Huron CHurCH newsANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON • Huron Church News is a section of the Anglican Journal • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Huron Anglicans march against intolerance

THREE FACES OF MINISTRYSomething new in regional ministries of South Huron and Brant, and a familiar face at Byron. Page 4-5

TELLING THE TRUTH WITH LOVEMembers of St. James', Stratford visit their sister parish in the Constance Lake First Nation. Page 3

GOULS IN THE NIGHT....... at St. Paul's Cathedral! From the Archives: a story on the Cathedral's cemeteries. Page 8

Diocesan clergy and layity led by Bishop Linda Nicholls joined 500 Londoners to oppose an anti-Islamic rally. The protest was mostly peaceful due to a strong police presence and a plea for tolerance expressed by numerous church groups represented in the counter-rally.

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and Development Fund/Huron Hunger Fund,

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By Sandra CoulsonCiting their determination

to stand up and be counted, 40 Anglicans from the Diocese of Huron joined a counter-rally in London on Aug. 26 against a group opposed to Islam.

The collective Anglican re-sponse was organized within a day’s notice as word spread of the counter-demonstration. The original rally, by a group called Pegida, claimed its pur-pose was to oppose “the Islam-ization of the West.”

Coming not long after a counter-demonstrator died in Charlottesville, Va., the effort was not without risk. The Hu-ron contingent, led by Bish-op Linda Nicholls, met in the parking lot at Huron Church House, centred themselves in prayer, and then walked the two blocks to city hall.

When about 20 members of Pegida turned up at the steps of London city hall at noon, they were met by about 400 who had been there since 10:30 a.m. to oppose them. Church-es were well represented in the counter-rally.

Signs carried by those in the counter-rally ranged from quotations from the Bible and Christian leaders, to wit and

whimsy, to harsh words for the Pegida group. The last were of some concern to Bishop Linda, who said she feared it would

cut off opportunity for dia-logue to change minds.

While most of the count-er-protesters sang 1960s pro-

test songs and listened to speeches, a smaller group got in close to the Pegida group to drown out their speeches with drumming and chants and block their signs with other signs.

London police watched over the two sides, making two ar-rests.

After about 90 minutes, the counter-protest drum-mers led a large contingent, including most of the Huron group, away from city hall for a march around nearby Victo-ria Park. Meanwhile, most of the Pegida group left.

See Page 2

• Bishop Linda Nicholls: Creating place for dialogue

while holding to our values.• Rev. Marty Levesque:

Our message will heal the world, one demonstration at a time.

• Huron Church News asked, “Why did you come to the

anti-Pegida rally?”

Love is louder: the counter-protesters, including some 40 Anglicans, outnumbered the participants of the original rally who came to express their opposition to "the islamization of the West".

Photo: Sandra Coulson

Bishop’s Fall Appeal

Huron Hunger FundHuron Hunger Fund in support of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund

See Page 12

It's harvest time: help others to receive the fruits of the land

P A G E 2 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

HuronChurch

NewsVolume 67, Number 8

SubmissionsHuron Church News welcomes news articles, commentaries, photographs and story ideas. Publication is at the discretion

of the editor.

EditorDavor Milicevic

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PublisherThe Right Reverend

Linda Nicholls Bishop of Huron

Diocese of Huron Huron Church House 190 Queens Avenue

London, Ontario N6A 6H7 Phone: 519-434-6893

Huron Church News is published by the Diocese

of Huron as a section of the Anglican Journal.

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D uring the summer the city of London saw a

large gathering of protestors and their opponents at City Hall.

The protesters (20-30) were from groups opposed to the perceived “islamicisation” of Canada. The opponents (500+) included many clergy and lay people deeply concerned at the perceived hatred of Muslims and immigrants.

I was present as part of the opponents with colleagues from many denominations to take a public stand against dis-crimination based on religion and expressions of hatred. The protest was mostly peaceful and loud with singing, drumming and megaphones to drown out the other side.

I found it curious that I agreed with some of the signs held up by the protestors. I too oppose child marriage, spousal

rape, and honour killings and want our legal system to pros-ecute such violations of human rights that we have established in Canada – not based on reli-gion, but based on violation of the law.

I also disagreed with some of the signs of the opponents who chose to use denigrating, name-calling against the protes-tors. Making our opponents the “other” by calling them “idiots” deepens the divide. In the midst of it all were flags and signs for other issues entirely – a con-fusing melee of heartfelt con-cerns on issues of injustice and discrimination.

I am glad I was there. There is a place for a visible, public demonstration of the values we hold. However I was saddened that there was no place for dialogue – no opportunity to sit down to say, “I agree with some of your concerns – how can we work together in ways that are respectful? Tell me more about your frustrations.”

Jesus consistently demon-strated willingness to cross the boundaries to speak and eat with those whom others shunned or opposed – tax collectors, people of ill repute, religious zealots. Jesus began

by recognizing our common humanity and need to be heard and invited into a new place of grace.

We live in a time where division has been fostered and, at times, modelled by leaders, a time where hatred is taught. The Facebook image of a toddler dressed in a KKK hood and gown touching the shield of a riot police officer captures the problem. Jesus repeatedly recognized the person first and then addressed their actions – the tax collector, the wom-an caught in adultery and her accusers, the rich young man

– calling them to the values of God’s kingdom through dia-logue with them.

It is my prayer that we are people who look for and invite conversation and dialogue with those with whom we disagree, seeking to discover the core of their concern and build bridg-es. That can be within our own parishes, our own families and our own communities. There are times to stand up in public witness when dialogue is not possible – but far more oppor-tunities to reach out first. Be the peace we desire for the world!+ Linda

Creating space for dialogue while holding to our values

Bishop Linda nichoLLs

Our message will heal the world, one demonstration at a time By Rev. Marty Levesque

D iocesan clergy and laity joined more than 500

other Londoners on Saturday, August 26th, to send a clear message: diversity is strength, love trumps hate, God’s grace has no limitation.

We marched towards London City Hall with Bishop Linda’s words in our hearts and on our minds: "In the midst of the current political and cultural divisions we are to hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus and the Two Greatest Commandments: love God with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbours as ourselves. This includes not only refugees seeking asylum but also those who try to spread a message of discrimination and tolerance."

This was an important message for us to carry to the counter-protest. This was a Gospel message that is replete with examples from scripture. “Remember the alien for you were once an alien in the land” (Ex 22:21), the Good Samar-itan (Luke 10:25-37); “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44); and “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28).

So we stood as a visible sym-bol of Christ’s love in the world for all: for refugees, for those of different faith traditions, and for those on the other side of the protest. We saw them not as adversaries, but as brothers and

sisters who are also in need of God’s grace. It was this mes-sage, the Christian message and the heart of the Gospel that we

will heal the world with and help bring about the Kingdom of God, one demonstration at a time.

Elena Haist, Transfiguration, London: As a lifelong Londoner, I am standing up for my community and for people whose lives were sacrificed during World War II.

Deb Prothero, St. Paul's Cathedral: My son (Rev. Robert Clif-ford) invited me and it sounded like the right thing to do.

Russ Braley, Ascension, London: That’s why (pointing to anoth-er demonstrator’s sign that read, “My London is welcoming and inclusive”). Besides which, how could I face my Muslim grandson if I didn’t?

Ven. Sam Thomas, St. Michael and All Angels, London: I’m here to show we’re all children of God and need to support each other. That’s how we’ll find peace.

(By Sandra Coulson)

The Anglican Church of Canada joined more than 50 other or-ganizations—religious and secular—in a joint statement against hate released by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), an advocacy group for Canadian Jewish groups, on August 27.

“We refuse to be silent in response to the horrible events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and acts of hate that have been perpetrated here in Canada”, reads the statement, as reported by Anglican Journal. “Now more than ever, it is clear that white supremacy, antisemitism, homophobia, anti-Muslim prejudice, bigotry against Indigenous peoples, and all forms of hate are inextricably linked and must be opposed with legal and nonviolent means by all people of good will.”

Signatories expressed their solidarity with communities target-ed in recent rallies saying that “an attack against any minority is nothing less than an assault on Canada’s democratic values and a threat to our entire society."

Huron Church News asked, “Why did you come to the anti-Pegida rally?”

Photos: Sandra Coulson

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 3

Telling the truth with love

By Rev. Tom Patterson

O f course, we had not been thinking of our

journey as a “date”, but as a pilgrimage. But Rev. Larry Armstrong of St. Stephen’s has a wonderful way of poking self-important balloons, and the notion of a date is priceless!

It is a lovely reminder that, as much as it was a faith journey, its possibilities and its life could only be realized in relationships of respect and affection between people.

Constance Lake is just north of the Trans-Canada Highway northern route, Highway 11, about half an hour west of Hearst. It has 1,470 members of Ojibway and Cree ancestry, of which 820 live on reserve. Its territory comprises 7,686 acres (3,110 hectares) and many lakes, rivers and streams.

The lake that gives the com-munity its name is extraordi-narily beautiful, but tragically polluted. For many decades, a nearby sawmill/planing mill soaked logs in the lake to soften and loose the bark, and the residue formed a blanket several metres thick on the bottom of the lake. It killed all aquatic plant and animal life, except for algae blooms that made the lake water too toxic for drinking or swim-ming. Until about three years ago, the community depended on tanker trucks for water.

Constance Lake First Nation describes itself as “a progressive and active community that en-courages, supports and promotes local business development, job creation and economic devel-opment as keys to our success”. One example of that is its new water purification plant that draws water from aquifers. The Band Council did its homework very thoroughly, and the plant they installed provides the purest drinking water in Ontario!

When we drove into the community on Friday, July 21, and then walked into St. Ste-phen’s Church that we knew from pictures, it was a moment of grace overflowing. We really did not know why we were there, what God might have in mind by calling us there, but we knew that God was in it. We had to be there.

One of our group, Mark Allwood, described the mo-ment this way: “There is a lasting picture in my mind of Standsinwater's warm smile greeting me when I entered St. Stephen’s. I felt already known. That warmth never diminished but spread amongst us and was carried further by Harvey and Stanley out at the bush camp.”

The arrival at St. Stephen’s was just the start of an unforgettable day. Rev. Larry had decided that if we were to have any under-

standing of the Constance Lake people, we needed some direct experience of their connection with the land. After unloading food and supplies, we got back in the cars and headed out over a maze of logging roads, many kilometres into the bush, to a camp at Brave Lake.

Brave Lake and the surround-ing bush are extraordinarily beautiful. Standsinwater Suther-land, who greeted us at St. Stephen’s, is a lay reader there. Stanley Stephen is an elder of the community and People’s Warden – and as we learned later, was awarded the Order of Military Merit last year by the Governor General. Harvey Ferris is another elder and long-time Lay Reader. They were our welcoming hosts at the camp.

Stanley told us about the land we were on, and how it sustains the people. Someone asked what they do if a bear shows up. Stanley grinned and held up the whistle he was carrying on a lanyard around his neck. “Black bears don’t like whistles”, he said. We were only slightly reassured!

We shared lunches that we packed in the morning, and

then Standsinwater began to speak. Larry told us later that Standsinwater had never done anything like this before. It was hard to believe that, because what he did that day was so wonderful. It was reminiscent of what the Bridge Builders in our diocese do: “telling the truth with love”.

He spoke about the residen-tial schools, and how deeply their legacy continues to affect his people and himself. He told us about the Sixties Scoop, how on the flimsiest of excuses, child welfare agencies took Indige-nous children from their fam-ilies and scattered them across Canada, even to European countries, where some of them are now reconnecting with their ancestral cultures.

He spoke of his own story, his long-time turning away from the church, his many years living and working in Toronto, his personal struggles and his return, only a few years ago, to Constance Lake. While still in Toronto, Standsinwater was accepted to Ryerson Universi-ty in Anthropology, where he planned to study Indigenous culture. Then he decided that

the best place to do that would be in his own community, with his own people. He spread his arms to the bush around us, and said. “This is my school now!”

Standsinwater said he spoke no Oji-Cree when he returned to Constance Lake; this fall he will start at the local school teaching Oji-Cree to the chil-dren. He was baptized Allan when he was a child; the spirit name he goes by now spirit was given to him by a traditional Medicine Man. The whole name (English version) is Spirit Who Stands in Water.

Standsinwater then explained the meaning of smudging as a rite of purification, and led us in a smudging ceremony. He sang and drummed a tradition-al Prayer of the Four Directions, summoning ancestral spirits to gather with us. He led us in blessing gifts of tobacco in our hands, gathered them together and spread them on the surface of Brave Lake as a blessing of the water. He did all this with warmth, humour and gentle-ness, with truth but not judg-ment, and with deep reverence for the lands and the traditions and evident love of the Creator.

Lori Colbeck of our group wrote afterwards, “I had expe-rienced a smudging before, and although it differed slightly, I still felt a parallel to having tak-en Communion. It was a truly spiritual experience.”

Upon leaving Brave Lake, we returned to the community and visited their K-12 school. In a round conversation pit in the lobby, the floor is covered by a yellow, red, black and white medicine wheel. Around the tops of the walls are gorgeous Indigenous art works and colourful depictions of the Seven Sacred Teachings, or the Seven Grandfather Teachings as they often are called, that are common to most Indigenous nations in Turtle Island: Love,

Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Wisdom Truth and Humility. Each has its own animal sym-bol. Everywhere we saw posters with Oji-Cree words in Cree syllabics – their “alphabet”.

It is a fine school building, and they have some Indigenous teachers, but teacher turnover is continuing challenge. Because funding for schools in Indige-nous communities is so much less than in the non-Native public education system, teach-er salaries also are much lower in schools on-reserve. We also learned that after secondary school, most young people leave Constance Lake for employ-ment or higher education.

Next, we visited the Sunrise Elders’ Centre, a supported living residence located on the shore of the lake. In the central lobby, under a ceiling painted with a medicine wheel, are the photographs of elders who had lived there, including Standsin-water’s mother and father.

The day still had many good gifts to give us. We returned to St. Stephen’s, sat together in downstairs in the cool of the church hall to rest and to talk. This is where activities for children and youth take place, and here too, the Seven Sacred Teachings are displayed on the walls. There also were posters in Cree syllabics with the sounds of each symbol written in Ro-man letters beneath. Standsin-water challenged us to decipher the first line, and we all failed. We were embarrassed to learn that it said, “O, Canada”! The posters were of the national anthem in Cree.

The gathering grew as people from the community gradual-ly assembled for dinner. New conversation groups formed; the buzz in the room grew ever louder. There were people of all ages, from children to elders.

After dinner, we gathered in the church for a workshop/rehearsal under the direction of St. James’ chorister James Col-beck for a “Musical Holy Com-munion” on Saturday night. That story will have to wait for Part 2 of “First Date in Con-stance Lake”. But James wrote a fitting last word for about our first day in Constance Lake:

“Revisiting so directly the Seven Grandfathers - Love, Re-spect, Bravery, Honesty, Truth, Wisdom, Humility, the very essence of Indigenous spiritu-ality - while at Constance Lake First Nation, and being cleansed once again in a smudging while out at Brave Lake, filled me to overflowing with an inner joy and sense of peace.”

(To be continued)Rev. Tom Patterson is deacon at St. James', Stratford.

Eleven members of St. James’ Stratford set out on July 19 to make the 12-hour drive north for a weekend visit with their sister parish, St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in the Constance Lake First Nation. They are hopeful that this "first date" will lead to a "second date", next year in Stratford.

A journey nine years in the making In 2008, St. James’ approached the Bishop of Moosonee,

Archbishop Caleb Lawrence, about the possibility of becoming a companion parish with a First Nations church in his dio-cese. After several months, he connected us with St. Stephen’s Constance Lake, and we started looking for ways to build a relationship.

When St. Stephen’s started a Facebook page, we followed that. We exchanged photographs. We prayed for St. Stephen’s and Constance Lake. We had two memorable Sunday visits from the Rector of St. Stephen’s, Rev. Deborah Lonergan-Freake (now Archdeacon of Moosonee)...

But until this summer, we had not managed to go there ourselves or to get to know people in parish. Rightly or wrong-ly, we felt that we had to be invited. Having a bunch of Settlers from down South descend on them uninvited, full of curiosity and who-knows-what agenda, might not be something they would welcome! But we never gave up on the hope of visiting Constance Lake.

Standsinwater Sutherland with the members of St. James' Stratford: "the warmth that never diminished"

First date in Constance Lake (I)

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Three faces of ministry in South HuronBy Davor Milicevic

Ten months into his ministry, Rev. Steve Greene, the curate at Regional Ministry of South Huron, considers himself being very lucky for serving in three different communities.

- If my parish profile defines my ministry, I am in a position to learn a lot and that makes me a very rich guy, says Rev. Steve with a smile.

South Huron is comprised of three churches – St. Anne's in Port Franks; St. John's-by-the-Lake in Grand Bend; and Triv-itt Memorial in Exeter – each of them having its distinctive feature.

The key word that defines St. Anne’s in Port Franks in Steve’s opinion is hospitality. For St. John’s, Grand Bend it is intimacy, and for Trivitt Me-morial in Exeter – tradition. Rev. Steve says he enjoys all three communities equally and appreciates different influences they have on his ministry.

It is probably easy to see how Port Franks could be a perfect setting for an extrovert like Steve. He remembers a recent barbeque event he and his rector, Rev. Jim Innes organized at St. Anne’s. Both of them were flipping burgers and inviting people and finally there were

more people than they expect-ed.

- People would just drive up, stop, pop out, get a burger, and we would have a great talk. And they are always ready to do that, says Steve.

But the intimacy he feels when in Grand Bend helps him to understand that prayer is critical for his ministry.

There is a circle of intimacy initiated by the Grand Bend’s Prayer and Care Fellowship Group and created around those who are vulnerable, ex-plains Rev. Steve:

- It’s all about prayer and forgiveness, because forgiveness

is associated with vulnerabil-ity. And this is how we come together as a family and work together as a family.

Trivitt Memorial in Exeter is another story altogether. The pride this community feels for its church and history helps Rev. Steve not to forget that this is the Anglican Church.

- The message is: we’ve been here for a long, long time. I am honouring this as a priest, but I am also trying to find a way to make this tradition work in 2017, explains the curate and adds:

- So in this case, with the word “tradition” I would like to

associate the word “growth”. For Rev. Greene it is all about

the readiness to learn, both from his parishioners and from his colleagues. That is why his relationship with the rector of South Huron, Rev. Jim Innes is important to him. Both of them started last November at the newly formed Regional min-istry – Rev. Innes as the rector and Steve as a lay assistant, and then deacon and finally as the curate – but Jim’s three decades of prior service as priest make a difference:

- I met him in November, first time ever, says Rev. Steve, but his influence on me is im-portant and we work very well together. He is just fantastic in pastoral care. And he told me, point blank, you are going to make mistakes, Steve, try to learn from them.

And indeed, Rev. Innes sees Steve's willingnes to learn as an important quality:

- Steve makes every effort to not only reach out, but also allow himself to be lead and taught by others, explains Rev. Innes and praises his young colleague as a warm pastor with a passion for teaching.

Steve also expects to learn from his parishioners. At the end of June he gave a template to his lay support group with

specific elements on which they would give their comments: two months of preaching, litur-gy, outreach… Their feedback will be a valuable help.

Rev. Greene believes that people are eager to learn more about Church. Like his friends with whom he goes to a gym and who asked him about Eucharist. “So, you break God’s body… really”, was their reac-tion to Steve’s explanation. “Yes, come one day and see”, was his reply. And they came and af-terwards they admitted “it now makes perfect sense.”

- I always have to empower, educate and edify, whether between these four walls or outside, sums up Steve the basic principal of his ministry and elaborates on his core beliefs:

- We must proclaim and re-live Gospel; we must be litur-gically vibrant – connecting to people and teaching them why we do certain things; and we must be challenging to society.

And Rev. Greene is always out there – on a beach, on a downtown street, or in a conve-nience store – talking to people, probably making a mistake here and there, but constantly learning and trying to teach others.

By Diane O'NeillThe induction service for Rev.

Bradley Johnson as rector of the Brant Regional Ministry, took place in St. James’ Anglican Church, Brantford, on Thurs-day, June 15th.

The Brant Regional Minis-try includes: St. James’ Church, Brantford, Holy Trinity Church, Burford and All Saints’ Church, Mount Pleasant.

Officiant was the Ven. Jan-

et Griffith-Clarke, Archdeacon of Brant, Norfolk and Oxford Deaneries.

A large number of parishio-ners, guests and clergy attend-ed the event and there was a combined choir with the choir members of all three church at-tending.

Guest preacher for the eve-ning was Very Rev. Paul Sher-wood. His message paid tribute to the talents of our new rector,

and urged everyone to work to-gether to make this new venture a most successful one.

A very enjoyable reception took place in the parish hall fol-lowing the ceremony.

Rev. Bradley Johnson brings to this ministry a great deal of enthusiasm, love of liturgy and a desire to see the parishes grow. We look forward to working along with him to make this a reality.

“He likes to keep his sermons short”Rev. Johnson's ministry as seen by a young Holy Trinity parishioner

A t the first service of his that I attended Rev. Bradley Johnson told the congregation that he “likes to keep

his sermons short,” to keep the attention of the congregation. Although his sermons are short, they are given life with his energy and enthusiasm.

Rev. Johnson attended Seminary for three years and gradu-ated in 2014. He was then ordained at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on November 30th 2015. When asked why he want-ed to have this career he responded: “This is exactly where I should be.”

I asked what Johnson thought of the whole event himself and he noted “that all of the parishes were represented“ at the cere-mony. He enjoys the diversity that the parishes have to offer.

On the evening of Rev. Johnson’s induction, this diversity was expressed in the voices of the choir that had members from all of the parishes in attendance. Rev. Johnson said he enjoyed their singing. He was also pleased with the reception after the service which allowed everyone to be together.

Rev. Bradley Johnson was inducted by Ven. Janet Griffith Clarke. During Rev. Johnson’s induction ceremony he had his mother, Thorine, and his wife, Laura close by to support him. The Rev. Paul Sherwood was there as well to not only support as a friend and mentor to Rev. Johnson but, to also do the regu-lar part of the service.

The ceremony itself went smoothly with no hiccups, and everyone was very proud of Father Bradley.

Mackenzie Burnside

Rev. Steve in front of St. John's-by-the-Lake, Grand Bend.

New level of energy and a desire to see the parishes grow

Rev. Bradley Johnson at his induction as rector of the Brant Regional Ministry. Photo: Mackenzie Burnside, MGB Photography

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"You have been a blessing for me"After 17 years – and nine months in retirement – Bishop Bob Bennett returns to parish ministry, at least for a while. Here is his account of his four months with St. Anne's, Byron.

By Bishop Bob Bennett

H ello Huron! It hardly seems possible that

nine months has passed since I retired as bishop to embrace my new lifestyle as ‘retiree’.

Many friends wisely advised that it might take a season of adjustment to make the tran-sition and that has proved to be the case. First of all, I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I was, so some intentional recov-ery time was in order. Kathie, my family, friends, lots of reading, just sitting in church, regular exercise and travel have combined to help make my particular transition into re-tirement a smooth and healthy one. Letting go of ‘institutional stress’ for the first time in 47 years of ministry was quite liberating but I must confess I deeply missed connecting with the people of Huron (each of you!).

Given that as my reality, I was open to Archdeacon Sam Thomas’s request to care for St. Anne’s (Byron) London while between rectors.

One of my dreams for retire-ment was to return to parish ministry which was always my passion as a priest. (Bishops, you know, are multifaceted creatures that include being a bishop, a deacon, a priest and of course one of the baptized.) When Huron Church News editor Davor Milicevic invited me to submit an article about my four months with the peo-ple of St. Anne’s, I thought the best way to do that would be to reprise the words of thanks I shared with them in the parish newsletter. Here it is.

“So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and indi-vidually, we are member of one another. We have gifts that dif-

fer according to the grace given to us….” (Romans 12.5-6a)

“As I write this note, it is a beautiful August morning. The ever-so-subtle indications of seasonal transformation have begun; an indicator of what is to come. Surely the best season of all is our beautiful south-western Ontario autumn!

I must confess that this note for the St. Anne’s Newsletter is a first for me. This is the only time in my ministry that my initial submission for a parish newsletter is also my last. Hello and Goodbye! I came as your interim pastor back in June and will conclude my time with you at the end of September.

It has been over 17 years since I exercised ministry in a parish setting so I thought my hello/goodbye message would include some rumination of my time with you. Thank you for the blessing that you are as a community of Christians striving to be faithful to God’s will in Byron at the beginning of the third millennia. I have experienced you to be a caring, sensitive, loving family that loves the Faith and loves St. Anne’s.

These are incredibly chal-lenging times to be a part of the Christian faith, but God gives us only our time, no one

else’s. Since ‘we who are many are one’, we are more than equipped to face the future knowing that God’s Spirit in Christ strengthens and equips us for the task that lies ahead. You are indeed blessed to have the Reverend Val Kenyon as your next rector. I know you will welcome her warmly as you welcomed Rita and me.

I will think of you often and pray for you as you journey to the next adventure-in-faith that lies in store.

You have been a blessing for me as I transition into retire-ment; thank you for that!

May you be a blessing to all and always shine as a beacon of God’s hope! Together, may you ‘discern what is the will of God—what is good, acceptable and perfect’ (Romans 123:2b)”.

To conclude, I want take that last paragraph of the St. Anne’s’ newsletter and ‘shout it out’ to each and every one of you; the people of God in Huron:

“I will think of you often as you journey to the next adven-ture-in-faith that lies is store. You have been a blessing for me as I transition into retirement; thank you for that!

May you be a blessing to all and always shine as a beacon of God’s hope!"

Wondering What It’s All About?

 

Licentiate in Theology

Your choice! Each course is a wonderful educational experience that stands alone or can be used toward the LTh Diploma. More online at Huron, at Renison University College, and at Canterbury College!

Fall 2017 Courses

World Religions Saturdays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25; 6:30-9:30 pm; Huron; $300. More details about this class and others are online.

Trip to Rome & Area! Guides: Dr. Murray Watson, Rev. Janet Anstead See online for sample itinerary for next year’s trip. Dates: May 11-20, 2018

For More Information about the LTh, these Courses & To Register www.huronuc.ca/LTh Faculty of Theology, Huron University College 1349 Western Road, London, Ontario N6G 1H3 519.438.7224, ext. 289; janstead@uwo.ca

Seeking deeper understanding of faith in this world?  Contemplating Ordained Ministry as priest or deacon?  Or simply interested in further education for personal development? 

Join us in Rome!

 

46th annual R. T Orr Lecture events Dr. Ellen F. Davis AMOS RAGAN KEARNS PROFESSOR OF BIBLE AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL

Sponsored by The Charles Patrick and Elizabeth Corbett Fund

THURSDAY: ORR LECTURE The Practical Value of Old Testament ExegesisThursday, October 12, 7:00 pm, free public lecture Great Hall, Huron

Practical exegesis can be understood as reading the Biblical story for the good of both church and society. Dr. Davis will explore two practices of reading Scripture: 1. African and North American Christians reading together as a learning community, in order to ask more adequate questions of the text to develop a richer understanding of truth; and 2. Biblical interpretation as political ethics, with particular attention to how the Bible focuses on the daily economic lives of ordinary people, “the poor and vulnerable.”

Author of 11 books and many articles, Dr. Davis' research interests focus on how Biblical interpretation bears on the life of faith communities and their responses to urgent public issues, particularly the environmental crisis and interfaith relations. A lay Episcopalian, she is active as a theological consultant within the Anglican Communion, working with the Episcopal Church of Sudan and South Sudan and elsewhere in East Africa to develop theological education, community health, and sustainable agriculture.

FRIDAY: PREACHING WORKSHOP Preaching the Luminous Word Friday, Oct. 13, 9:30-11:30 am, including light lunch, Room V210, Huron

Join Dr. Davis for a conversation focusing on how Biblical proclamation can shape and sustain the life of faith communities and their responses to urgent public issues. Advance registration required

For Details & to Register www.huronuc.ca/orr Huron University College 1349 Western Road, London, ON519.438.7224, ext. 289 srice@uwo.ca

Free parking in Student Lot, south of Huron (Do not park in Pay & Display or in Guest Parking spots)

BISHOP'S FRIENDS 2017

WINDSOR-ESSEX:October 10

Coopers Hawk Vineyard, Harrow

WATERLOO AREA:October 17

Westmount Golf & Country Club

LONDON & AREA: November 15

Highland Country Club

YOUR DONATIONhelps the bishop to meet pastoral and ministry

needs through the Discretionary Fund.

Your gifts help us to strengthen the health of our diocese – clergy and parishes.

St. Anne's, Byron is an old

stone church built in 1853

by Robert Flint.

P A G E 6 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

angLican church Women

M y sisters in Christ,

As we enter into another busy year of ACW activities, I would like to take time each month, on this page, to reflect on some of our favourite Bible passages.

I am asking for your help in this endeavour. Please forward to me a short article (200 words or less) telling why a certain passage ranks among your favourites. No degree in theology or creative writing needed--just speak from your heart!

I love the story of the "woman at well" (John 4). In these times of blustering, posturing and bullying, I appreciate the fact that Christ taught a powerful lesson, quietly and one on one, with an oppressed, marginal member of society.

Through a seemingly happenstance meeting (was anything with Jesus ever happenstance?), He answered her questions and pointed her to the way of salvation. Even though they, as Samar-itan and Jew, we're not supposed to speak to each other, Jesus engaged her

in conversation and she challenged Him on His answers.

This must have taken a great deal of courage for her! However, in the end, she realized He was the Messiah and she was eager then to tell others who this man was and what He was offer-ing--eternal life through living water.

Though many have delved deeper into this passage, I like the simplicity of it--through a quiet encounter, many were made believers in the power of Christ.

Blessings,Brenda Clingersmith, ACW President

Lord, we thank you for changing seasons and for being part of your creation

By Rev. Carrie Irwin

I love the title of our upcoming Anglican Fellowship of Prayer

Fall Gathering - Praying into the calm: creatively responding to life in flux.

Autumn may officially have begun on September 22nd, but for many, the changing season began back in early September with the move from a season of walking barefoot in the grass, and recklessly throwing oneself into the waves along our lakes in cottage coun-try to walking though falling leaves, and apple picking. Rubber boots replace sandals, and sweaters once again be-come part of our wardrobe.

Autumn is a vibrant and vivacious season of change. You can’t miss it, and it refuses to be ignored. The air cools, and the trees prepare to burst into a spectacular display of colour. Crimson, orange and gold will soon decorate our neighbourhoods and countryside and the full glory of God’s created world will be on display.

Change is in the air! And in much the same way, our church, and our lives are in a season of change. Change can be exciting, but it can also create anxiety, as the world around us seems to shift, and take on a new appearance.

During the month of October, we will have the opportunity to gather in London, Tecumseh and Southampton with the Rev’d Laura Marie Piotrowicz at the AFP Fall Gathering to ‘discuss theoretical and practical aspects of prayer to calm the mind and the soul,

to live in the transcendent peace which passes our human understanding.’ In the midst of change, finding ways in which to reside in a place of calm is paramount to our health and well being. If you have not already registered for this event, please consider joining us for this time of worship, learning and fellowship.

Watching the seasons change from spring to summer, then to autumn, and finally to winter, we can see that God’s goodness is inevitable, God’s faithfulness unstoppable, just like the changing of the seasons. The beauty of the seasons is that even when we doubt, they still come, and just as God made the seasons to come forth in their own time, so God designed our lives. We are a part of God’s plans and promises and God has made and will make every-thing beautiful in its time.

Lord, we thank you for changing sea-sons, and for being part of your creation that is full of rhythm and cycles. We pray for eyes to see and ears to hear the lessons you give to us, in these times of change.

Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philoso-pher and theologian once said; “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.”

Please come and pray with us.

Rev. Carrie Irwin serves on the executive of AFP (Huron). Rector of The Anglican Regional Ministry of Saugeen Shores, Tara and Chatsworth

angLican FeLLoWship oF prayer

Speak from your heart - and share it with the worldANGLICAN CHURCH WOMEN

LAMBTON DEANERY

FALL MEETING

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Christ Anglican Church20 Main Street South

Forest, Ontario. N0N 1R0

10:00 am Registration

10:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rev. Joyce or Rev. Ray Hodgson

11:30 am Brief Business Meeting

Noon - Potluck Lunch

1:00 pm Guest Speaker: Rev. Canon Nick Wells"Martin Luther - 500 Years Later"

Everyone Welcome - Bring a Friend!

When the world seems to be spiraling into confusion, and the daily news brings distress, we are called ever more strongly to

enter into careful and intentional prayer.

Join us as we discuss theoretical and practical aspects of prayer to calm the mind and the soul, to live in the transcendent peace

which passes our human understanding.

Our day will also include time for fellowship and book browsing.

Snacks provided. Please bring a bag lunch. Freewill offering taken.

To register for any of these locations please contact the Rev’d Kim Metelka:

kametelka@gmail.com; call or text 519-464-8892

Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (Huron) Fall Gathering 2017

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 7

pastoraL progressions

The Foundation of Luther-an Social Services (London) is sponsoring an afternoon for the London community and area on October 22 to join together and celebrate the legacy of Mar-tin Luther.

The event celebrates 500 years of the Reformation and is in-tended as an invitation to all local churches as well as entire community to join in celebrat-ing the legacy of Martin Luther. It will be hosted by St. Paul's Ca-thedral, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

The program features music of the Reformation period. The hymns will be sung by the Am-

abile Youth Singers and Prima Chorus. The accompaniment will be provided by the Reverb Brass from Toronto and by well-known organist Angus Sinclair.

The guest speaker is Dr. Chris-tine Helmer, a distinguished Luther scholar, an author and professor from Northwestern in Chicago.

Dr. Helmer will address Mar-tin Luther's theological impact on the world in his time as well as his influence on the world to-day.

There is no admittance charge and the parking is free at Lon-don Life.

By Catherine Carlson

T his June marks the fifth year that the Anglican

Deanery has organized Monica Place Gala, a graduate event for the residents of this maternity home.

Twelve churches in the Wa-terloo Deanery donate funds to cover the cost of decorating and paying the custodial fees at Knox Presbyterian in Waterloo. Volunteers from St. George’s Forest Hill, St. George’s New Hamburg, Christ Church Ayr, and Holy Saviour decorate the hall, prepare and serve the food and clean up following the gala.

We have come a long way from the days when I was in high school and a teenage girl might become pregnant and then drop out of school or quietly head off to a relative in another city to have her baby. All was very hush-hush and somewhat shameful. I am glad that we live in an age when we acknowledge that these things happen and we must work to fully support the young woman so she may not only have her child, but also get the credits she needs to graduate from high school.

The school board provides the daily support these young women need to continue to study and get their diplomas and also day care for the babies and young children while the girls attend classes. Teaching staff are flexible and key to encouraging the girls to be re-silient and re-define what high

school looks like and move each young woman to receiv-ing her high school diploma. Upon graduation some of them receive scholarships to attend college. Truly this is a living ex-ample of what it means to have a whole village raise a child.

Over one hundred people attended the gala on June 28. The young women brought their children and partners and family members to celebrate their momentous achievement. Their children were dressed in complimentary colours and outfits to match those of their proud mums. And it was truly a celebration!

Lots of nervous giggles and a few happy tears were shed as they assembled in the foyer and donned their grad gowns and mortarboards. In full regalia, Mike Doublay, of St. George’s Forest Hill played the bag pipes to usher them in. At his side,

the Rev Margaret Walker from St. George’s New Hamburg –the resident chaplain for Monica Place – beamed with pride. And with all things in place, the women moved into the hall to stand and wait to receive their diplomas after their valedictori-an addressed those gathered.

What a distance we have come in the last few decades! One of the volunteers confided in me that she does so because her own daughter, years ago, found herself in similar cir-cumstances and it is just this June that the volunteer’s own grandson graduated from his high school. His mother is now a successful businesswoman who realized her potential because she was surrounded by love and encouragement.

Graduation. A milestone. Indeed. And one worthy of cel-ebrating and acknowledging.

This fall, Renison University College is offering the Univer-sity of Waterloo’s first Indige-nous language course.

Introduction to Kanien’kéha (Mohawk Language) is offered through Renison’s Culture and Language Studies department, in collaboration with the Wa-terloo Aboriginal Education Centre (WAEC) at St. Paul’s University College.

It is intended for Univer-sity of Waterloo students in any faculty or discipline with

minimal to no knowledge of Kanien’kéha.

A university college at the University of Waterloo, Reni-son University College has long been a provider of language ed-ucation, including degree level East Asian languages since the 1980s and, more recently, Ara-bic.

Renison University College is affiliated with the University of Waterloo and was founded by the local Anglican commu-nity in 1959.

Monica Place Gala: a milestone worthy of celebrating

HURON CHURCH NEWS ONLINE

www.diohuron.org

Euthanasia expertise available to clergy in the London area

St. Stephen’s Memorial An-glican Church, London hosts a series of workshops this fall to assist clergy in preparing for the euthanasia legislation.

The first workshop took place on September 12 and it focused on legal implications of the eu-thanasia legislation for clergy and parishioners. Two more workshops are scheduled for October and November.

On October 17 the partic-ipants will discuss the topic “Clergy, End of Life Discussion & Euthanasia”. The final event,

scheduled for November 14, will focus on hospices and pal-liative care as alternatives to eu-thanasia.

The workshops are organized and led by local author and scholar, Lorna Gunning Fratsc-hko, who has recently published her dissertation, “The Euthana-sia Debate: International Ex-perience and Canadian Policy Proposals.”

Canadian Parliament passed a bill (C-14) to legalize and regu-late assisted dying in June 2016.

St. Paul's Cathedral to host the celebration of Martin Luther

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Native language courses at Renison

AppointmentsBishop Linda Nicholls ap-

points the Rev'd Jenny Sharp as rector of St. James’, St. Marys, effective October 1, 2017. Jenny will be returning to the Diocese of Huron from the Diocese of PEI and Nova Scotia.

Regional Dean Appointments Bishop Linda Nicholls ap-

pointed the Rev’d Canon Nick Wells as Regional Dean of Del-aware (pro-tem) effective Sep-tember 1, 2017. Canon Nick is the priest in charge at the Angli-can Parish of Tyrconnell.

Bishop Linda Nicholls ap-pointed the Rev’d Meghan Nicholls as the Regional Dean of Oxford effective August 15, 2017. Meghan is the rector at St. James Church in Ingersoll.

ResignationBishop Linda has accepted the

resignation of the Reverend Hil-ton Gomes as rector of St. An-drew’s, LaSalle effective October 2, 2017. Hilton has accepted a po-sition as a chaplain at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor and will have a General Permit of the Bishop.

RetirementBishop Linda Nicholls has ac-

cepted the request of the Rev'd Ross Gill to retire, effective November 30, 2017 with his last Sunday in the parish being November 26th. Ross was or-dained a deacon on October 22, 1986 in the Diocese of Athabas-ca and priested in that diocese on June 17, 1987. He came on the strength of Huron in Sep-tember 1989 as the rector of Christ Church, Oxford Centre with St. John’s, Eastwood and St. Paul’s, Princeton. Ross also served the parishes of Christ Church, Listowel with St. Paul’s, Palmerston and the Church of the Holy Trinity, Kitchen-er. From 1992 until 2010 Ross shared parish ministry with his wife, Julia, as half-time associate priests until Julia's appointment to the parish of St. Columba, Waterloo. Ross served as the Regional Dean of Oxford and was a member of the Spiritual Development Unit, the Evange-lism Resource Committee, the Back to Church Sunday Task Force and Abundant Life. Ross

will be honored with other retir-ees at Synod 2018.

DeconsecrationOn Monday, August 28th St.

Thomas the Apostle, Owen Sound was deconsecrated. The service included a celebration of their past ministry. The Very Rev’d Paul Millward was the preacher and Bishop Linda Nicholls was the celebrant.

Rest in PeaceMrs. Beverley Henderson,

mother of the Reverend Rob Hen-derson, died on July 30th, 2017. A private family service has been held for her.

Mr. Don Hampson (wife Ruth Ann (Sullivan), (father of Diane Dance and father-in-law of Bish-op Terry Dance), died August 16, 2017 in his 92nd year. A celebra-tion of Don’s life was held at St. John the Evangelist Church, Lon-don on September 14.

Susan Anne Patterson, a faith-ful member of St. James' Angli-can Church, Stratford and wife of the Rev'd Tom Patterson, died on September 8. A memorial service was held on September 14 at St. James' Church in Stratford.

Graduation event for 2017: What a distance we have come in the last few decades.

P A G E 8 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Ghouls in the night: the history of St. Paul's cemeteryBy John Lutman

G iven that October is the month of Halloween,

I thought it appropriate to submit an article to the Huron Church News concerning ghoulish matters.

Using records held by the Diocese of Huron Archives, I will tell the story of the four cemeteries associated with St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Of the four, the earliest cemetery nestled next to the frame of the unfinished St. Paul's Church (as it was named before the formation of the Diocese of Huron in 1857), then located at the northwest corner of Dundas St. and Ridout St. N. (to-day, the location of Museum London); the second, on the cathedral grounds itself at the northeast corner of Richmond St. and Queens Ave; the third, St. Paul's Cemetery in London East situated at the southeast corner of Dundas and Rectory streets, extending eastward a short distance beyond Ontario St. Woodland Cemetery on Springbank Dr.

For the first three locations, the buried bodies were dis-interred (or most of them) and removed to the successor cemetery.

The earliest burials accord-ing to the burial register for St. Paul's Church, held by the Archives, occurred during the incumbency of Rev. Edward J. Boswell, 1829-1832, the first priest to minister to the An-glican community in London. Although burials took place in the neighbouring churchyard, church services were con-ducted in the temporary court house across the street, which, with the construction of the permanent Court House in 1827-1829, was used primarily as a school house. St. Paul's Church, the frame of which was erected by the congrega-tion in 1830, remained unfin-ished for lack of funds.

Of the 26 bodies buried in the cemetery as recorded be-tween 1827 and 1834, 15 died in the cholera epidemic of 1832. Noted burials include:

Maria Fullarton, wife of George Jervis Goodhue, d. 20 Oct. 1828 (Goodhue was a wealthy early London mer-chant);

Ann, wife of Peter McGre-gor, d. July 15, 1832, of cholera (McGregor was London's first settler).

In the winter of 1832-33 at the command of the new rector, Benjamin Cronyn, later first bishop of the Diocese of Huron, the frame of St. Paul's Church was mounted on sleds and pulled by oxen to a newly purchased property at the cor-ner of Richmond St. at Queens Ave. The funds to complete the

building came from the sale of the Dundas and Ridout St. N. lots. The finished St. Paul's Church, which faced Queens Ave., opened officially on Sep-tember 14, 1834.

Over time, the bodies at the old St. Paul's site were dug up, one by one, and transported the three blocks to the new St. Paul's churchyard for reburial. The first register for St. Paul's Church (held by the Archives) records two of the burials as follows:

Thomas Lynn aged 72 died Jan. 10, 1831, re-interred Jan. 17, 1839;

Sophia Matthews aged 4 years died Jan. 27, 1831, re-interred Jan. 17, 1839 (note plaque on north wall of the north transept).

Stone markers were erected where the reinterred and new burials lay.

An uneasy peace, however, awaited the bodies in their new entombment. St. Paul's Church existed a shorter life than many of the congregants buried in the cemetery for on February 21, 1844, Ash Wednesday, the building burned to the ground.

Immediately thereafter, the church established a Building Committee, which selected the prominent Toronto architect, William Thomas, to prepare plans (the Archives holds the minutes of the committee). The new St. Paul's Church took shape over the next two years reoriented to face east and west and now built of brick. It opened officially on February 25, 1846. The bodies in the churchyard, however, rested in an uneasy peace be-

fore being disturbed again. Even while the church was

under construction, the Vestry at its July 2, 1845 meeting decided that, owing to the great increase of the popula-tion and the crowded state of the burial ground, no further burials were to be authorized after September 1, 1846 except for members of the Church of England (the cemetery was previously nondenomination-al); also, no burial should be less than six feet in depth (one should hope so!). A commit-tee was formed to look into "the purchase of a site for a Cemetery convenient to the Town of London".

As A.H. Crowfoot relates, Rev. Benjamin Cronyn in 1846 "had the foresight to purchase from [Ebenezer] Stimson…fifteen acres lying about a mile east of the town" (part of Lot 11, Concession C, in the gore of London Township), which he thought would be an excel-lent place for a cemetery.

His congregants thought otherwise. They protested that it was "too far in the wil-derness". They preferred the eternal comforts of St. Paul's surroundings.

As a reflection of their determination, a committee was appointed for the purpose of laying out and planting the churchyard. Their con-cern reflected London's early development for indeed the proposed cemetery was in the wilderness. In today's terms, the cemetery extended east-ward along the south side of Dundas St. to just beyond On-tario St. and then southward towards the CN tracks. We

recognize the eastern extreme as the site in part of the West-ern Fair Grounds.

The town of London sped the move along when in 1849 it forbade burials around the church.

St. Paul's, presumably spurred by the town's reso-lution, commissioned Capt. J.H. Caddy to produce a map of the cemetery grounds laid out in blocks of sixteen feet square, lying in ranges from east to west with paths six feet wide between the ranges (see illustration). The Vestry resolved in November 1850 to name the cemetery for St. Paul and to erect a fence. Burials commenced in April 1852.

Once again bodies were dis-interred, some for the second time, and made the mournful journey along Dundas St. to the new location. At least 14 of the bodies remained in the churchyard. Their headstones, once erect, now lay flat on the ground in the northwest corner of the cathedral prop-erty. Their partners in death, however, rested in an uneasy peace before being disturbed, yet again.

History repeated itself when this time the London East council (London, east of Adelaide St., was a separate, incorporated municipality between 1874 and 1884) in 1879 informed St. Paul's that a bylaw was soon to be passed

prohibiting the practice of burying the dead within town limits. Thus, over the next several years, the bodies and their headstones were trans-ported in ghoulish night time processions, several for a third time! For a short period, han-som cabs, as taxis were called then, were utilized to move the coffins until the practice ended after a public uproar! This time, the journey was much longer.

A special Vestry committee was established immediately to search for a new site. In August 1879, a location on Springbank Drive in West-minster Township was secured for a cost of $10,000. The new cemetery encompassed 56 acres, later expanded to include almost 100 acres. It was named "Woodland", as part of the property, previous-ly owned by William Blinn, had been known as Woodland Park.

(In 1955, bodies from the abandoned St. James Street Cemetery in London on Ad-elaide St. at St. James St. were disinterred, placed in burial cases and, in another soulful journey, reburied at Wood-land.)

The processions have ended. The bones of St. Paul's have now found eternal rest. John Lutman is archivist for the Diocese of Huron.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, Ontario, about 1860. The cemetery ceased to exist in 1879 when the bodies and their headstones

were transported to Woodland Park. Photo: McCord Museum N-0000.193.273.1

From the archives

Plan of St. Paul's cemetery. Courtesy of Western Archives.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 9

By Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle

A s my family travelled throughout Southern

Ontario this summer, we began to notice signs along the roadways which said “Drinking water protection zone”. I have to admit that when I saw these signs I wondered what it was that made this particular place special. Why did this area require protection for their drinking water? Is this a sign of vulnerability or is this a sign of privilege?

Curious, I googled the phrase and discovered that this is part of a larger plan in Ontario to ensure source water protec-tion facilitated by awareness raised following the tragic events in Walkerton in 2000. In fact, according to Source Water Protection Ontario, a significant effort has been made to implement all of the 121 recommendations made by Justice O’Connor following the Walkerton inquiry. As a result, Ontario has a comprehensive drinking water safety net with more than 99.9% of water quality tests since 2004 meeting Ontario’s strict health-based water quality standards.

This safety net includes strong legislation, stringent standards, regular and reliable testing, highly trained, certified operators, licencing of drinking water systems, regular inspec-tions of drinking water systems and labs that test drinking water, public reporting, and a

comprehensive source protec-tion program. The site goes on to brag that Ontario received an “A” ranking – the highest in Canada – in Ecojustice’s Can-ada’s Drinking Water Report Card.

These efforts are commend-able. As is the desire to pro-mote awareness of drinking water vulnerability through the placement of the signs. Water cannot easily be isolated and

segregated from the potential impacts of our actions around our communities. The more people and communities are aware of the ways water quality can be undermined, the more likely we can work to mitigate these consequences.

Still, as I pour another cup tea taken from water from my kitchen tap, I find myself wondering how it would feel reading all this wonderful in-

formation about how Ontario is protecting our drinking if I was living in one of the 87 com-munities which (according to www.watertoday.ca) are under some form of water advisory at the moment I am writing this. Most of these are First Nations Communities, some of whom have been under a boil water advisory for more than a decade. What is different about these communities which prevents them from proudly posting signs that say “drinking water protection zone”? What can we do to support efforts to ensure that all people in Ontar-io benefit from the world class standards which now shape and form source water protection in the province?

This year Synod passed a mo-tion “…that all parishes and/or Deaneries in the Diocese of Huron be encouraged to advocate alongside and partner with First Nations communities and to engage with Members of Parliament to ensure that access to safe water and sanitation is realized for all people through efforts directed towards im-plementation of government agency protocols on water and sanitation standards, in con-sultation with First Nations communities.” As we seek to develop relationships with First Nations communities following our commitments in regards to Truth and Reconciliation, we are presented with an oppor-tunity to ask First Nations communities what we can do

to better support access to safe drinking water and sanitation and then work towards these goals together.

For concrete suggestions about how we might engage governments, check out the Council of Canadians Blue Water projects including their suggestions for teachers and students found at https://cana-dians.org/blog/how-students-and-teachers-can-take-action-clean-water-first-nations.

Water is a gift of the Creator, may we all seek to ensure that everyone can benefit from this gift fully.Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle is co-chair, Social Justice Huron.

Ensuring access to safe water for all people sociaL Justice huron

By Bishop Terry Dance

T he Anglican Foundation, make that YOUR

Anglican Foundation, has made an incredible impact on individuals, institutions, and parish communities from coast to coast to coast in our country.

While perhaps best known for helping parishes with roof replacements, elevator instal-lations and kitchen makeovers, the ministry of the Anglican Foundation goes well beyond repair and renovation of church buildings.

Did you know that your Anglican Foundation provides funds to enable parents to fly with their children from re-mote locations to major centres when the child requires life changing or life saving surgery?

Did you know that the funds raised by the Hope Bear project provided pain medication for children at Canuck Place, a hospice for terminally ill chil-dren in the Vancouver area?

Did you know that your Foundation has supported the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Com-mission through funding for language and culture mento-ring programs for First Na-tions Communities in British Columbia?

Did you know that your Foundation has supported outreach programs for the poor and marginalized in virtually every province and territory in our country? Food and hos-pitality programs, after school activities, music and artistic initiatives are meeting physical, educational and social needs in the lives of the most vulner-able. Your Anglican Founda-tion, through the generosity of

Anglicans across our country and the National Church are not only restoring buildings, but restoring hope, restoring dignity, restoring lives and restoring communities.

Did you know that over the past ten years your Anglican Foundation, through grants to parishes, grants to our three colleges and bursaries for our theological students, has con-tributed over $300,000 to the life and ministry of the Diocese of Huron?

Did you know that in spite of the generous support shown to our diocese, only 23 individu-als and 47 parishes in Huron financially support the work of the Anglican Foundation… make that YOUR Anglican

Foundation? Why not consid-er making a minimum gift of $50 per parish and whatever feels right for individuals, to help your Foundation continue to touch lives and renew the fabric of the church.

Did you know that Diane Dance has taken on the role of diocesan liaison with your Foundation? Well, of course you didn’t…she was only ap-pointed in June. But if you are looking for information about resource materials, the Hope Bear program, or anything else regarding the work of your Anglican Foundation, contact Diane at d.dance@sympatico.ca

Did you know that by sup-porting your Anglican Founda-tion you can make a difference in parishes and in the lives of very really human beings from coast to coast to coast?

Well, now you do.Bishop Terry Dance is a member of the Board of Directors of the Anglican Foundation

Things you may not know: 60 years of the Anglican FoundationThe ministry of the Anglican Foundation goes well beyond repair and renovation of church buildings. It funds language and culture mentoring programs for First Nations, supports outreach efforts for the poor and marginalized in Canada, provides grants to colleges and bursaries for students.

A perfect gift for BaptismGive a gift of Hope Bear to someone who is being baptized. Your $20 donation benefits a child in need in Canada.

www.anglicanfoundation.org

P A G E 1 0 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

N ow that my family has dispersed, the

opportunities that we have to all gather around a table and share a meal are few and far between.

Seeing the seven of us, from three generations, sitting down to enjoy each other’s company and to consume food which I have prepared for the clan, is one of my life's profoundly happy moments.

Memories of mealtimes are part of the timelines which shape family history. Mo-ments which draw families and friends together may be at times of celebration, or at times of sadness, but the essential element of the gathering is that its focus is table fellowship and nourishment. Associated with the experience of food prepa-ration and eating is the conver-sation and storytelling which comes, in a very natural way, with being in the presence of other people who matter to us.

Often, as families celebrate the life of a loved one, I have

heard individuals recall family favourite pies, pastries, or other menu items which will be inex-tricably and forever linked with the person being remembered. When that special item makes an appearance it brings back to the collective memory of those sitting at the table, the person with whom it has become associated. One family I know, even placed a special pie recipe on the memory card which was handed out at the Funeral Home!

Beyond the food and the stories, the simple experience of being in the presence of those who matter to us is a joy in and of itself. There are those who sit at the communal table and let the experience wash over them. Although they may choose not to contribute to the conversation, the fact that they

are there adds to the meaning of the moment. Without them, the empty space would lessen the occasion for all.

The mystical merger of food, family, friends, fellowship and sharing of lives is a central human experience. Stripped of all the ceremony and tradition which has been added, layer by layer, over the generations, the Christian experience is essen-tially one of table fellowship.

Jesus, gathered his friends together and shared a meal already infused with story, and proceeded to give that story a new divine dimension and meaning. The simple elements of bread and wine become for us the means by which we become aware of the presence of Our Lord in our midst.

When we gather with oth-ers who are a part of our local

faith community, we share the stories of faith, we share our lives, we seek to nurture and support each other and present ourselves as a caring presence in each others lives. At mo-ments of joy and in moments of grief, the experience of sac-ramental table fellowship is a central part of our identity. We are sustained for our pilgrim-age through life by Word and Sacrament and we are sustained for our daily life by the table fellowship we experience.

Offering thanks for what is being

shared is an essential act of

sitting at a table for a meal. Prayer acknowledges a

Divine Presence in that space.

Throughout my years of ministry there have been moments when I have been surprised by the response that I have been given by some of the younger members of different congregations to a very simple question, “Do you say Grace at mealtimes?“ Several decades ago, there was a quick raising of hands and some folks were ready to tell me how they

offered a prayer of thanksgiving whenever they shared a meal at the family table. These days, the responses are not always as fast, nor is the answer so sure. A fast-paced and demanding lifestyle does not always ensure that a family will be able to sit down together, nor does the time allotted for the meal seem to permit the inclusion of a Table Grace.

As an individual, as a family, with a gathering of friends, of-fering thanks for what is being shared, is an essential act of sit-ting at a table for a meal. Prayer acknowledges a Divine Pres-ence in that space. The mystery of claiming that moment as a time when we are in the com-pany of Jesus is a transforma-tional moment. It is a moment when we are compelled to realize that all that has been set before us is a God given gift. By claiming that moment and that place, whenever or wherever it might be, as a place and a mo-ment that we share with Our Lord, it becomes a place where divine hospitality is experi-enced, where all are welcomed and none are turned away.

For these, and all God’s many Blessings, we give thanks.Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt has retired from full time parish ministry, but continues to offer priestly ministry in the Diocese of Huron.

rev. canon christopher

B. J. pratt

a vieW From the Back peW

Food, family, friends and faith

V iolence! When I typed that word, it seemed

stark and ugly. It made me want to hit the backspace quickly and keep pressing until it disappears.

It is a word that is used all too often today and the world struggles with what seems to be daily incursions of violence in our lives. Cowardly acts, as vehicles are driven into crowds of innocent people. Near riots replace discussion when people disagree.

I spend much more time thinking about the violence that inflicts as my time on this spinning rock grows longer. It seems to me that violence creeps ever deeper into who we are; reflected in our culture, our habits, the way we live our lives. This is far from scientific, but in hopes of sparking discus-sion on what I am coming to

believe may be among the most pressing problems of our time, let me share some thoughts on how violence has deepened in our world, using just one cultural medium as an example.

I remember well, Marshal Matt Dillon! He ruled the wild and violent streets of Dodge City, but he always followed the rules. He never drew first, he never used violence save as a last resort. And what of Ben Cartwright and his sons Adam, Hoss and Little Joe? Every episode of Bonanza featured a killing, a fight, a number of vio-lent acts. Adam 12 and Drag-

net, gave us crew cut goodness. These shows were sanitized, but they were violent!

By my teen years, a subtle shift. The new stars of television were Jim Rockford, Starsky and Hutch and the grandmo-therly Jessica Fletcher. But no longer was it a given that good would defeat evil. The fights now showed blood and injury and the stories of murder more grizzly. Still tightly controlled, but violent!

And then came the wave of Law and Order. Suddenly the grit and violence was in your face. Evil sometimes triumphed

and the lines between the good characters and the bad were intentionally blurred. With one success, the Law and Order franchise blossomed into sever-al different flavours, each a little more sinister and dark than the last. Violence in your face!

And then came Criminal Minds; the show that chased me away from the genre and left me seriously wondering about our world. Violence was to be seemingly celebrated. The more twisted the character, the more gruesome the exploits, it seemed the more popular the show. I began to feel that the lines between right and wrong were being completely erased. At the end of an episode, I would find myself in a cold sweat, wondering how I could call this entertainment. It was as if I had been desensitized from the pain and suffering that was represented. I checked out.

Recently, out of curiosity, I flipped on a program called Blood Drive, just to see what it was all about. Let me be honest up front, I knew it would be gruesome and I knew the premise was about cars that raced with blood as fuel. I couldn't stomach more than ten minutes. Non-stop blood, gore,

hate, bullying and it seemed quite clear that evil was to win. Unfettered violence!

Now people will tell me it isn't reality, so we shouldn't worry about it. But more and more I wonder how much what we ingest from screens finds its way into how we think, feel and act. The clear line from Gunsmoke to Blood Drive, is strung together with violence. Right and wrong is no longer the question, but rather it is the shock value, the assault on our senses that is important. It comes to the edge of normaliz-ing violence.

As real life violence is now delivered straight to our screens from around the world, strut-ted before us to scare and sell, I can't help but wonder where this trail leads. I've touched on just one genre. The questions are far more complicated than what I have presented. There is that growing dichotomy today of a world that wants to quell violence and give peace a chance; alongside a society that seems intent on continuing to consume violence as part of culture. Rev. Canon Keith Nethery is rector at Holy Trinity St. Stephen’s Memorial, London.

From Gunsmoke to Blood Drive: violence as a part of our culture

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Allef Vinicius, Unsplash

Kate Remmer, Unsplash

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 1 1

T he crucible is a container that comes in a variety

of shapes and sizes and is essentially used for mixing chemical compounds at very high heat.

In my counselling, I use the term “crucible” to describe a marriage (or partnership) in which two people are fused by a love that changes them both.

The change process is caused when the two involved face the heat of outside stimuli such as economic demands, familial expectations, and unresolved

emotional issues. These, and many such “heat producing” influences, crank up the tem-perature and stimulate some manner of transformation (per-sonally and relationally).

This transformation gen-erates a level of stress. And how those involved manage that stress has great impact on whether the transformation is a positive one.

Stress can be quite intense. And the reaction of those involved is often unpredictable. Sometimes this will blow the crucible apart. Nevertheless, if both people are reasonably resilient, something new is created.

With this in mind, the cruci-ble becomes an important place for new growth, and "staying" becomes the cornerstone of success. Deeper in this mix, we

find the resilient love that fused them together in the beginning.

Extra support for the crucible can be found in counselling. But only in those interventions which preserve the change pro-cess by focusing on the identifi-cation and management of the stress. Additional support can be gleaned from those self-help books that try to rekindle the positive energy from when the crucible felt strongest.

Stay away from resources that promote the planting of a rose garden. No such sweet smelling bliss exists in a real crucible… at least not as a constant.

Also avoid interventions (or readings) that focus on ending stress. Stress is an inevitable part of the journey. If nothing else, some couples need be coached to face their conflict straight up. And helpful strate-

gies may include setting time to “fight” (fairly).

Marriage (and a like-framed partnership) is but one form of “crucible”. Other crucibles, in which “heat” stimulates per-sonal and relational are friend-ship circles, faith communities, and other such interest groups in which the organization is reliant upon mutuality and an agreed upon mandate.

As in marriage, “staying” in these other crucibles becomes so very important to the change process. Someone leaving the crucible too early, for whatever reason, minimizes, if not, de-feats, any potential for personal growth.

Granted, not everyone is looking for personal growth. But, in my mind, growth is but a natural maturing, and comes part and parcel in any manner

of mutuality. Perhaps it is why it’s said, “no one is an island.” We cannot even sneeze in rela-tionship without affecting each other.

Truth is, not all leaving is bad, and not all staying is good. There are complicated situa-tions, when the ramifications of staying outweigh the benefits; think here of abuse and ethical breaches.

Nonetheless, as I have come to see it, all creation suffers when good people choose to turn their backs on one anoth-er. The systemic casualties are unnumbered, and the creative potential is lost forever.Rev. Jim Innes is the rector of the regional Ministry of South Huron.Rev.Jiminnes@gmail.com

The crucible of marriage and the chemistry of conflict

rev. Jim innes

as i see it

Only he who sees, takes off his shoes...

LaureL pattenden

I was about eight when I was tested by J.C. It was

when I was being tested for my Brownie collector’s badge and the testers initials were J.C. Really.

My collection consisted of about 10 tree leaves, each being sealed between pieces of wax paper by a hot iron and then hastily thrown into a binder of some sort. The idea, for me, was not to actually collect any-thing but to get the badge. The badge was a brown triangular shape edged in yellow gold with an embroidered yellow gold

magnifying glass in the mid-dle. Very simple in design but definitely would look awesome on my uniform sleeve.

So there I was at the tester’s, dressed in my Brownie brown outfit, totally nervous with this meager collection of the usual suspects - maple, oak, elm, apple etc. leaves found in the neighbourhood. To earn this badge I was to correctly identi-fy the leaves. Naming them one by one.

Looking out on the autumn leaves, I think the criteria for the collector’s badge was met, but I think “the leaves” had much more to say than just their name. The badge left out my relationship with them.

Eight year olds have rela-tionships with leaves. Any of us who had access to treed back yards could wake to the weather forecast with the wind

in the leaves or the sound of rain upon them. Telling time with the changing of their colour by Thanksgiving. And watching them slowly tum-ble to the ground counting the days to Halloween when most trees would be bare. All the leaves blowing around the yard, colourful and crisp, piling them up into mounds and then throwing them overhead into the air was great fun. The leaves were like manna from heaven.

And then we grew older. Leaves are to be raked and bundled in clear plastic with the goal of making our yards look like a tidy mid summer day. Erasing time and season from our view. Amazingly, each year in spring we await the first signs of their green-gold to show and give us relief from winter. The lush summer shade provides a refreshing place for

needed relaxation. And then the colours! The fireworks at the end of the leaf ’s life.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.”

Do you think Elizabeth is telling us to “stop and smell the leaves”? Do you think she is telling us to take some dried leaves and crinkle them with our bare toes? Maybe build a hill of leaves and toss them into the air? Ponder the glory of each individual leaf for it’s own beauty? Enjoy the leaves once again as a child and rejoice as if they truly were manna from heaven?

I think she wants us to feel, smell, touch and see all God’s glory this season. It truly is a harvest of God’s beauty.

This year I have decided to pay more attention to the leaves covering our yard. Before we bundle the leaves this season maybe we could ask this ques-tion of the poet George Her-bert: “Lord! who hath praise enough?” Then take a few leaves out of the bag and place them gently back on the lawn. Manna of creation. Manna of God’s glory. For those of you who will find this tough to do, don’t worry, a wind will soon share them with your neigh-bour.

I didn’t pass the Collector’s badge because I didn’t recall all the names. But I certainly knew about leaves. The tester J.C. was kind and sent me away to just review them again. J.C. never made me feel like I had failed. The sign of an excellent Brown-ie tester. I did get my badge on my second visit.

I have a habit that may horrify some of you, and

to which others will relate.

I write in, dog ear, and high-light my books with complete abandon. Whenever I find a good quote, illustration or sermon idea, I keep a note of it. Then, months later when I want

to reference those notes, I find myself staring at a bookshelf full of equally marked up books trying to remember which

book holds that one quote that would bring out the Gospel message on a particular Sunday.

To combat my office floor from being littered with books every time I desperately try to remember that one specific sermon quote or illustration, I have adopted cloud-based note keeping. Evernote is my platform of choice, but Google Keep, and One Note are also great options and provide simi-lar functionality.

Evernote is a cloud-based cross-platform application. It syncs across multiple devices so I can take notes on my phone or tablet and access them later from my laptop. I can create a

text note, an audio note or even snap a quick picture. I can in-clude attachments to my notes and even can set a reminder to alert me when the note might be relevant. Say, the beginning of Easter, or before the sale ends on the item I just snapped in a store.

Being able to store and search my notes easily gives me the freedom to take notes wherever and whenever I want without worrying about losing them or remembering to look them up when necessary. And, since my notes are on the cloud, I can share them with people; from sharing service ideas with clergy colleagues, to a shopping

list with my wife. As much as I love post-its, they just can’t compare.

Evernote certainly hasn’t stopped me from marking up my books, but it has helped me organize my thoughts, sermon illustrations and seasonal ideas in a quick searchable notes that I can quickly access wherever I am. And most importantly, it has helped me avoid stubbing my toes and tripping over yet another pile of books in my office. Rev. Marty Levesque is the diocesan social media officer and rector of All Saints’ in Waterloo. marty.r.levesque@gmail.com

rev. marty Levesque

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Cloud-based note keeping: organizing your office and your thoughts

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From Page 1Did you know that PWRDF

is a member of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank? With this membership PWRDF is able to extend its work with partners in Food Security projects by matching grants of 4:1. These projects not only feed people, but also contribute to education in agricultural techniques. The world’s farmers need to learn new ways to adapt to signifi-cant climate change that affects productivity. People who have regular, dignified access to enough nutritious food, live healthy and active lives and are better able to contribute to the well-being of their com-munities. This is Food Secu-rity: another primary focus of PWRDF.

Did you know that PWRDF is a partner with Action of Churches Together (ACT)? This places us in a position of immediate response in most areas of the world when there is an emergency calling for re-sponse. PWRDF works direct-ly through church partners in affected areas to provide imme-diate and appropriate response. 100% of donations designated to emergency response goes to that purpose.

Did you know that PWRDF has a volunteer network across Canada? This enables it to be an organization of response to the Canadian context. Specifi-cally, PWRDF can and has been present to help in domestic emergency situations such as forest fires affecting evacuation. PWRDF also has a growing relationship with Indigenous communities, partnering in the provision of clean water and cultural programs.

As a Canadian Anglican, you can know with confidence that PWRDF is worth your invest-ment as an outreach ministry of your church: effective, compas-sionate and accountable.

Please consider today your partnership and contribution to this important work. Pray for our PWRDF partners. Learn about the importance of relief and development work. Give as you are able and are moved to do so. Receive the gratitude of your brothers and sisters in this beautiful family of God.

Rt. Rev. Linda Nicholls Bishop of Huron

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October 16 is World Food Day

Photos: Matthew Sawatzky