “Bishop’s Blessings Beyond the Diocese: a mission in Masasi” Bishop Mary is planning to visit our partner diocese of Masasi this summer, the most recent of several visits between the two dioceses. Parishes are being challenged to help make this visit a true outreach to an impoverished country where some families live on less than a dollar a day. Sue Winn writes on the Montreal Anglican website: “If every parish in the Diocese of Montreal could raise some funds for Bishop Mary to take with her as she visits schools, orphanages and parishes along the way, these small gifts would remind our partners that we are with them in Spirit and we care for their wellbeing.” We are also being asked to write prayers which Bishop Mary will share during services and celebrations. Please, if you can, read Sue Winn’s letter here and come to Forum with your ideas.
Bach, Stravinsky and Patrick Wedd – there is some glorious music ahead, mingled alas with the sad realisation that Patrick and Rob are with us for only 6 more weeks. This Saturday as noted above, and also on June 2, Patrick will offer some of Bach’s greatest organ music at 4:30 in his series Bach à la Cathédrale. On the weekend of June 16 and 17 there will be a huge celebration honouring Patrick and featuring Stravinsky’s thrilling mass. Full details here. You will see a stunning poster, a description of all the events and an invitation to past members of the cathedral choirs to join the Cathedral Singers for performances of the mass.
If you use Facebook, please share this post with your friends and people who are not members of the cathedral parish, because the concert on Saturday will also be the annual fundraising concert put on by Patrick, the Music Committee and the Singers. Admission is free, but audience members and friends of the Cathedral’s music are invited to donate generously in support of the Cathedral’s music programme.
We are so lucky to have superb musicians here in the Cathedral, not least our assistant organists.
Patrick writes that on Friday May 4 at 18h00 at l’Eglise St-Jean-Baptiste, our assistant organist Nicholas Capozzoli will give the next of his recitals in support of his Doctoral candidacy at McGill University. 
He will play works by Duruflé, Messiaen, Alain and others. Admission is free, it will be an excellent recital, and Nick would appreciate your support.
Our organ scholar, Rob Hamilton, is one of four finalists for the annual Lynnwood Farnam competition sponsored by the local chapter of the RCCO (and named for one of the Cathedral’s most illustrious former musicians). It begins at 15h30 on Sunday May 6 and takes place at l’Oratoire St-Joseph; admission is free. Once again, Rob will do a great job, and would love to see you there.
Finally, we have some good news about the Syrian refugee family we are sponsoring. Janet King tells us that they have passed all the hurdles of interview, medical, and background checks, and are waiting for transportation to be arranged by the Canadian Embassy. Action Refugiés, whose help has been invaluable in the process, says that could take months or could happen fast – we will have about 2 weeks’ notice. We are working closely with the sister of the father of the family, who plans to have them stay initially at her small condo—she has not seen them for 8 years—and then we will look for an apartment in the Ville St. Laurent area so that they can be registered for French classes, classes d’accueil, etc. and start their new life here. They belong to the Druze religion so we do not expect them to be attending our church regularly, but they will be needing resettlement help—how to do on-line banking, where to shop and how to manage the Canadian systems etc. There is a large Syrian population in VSL, but, like all newcomers to Quebec, they have to learn at least one new language as they become self- supporting. We do have 3 Arabic-speaking interpreters, more might be good. Anyone interacting directly with them should, by reason of the Anglican Safe Church policy, have had a police check – Elizabeth Shama at the office can take care of that with individuals.
Gabrielle Boyd is collecting items to furnish their apartment. Much has been donated already, but still needed are a mortar and pestle, steak knife set, knife sharpener, bucket, garbage can (new please for hygiene purposes) and 6 coffee mugs. Gabrielle is also interested in people giving art supplies (paper, crayons etc ) or sports games for the children—or any toys that are not of a violent nature (no guns, etc) eg: football or basketball, inside mini basketball hoop for over a doorway, also nature posters for bedroom walls or a map of the world to show where they have come from and where they live now. Any cash donations will go towards purchasing IKEA bedding. You will get a tax receipt for sums of $20 or more.
Please speak to Janet or Gabrielle on Sunday, or contact them through the office. And please keep praying for the family.
With best wishes
Ann Elbourne
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