Halloween Bean & Sausage Supper

We had a great fund-raising event on Friday evening at St. Peter's Hall serving near 100 people in two sittings.  Following are some photos from our Ghosts & Ghouls Bean & Sausage Supper.

 Happy kitchen workers!

We had lots of deserts for seconds for everyone!!

 Below:  Thanks to the Luke's for their organizing skills.

Thoughts & Prayers for Truth and Reconciliation Commission- Oct 26-29

For the child taken,

For the parent left behind (Truth and Reconciliation Commission)

In two days, the third Truth and Reconciliation Commission National Event will begin.  Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, residential school survivors, elders and children, former residential school staff, leaders and members of communities, churches, organizations, and governments from Canada and around the world will gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia from October 26 to 29.

As happened in Inuvik, NT last June, and in Winnipeg the year before, those gathered and those following the Event through the media will hear about the experiences of those who attended residential school as children, and the stories of their children and grandchildren who live with the intergenerational effects of residential schools in families and communities.  The theme of the Atlantic Event is “Love – a national journey for healing, families and reconciliation.”

We will hear church leaders acknowledge the role of the Church in running residential schools. The Anglican Church of Canada did not operate residential schools in Atlantic Canada -- Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia was opened in 1922 and run by the Roman Catholic Church. However, we continue to acknowledge our involvement in operating more than 30 residential schools across Canada.

When the TRC held its first community hearing in Fredericton on September 8, Archbishop Claude Miller was moved while listening to the stories of former students from Shubenacadie.  Our Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz and Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Sue Moxley will participate in this week’s program in the Commissioners’ Welcome; the Circle of Reconciliation; and, the Commissioners’ Sharing Panel.  Staff will provide resources from church archives and educational resources about Anglican participation in the colonization effort that destroyed Indigenous language, culture and identity.  KAIROS (the Anglican Church is an active member) plans to make a presentation to the Commissioners and set up a display.  Area high school students will be particularly welcomed for “education day” on Thursday. 

We anticipate learning about the culture and language recovery efforts of the Maliseet and Mi’kmaq peoples.  We have worked with translators, Opolahsomuwehs and Joan Milliea, to translate the 1993 Anglican Apology into Maliseet and Mi’kmaq languages.  Those translations have been validated by three grandmothers – Carmel Boucher and Betty McCoy (Maliseet), and Millie Milliea (Mi’kmaq) -- http://www.anglican.ca/relationships/trc/apology/

On Saturday, October 29 those at the Event will join in a community feast and birthday celebration for all those who missed out on celebrating childhood gatherings and feasts during residential school years.  Local Anglicans and people from Roman Catholic, United and Presbyterian Churches have coordinated their efforts around the birthday celebration and the provision of breakfasts throughout the National Event.  The Atlantic Anglican coordinating team – Bishop Sue Moxley, the Rev. Cathy Lee Cunningham, Andy Sherin, and Ted Haslam – ensured that we were actively represented in regional coordination around culture and program, and planning and logistics.

You can follow the TRC Atlantic National Event through upcoming reports in the online Anglican Journal – www.anglicanjournal.com/ and other news media, as well as through information provided on the Anglican Church of Canada web site – http://www.anglican.ca/relationships/trc/. 

Above all, we invite the whole Church to pray for the Atlantic National Event – that God’s Spirit will assist us all on a national journey of love -- for healing, families and reconciliation -- in more ways than we can ask or imagine. 

Creator God, from you every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.  You have rooted and grounded us in your covenant love, and empowered us by your Spirit to speak the truth in love, and to walk in your way towards justice and wholeness.

Mercifully grant that your people, journeying together in partnership, may be strengthened and guided to help one another grow into the full stature of Christ, who is our light and our life.

Amen.

(A New Agape, The Anglican Indigenous Covenant Collect)

Henriette Thompson

Coordinator of Ecumenical, Interfaith and Government Relations

Office of the Primate

Anglican Church of Canada

416 924 9199 ext 213

Parish Combined Service by ACW

We had a wonderful Parish Combined Service yesterday at St. Peter's Alberton.  The service was carried-out by the members of the ACW starting with a skit by Shirley Phillps and Verna Callbeck pictured here below.

All aspects of the service were by the ACW members. Janet Mortimer presented a report on the recent Annual ACW Retreat in Cavendish.

Also, at the end of the service Rev. Andrew presented Jan Cox with her official Lay Readers Medallion - congratulations Jan!

Following the service we were treated to a delicious brunch in the Hall by the ACW.  Many, many thanks to the good work the ACW does for our Parish and community.

Combined Parish Service at St. Peter's Oct. 23

This Sunday October 23 is a combined service at St. Peter's Alberton at 10:30 am.  It is also ACW Sunday so some members of the ACW will be leading the service and providing a brunch for all after the service. As well as the usual offering for the Parish the ACW will take up a special offering for the Church of the North.  consider a donation to our Northern Church. All the loose offering will go to the Church of the North as well as that marked for the Church of the North.

St. Luke's Kitchen Party's end for the Season

The last Kitchen Party for the season was held at St. Luke's Hall on Wednesday evening, Oct. 19th.  There was a good crowd and lots of talent in the performers!  Thanks to the Kitchen Party Band for a very successful season - special thanks to, Perry Batten; Antia Doucette, the Arsenault brothers; Al Peters; Claude Frederickson and Aunt Flossy (aka Adrienne) - Special thanks to the organizers; to those who donated pies, money, etc.; and to the volunteers who worked in the kitchen to get refreshments ready.



Prayer for the Week

We come to join in the banquet of love.

Let it open hearts and break down the fears

that keep us from loving each other.

( Sung by the Dominican Nuns )

c.f. Parish Bulletin, Oct.9

Thanksgiving Sunday

We had wonderful Thanksgiving Services at St. Peter's Alberton and St. Luke's O'Leary yesterday morning.  We are so thankful for God's many blessings!  And too for the beautiful day he gave us yesterday - it was a glorious bright sun filled day with a warm breeze and temperatures reaching near +25C breaking all previous records for this date.

Below are a few photos taken at St. Peter's Service - the church was beautifully decorated.

Here Rev. Andrew, Lay Reader Jan and members of the choir are near ready to being the service.



We welcomed parishioners, families and visitors over for the holiday weekend.

Rev. Andrew's talk to the children was about Thanksgiving.  Janet made a tree in Thanks to God - when Rev. Andrew asked the children what they were thankful for, he wrote it on a leaf, Janet added tape, then the child placed it on the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Dear Lord, as we praise and give You thanks for Your love

and generosity this Thanksgiving weekend, may we more

deeply appreciate Your goodness.  Amen.

c.f. Parish Bulletin Oct.9

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving service will be tomorrow at St. Peter's Alberton 9:30am and at St. Luke's O'Leary 11:15am. Please bring non-perishable food items for this Sunday Oct 9 for the Caring Cupboard.

(For St. Luke's Council -a brief but necessary meeting after worship this Sunday Oct 9)