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ANGLICAN LIFE
NEWSPAPER OF THE THREE ANGLICAN DIOCESES IN
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
A Section of the Anglican Journal December, 2017

He came down to
earth from heaven
Who is God and
Lord of all,
And his shelter
was a stable,
And his cradle
was a stall.
- Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848

Thoom / SHUTTERSTOCK

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

2 DECEMBER 2017

The Word Became Flesh

and Dwelt Among Us
ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is
the newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada in
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. A co-
John 1:14
operative effort of the three Dioceses in Newfoundland
Archbishop Percy Coffin
and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues each year with
Western Newfoundland
an independent editorial policy.
At a glance, the story of the This remote
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Mrs. Emily F. Rowe a complex history that enriches minds of the lowly
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Photo Emily F. Rowe

Hebrew Scriptures mention Wo r d b e c a m e
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DECEMBER 2017
The Sacrifice of
Christmas
Ronald Clarke
Columnist
When we speak of the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
we immediately think of Good
Fridayof the horrible agony,
of the degrading humiliation,
of the crucifixionand rightly
so. But, do we ever realize or
understand, what a painful
sacrifice the incarnation of the
first Christmas must have been
for our Lord?
Jesus Christ, as the
Scriptures state, was, from the
beginning, with God, and of the
divine nature of God. In other
words, before the incarnation,
he was really divine. Divine
nature is infinitely higher, more
mysterious than our human
nature. As our humanity is
far higher than the nature of
animals, so divinity is infinitely
higher than humanity.
Let us, for the sake of
analogy, compare Jesus to
an intelligent, loving human
shepherd, and humanity to his
flock of sheep. Jesus himself
used this very analogy. Using
this device, we may be better
able to understand what Jesus
did for us at Christmas.
L e t s s u p p o s e t h a t
you and I were that loving
shepherd. Our beloved flock
had degenerated into unruly,
unmanageable, rebellious,
reckless animals. Ignoring the
shepherd, the sheep wander
off in all directions, risking
the lives of all. Wolves attack,
maiming and slaughtering the
flock.
His voice drowned out by
the confusion and chaos, the
shepherd realizes that he can
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no longer communicate with
his beloved flock. He is no
longer their leader. They have
no leader.
Perhaps they will listen
to one of their own? If he
were to become a sheep they
would follow him where he
All Gods Creatures
leads. Sheep usually follow
other sheep. Suppose the
shepherd was given the power
to become a sheep, to save
them all? Would he do so?
If we were the Good Article by
Shepherd, would we have the The Revd Shaun OConnor
courage to become a sheep? Photographs by Debbie Ryder
To sacrifice our humanity, our
high state of being? To be born Yo u d t h i n k t h a t i t We had one hermit crab, For instance, A dog will
as a lamb? To live as a sheep, a would be silly, but it wasnt, two gerbils, two guinea pigs, forgive you two weeks in
dumb animal? What an utterly commented one parishioner one cat, three dogs, lots of advance for anything you
revolting thing to do! Would after the first ever Blessing kids and high attendance. inadvertently do wrong.
we do the unthinkable? Jesus of the Animals service at There were no poops, pees While retaining our
Christ did it for us. Christ Church, Bonavista, on or fights! Each owner got to high reverence for God, the
What an enormous Thanksgiving Sunday. With the present his or her pet as the Blessing of Animals service
sacrifice for the divine Son Bishops and Parish Councils sermon related the Creation was a tangible way for us to
of God to become incarnate, approval, we combined a story of Genesis. One owner express our appreciation of
to assume human form; to liturgy of St. Francis of Assisi mentioned how all creatures Gods creation.
willingly, gladly assume the with Morning Prayer. can reflect Gods character.
mantle of fleshflesh with
all its imperfections, and
chafing limitationsto become
a sheep(a human being)
among such a disappointing
flock!
Why did Jesus do this?
Because he truly loves us
with a love that defies human
comprehension. The babe
in the manger at Christmas
is love quintessential, divine
love incarnate! The divine
love of Christmas rivals that of
Calvary because the sacrifice
of Christmas approaches that
of Calvary.
Truly aware of Christs
glorious sacrifice this
Christmas, let us all rise above
the commercial confusion and
chaos. Let us strive to worship
our God-in-human for. Let us
clearly demonstrate to the
noisy, myopic multitudes the
power of the incarnate risen
Lord to change our lives, and
to save the entire world. Lets
have a truly blessed Christmas!
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
4 DECEMBER 2017
The Christmas of Combined Choral Fun
Your Childhood
Emily F. Rowe
Editor
I recently had a
conversation with a member
of the faculty at Queens
College who said to me that
the thing about Christmas is
that you want it the way that
it was when you were four,
because nothing else ever
really seems quite right. I
am still thinking about how
that is exactly righthits the
nail right on the head. We all
have memories of Christmases
from our childhoods, and while
things have changed in our
lives, while we may have
incorporated the traditions
that our spouses grew up
with, we always hold on to the
smells, tastes, and sights of
Christmas when we were four,
or thereabouts. The difficulty
comes in when we try to
recreate what we have come
to think of as our perfect
Christmas.
When I was a kid, I used to
get told that every Christmas
is different. There will be
different people, different
foods, different parties, and
different presents. Some
years, youll get everything
that you could ask for. I
distinctly remember sitting in
a sled, dragged from under the
tree, eating chocolate money
and watching tv, and I was just
so very content. Other years
were the first ones without
a beloved relative who had
recently died; there were also
the years when you didnt get
that present that youd been
Submitted with photograph
by Linda Pink
The Choir and Musicians of St. John the Evangelist Church, Burgeo, were very pleased to
share their ministry of music with their former choir member, the Revd Canon Terry Rose and
the congregation of St. Mary the Virgin, Cow Head.
hoping for; there were the
years when everyone had a
horrible head cold.
At least we as the Church
can take comfort in the
familiarity of church services.
We can take part in the years
ritual of lighting the Advent
candles, and the Churchs
new year preparation for
the coming of her Lord. We
can rejoice at the manger
with the angels, and stand in
awe with the shepherds. As
Christians, this is the constant
in our livesthe thing that has
followed us since we were four.
Our church services often take
a back seat in the hullabaloo
that is Christmas, but they are
so very important. Church
attendance is not a matter
of time managementnot at Back row: Geraldine Skinner, Diane Ingram, Hilda Bagg, Mae Lushman, Isabel Hann, the
Christmas and not throughout Revd Canon Terry Rose
the rest of the yearbut rather Front row: Levi Rose (guitar), George Anderson (accordion), Jessie Matthews, Mary
a matter of priorities. If you Bowdridge, Calvin Bowdridge, Doris MacDonald, Linda Pink, Barbara Barter (keyboard)
make it a priority, then finding
the time to go to church is so
much easier.
I hope that both you
and your loved ones make
church attendance a priority
in your lives, but I hope that
you all make a special effort
at Christmas. If you havent
been in a while, you might
find that it is the component
of your childhood Christmas
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They might well be having one
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of the manger, with awe and
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wrapped up in more baggage
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we can still strip it back to the
story of the incarnation, and
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anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
DECEMBER 2017
The Holy Family
Bishop Geoff Peddle
Eastern Newfoundland &
Labrador
During the seasons of
Advent and Christmas our
thoughts and prayers and
worship are inspired over and
over again by the Holy Family
Mary, Joseph, Jesusand
even a few other members.
For Christians, the Holy Family
is really our First Family, for the
story of our faith and life really
begins in Mary and Joseph and
Jesus.
In the Godly Play Story of
the Holy Family the children
are always told that the Holy
Family is for them. The Holy
Family is their family. Today.
Always. Sometimes when
children see the characters
of Jesus and his parents in
other places like crches and
nativity displays in churches
and homes they are told not
to touch in case they might
break it. But in the Godly Play
room they can touch the Holy
Family and work with the
figures anytime they want. My
wife, Kathy, says this is one of
her favourite stories because
of that wonderful invitation.
This is yours! This is for you!
That same invitation is also for
Wonderful Start to Sunday School
Year in St. Anthony
Articles and photographs by
Lorlie Cull
We had an awesome start
to the Sunday School year at
St. Mary the Virgin Church,
St. Anthony. On the right
is a picture of the children,
parents, and teachers with
the Revd Katie Flynn waiting
us adults. This is for you! The
Holy Family is your family!
In the Godly Play Story
of the Holy Family we have
all that we really need to
know about that first Christmas
with Jesus and Mary and
Joseph, and we also have
to go upstairs. The bottom
picture shows the blessing
of the backpacks, brought
forward by the children to be
blessed by Revd Katie.
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
5
shepherds, and sheep, and family. I know that there will
magi, and a cow and a donkey. be much joy this year as
But Godly Play completes families come together for
the story in a special way the celebration but there will
because the outstretched arms also be sadness as some
of the Christ-Child become of us struggle with painful
the outstretched arms of the memories. No family is perfect.
resurrected Christ in the end. We should also hold in our
The story begins with the baby hearts those who are marking
Jesus and his arms open wide a first Christmas alone or
to give you a hug and ends without a certain loved one
with Jesus transformed and and reach out to them to let
giving the whole world a hug. them know they are not alone.
It is not just a story from back This Christmas may you
then but very much a story come close to the Holy Family
for today and
a reassurance
of Jesus
presence at
all times and Photo Emily F. Rowe
in all places.
The baby and may the Holy Family be
whose birth a blessing to you. The Holy
we celebrate Family really is your family. For
at Christmas, unto you is born this day in the
gift-wrapped city of David a Saviour, which
in swaddling is Christ the Lord.
clothes,
becomes our +Geoff
Saviour. Eastern Newfoundland
Christmas & Labrador
inspires us to
think about
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Date With
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6 DECEMBER 2017

A Merry, Propserous, and Challenging

Feast of the Incarnation
Bishop John Watton
Central Newfoundland

Its time once more for
all of us to send our best
wishes, and for we who are
called to write, to struggle to
offer something about the
true meaning of Christmas
that is a little deeper than
superfluous and regular Babe
in the Manger reflections. I am
glad to try however, and begin
by thanking you for spending
a few moments with my text.
Lets start here. We believe
that God intervened in History
to be with us. God so loved
the World. The definition of
World in John 3:16 flows out
of the Greek cosmos, which
includes Creation and all that
is in it, and all thatll ever be.
here, I would like to reflect
upon our intergenerational
time frame. Following the
Second World War, and the
terrible influence of Hitlers
genetic assumptions and
biological experimentations,
society pushed back against
any notions that advocated
that one race of people could
be superior over another, or
that the superior were meant
to rule. Political, medical, and
judicial systems stood firm on
the belief that every individual
has a unique nature and a
sacred right to live. Humans
living in peace and harmony
would give meaning to the
world, clear understandings
really a freewill response,
but that which is determined
by inheritances of hormones,
genes and through the evolved
responses of our brains.
Through new awakenings
and the infusion of knowledge
into our world, we have been
both blessed and challenged.
In our time, people live longer,
healthier lives.
Discoveries about who
we really are, has led to an
insistence on gender, ethnic,
and social equality. People of
faith are being challenged like
never before to explore how
the Holy Spirit is moving today,
and as 1 Peter 15 admonishes:
...be prepared to give an
providence. In short, a huge
divide is opening between
Christianity, the latest findings
of life sciences, and the culture
we are called to serve. The
birth of Jesus reminds us of
a virgin pledged to be married
to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of David. The
virgins name was Mary. The
angel went to her and said,
Greetings, you who are highly
favoured! The Lord is with you.
(Luke 1: 26-28).
I am thankful that the
Spirit of Jesus, speaking to us
in and through the Anglican
Church, faithfully declares that
he is with us! How exciting!
What more do we need?
The Marks of Mission are both
a guide and gift, as we move
forward in our time.
I w i s h y o u a M e r r y,
prosperousand challenging
feast of the Incarnation, and

Photo Emily F. Rowe

That includes human societies,
traditions, cultures, strengths,
weakness, etc.: God loves us
through it all, and promises to
be with us even to the end
of the age! I suppose, I could
stop here, wish you a Merry
Christmas and move on but I
am not quite done.
Humanity is now waking in
the morning light of the third
millennium; an ever quickening
pace of change has caught
up to us. That is evident by
dizzying cultural, family and
faith challenges we are living
through. So friends, for the
brief time we spend together
of ethics, and respect for rules.
Christianity has been very
comfortable in this world view.
That time is done!
Over the last 200 years or
so, a slow but steady current
of diverse life sciences has
been flowing and picking up
power. Now it seems we are
being flushed into a new and
terrifying ocean. We have been
to the moon, explored our
solar system and studied the
very essence of life through
molecular and genetic studies.
Scientists, psychologists and
humanists all tend to agree
that human behaviour isnt
answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this
with gentleness and respect.
We are aware that we
are living in a dangerous time.
There are many, who through
a sense of well-meaning and
ambition for our race, disregard
the core idea of the sacredness
of our life. There is a movement
to fully cross cultural, moral
and religious boundaries in
order to use knowledge of
science and human biology
through genetic engineering,
to overrule what we always
understood to be within Gods
bid you into the world:
To proclaim the Good News
of the Kingdom
To teach,baptizeand
nurture new believers
Gods assurance to be with To respond to human need
us even to the end of the by loving service
age! We need not be afraid To seek to transform unjust
of knowledge or truth if we structures of society, to
are confident that this is true. challenge violence of every
My personal conviction is that kind and to pursue peace and
God fully intends to use all reconciliation
knowledge to fill all things To strive to safeguard the
in His perfect will. The Spirit integrity of creation and
of Jesus is as active in the sustain and renew the life of
world now as it has ever been, the earth.
declaring and affirming that we May the Lords own heart
are of value: each and every be one with your own, and
one of us. In our modern age those whom you love this

New Cross Installed

the Church has an important Christmas and always.
incarnational work to do, and
will be empowered to do so. +John
The text of Lukes gospel Central Newfoundland
begins: In the sixth month,
Submitted with photographs God sent the angel Gabriel to
by Karen Simon Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to
The cross on St. Augustines Church in Margaree-Fox Roost was replaced on October 22nd
afterthe old one was removed earlier in the year because of rot.
Thank you to Travis Walters for making the new cross from aluminum which should last for
many years.

William Ingram and Reg Carroll The cross being positioned

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

DECEMBER 2017
Live as Jesus Did
During Christmas
and For The Rest
Of The Year Too
Cynthia Haines-Turner
Columnist
So the world is constantly
changing. Thats not news
to anyone. Certainly not to
those in church circles who
continually witness how
changes in society affect us
as a Christian community.
The Christmas season is an
example of what was once a
Christian celebration that has
experienced, arguably, the
most outside pressure and
that has been usurped to a
great extent by a dramatically
different idea. So much so
that the frenzied season of
shopping, buying, decorating
and partying that surrounds us
bears little or no resemblance
to the seasons of Advent and
Christmas that traditionally
began a new Church Year.
We find ourselves defending
why we sing Advent hymns
whilst everywhere else we
hear Christmas carols, why
we hold off decorating our
worship space until just
before Christmas and why
we believe that a season of
preparation for the birth of
the Christ child informs who
we are as Christians and
enriches our celebration.
Come Christmas Eve, our
churches will fill as people
gather for a once-a-year
pilgrimage to their local
church or to the church where
they grew up. And lets face
it, it will be for many once a
year and no more, regardless
of the music or the sermon
or the liturgy. Thats just the
way it is.
In many ways the world
has hijacked Christmas.
But it seems an exercise in
frustration for us to try to
reclaim something that has
been entirely re-invented,
that uses the same words but
embodies a different reality.
That is undoubtedly
something to lament, and so
we should both lament and
mourn. But we cant be stuck
there. What, instead, can
we do? We accept what is,
we continue to meet people
where they are, we continue
to offer a worship service that
celebrates the incarnation,
that tells the story of Gods
unfolding work in the story of
humanity and that holds out
the vision of a just society,
with the words and hymns
and rituals people recognize.
Then we do a little re-
inventing of our own. Instead
of feeling helpless against the
vision of a Christmas we no
longer recognize, instead of
hearkening back to an ideal
that probably never existed,
we can do what we are best
positioned to do, what we
are called to do. We can be
a Church that demonstrates
what the incarnation isthe
Word became flesh and lived
among us (John 1:14).
Thats not a once a year
activity but an all consuming,
full-time focus on developing
a Church community thats
committed to living in every
way as Jesus livedserving
and caring for those who
are marginalized, vulnerable
and at the mercy of systems
of government and society
beyond their control, seeking
peace and reconciliation,
showing what love looks
like. Grace and truth the
gospel of John continues,
came through Jesus Christ.
Let us, as Jesus followers,
be bearers of that grace and
truth in such a way that others
recognize in us the word
made fleshat Christmas
and beyond.
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
7
Confirmation Candidates
Grow in the Spirit
Parish of Port Saunders
Article and photographs by
Denise White
Seven candidates in incorporated a bit of fun the kids attempted to do a
the Parish of Port Saunders decorating eggs and learning little stewardship by picking
attended classes to complete about the many symbols up litter after the winter. A
the required preparation of the Easter season. Egg few more activities, including
program Grow in the Spirit. painting and decorating bunny a beach fire, were held before
In addition to the required gingerbread cookies were the their day of Confirmation.
materials and learning, the highlights. Thanks for all the
group enjoyed food, fun, and As we held classes in each support from parents and
fellowship. Food is always of the churches in the parish, congregations, and especially
on the agenda, thanks to the thanks to
parents and supporters of the youth for
the class. Crafts and dress making the time
up add fun and fellowship to of preparation
the classes. We even had a and classes
pizza dinner, compliments to worthwhile.
the Parish.
During Advent, the class
enjoyed an Advent wreath
cake as they learned about the
advent season of the church.
Who will our next church
leaders be? The youth enjoyed On the left:
dressing up as servers, lay confirmation
readers, and a priest, playing candidates
the roles of the future leaders decorating
Easter eggs
in the church as part of the
lesson about positions in the
church.
Other seasons of the
church were expressed in a
time line of posters that were
posted in the church basement
hall. The kids enjoyed the
arts and crafts and were quite
creative sometimes!
The end of Lent prepared
t h e m f o r E a s t e r, w h i c h
Above: the collection of litter, left after
the winter thaw.
On the left: dressing up in various church
vestments.
8 DECEMBER 2017
Gift Anxiety:
Where Would We
Be Without Hope?
Allison Billard
Columnist
Why cant we just give my
friend a toy for his birthday,
Mommy? said my eldest,
when I took out yet another
Cineplex movie pass for yet
another birthday in what
seems like a never ending
line up of parties.
I felt like saying that there
is just no need. Every child we
know has more toys than they
can possibly ever play with.
How do we get something they
dont have and that they will
enjoy? I could get books, but
the same question applies. I
could just get a gift card, but
then I feel like Im still just
contributing to the more more
more culture we live in.
What I did say was, not
everyone does birthdays the
way we do, so your mama
thought it would be good to
give an experience. They can
pick a movie they really want
to see and have a snack at the
same time.
I really like doing that,
mommy. Yes, exactly, dear.
Can I just say that it is very
challenging bringing up kids in
a secular, consumerist culture?
Everyone has so much and
parenting philosophies are
so diverse that I always feel
like whatever Im doing is the
wrong thing.
That being said, I feel like
our little family makes out just
fine on a smaller number of
things, very little screen time
and very few extracurriculars.
We do have lots of family time
and lots of free imaginative
play time and lots of books.
Mostly I think everyone is
happy and well adjusted.
Then, Christmas comes.
I love Advent, preparing for
Christmas, and doing all the
traditional things. However,
the thought of Christmas Day
and the big Santa visit, fills me
with anxiety. Because there
will be no electronics in their
stockings. There will be no
big elaborate toys under the
tree. There will be something
they want, something they
need, something to wear and
something to read and that
will be more or less it. Likely,
on Christmas Day, that will be
fine. But when they go back
to school and daycare and
their friends have iPads, and
iPhones, and expensive toys
(that probably got broken on
the first day) I will be anxious.
Will they feel badly? Will they
be jealous? Embarrassed? Or
will they think, cool, that looks
like fun, heres what I got?
I hope that as they get
older they come to understand
and appreciate why we do
things the way we do. Who
knows, maybe this year we will
find opportunities to talk about
those first Christmas gifts. We
will read the first Christmas
story and talk about what a gift
Jesus was. Maybe I can help
the boys to understand what
Christmas is really all about
and it wont matter so much
what Santa brings because
thats not really the point.
Or maybe they will
be upset and jealous and
embarrassed, and well have
to find our way through that as
well. But I have hope that it will
all turn out okay, whichever
way it goes. After all, where
would we be without hope?
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
Archbishop Percy Coffin, The Revd Kay Short, and the twelve confirmation candidates
Twelve Confirmed in
Bonne Bay North
Article and photographs by
Dale Decker
On Sunday, October 22nd,
2017 during a parish service,
there were 12 candidates
confirmed, from both The
Church of The Good Shepherd
in Norris Point, and St.
Matthews in Rocky Harbour.
The parish service was
held at St. Matthews, with
Archbishop Percy Coffin
officiating. A pot luck luncheon
followed, with a retirement gift
presented to the Archbishop. A
gift of thanks was presented to
Monica, the Archbishops wife,
for her gift of music during
Sundays service and over the
years, when in the Parish of
Bonne Bay North .
As October is Clergy
Appreciation month, the Revd Archbishop Percy Coffin is presented with a retirement gift from the parish
Kay Short, Priest in Charge of
the parish, was presented with
a gift of appreciation from the
Parish of Bonne Bay North.
DECEMBER 2017
PWRDF
A closer look at maternal and
child health
Article by Sheila Boutcher
PWRDF Representative, Diocese of Central Newfoundland
Photographs by PWRDF
Merry Christmas everyone!
The PWRDF representatives
from our three dioceses started
writing this article for Anglican
Life in January 2017, its hard to
believe a whole year has gone
by. Our motivation for writing
a regular column was to share
the good news of PWRDF with
all Anglicans. We wanted
you to be able to celebrate
how your contributions have
saved lives, ensured healthy
families, provided disaster
relief, provided food and
clean drinking water, ensured
food security, built homes
and community infrastructure,
supported refugees, provided
humanitarian relief and helped
start micro-businesses. I cannot
help but get excited when
I think about the difference
PWRDF is making in peoples
lives! THANK YOU!!!!!
Today I will share the good
A mother and child in Mozambique representing the AMCC Program
news about two programs, the
Maternal, Newborn and Child
Health Program (MNCH) (2012-
2017) and the All Mothers
and Children Count Program
(AMCC) (2015-2020). Maternal
and child health has been a
part of PWRDFs Development
Initiatives for many years.
When I think of the approach
taken with those programs,
one of my Moms favourite
sayings comes to mind, An
ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure. The value
of things like basic health
education, nutrition education,
food security training, and birth
attendant and doctor training
cannot be underestimated.
These programs are
being implemented in some
of the poorest countries in the
world: Burundi, Mozambique,
Tanzania and Rwanda; and with
many different local partners.
And, as with most things in
life, one size does not fit all.
We rely on the local partners
to identify areas of greatest
need and what will work in
their circumstances. In some
areas, together with education
and training, the program has
included the construction,
expansion or renovation of
health centres and stocking
them with medicines and
medical supplies, and/or the
retrofitting of bicycles and
motorcycles for ambulances.
The provision of Solar
Suitcases to power critical
lighting, medical devises, and
communication devices has
also become valuable tools in
saving lives in areas without
electricity. (Imagine trying to
deliver a baby in the dark!)
According to the World
Health Organization, 830
women die every day from
preventable causes related
to pregnancy and childbirth!
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
9
99% of maternal deaths occur
in developing countries. Most
of those babies do not survive
child birth and, if they do, they
are orphans with a very low
chance of surviving to five
years old.
Due to the success of
the Maternal, Newborn and
Child Health Program the
Government of Canada invited
PWRDF to develop a successor
programthe All Mothers
and Children Count Program.
AMCC has become a major
initiative of PWRDF. Over
five years, 2015 to 2020,
$17,697,412 will be used to In Rwanda, where social workers have been trained to make home visits to
reach 350 villages with a support new mothers and educate about infant nutrition
variety of interventions that
will save the lives of mothers During a 6 month program is matched 6:1 by
and newborns. To March 2017 measurement period in 2015, the Government of Canada
the programs had reached: the infant mortality rate in one through Global Affairs Canada.
327,679 pregnant women village was reduced from 12% Thank you for your support
1,230,290 children under to 0%! of PWRDF. Again, I wish you
five Yo u r g i f t t o t h e A l l and your families a truly
2,400 medical staff Mothers and Children Count blessed Christmas season.
686 community health
care workers, and
116,939 small scale
farmers
An excerpt from a story by
Andre Forget for PWRDF: At
Mtandi Clinic, on the outskirts
of the southern Tanzanian city
of Masasi, new buildings were
added to house a maternity
ward, and PWRDF provided
a regular stock of drugs
and medical supplies. The
doctors stress, however, that
one of the most important
elements of the program
is simply teaching women
better health practices. This At a clinic in Tanzania, where better training of health care workers has led
means providing women with to an increase in children under 5 visiting clinics
information about nutrition
and child health as women
prepare to give birth, and Go where life takes you, but plan ahead.
stressing the importance of
having medical professionals As a free spirit, you rarely look back. But you
present at the time of birth. should look ahead - especially to protect your
In a baseline assessment loved ones when youre no longer there.
before the project began, the All it takes is a little preplanning.
child mortality rate in Masasi
was 117 per 1,000 births. And Decide now on the funeral options and funding
even in 2014, 60% of women arrangements that best meet your needs. Youll
were giving birth at home lessen the burden for those who are left behind.
without the assistance of a
medical professional. To learn more, call the number below. Well send
The goal had been to you a free Wishes and Memories Planning Guide.
reduce mortality to 100 Well also provide you with a no-obligation
consultation.
per 1,000 births, in part
by increasing the number So make your plans, today.
of births taking place in Then follow your path wherever it leads.
clinics. But when an external
evaluator was asked to assess FUNERAL HOMES Corner Brook Deer Lake
the projects impact, it was Preplanning Stephenville Crossing
discovered that the number Crematorium Port aux Basques Burgeo
Chapel
had fallen to 65 per 1,000 Monuments
Port au Choix Lanse au Loup
birthsin large part because Flowers Happy Valley - Goose Bay
94% of women are reportedly 634-0077 1-888-868-6800
now giving birth in clinics. During your most difficult times... we are here to serve you. 6102663
10 DECEMBER 2017

Digital Giving: St. AugustinesA Very

Convenient or Busy Parish
Blasphemous? Induction of New Rector
Article by Peter Stevenson
Kevin Smith
Photographs by Rick Noel
Columnist

The subject of digital giving
hit the local and national news
recently and also was featured
in an episode of This Hour has
22 Minutes. The issue arose
when a radio station ran a story
which incorrectly reported that
St. Marks Anglican Church
in the east end of St. Johns
was actually passing around a
handheld debit machine with
the collection plate. The station
ran a correction the next day
but not before other media
outlets picked it up.
The rector of St. Marks,
the Revd Robert Cooke, was
quoted in the media saying
that the new handheld debit
machine is not passed around
with the collection plate but
instead is kept in the church
office. However, he pointed out
that St. Marks is just keeping
up with the times and making
giving easier for parishioners.
He told CBC, Its a way to
reach out to people who maybe
find themselves in church that
dont have cash or cheques.
He also said, Actually the idea
came from the people, from the
congregation and from other
people who said You need to
make giving more accessible.
Revd Robert explained
to CBC that Its the next
step in donation options
monthly deductions, Visa and
Mastercard payments have
been implemented over the
years.People are always asking
for more convenient ways to
give and I dont think we are
any different than any other
charity,
I recently participated
in a national stewardship
conference which featured
a session on digital giving.
One of the speakers, Paul
Nazareth of Canada Helps, a
one-stop shop for Canadians
to donate and fundraise online
for any registered Canadian
charity, supported the idea.
Mr Nazareth said that while
the collection plate is still
the number one method of
supporting the church, 7-10%
of overall fundraising revenues
are now raised online. Small
charities using the online giving
are up by almost 20% and
online giving is growing faster
than overall giving. He also
pointed out that Canadians on
average are connected to the
web almost five hours a day.
The national online
newspaper, Huffpost also
commented on the story. The
church is in line with consumer
trends. One report from global
payments provider Paysafe
suggests that by 2020, 51% of
Canadians will stop using cash
entirely.
The paper went on to
suggest: The idea of moving
to cashless donations is also
nothing new considering
that churches, such as one in
Belleville, Ont., as far back as
2002, have been allowing debit
terminals for donations.
In conclusion, a word to the
wise: People are increasingly
moving away from cash and
cheques to electronic forms
of payments, and we need to
adapt to those new realities.
Kevin Smith is a gift planning
consultant for the Anglican
Church of Canada.
He can be contacted at
709 739-5667
or by email:
kevinsmith709@gmail.com
St. Augustines, St. Johns,
was the scene of much
ceremony and celebration
on Thursday, October 19th,
2017. The Revd Dr. Rudolph
Anthony Jr., Father Anthony
to his parishioners, was
inducted as the sixth rector of
the Parish of St. Augustine of
Canterbury. Bishop Geoffrey
Peddle presided over the
induction and was Celebrant
for the Eucharist. The service
was well attended by many
clergy, both active and retired,
from the diocese with some
coming from as far away as
Labrador; and by parishioners
and members of other
parishes, especially St. Philips
where Father Anthony was first
introduced to the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador
and its people.
Revd Edward Keeping,
former rector of St. Philips,
delivered the sermon. He spoke
of his experiences of meeting
Father Anthony in 2013 when
a group from the Diocesan
Anglican Mens Association
went to Hattieville, Belize to
help complete construction
of St. Marks Church, where
Father Anthony was the priest.
In 2015, Father Anthony came
to St. Philips, upon invitation
from Revd Keeping, to conduct
a teaching mission. Revd
Keeping pointed out that this
was a very appropriate day for
the induction, the day after the
Feast day of St. Luke. St. Luke
was very influential in Father
Anthonys early education
as the school at which he
received his early education
was St. Lukes in Belize. The
Order of Service also reflected
the importance of the day
with the crest of the Diocese
of Eastern Newfoundland and
Labrador, the silver cross of
St. Augustine, and the winged
ox, the symbol for St. Luke, on
the cover.
After the Reading of
the license by Archdeacon
Sam Rose, Karen Mitchell
certified that the required
oaths and declarations have
been made and the letters
of appointment and license
have been read. Archdeacon
David Pilling, who is Father
Anthonys predecessor at
St. Augustines, then posed
the questions to the new
rector. Members of the parish
presented Father Anthony with
the items required by a rector
to perform his duties: the
Bible was presented by Daniel
Read; a vessel of water by
Shirley Wells and Joyce Barter;
oil by Rose Reid; Canons of
the Diocese by Harold Laite;
keys of the Church by Vicki
Kirkbride; Prayer Book by
Zainab Jerrett; and bread and
wine by Katie Haws.
A reception followed
the service where the menu pastoral care from their new
included some of Father
Anthonys favourite foods.
In addressing the gathering,
Father Anthony said he has
travelled much of the world, but
it was at St. Philips that he first
met the nicest people in the
world: Newfoundlanders and
Labradoreans. He felt a calling
to come to Newfoundland and
Labrador and on May 1st, 2017
he arrived at St. Augustines
as the parishs new rector.
He noted that the date of his
induction was the anniversary
of his fathers passing. He said
this was not a sad time, but
made the date of his induction
even more special. Father
Anthony thanked everyone
for coming out to the service
and preparing the excellent
reception. He thanked
everyone for the wonderful
reception he received upon
arriving at St. Augustines and
all the help he has received to
get established in a new city
and country. The parishioners
of St. Augustines look forward
to many years of service and
rector.

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

DECEMBER 2017 11

International Students
Thanksgiving Dinner
Article by
The Revd Rudolph Anthony

Monday, October 9th, also for doing the registration.

2017, as Canada celebrated
T h a n k s g i v i n g D a y, S t .
Augustines Anglican Church
in St. Johns, NL, hosted
an International Student
Thanksgiving Dinner for
the students of Memorial
University (MUN). There were
approximately 160 students
from 20 different countries in
Deacon Bob Earle, Roy Nasif, Waad Wahbi, Ady Nasif, Anjad Nasif, Fr. Rudolph Anthony, Bishop Geoff Peddle attendance. Our Syrian family
whom the parish has adopted
Thank you, Simon Tam who
heads the Chinese Church.
We heartily thank our C.L.B.
Company for helping to serve
the meal. There were several
of our very own members from
St. Augustines who assisted as
well. A very big thank you to
Rose, Karen, Kathie, Shirley,
Judy, Zainab, and Cathy.
The menu for the evening
consisted of turkey, gravy,

Welcome to the Nasif Family

and sponsored and who stuffing, salad, cranberry
recently arrived in St. Johns sauce, and all the other
also attended the dinner. trimmings to go along. We
Article by Deacon Bob Earle What had been normally thank CAMCHLO Catering, a
Photograph by Rick Noel an annual event held at St. division of the Big R Restaurant,
Augustines was discontinued who provided the catering and
Tw o y e a r s a g o , S t . Ady, 11, and Roy, 8) began the in school and are making new for 2016. Fr. Rudolph Anthony, did a superb job of it. Last but
Augustines church in St. process of getting acclimated friends quickly. who became the new rector not least, we want to give the
Johns initiated the process of to the city and adjusting to life St. Augustines would of St. Augustines in May 2017, biggest thank you to our very
sponsoring a Syrian refugee in Canada. They were officially like to thank the Association decided that this was too own the Revd Deacon Bob
family. On October 5th, all of welcomed by the congregation for New Canadians for important an event in the Earle for being the Chairperson
the preparations that had been during a service on October their ongoing support and Churchs ministry to let go by of the Outreach Committee
made by the parish were put to 22nd, which was followed by guidance, and Home Again the way side, and so he made and whose leadership enabled
good use as the Nasif family a reception. Furniture Bank for furnishing it a priority item on his agenda this to happen. Thanks to all
stepped off an Air Canada The outpouring of the familys apartment on to resurrect the dinner. the members of the Outreach
flight to be welcomed to their supportfinancial and such short notice. We would There were a lot of people Committee.
new home in St. Johns by a otherwisefrom people both also like to acknowledge the and organizations involved As good soldiers of Christ
group from St. Augustines within and outside of the work of Archdeacon David in making the International Jesus, we will continue to
Outreach committee. They parish has been incredible, Pilling who was instrumental Student Thanksgiving Dinner a light the path and invite all
had just traveled all the way and has really helped us to in initiating the sponsorship of success. Firstly, St. Augustines in the name of Jesus and be
from Lebanon where, for a ensure the familys immediate the Nasif family while rector of thanks Bishop Geoffrey Peddle kind to everyone, be good
number of years, they had needs are met. Both parents St. Augustines. Most of all, we for the financial support from teachers to them, and be
taken refuge from the violence are eager to find work in St. give thanks to God, not only for the Diocese Chaplaincy Fund patient, correcting them with
in their home country. With five Johns as soon as possible. the opportunity to take part to make this outreach a reality gentleness. 2nd Timothy 2:24-
suitcases carrying all of their Amjad had been a chef with his in this ministry of outreach, and to Archdeacon Sam Rose 25.
possessions, and speaking own restaurant in Syria, and is but also for the ways in which for his follow up to this vane. We at St. Augustines
little English, the family of eager to resume his career in we will be blessed to have We thank Doreen Westera and will continue with this event
four (Father, Amjad; Mother, his new country. Meanwhile, the Nasifs as friends and new her husband Nick Westera annually, thereby practicing
Waad; and their two sons, the boys have been enrolled members of our parish family. from Inter-varsity Christian caring outreach.
FellowshipMUN for doing Amen,
the recruiting for us. We also Fr. Anthony +
open our hearts to thank the
Emmanuel Chinese Church
for helping us to recruit and

2018
itio n

h Calendar
ran ed
/ luthe
can
angli

dian Churc
Cana

On sale
now!
Only
$5
(plus tax)
Meeting the Holy
The 2018 Canadian Church Calendar presents Each image invites us to return to it again and again.
images and texts that tell us of the abiding presence And each text invites us to consider the witness of
of the Holy in the life of the world. our ancestors.
Fr. Anthony talking to some international students who came to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner
Phone: 1-800-263-2664 Fax: 1-800-461-8575 with St. Augustines Parish
PO Box 9855 Woodslee Ave., Paris, ON N3L 3E5 E-mail: custserv@parasource.com
Website: www.parasource.com

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

12
Between the
LessonsDavid
and Jonathan
The Revd Jonathan Rowe
Columnist
David has had to flee
from Sauls murderous, and
probably mad, rage. Saul has
already been betrayed by his
daughter Michal, Davids wife,
who loved her husband more
than her father. Now he will
also feel betrayed by his son
Jonathan, who also seems to
love David more.
Lets take a moment to
be clear about the nature
of Jonathan and Davids
relationship. The Bible simply
doesnt tell us as much as
we might want to know.
Many people point to the
depth of their affection for
each other as a supposedly
definite argument that their
relationship must have also
had a sexual dimension. Many
LGBTQA+ Christians have
found great strength in their
example. Many other equally
sincere Christians argue that to
assume their relationship must
have been a sexual one does
a great disservice to the depth
of affection that can be felt in
platonic, same-sex friendships.
But at the risk of shying away
from the debate, weve got to
acknowledge that Scripture
never makes the matter
explicit. Perhaps they were
just good friends. Perhaps
they were, as we might say,
friends with benefits. The
point is that Scripture doesnt
give us those details because
thats not actually what this
story is about.
Saul is trying to kill David,
and David knows this. In his
flight, he turns to Jonathan for
advice and help. Jonathan and
David have been close friends
since the Goliath episode. As
we saw, Jonathan was already
an accomplished warrior, just
and courageous, and a local
hero among the Israelites.
He would probably be a far
better king than his father!
Whatever other elements their
relationship had, David seems
to have been a kind of protg
of his.
Jonathan can hardly
believe that his fathers
jealousy of David has become
so severe, and the two set
up a secret test to gauge
Sauls hostility towards David.
They also set up a way to
send David a secret message,
based on how Saul responds
to the test. But no one could
have predicted how violently
Saul would react! He turns on
Jonathan, calling him the son
of a perverse and rebellious
woman, and trying to skewer
his own son with his spear.
If we choose to believe
that Jonathan and David were
romantically involved, it would
be easy to read Sauls tirade
as the homophobic outburst
of a small-minded father. But
thats not what Saul is reacting
against. He says very clearly
that his concern is with his
sons succession, rather than
his love life. Now we come to
what has been the heart of the
problem all along. Saul wants
to establish a dynasty, to be
able to pass his kingdom on
to his son. If David wins the
peoples hearts and is made
king, then Jonathan cant
become king, and the royal
house of Saul will end after just
one generation.
Saul seems to have
either forgotten or else never
understood how he came to be
king in the first place. Although
he initially had the support of
the people, it was not their
approval that made him king,
but Gods will and favour.
Now, when his own choices
and actions had caused him to
lose that favour, the Lord was
raising up a better man to be
king after him.
Jonathan understood this.
He told his friend and protg
that it was clear that God
had chosen David over Saul,
and in all humility, Jonathan
was prepared to put his own
ambitions in second place to
embracing Gods plan. Saul,
however, selfishly kept trying
to salvage his own hopes and
dreams for a kingdom and a
family name, and it was these
very attempts to resist the will
of God that would ultimately
wrench the kingdom out of his
hands. But thats another story,
for another time.
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
I Was Homeless And You
Gave Me Shelter
Article by
The Revd Mark Nichols
Early one spring morning
in 1970, my mother arrived
in Vancouver on a train from
Toronto. She had me and my
three younger brothers in tow.
We had not eaten in more
than a day. We had no money
and no place to live. We were
homeless. Thankfully, on that
occasion, an uncle and his
family took us in for a few
weeks until my mother was
able to get back on her feet.
I was six years of age at
the time. This is my earliest
memory of being homeless,
but it was not the first time
and it would not be the last.
Having experienced
homelessness in my
childhood, it was with great
interest that I read the report,
Everyone Counts: St. Johns
Homeless Point-in-Time
Count 2016, an endeavour of
End Homelessness St. Johns
(EHSJ). This document reports
a count of the number of
people experiencing
homelessness in the city of
St. Johns on November 30,
2016. The count indicated
that there were at least
166 people experiencing
homelessness in St. Johns
on that date, 38 of whom
were youth between 16 and
24 years of age. That was
just one day. EHSJ estimates
about 800 people experience
homelessness at some point
each year in St. Johns. I
highly recommend reading
the report to get a sense of
the scope and complexity of
homelessness in our capital
city.
The Canadian
Homelessness Research
Network defines
homelessness as the
situation of someone who is
without stable, permanent
and appropriate housing.
I suspect most of us
think of folks sleeping in
parks, alleyways or vacant
buildings when we think of
the homeless. These are the
unsheltered homeless and
they are only the tip of the
iceberg. The definition of
homelessness includes those
accommodated in emergency
shelters, interim housing,
motels and institutions, as well
as those temporarily living
with friends or family without
guarantee of continued
residency or prospects
of permanent housing.
These folks are the hidden
homeless and constitute the
majority of the homeless in St.
Johns. According to Everyone
Counts, of the 166 homeless
people identified that day,
only 3 were unsheltered.
The rest were hidden from
view in emergency shelters
(81), transitional housing (5),
someone elses home (22), or
in an institutional setting (55).
Ignoring the plight of these,
our brothers and sisters, falls
well short of our baptismal
vow to respect the dignity of
every human being. There is
no dignity in homelessness.
Trust me on this one.
DECEMBER 2017
Andrey_Popov / SHUTTERSTOCK
As the Church, we are
called to respond with
compassion to the plight
of the homeless in our
midst. The question is, how?
This is a question before
our diocesan Society and
Justice Committee. It should
be a question before parish
communities as well. We
may find answers in the
responses of other parts of
the Church, such as Centre
454 and Cornerstone Housing
for Women in the Diocese
of Ottawa. We may find
answers by engaging with
community groups that serve
the homeless, seeking ways
in which we can partner
with them. Homelessness
is a complex social justice
issue and there are no easy
answers. Nonetheless, as the
body of Christ, we cant turn a
blind eye. Jesus said, I was
hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you
gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I
was in prison and you visited
me. (Matthew 25:35-36) Im
certain he didnt intend this
to be an exhaustive list of
whom we are called to serve.
Indeed, I was homeless and
you gave me shelter does not
seem out of place in this list.
DECEMBER 2017
Eastern Diocese Clergy
Conference 2017
Let Go, Let Be, and Receive the
Spirit in All Things
The Revd Canon Gerald Westcott
Columnist
In this season of change
and transition for the Church
i n o u r s o c i e t y, B i s h o p
Geoff, among others, has
recognised the need for our
clergy and people to listen
more deeply to how the
Spirit is forming a new and
emerging church. Two years
ago, he invited The Revd
Dr. Winston Charles and the
Revd Carole Crumley (both
Episcopal priests and both
directors at Shalem Institute
for Spiritual Formation in
Washington DC) to come to the
diocese and to lead a clergy
conference on the practice
of deepening contemplative
prayerlistening for Spirit
not only with our thinking
minds but also, and more
i m p o r t a n t l y, w i t h o u r
deeper spiritual hearts. The
encouragement
and experience
of deepening
contemplative
prayer at that
conference
resonated so
well amongst the
clergy, the Bishop
invited Winston and
Carole to return
to the diocese
and lead another
conference this October past.
In addition to encouraging
deepening contemplative
prayer practice, this second
conference was also about
intentional listening from our
deeper spiritual hearts as to
what the Spirit is doing in the
emerging church during this
time of institutional transition
and change. In the context
and practice of contemplative
prayer, the invitation in the
movement and flow of the
conference was: 1) to let go
of that in the churchs life
that is no longer relevant or
meaningful to our mission;
2) to recognise and name
that which still has value
and meaning and can be
carried forward with the
emerging church; and 3) the
church is the Spirits work,
not ours, so how can we
listen more deeply for what
Spirit is doing, to co-operate
and receive the Spirit in all
things. Whatever it is that
is unfolding in the church
and in our society, God is
in itChrist is all and is in
all (Colossians 3:11). The
Spirits call on the church,
the people of God, is to listen
more deeply to what Spirit is
doing, to trust deeply, and to
lean into the mystery of what
is emerging. This is to admit
that we dont know exactly
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
13
what we are doing, but that
we recognise the invitation
to surrender our thinking
minds need to control and
manipulate, and, through
deepening contemplative
Happy
Retirement Susan
Article and photograph by
Emily F. Rowe
Queens College Queens family for the
prayer, to open up to our Corporation, faculty and staff celebration of the 32 years that
spiritual heartsthe very held a retirement supper and Susan has worked for Queens
Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians party for Mrs. Susan Foley on College as Administrative
October 3rd. Many of Susans Assistant. Susan retires this
family were able to join her December.
When should I make my
2:16) - and surrender to the ANNUAL DONATION?
moment by moment flow of
Loves Life amongst us and AFC will remind you every year
as us. I dont know what at Thanksgiving, but you can
tomorrows church will look give an annual gift anytime!
like, but I am ready to Love
my way into it. That much I
do know.
www.anglicanfoundation.org
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14
Youth Reach Out
in Portugal Cove
Article by The Revd Canon Amanda Taylor
Photographs by Tanya Holden
In this day and age
where we constantly hear
the question, Where have
all the young people gone?
the Parish of St. Lawrence in
Portugal Cove is somewhat of
an anomaly. Thats because
whenever there is a parish
function or event you would
be hard pressed not to find
a young person. While they
may not be worshiping with
us in large numbers on any
given Sunday, you can be
sure to find them behind
the scenes assisting with
Confirmation training, running
the nursery program, serving
dinners or raising money for
community outreach projects.
At St. Lawrence, our youth are
involved!
Recently, these young
people took their involvement
to new heights. A brief word
of history will help set the
context. Back in the winter of
2016, a group of adults from
our parish came forward in the
hopes of starting a co-ed youth
club. While the girls ministry in
merry
christmas
to all our donors.
Thank you for a great
60th anniversary year!
our Parish
has been
thriving,
apart from
the CLB
there really
wasnt
anything
offered
for boys in
the post-
Confirmation age. This group
was formed in the fall of 2016
in the hope that everyone who
came would feel loved, valued,
and accepted for who they
were. We had an incredible
response and shortly after its
formation the group decided to
start a community
garden. Their
hope was to grow
enough produce
to prepare
and serve a
free dinner
for the entire
community.
This past
spring, under the
guidance of two
local farmers, our
youth and leaders
built, planted and tended
a small community garden.
Then, on October 29th, they,
along with our Confirmation
candidates, prepared and
served a Jiggs Dinner for more
than 100 people! On that day
Anglicans and non-Anglicans,
church goers and non-church
goers, the young and the old,
all came together to enjoy one
A Fond Farewell to Letty
Articles and photograph by
Lorlie Cull
A fond farewell to Letty (Richards) Stone from St. Mary the Virgin Church in St. Anthony. Letty
was a part of the Glad Tidings guitar group since its inception.
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
anothers company and to be
fed. The smiles on the faces of
our young people were second
only to the smiles on the faces
of those they served.
Not only did our youth
learn a little about gardening
and food sustainability,
through this project they also
saw a concrete example of
how we are called to love
our neighbour as ourselves.
Through the leadership of our
adult leaders, these young
people were able to put their
faith into action as they were
given an opportunity to put
into practice everything they
had learned since their Sunday
school days.
So, no, they may not be in
church on a weekly basis, but
there is no doubt these youth
know what it means to be the
church in the world. Following
their example, maybe it is time
for us to rediscover who we
are as followers of Christ and
to come to realize the truth of
William Temples words, The
Church is the only society that
exists for the benefit of those
who are not its members.
Canon John Courage with this wife, Heather, and daughter, Charlotte
John Courage
Retires
Article by
The Revd Canon David
Burrows
On the evening of the Feast
of St. Michael and All Angels,
at the Parish of the Ascension,
in Mount Pearl, friends and
family, colleagues, and former
parishioners celebrated with
great thanksgiving the work
and ministry of The Revd
Canon John James Courage.
In his thirty-six years of active
service, he has shown himself
to be dedicated, capable,
thoughtful, and compassionate
in his exercise of ministry.
During the celebratory
retirement dinner, colleagues
including Major Barry Gray,
Revd Scott Parsons, Revd
Lynn Courage, Canon David
Burrows and The Rt. Revd
Dr. Geoffrey Peddle offered
vignettes of their time in
ministry with him. Canon Johns
family offered some touching
stories and their outright
praise and thanksgiving for a
blessed husband and father.
After the delicious meal, and
DECEMBER 2017
the various speeches, there
was a special performance
and request by the Sisters of
Willingness for the application
of a certain newly retired priest
to be their new chaplain.
Frivolity and mirth aside,
Canon Johns contribution to
the life and ministry of Christ
within the Diocese of Eastern
Newfoundland and Labrador
is holy and holistic in nature.
John has for many (if not most)
of us, been a priest, a mentor,
a friend. In his offering of
himself in service, he is to be
commended and celebrated,
for his ability to reflect the
presence of Christ in our midst.
He is one for whom many
see as a saint, reflecting the
humility, the compassion, and
the presence of Jesus in the
midst of us.
Pictured on the left is Letty,
Linda Coffin, Gail Hancock,
Donna Bungay. Back: Albert
Kinsella and Chris Moss.
We wish her well in her new
endeavours.
DECEMBER 2017 15

St. Jamess Celebrates

119 Years
Article and photographs
by Lisa Brown

On November 1st, the

ACW of St. Jamess Church in
Port aux Basques, celebrated
their 119th Anniversary.
The evening began with a wikimedia.org

Joy
church service of the Holy
Eucharist with approximately
45 women attending. Then a
potluck dinner was held in the
Memorial Centre followed by
a game of cards. Article by
Patricia Hammond

Pictured above: people
enjoying the buffet potluck
Pictured on the left: Mrs.
Martha Hann, oldest member
of the congregation of St.
James, Port Aux Basques
Joy to the world the Lord
has come! Our hearts are
lifted as we sing this familiar
Christmas song. It is natural
to rejoice at Christmas
when the world around us
is celebrating the coming of
God incarnate to earth, with
the promise of an ever more
abundant lifehealth of mind,
body, and soul. Gifts and the
holiday atmosphere add to this
spiritual gladness. But do we
hang on to this glow? Do we
quietly lose it for a time, maybe
until Easter when we again
rejoice with the springtime
resurrection of nature, when
it becomes easy to rejoice
that the Lord has come again
with the gift of everlasting life?
What happens in between?
Why should we continue to
rejoice that the Lord has come?
One of the greatest gifts Jesus
brought us was the revelation
of God as our Father, One who
is infinitely loving and infinitely
powerful to help. Have we
accepted this revelation our
Lord came to share with us?
Another cause for rejoicing is
the specific way in which Jesus
revealed the will of the Father.
To the sinful and outcast, Jesus
declared God had wiped the
slate clean and offered new
life. The wandering son was
welcomed home. The sick in
mind and body were restored
to wholeness, never a refusal,
never an incurable. We need
to hold these pictures in our
hearts. The Lord has come to
bring the abundant life. And
in so doing declared, He
that hath seen Me hath seen
the Father. We need to hold
our Lords spoken words in
our hearts that our joy might
be full.
We also need to allow
our hearts to be open to the
invasion of joy in our daily
lives, the simple and human
things found in nature, in the
books we read, in our childs
first spoken word, in our work,
etc. By finding joy in those
smaller things, sometimes and
unexpectedly, Jesus will come
and bring us some higher
and more divine joy, where
the spirit of Christ makes our
hearts glow in kind deeds of
service and joyous prayer.
Friends, may the Joy that
comes at Christmas and is
renewed at Easter, come to
stay in your life. There is a
bookmark inscription that
reads, Joy is the echo of Gods
life in mine. How much of an
echo is in your life and mine?
Ultreya

Deadlines and Submission Guidelines for Anglican Life

Deadlines: Photograph Submissions:
January - 28 November Very large, high resolution photographs
February - 2 January (minimum of 300 dpi). JPEG or TIFF format.
March - 30 January Please include the photographers name.

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

16
Parish of the Holy Spirit Southwest Arm A
Parish Update A Year In The Making
Article and photographs by
Sarah Sharpe
Our Parish in the
Southwest Arm has a new
name. We decided to go
with the Parish of the Holy
Spirit. I recall when Mr.
Jimmy Peddle, one of our
lay ministers from Hodges
Cove, had put that name
forward when we joined
with other neighbouring
parishes to form a isthmus
ministry as one huge parish.
Personally, I am delighted we
have returned to our roots.
I loved being a part of the
larger parish, but getting
around during the winters
and bad weather was at
times difficult. Summertime
saw smaller numbers in
attendance. Currently, we
are delighted to have the
Revd Khaliah Kinkead who,
as you know,came to us from
Jamaica. Revd Kinkead has
settled in nicely, and now
has aNewfoundland drivers
licence. I must admit that
she has become extremely
good at dodging the pot holes
throughout the Southwest
Arm Area. One could argue
thatshe is almost as good as
the Targa Race Car drivers
who come this way each
Summer.
In April, at the invitation of
Bishop Geoff Peddle, Andrew
Peddle and I accompanied
Revd Kinkead to the Anglican
Maundy Thursday Service: Revd Kinkead, Andrew Peddle, Revd Kenute Francis, and Patrice (server at the Cathedral)
Cathedral in St. Johns for
Maundy Thursday Service.
This is an annual event
where the clergy have the
opportunity to reaffirm their
ordination vows. For our
first time at this event, it
was indeed a wonderful,
meaningful, solemn
ceremony!
Re v d K i n ke a d t r u l y
enjoyed the event and had
the opportunity to meet and
speak with other priests
in the Eastern Diocese of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
We ran into several members
of the clergy who had been
employed in our parish
throughout the years. At the
end of the service I ran into
another delightful person,
Archdeacon Sam Rose, the
former editor of this paper.
His positive comments
encouraged me to write this
article, and I thank him for
that!
The parish has returned
to its roots covering
the geographical area of
Hatchet Cove, Hillview, Long
Beach, Hodges Cove, and
Gooseberry Cove. Our clergy
and laity are very active
ministering to all aspects
of need within our church
community. It is so good to
hear the positive feedback
from our parishioners who
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
take much joy in receiving
v i s i t s f r o m t h e c l e r g y.
There were many hospital
visits, home communions,
baptisms, marriages, and
funeral services, throughout
this spring and summer.
Parishioner feedback is very
positive, especially from our
residents in seniors homes,
our shut-ins and those who
have been hospitalized. They
tell us they are delighted to
receive regular ministerial
visits. I just love the look of
contentment on their faces
of those we visit on a regular
basis, and how they tell us
they have seen their clergy
on a regular basis, and
sometimes they bring them
treats too!
The congregations within
the Holy Spirit Parish look
forward to the end of the
month for our Parish Service
gatherings, which are held on
a rotating basis throughout
the parish, and continue to
be very well attended. The
potluck fellowships after
the services are greatly
appreciated!
The July parish-wide
service at St. Marks Church
in Long Beach was a treat
for us, when special guest
musician and singer Ms.
Elizabeth Deveau, from Nova
Scotia, came to offer us a
morning of Prayer and Praise.
She and her husband are
involved in ministry work
with Compassion Canada.
Ms. Elizabeth has written a
number of songs about our
call to love in action, thereby
reaching out to the needy
and broken of the world. She
is truly an amazing singer
and presenter who uplifted
Bishop and Mrs. Peddle being given a sketch by Laura Drover
a packed church of about
99 people. What a beautiful
Sunday morning worship that
was followed by fellowship in
the Church Hall.
In August, the parish
decided it would hold an
outdoor event, so a picnic on
the Beach in Hodges Cove
DECEMBER 2017
was organized. Bishop Geoff
Peddle was invited to attend,
and thanked us for including
him as a part of the festivities.
We were so delighted to have
Mrs. Peddle, their younger
son Adam, and his fianc
with us taking in this special
event. The damp weather
did not deter us from having
our picnic. The boys pulled
a boat up to the church steps
covered in a net and other
fishing gear (this would have
pleased St. Peter), thereby
g a rni s hi ng a c oup l e of
chuckles from our new priest.
The picnics theme focused
on the Gospel of Matthew
when Jesus called Peter and
others to be fishers of men.
The Bishop delivered a unique
homily. We were gifted with
the amazing voices of sisters,
Hayley and Jordyn Peddle, as
well as the gifted voices of
other individuals, and parish
choirs under the direction of
organist Mrs.Pearl Spurrell.
Prior to the closing, and
on behalf of the parish, Mrs.
Laura Drover presented
Bishop Geoff and Mrs. Peddle
with a sketch of Jesus calling
to the fishermen which was
drawn by Mr. Larry Drover,
son of Gordon and Ruby
Drover of Hodges Cove.
Larry, a former parishioner,
now lives in Grand Falls.
The sketch certainly tied
together a significant part of
the theme behind our parish
picnic. The Peddles enjoyed
their gift immensely.
September 10 brought an
amazing gathering at St. Alban
the Martyr in Gooseberry
Cove. Mrs. Norma Smith-
Spurrell co-ordinated our
second yearMemorial Hymn
DECEMBER 2017 17

Left to right: lay minister, Denise White; Deacon, Marie Smith; Archbishop
Percy Coffin; Deacon Clare Stewart; Deacon Ida Patey; servers Sarah White
and Erica House

Boat with fishing gear, pulled up to the church

Sing. There were musicians
and vocalists of every kind
who volunteered their time
New Ministry In Parish of
Port Saunders A Reason
Cove. Revd Curtiss homily
wasso very touching when
it spoke to us on a heartfelt

to come share their music
to the Glory of God and in
memory of departed loved
ones. What a wonderful
day of song and praise to
the glory of God! I would be
remiss if I did not thank each
one who came out to this very
powerful event: vocalists:
Evelyn Avery, Flo Peddle, St.
Albans Womens Choir, Hayley
and Jordyn Peddle, the Smith
sisters: Norma, Rita, Janet,
Juanita, and Marcie Spurrell,
Pearl Spurrell; organist,
and Samuel Lambert who
accompanied Janet on his
guitar. Revd Kay was on her
summer holidays, and was
showing her sister around
the province, however, she
was not too busy to take
time to come to the Memorial
Hymn Sing. She admitted
she thoroughly enjoyed the
gala, and was proud of us
putting off such an event.
To top off the summers
spiritual gatherings, we
were blessed to have The
Re v e r e n d s E l l e n C u r t i s
andMyrna Vey co-share the
parish service at Hatchet
basis about poverty and
itseffects on society and the
individuals who walk in those
shoes. Revd Ellen gave a
first hand account of how
she had spent her college
years ministering to the poor
and homeless on the streets
of Toronto, and then she drew
the analogy of how now, here
in our province, there is an
every increase of poverty
and homeless on the streets
of downtown St. Johns. She
went on to say it goes deeper
than that because some of
our rural communities are
now dependent on food
banks. I loved that sermon
because it brought back many
memories of my volunteer
workthroughout my lifetime
when I was involved in the
anti-poverty movement in
Canada.
I learned a lot by attending
Sunday services, and am so
glad that I have returned to
St. Albans Church, because
it reaffirms my belief and
trust in God that if we allow
him, He will make a change
through us!
to Celebrate Indeed
Article and photographs by
Denise White
A special celebration
Parish Service with Eucharist,
followed by a potluck supper,
was held on June 21st with
Archbishop Percy Coffin
presiding. It was a time to
celebrate the expanded
Ministry Team. Two long-time
lay ministers and parishioners,
Ida Patey and Marie Smith,
were recognized for their
latest accomplishment of
being ordained on June 18th as
vocational deacons, while the
Parish also took this chance
to welcome the incumbent
rector, the Revd Clare Stewart people, serving
(deacon).
The Parish welcomed the
new rector and acknowledged
the accomplishments of the
newly ordained deacons
who graduated from Queens
College in May with a Diploma
in Ministry and Theology. And
we did not forget
a third lay minister
from our parish,
Nath Larkin,
who became
transitional
deacon and has
moved on to serve
in the Parish of
Forteau.
We are sure
the ministry team
will be kept busy
carrying out all of
the many aspects
of ministry to Gods
our four church
congregations in
five communities,
and at other
institutions in our Revd Clare cuts and serves the cake
parish.

Do You Know Someone Who

Would Like To Get

Let Us Know:
anglicanlifenl@gmail.com
Mrs. Norma Smith-Spurrell

anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador

18
Parish of Pasedena & Cormack
St. Davids Confirmation and Youth Group
Article by
Daphne Reid
What an exciting year it
has been for the Confirmation/
Youth Group at St Davids in
Pasadena! We began last year
to prepare for Confirmation by
doing all the regular things
which most groups do, but
this year we included a few
different activities to enhance
our learning, sharing, serving,
fellowship, and spiritual
growth.
We immediately started
playing active roles in our
In front of the Chapel at Kildevil Camp
New Window In Cormack Church Honours Veterans and the Woman
Who Was Passionate That They Should Be Remembered
Article and photographs
by Peggy Sheppard
I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 7, St .
George of England Anglican
Church in Cormack, NL had
a new stained glass window
dedicated to the glory of
God and in loving memory of
Susan Doris Sheppard. This
window was a gift given to
the church by her family. This
beautiful, modern window
portrays poppies growing
in fields, coiled barbed wire
to symbolize war, and a
stylized cross in a vortex
spiralling toward heaven.
When Mrs. Sheppards family
considered a memorial gift,
it was unanimous that this
window would indeed be
a fitting memorial to their
mother, grandmother, and
great grandmother. The
reasoning behind this
decision is twofold.
To b e g i n w i t h , t h e
community of Cormack was
established and settled by
veterans returning from
World War II. Because of this,
St. Georges Church upholds
itself as a church dedicated
to veterans. In the 1990s,
when the construction of
church by serving, reading,
greeting etc. We hosted a
winter carnival supper in
February, had regular movie
nights where friends and
members of the congregation
were invited to participate,
and enjoyed making (and
eating) pancakes as we
learned more about Lent and
Easter.
On five different
occasions, from May to
the new St. Georges Church
was completed, and the
old church was removed,
The Royal Canadian Legion,
Branch 3, Deer Lake saw it
fitting to erect a Memorial
monument on the site of the
old church. Each year the
communitys Remembrance
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
October, we took part in the
Open Door program offered
at The Cathedral of St. John
the Evangelist in Corner
Brook. This soup kitchen/
food program is offered every
Monday to those who are
in need. Some of us helped
to prepare the food while
others served guests and
offered our hospitality during
the meal. It was a
very humbling, eye
opening experience,
enjoyed by all.
On June 3 we
went to Killdevil
Church camp for a
weekend retreat.
We g a t h e r e d f o r
a weekend of
fellowship and
fun! We hiked,
played games,
had a campfire,
and enjoyed so
On the beach
Ceremony is held at this
cenotaph.
Also, not long after the
congregation moved into the
new church, Mrs. Sheppard
began the task of contacting
veterans and families of
veterans, to acquire photos
of veterans who had at some
much delicious food! On
Sunday morningPentecost
Sundaywe gathered in the
chapel for the celebration
of the Holy Eucharist amid
the brightly coloured red,
orange, and yellow balloons
and streamers we had hung
on the previous night.
On Wednesday, October
18th, twenty-four young
time lived in the community.
Once acquired, these photos
were framed and hung in a
place of honour, surrounded
by the British and Canadian
flags, and a plaque with the
names of all the veterans
who had come to settle in
Cormack. In later years, this
DECEMBER 2017
people and one adult were
confirmed by Archbishop
Percy Coffin at St. Davids
Anglican Church in Pasadena.
We hope to continue to meet
regularly as a group as weve
only just begun.
The Revd Steven Maki
introducing the asperges
sprinkling the congregation
with Holy Water as part of the
renewal of Baptimal vows
display was expanded to
include all veterans, including
those presently serving,
whether it be the Armed
Forces, or the RCMP. This
was indeed a labour of love
for Mrs. Sheppard; something
she was passionate about
and of which she was proud.
I am confident that she would
be honoured and humbled to
have such a gift dedicated to
her memory.
They shall grow not old, as
we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
We will remember them.
From the poem
For The Fallen
by Laurence Binyon
DECEMBER 2017
Everybody ready to help at the Open Door in Corner Brook
Open Door Opens the Eyes and Hearts of Confirmation Candidates
from Pasadena/Cormack
Article and Photographs by
Megan King
Confirmation can be a
daunting task when youre
between the ages of ten and
thirteen. The unknown fear
and trepidation could have
been overwhelming for the
twenty five confirmands of
St. Davids Anglican Church in
Pasadena but everything has a
resolution.
Our parish priest, the
In the circle with Canon Woodman
Revd Steven Maki, along
with the assistance of Daphne
Reid and Colleen Harris saw
the opportunity to visit the
Open Door soup kitchen in
Corner Brook, and made it a
mandatory obligation for all
the confirmation candidates to
partake in this ministry.
The Open Door soup
kitchen in Corner Brook is
a project created by the
Anglican Church and run by
the Humber Deanery. All of
the Anglican churches in the
Corner Brook area operate the
project during the harsh winter
months, while other Anglican
churches outside of Corner
Brook help out from spring
until fall (because of the better
driving conditions). The Open
Door is a project created to
help the people that could use
a hot meal, companionship, or
a venue to relieve some stress.
Each Monday, volunteers
show up with pots and pots
of various foods in an effort
to feed the many mouths that
will show up that day. Many
volunteers are needed to set
tables and serve the food along
with hot and cold beverages,
and then clean up is required.
On May 22nd of this
year, half of the confirmation
class along with some of
the parents from St. Davids
Anglican Church visited the
Open Door for the first time
and werent really sure what
to expect when they arrived.
anglican life Newfoundland&Labrador
Upon their arrival, Canon
Roberta Woodman was there
to greet them and give them
instructions about what was
going to take place. Canon
Woodman had everybody join
in a circle and tell how they
were feeling. Nervousness
was mentioned more than
once as well was excitement.
As the confirmands began to
prepare the empty tables you
could notice a bounce in their
step and broad smiles across
their faces.
As the kids started serving
the hot meals, they instantly
connected with the people
who they were serving, getting
to know them and listening to
their stories. The kids began
to feel a joy in their heart and
a sense that they were helping
those who were in need. They
were responding greatly to
Mark of Mission number 3: To
respond to human need by
loving service.
After the meal was
completed, Canon Woodman
had the confirmands stand
around in a circle once again
and express how they were
feeling afterwards. She wanted
them to reflect on what had just
taken place. No longer were
the kids nervous but they had
a feeling of accomplishment
and felt that this was indeed
The Lords work.
Although it had only been
the confirmation kids initial
time helping at the Open
Door, many of them expressed
that it would not be the final
time, and they have been back
again and again and again.
The day concluded with
The Revd Steven Maki at the Eucharist
19
the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist in the upstairs part
of the Cathedral by the Revd
Steven Maki. The altar was
prepared, and we had an
intimate service and we were
fed spiritually similarly to what
we had just done with the
Open Door patrons.
Prayers by Revd Maki
made references to what the
confirmation kids had just done
and how thankful we should
all be to be doing Gods work
and that this is what we should
strive to do on an ongoing
basis. The kids left the Open
Door with a priceless lesson
on gratefulness and humility.
20
A New Innovation for St. John The
Evangelist, Topsail
Article by Louise Smith
Photographs submitted by
The Revd Jolene Peters
We a r e l i v i n g i n a
world of innovation,
where our environment is
wide spread with newly
introduced technological
advances. Some of these
changes are not confined to
the secular world, but affect all
human life collectively. And as
creatures of faith in our church,
most of us are conducive to the
introduction of new and fresh
ideas, especially regarding the
preparation of bodies for their
final resting place.
Here at St. John the
Evangelist, Topsail, we very
recently introduced our first
columbarium, erected as an
alternative choice and for the
cremated remains of our loved
ones.
On, October 24th, our
Bishop, Dr. Geoff Peddle,
accompanied by Archdeacon
Sam Rose and our own
Revd Jolene dedicated this
columbarium to the glory of
Almighty God, giver of life and
life eternal.
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Our cemetery is located on
a slope overlooking the ocean
where several members of our
congregation gathered on this
beautiful sunny day to witness
and share in this memorable
service. All the while, sea
birds soared over the waters,
reminding us of the origin of
the word columbariumthe
Italian word for dove.
Our columbarium contains
40 very large niches with built
in security features.
It graces our cemetery
amidst the natural beauty of
Gods creationa microcosm
of the whole of Gods green
earth.
That I may know him and the
power of his resurrection
And the fellowship of his
suffering, being conformed to
his death
Philippians 3:10 Bishop Peddle, Revd Jolene, and members of the congregation at the dedication of the new
columbarium in Topsail
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