35th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women in Canada

On St. Andrew's Day, November 30, 2011 marks the 35th Anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood in our Anglican Church of Canada. Lutherans mark this anniversary too.  Women Anglican and Lutherann priests from across Canada are invited to a time of celebreation, reconnection, sharing stories, renewing baptismal and ordination vows, and a variety of workshops to equip us in future ministry.   Details: Wednesday, November 30th 7:00 p.m. St. John's Anglican Church, Lunenburg   Anniversary Service Celebrant: The Right Rev. Sue Moxley, Bishop, Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island Preacher: The Right Rev. Elaine Sauer, Bishop, Manitoba & Northwestern Ontario, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada Keynote Speaker The Rev. Dr. Eileen Scully, Interim Director, Faith, Worship & Ministry, Anglican Church of Canada.   Workshops: Clergy Moms: A Balancing Act; Story Telling for the Soul; Making a Joyful Noise: Composing music for the 21st Century; Visual Prayer; Equipping Clergy; Ordination: A Scriptural reflection Using Our Senses; Shaping Images of Self & Others in Women's Ministry: Symbol & Image Creation with Felt & Wool. The Above information from: http://www.nspeidiocese.ca/35thAOWP.htm Here's a link to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/35th-Anniversary-of-the-Ordination-of-Women-Priests-in-Canada/155108777857318 CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!!! The following comes from The Diocesan Times:  http://www.nspeidiocese.ca/times/2007/DT%20Feb%2007WEB.pdf  Fire in the deep water, fire in the deepest heart      The “Living Prayer Blanket” which was made into an altar cloth by the women who attended the 30th Anniversary. Squares came from individual clergy who made them from such things as stoles, clergy shirts, items/materials that are of importance in their ministry. Standing behind the altar are: Revs Heather Hamilin-Gravels, Lorraine Quin, Fran Boutilier, Evelyn Knorr, Jane Clattenburg and Bonnie Leblanc(NB).       Imagine 70 women (women priests that is) gathered together at one time, in one place, voices raised in prayer, song, and worship, in remembering and sharing, in laughter and tears and in looking back, but always looking forward.      What an experience! The reason for the gathering was to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women in our Anglican Church of Canada.      The Gathering began on Tuesday, November 28th across Canada as women met in airport lounges to take flights to Kelowna, B.C. and then a bus trip to orrento Retreat Centre on the Shuswap Lake. During our travels older friendships were rejuvenated and new friendships quickly emerged.      These friendships bonded during our three days together –from our warm welcome to Sorrento –to the snow and cold (-18!) – to our wonderful send off early Friday morning, December 1st. The “in between time” was spent in the warm comfortable atmosphere and beautiful surroundings of Sorrento Centre. From our Wednesday morning Eucharist, celebrated by Rev. Patricia Reid, ordained November 30, 1976, to our sharing circles of our personal journeys and experiences , to the wise words of Bishop Anne Tottenham –“Our identity as priests, as women”, to Bishop Victoria Matthew’s challenge to us in “rekindling our passion for ministry” and in remembering as offered by Rev. Margaret Waterchief “honoring those who led the way”, our time together was spirit filled and life giving, truly, fire in our deepest hearts! And, just when we felt nurtured, restored and rejuvenated we took part in another life giving experience! On Thursday, November 30th, St. Andrew’s Day, the actual 30th Anniversary of the first six ordinations we traveled to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kamloops where we were warmly and graciously welcomed by the Cathedral congregation who had decorated the Church and Hall with banners depicting our celebration and served us a delicious turkey dinner. Following dinner we joined with the congregation in a Eucharist Service of Celebration with renewal of our Baptismal and Ordination vows. Each of us from our Diocese, Jane Clattenburg, Evelyn Knorr, Heather Hamlin-Gravells, Lorraine Quinn and Frances Boutilier came away with our own reflections of this experience of “fire in our deepest hearts”  knowing that in our own faith and life journeys we are where God calls us to be! Or as one colleague shared her reflection with us: “Fire in our deepest hearts” – the water of our birth/baptism/tears does not extinguish the fire but feeds it.      May God continue to feed the fire and to enable me to explore ways of helping to connect a hurting and broken world with the love of God. Like the bush of Moses’ experience, the fire burns but does not consume.”      Now we look forward to the 35th Anniversary Celebration in 2011, to be hosted in our diocese!

Hallelujah, by Kelley Mooney

Last evening we saw P.E.I.'s Kelley Mooney at the Dundee Arms Pub in Charlottetown.  Kelley wrote her own spiritual words to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and sang it last evening - powerful!!  Check it out on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guhr0Vh2hE0

A Celtic Prayer



New Features on this Blog

Please note two new things in this blog.  To the top right there's now a "Search this Blog" box to make it easier to find specific information in this blog.  Also at the very bottom are a few "Spiritual Links" that will take you to church related websites including our Diocese and the Anglican Church of Canada.



157th Annual Meeting - Diocesan Church Society of PEI

On Saturday past, November 5th, we gathered at St. Mark's Kensington (New London Parish) for the 157th Annual Meeting of DCS.  The meeting began at 10am with Holy Eucharist celebrated by our Suffragan Bishop Ron Cutler.  Following were two presentations - the first by Ted Haslam who reported on his attendance at the Truth & Reconciliation Commission in Halifax on Oct. 26-29 - see http://albertonolearyparish.blogspot.com/2011/10/thoughts-prayers-for-truth-and.html ; then Rebecca MacLeod, of St. Pauls Charlottetown who attended Youth Camp this past summer in Cuba - see http://albertonolearyparish.blogspot.com/2011/08/pei-nursing-student-only-canadian-at.html . At noon we broke for lunch.  The afternoon was dedicated to the business of DCS.

The Diocesan Church Society of Prince Edward Island was formed around 1855.  Our Parish has been represented on that Council since 1860, first attended by Pioneer Missionary Rev. Robert Wm. Dyer.   The following are a few excerpts from his Journals -

January 21, 1860

            Left for town this morning about half‑past 9, taking Mrs. Weeks with me.  Arrived at St. Eleanor's in good time, took tea and remained all night.   Left on the 22, took Mrs. W. to her uncle Stephen's, near Bagnall's, took dinner there and then went to town and arrived in time for tea at  Captain Hancock's.  Washed and shaved and started off to the D. Ch. Society's meeting ‑ the Governor in the chair.  Present: Revs. Read, Meek, Fitzgerald, Pointher, Roach, Smith, Dyer, and I think, the Rev. W. Stewart.  There were some good speeches.  I seconded the 2nd resolution.  The meeting went off well.  The Archdeacon pronounced the Benediction and the meeting closed.  I returned to Captain' Hancock's to sleep.

January 24, 1866           
           Had a Committee Meeting of the Church D. Society in the infants' schoolroom, to appropriate the money and then went and put in an advertisement of our Bazaar and Tea to be held, D.V., July next.  After tea this evening, went to the Church D. Society's anniversary meeting.  It was a large meeting, the Governor was in the chair and Mr. D. was present.  The Governor gave us a nice speech;  Mr. Pointher read the report, which was very interesting, I thought; then the speakers began, one after another.  I moved the 3rd resolution and Mr. Hinsley seconded it.  The meeting went off very well ‑ collections: about 5 pounds and was dismissed by the Benediction from the Archdeacon, a little after ten o'clock.

February 14, 1867

            Shopping a little today.  Had a clerical meeting in the afternoon at Mr. Fitzgerald's, the Archdeacon in the chair.  It was proposed that the clergy should meet 4 times in a year: at St. Eleanor's in July and the other 3 times in Charlottetown ‑ April, October and at the District Church Society's meeting ‑ to discuss matters relative to the Church and Doctrine...

REPORT FOR 1874 TO THE DIOCESAN CHURCH SOCIETY

Alberton, Dec. 1874.

Rev’d and dear Sir,

            In laying before the Diocesan Church Society my 14^th or 15^th annual report of the Church’s Mission in Alberton, Kildare and other places in connection, I am greatly encouraged when I look back to the beginning of my work in 1859, to see how steadily and step by step, with fighting without and fears within, the Church has year by year progressed in her glorious work throughout the Mission.  And though the past years has been marked with many affective dispensations, both as regards myself and many of my congregation, I am thankful to record that although for nearly 2 months I suffered great bodily weakness and pain and for six days kept my bed, yet I believe that I only missed one Sabbath from doing duty at Church and I rejoice to say that in the midst of all we have been called to endure and go through, there have been added to the Church those being saved.

            The attendance at St. Peter’s, Alberton, during the past year and especially for the summertime past, has been most encouraging; the Church, I think, never was so well attended as it has been the past summer, and for this revival in our Services and congregation we have to thank our friends, both in Charlottetown and Alberton, first of all, in assisting us so liberally in the purchase of an organ which has so materially improved our singing in Church and attracted so many persons to join in our worship.  Another thing which has had a great effect in adding a more enlarged and, I may say, regular attendance, is the sound of the Church-going bell, the magnificent gift of a liberal, kind and Christian gentleman and Churchman in Charlottetown.  I am thankful to say that my appeal in my last year’s report for an organ and a bell has been fully met and the result has far exceeded all my sanguine expectations.  In consequence of a larger congregation, the Offertory has doubled to what it was last year; the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper has been better attended by our old members and about 14 new communicants have been added to St. Peter’s congregation during the last half-year.  The Sunday School at St. Peter’s was opened for attendance in the spring as soon as the children could conveniently attend, but for the same reasons as I mentioned in my Report last year, namely, the long distance some have to come and others for want of decent apparel, the Sabbath has been but thinly attended.  Nevertheless, our kind teachers have not been wanting in their duty towards those children who did attend and I trust that the blessing of the Lord will attend their labours.

            The congregation at Cascumpeque Village has increased during the past year, so much so that some are sometimes obliged to sit outside and listen to our beautiful Service and to the preaching of the Gospel.  To show their respect to your unworthy servant and their attachment to the Service of the Church, the people last winter presented me with a purse of thirty dollars to purchase some buffalo robes, for which they have received my thanks.  I hope next summer to establish a Sunday School at the Village; I should have done so the past season but could not for want of proper teachers.

            At Christ Church, Kildare Capes, the Church Services every alternate Sunday have been regular and very well attended; the Holy Communion has been regular with an increase in the number of communicants.  The Sunday School has been in operation and very well attended; the children have been well cared for, and instructed by their unwearied, faithful teachers, in our holy religion.

            Tignish is still one of my Sunday Stations and received my Services once a month; it is rather thinly attended.  There are not many Church members in and about Tignish; still, for the few’s sake, I go there once a month.

            Montrose Hall is another Sunday Service.  To this place I go once a month and I am happy to say that it is well attended and has an attentive congregation.  The Hall, being now finished, is quite comfortable and convenient for holding Diving Service and preaching the Gospel.

            Lot Six, Lot Seven, Eight, Bloomfield and Cascumpeque Village, - these are my 5 weekday Stations where I preach once a month, excepting Lot 7 and 8, these 2 Stations I can but seldom visit but when I do, the people are always glad to see me.  My Stations for my weekday prayer meeting are the Wharf, at Cascumpeque Harbour, Alberton and Upper Kildare.  All these Stations, 7 in number, if added to my Sunday Stations, make a total of twelve, all of which get my Services from one to six times every 2 months.  May the Lord be pleased to accept, this bounden duty and service and bless our souls, for Jesus Christ’s sake.

            Having received papers from our beloved Bishop, containing proper Lessons with special, occasional prayers for the Day appointed by the Church for Intercession to Almighty God for an increase to the ministry, I am happy to say we had the privilege of Public Worship in St. Peter’s, Alberton, on that day, namely, the 3^rd of December.

Laus Deo.  Rev. Robert Wm Dyer

Time Change this Sunday

Janet sent a reminder of the time change tomorrow and the schedule around Remember Day...

 

    Just a reminder that this Saturday Nov 5th is the night the clocks go back 1 hour for Daylight Savings Time. This means you get another hour to sleep or work before Sunday Morning Worship services!

     On Thursday Nov 10th come and sing along at the Remember With Us war time songs and relections service, 7 pm St. Peter's Alberton.

      Friday Nov 11th is Rembrance Day so there will be no Bible Study that morning - Bible Study resumes on Friday Nov 18th at the Rectory at 10 am.

Hallelujah Chorus by Quinhagak Alaska Students

This video from the small EskimoVillage of Quinhagak, Alaska was a 5th grade school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area.  To their surprise, over a half million people have view it on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A



Photo from: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2647231/posts

For more information see:

http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/hallelujah-chorus-quinhagak-alaska/4926