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Question of the Week

A New Year Blessing of the Home

Leader: The Lord is with you;
All: And also with you.

Leader: Peace be to this house
All: and to all who live, work, and visit here.

L: The Magi came to Bethlehem in search of the Lord. They brought to him precious gifts: gold to honor the newborn king, Frankincense to the true God in human form, and myrrh to anoint his body, which one day would die like our own.

L: Let us pray. O God, you once used a star to show to all the world that Jesus is your Son. May the light of that star th at once guided the magi to honor his birth, now guide us to recognize him also, to know you by faith, and to see you in the epiphanies of the daily experiences of our lives.

L: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord — Jesus born of Mary—  shall be revealed.

All: And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Leader: As the Wise Men once sought your brilliant light, O Lord,

All: so may we seek to live and work in your splendor.

L: O God of Light, bless this (our) house and this (our) family. May this be a place of peace and health. May each member of this family
cultivate the gifts and graces you have bestowed, dedicating our talents and works for the good of all.

L: Make this house a shelter in the storm and a haven of rest for all in need of your warmth and care. And when we go out from this place, may we never lose sight of that Epiphany star.

All: As we go about our work, our study, our play, keep us in its light and in your love. A Blessing of the Chalk for Marking the Door:
Lord Jesus, through your Incarnation and birth in true human form, you have made all the earth holy. We now ask your blessing upon this
simple gift of your creation — chalk. We use it as a tool to teach our ch ildren, and they use it as a tool in their play and games.
Now, with your blessing, may it become a tool for us to mark the doors of our home with the symbols of your wise servants who, so long ago, came to worship and adore you in your first home.

People in turn mark the doorway with one or more of the symbols:

20 + C + M + B + 18

The magi of old, known as

C         Caspar
M        Melchior
B         Balthasar

Followed the star of God’s Son who came to dwell among us

20        two thousand
18         and eighteen years ago.
+          Christ, bless this house,
+          And remain with us throughout the year.

L: O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home, and all who live and visit here,
with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction;

All: May we be Christ’s light in the world.
Amen

What are the 12 days of Christmas?

 QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

Q.  What are the 12 Days of Christmas?

We all know the song, ‘On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….,’ and although the Partridge and the Pear Tree are the best known of ‘true love’s gifts,’ the carol has become so popular that there are all kinds of ‘re-make’ versions now circulating.  My kids got a 12 Days of Canadian Christmas storybook one year, featuring puffins, polar cubs, and hockey players.

It doesn’t take a lot of detective work to assume that the first day of Christmas occurs on December 25th when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus.  And you might remember, on January 6th we celebrate Epiphany, the story of the Magi’s visit to baby Jesus (we’ll be celebrating that on Sunday January 7th instead).  However, figuring out who is celebrating what, when, it not always an easy task.  In some parts of the Christian church, for example, the visit of the Magi is celebrated on December 25th, along with the birth of Jesus and the visit from the shepherds.  Epiphany, then, is the celebration of Jesus’ baptism and is considered a more important remembrance than Jesus’ birth.  Even December 25th as the date for Christmas is not recognized across the board; in the Armenian church, for example, Jesus’ birth is celebrated on January 6th.  It might come as a surprise that for many Christians, Christmas hasn’t even happened yet!

Because our secular world is so intent on celebrating Christmas from the morning after Halloween when Christmas decorations and food can finally go on sale, to the flurry of mall activity on December 24th, counting down each day as “Only X number of Shopping Days left before Christmas!’, we don’t always realize that, in the church, the celebration mostly happens from December 25th onward.    The Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Day) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6th) are both regarded as such important Christian remembrances that the twelve days that separate these two occasions became known as the Twelve Days of Christmas and provided an impetus for linking the two great days with ongoing merry-making.  Numerous other saints’ days and remembrances of Jesus’ life occur in the intervening days:  St. Stephen’s day on December 26th, the Feast of Holy Innocents on December 29th (the remembering of the Jewish boy babies killed by a jealous King Herod after Jesus’ birth), and the Circumcision of Jesus on January 1st.

 The Twelve Days of Christmas can be honoured in many creative and fun ways.  Some households light a candle each of the twelve nights, while others give small gifts throughout (although ‘8 maids a milking’ and ’12 drummers drumming’ actually have never been shown to make great gifts, despite what the song says!).  There are traditional foods that can be prepared and served throughout, with special attention to marking a time of feasting, of making sure that meals are shared with others with hospitality and gratitude.  January 5th, the Twelfth Night, can be the culmination of the lavish and on-going party.  It is common, then, to see January 6th as the last of the 12 Days, after which the tree comes down and diets return to more ordinary and restrained fare.

Even that is not the entire story.  One of the older traditions of the church extends the Christmas season until February 2nd, at which point a Festival of the Lights is held – Candle Mass.  This festival brings Christmas to its final close by blessing the candles which are to be used in the Christian households throughout the year, and then processing through the darkness with this newly-blessed light. 

 

Why is there one pink candle in the Advent wreath?

Gaudete!  Or in English, Rejoice!  As we now enter into the third week of Advent, we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath, and it is a natural question to ask why this one doesn’t quite fit in with the others.  It makes sense that the middle candle – the Christmas candle – would stand out (it’s white).  But isn’t the Advent colour blue?  Did we just run out of the blue candles?

 In some churches this morning, the clergy will be wearing rose-coloured vestments – it is an option that some churches take to change the colour of this one day of the church year to pink, to deck the clergy and altar out in the same rose colour as the Advent Candle, and to once again use the power of our visual sense to communicate symbol and story through colour. 

You may have noticed that, to this point, our Advent readings have had a sombre tone.  The first week of Advent speaks of apocalypse, and invites us with Jesus to reflect on the coming kingdom of God, the promise that Christ will be with us again.  The second week of Advent introduces us to a wild and woolly character:  John the Baptist.  He comes blazing on the scene calling his people to repent, to turn their lives back to God.  Advent, in marked contrast to the hyper-activity and romanticism of secular Christmas, is a season of the church year that invites reflection, inner quiet, penitence, renewal.  In the past it has been referred to as ‘mini Lent’. 

And yet, Advent is also a time of preparation for the mystery, the joy, of Christmas.  This third week then, we turn a corner.  We see in our Advent wreath that the light has become stronger – three candles now lit.  The birth of Jesus is just around the corner.  Our readings and prayers begin to become more celebratory:  today our Sunday School and Youth Choir share with us their annual Christmas Pageant, and at 4pm today, our Senior Choir help us, through the service of Lessons and Carols, to frame the story of Jesus’ birth in the wider story of salvation history.

 The third Sunday of Advent announces this turn toward Christmas with these traditional words:

   Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.’

 We don’t have pink vestments here, and our worship doesn’t open with these traditional words.  But let us nonetheless take a stirring message from our one pink candle this morning:  God gives the gift of God’s own self to us at Christmas for the purpose of restoring human joy.  Gaudete!  Rejoice!  May our hearts be opened to receive this purpose as we move ever closer to our celebration of Christ’s birth.

Q. What is the Grace Meeting Room? Where is it?

Last Sunday, we shared with our congregation the next steps in our partnership with Grace Church, unanimously approved by both Corporations and Parish Council.  On Monday December 4th, the Corporations of St. George and Grace sent a letter to our Bishop asking that our two parishes be formally amalgamated.  On Tuesday December 5, that amalgamation received the support of our Diocesan Synod Council.  This means that we will be one congregation, with one set of books, one ministry team, one budget, one parish list, beginning January 2018!  It is an incredible joy to reach this final goal in our partnership.  (If you have any questions about this amalgamation, please contact a member of clergy .  We also have hand-outs available outlining the ‘whys’ and ‘wherefores’ of our next steps).

 

In this amalgamation, all of our assets and liabilities will be shared.  The question was raised about the assets that Grace is bringing with them.  A huge round of applause was shared when we noted that, of course, the greatest asset that Grace brings with them is their people.  I would add to this assertion that the people who come to us from Grace also bring with them an incredible faith, a willingness to serve, a generosity of spirit, a gracious friendship, and a rich history of ministry in

St. Catharines.

 

They also bring a number of special items that represent this history and ministry.  There are things that we are using across our church and in our worship:  linens and Eucharistic vessels, powerpoint equipment and furniture for our renovated Bear’s Den, beautiful hangings that will go into our gymnasium, war memorial plaques that now hang in our sanctuary, and any number of other practical items that we use for coffee hours, community dinners, outreach and fellowship.  One of Grace’s beloved stained glass windows, the “Pentecost Window” is going to arrive at St. George’s in the new year and will become part of our chapel space in the east transept.

 

 

While it is of great value to all of us to have these things in use, we also recognized the need to specifically designate space at St. George’s for some of the other memorial and historical pieces that have been meaningful to the Grace community, particularly the Memorial Boards and the plaques and pictures remembering past leadership of Grace. 

 

We have therefore created the Grace Meeting Room.  It is beside the Asbil Lounge (and was formally called “The Board Room”).  A generous parishioner is donating appropriate furniture for this room, and our volunteer group – under the direction of our Property Manger, Jim Streadwick – has been painting and brightening and cleaning up the room.  A lovely picture of the Grace Church building is going to be framed and hung on the wall, along with the plaques. 

 We expect that this room will soon be ready for use.  It will be a place where various committees will meet, where counselling, visioning and planning will take place.  The room will be open on Sundays and through the week for those who want to find a quiet space for remembering and giving thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT’S THE PROCESS IN THE ELECTION OF A NEW BISHOP?

 -Written by Rob Welch, Chancellor of the Diocese of Niagara

 I’ve been asked this question a number of times in the last couple of months, since

Bishop Michael Bird announced in September that he will conclude his episcopal ministry in our Diocese on May 31st, 2018.  A special electoral Synod will convene on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 at Christ’s Church Cathedral to elect his successor, who will initially serve as coadjutor Bishop.  Archbishop Colin Johnson, metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario, will preside at the election.  After a short transition period following the election, the coadjutor will assume the responsibilities of diocesan Bishop on June 1st.

At its October 3rd meeting, the diocesan Synod Council appointed a seven-person

Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee to oversee the electoral planning process.  The committee will also prepare biographical material on the nominees.  On

December 5th, Synod Council will meet and act as a nominations committee to compile an initial list of candidates.  At that time, each Synod Council member will nominate, by

secret ballot, 3 eligible persons.  To be eligible for election, a priest must be in good-standing with regard to doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada, at least thirty years of age, and have been ordained for at least seven years.

According to diocesan Canons, the top ten nominees through this process will be

contacted by the Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee to ensure they are willing to let their name stand.  Further nominations may also be made in writing by any ten members of Synod, with the consent of the nominee, and provided to the chair of the Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee prior to or during the

electoral Synod.

This Committee will be discussing ways to disseminate information about the candidates before the electoral Synod.  At the electoral Synod, after Eucharist, balloting

commences.  An election is declared when one candidate receives a majority of votes of the Clergy and Lay delegates on the same ballot.

I personally hope that from the nomination of candidates through to the announcement of a final result, this electoral synod process will provide an opportunity for diocesan

discernment in an open, transparent and innovative manner. 

As a parishioner of St. George’s, I’m happy that, included in our prayers for the

people,  we are asking for this discernment as our diocese moves through this period of transition.

 

 

Interesting Facts About Stewardship from Our 225 Year History

Q: Did you know? Interesting facts about Stewardship from our 225 Year history

Today we celebrate All Saints and All Souls.  This celebration is particularly poignant for us this year as mark the 225th Anniversary of St. George’s.  This is an opportunity to recognize, pray for and offer our thanksgiving to God for the faithful people who have gone before us and whose gifts partnered so generously with God to build this church.  Looking back, here are some interesting notes about the history of Time, Talent and Treasure at St. George’s:

  1. Originally, the St. George’s community relied on overseas money (Society for the Propogation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts or SPG ) to provide and pay for their clergy.
  2. It was also the expectation in this part of the world for a short time that the government would support Anglican clergy and Anglican churches.  The multicultural nature of Canada from the very beginning eventually saw the overturning of this provision in 1854 because it was so unfair to all other denominations!  We still have a very small trust fund left over from this time in our Canadian church history.  We are not able to access the principle.
  3. In 1796, 46 names pledged 121 pounds (a lot of money in a time when people had very little money) to build the original church building for St. George’s.
  4. When St. George’s finally hired a long-term clergyman exclusively for their community, 27 families pledged 100 pounds to help toward his salary.  The rest was paid by the SPG and by the government, but this was the first time that the congregation had in any measure taken responsibility for paying their clergy.
  5. When congregations began to pay for their clergy, it was called Voluntarism, rather than Stewardship.
  6. The first Bazaar was held in 1847 by the ladies of the parish.  It raised 361 pounds and allowed for the purchase of an organ.  This venture was considered so successful that in 1852, the Vestry of men voted again on putting the women in charge of raising the funds for a rectory!  They held another Bazaar, and a rectory was purchased on King Street
  7. Until 1921, it was common practice to buy a pew at St. George’s.  Pews in the centre of the church cost the most, with the sides and galleries being less expensive.  This was the primary source of income for supporting the church for many years.

Our Narrative Budget Explained (2018)

The Joyful Giving Campaign is composed of two Components: 1) Narrative Budget 2) Parish Relay. Last week’s Question focused on the the Parish Relay. This one focuses on the Narrative Budget.

What we give and how we spend our money communicate clear stories about who we are and what we believe. This Narrative Budget links our financial choices to the stories of investing in our faith community now and for the future. Our Narrative Budget this year is called 225 Years of Generosity & Joy St. George’s leadership feels excited to share this document with you because of the past generosity it details – generosity that has built our beloved church for generations – as well as its hope-filled invitation to each and every one of us to be part of how God continues to build our church home – for the present and for the future.

Here are some other details you should know about St. George’s 225 Years of Generosity & Joy:

  • The stories represented in this year’s Narrative Budget are based on what has been happening in the last few years at St. George’s and what we hope and plan and pray for 2018. When we are asking for you to complete an Intention Form, we are asking you to consider what you will be giving in 2018. The numbers for 2018 are approximate at this point. The final 2017 budget will depend on 1) how the rest of 2017 goes, 2) the response we get to this campaign, and 3) other unforeseen variables as we move through the final quarter of this year
  • A line-by-line 2018 budget will still be available at Vestry this coming year. The numbers in that budget will be much firmer. You will still have an opportunity to vote on the 2018 Budget at 2018 Vestry
  • Whether you are a long-time member of St. George’s, new to our parish, or previously a member of another congregation (particularly St. James and Grace), this year’s budget is FOR ALL OF US and represents a comprehensive vision for ministry for our entire congregation going forward
  • You can access this year’s Narrative Budget through several media. We have printed copies available at the church. We have this document posted on our website, www.stgeorgesanglican.ca . You can save paper and have this document emailed to you. Email me at mtatarnic@stgeorgesanglican.ca for your copy delivered straight to your inbox. And a paper copy of the Narrative Budget will be circulated with the relay materials for our Joyful Giving Campaign.
  • Whether you choose to read it on-line and save some paper, or whether you get a printed copy, PLEASE read this important document! It is an important part of our 225th anniversary celebration this year as we give thanks for where we have been and where we are going. It shares great joy and hope about what God has been doing in our midst. It represents a life-giving invitation to participate in the possibilities which are on the horizon for our faith life together.

 

Why do I need to be part of Joyful Giving?

There are some parts of the world where religious communities are supported through government funds.  In fact, if we look at the history of St. George’s, when Canada was in its infancy as a country, there was initially a push for land to be set aside in all communities as “church land,” which would provide a perpetual source of income for the Church of England here.   That met with a  great deal of resistance:  it didn’t make sense for one religious denomination to be favoured over and above all the others here.  There was also a desire to see the separation of Church and State, much as had been favoured in what would become the United States.

This means that St. George’s, like most religious communities throughout the world and across time, relies on the support of its members in order to be able to provide ministry, outreach, pastoral care, worship services, and care for a building that is used as a hub of community for St. Catharines’ downtown.

That being said, there are a variety of models for stewardship that St. George’s could consider as possibilities for planning and providing ministry.

The Biblical model, which would have been assumed by Jesus and his first followers, speaks of both “first fruits” and “tithe.”  Deuteronomy 26 gives these instructions as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land:  “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,  you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”  First Fruits is how the faithful were to signal their gratitude for God’s provision by putting their gift to God before anything else is considered.  The Biblical tithe of giving 10% of household income back for God’s purposes is based on the same premise.  Numbers 26 says, “When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.”  The word “tithe” is used to refer to God’s provision.  Ten percent is offered back as a sign of God’s blessing.

Whereas expectations around giving were clearly mandated in Jesus’ time, there is a much greater variety of practices across the religious spectrum today.  There are churches that take the Biblical tithe of 10% very literally.  There are even churches that demand that members show their bank statements so that the church leadership can then assign the appropriate level of giving!  Needless to say, this is not the Anglican way, and your leaders at St. George’s think that such an approach would go against everything that we believe about offering!

Instead, we call our annual Stewardship Campaign JOYFUL GIVING because we believe that the offering we make to the church is a choice, and it is a choice that should bring us joy.  Joyful Giving is our chance to be accountable to you:  we can tell you how St. George’s has been using the offerings you have been giving and how we plan to use them in the future.  Joyful Giving is also your chance to be thoughtful and intentional about how you give – not only out of the financial resources with which you have been blessed, but also how you wish to share your time and talents with your church.  Nobody is going to be looking over your shoulder to see what you choose, and nobody is going to be mandating to you how much you should be choosing.  Instead, Joyful Giving presents you with information and resources so that you can give in the way that is right and good for you and your household.

There are some parts of the world where religious communities are supported through government funds.  In fact, if we look at the history of St. George’s, when Canada was in its infancy as a country, there was initially a push for land to be set aside in all communities as “church land,” which would provide a perpetual source of income for the Church of England here.   That met with a  great deal of resistance:  it didn’t make sense for one religious denomination to be favoured over and above all the others here.  There was also a desire to see the separation of Church and State, much as had been favoured in what would become the United States.

This means that St. George’s, like most religious communities throughout the world and across time, relies on the support of its members in order to be able to provide ministry, outreach, pastoral care, worship services, and care for a building that is used as a hub of community for St. Catharines’ downtown.

That being said, there are a variety of models for stewardship that St. George’s could consider as possibilities for planning and providing ministry.

The Biblical model, which would have been assumed by Jesus and his first followers, speaks of both “first fruits” and “tithe.”  Deuteronomy 26 gives these instructions as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land:  “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,  you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”  First Fruits is how the faithful were to signal their gratitude for God’s provision by putting their gift to God before anything else is considered.  The Biblical tithe of giving 10% of household income back for God’s purposes is based on the same premise.  Numbers 26 says, “When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.”  The word “tithe” is used to refer to God’s provision.  Ten percent is offered back as a sign of God’s blessing.

Whereas expectations around giving were clearly mandated in Jesus’ time, there is a much greater variety of practices across the religious spectrum today.  There are churches that take the Biblical tithe of 10% very literally.  There are even churches that demand that members show their bank statements so that the church leadership can then assign the appropriate level of giving!  Needless to say, this is not the Anglican way, and your leaders at St. George’s think that such an approach would go against everything that we believe about offering!

Instead, we call our annual Stewardship Campaign JOYFUL GIVING because we believe that the offering we make to the church is a choice, and it is a choice that should bring us joy.  Joyful Giving is our chance to be accountable to you:  we can tell you how St. George’s has been using the offerings you have been giving and how we plan to use them in the future.  Joyful Giving is also your chance to be thoughtful and intentional about how you give – not only out of the financial resources with which you have been blessed, but also how you wish to share your time and talents with your church.  Nobody is going to be looking over your shoulder to see what you choose, and nobody is going to be mandating to you how much you should be choosing.  Instead, Joyful Giving presents you with information and resources so that you can give in the way that is right and good for you and your household.

You can watch for more information in coming weeks about what you can expect from the Joyful Giving Campaign and how you can be prepared to participate.

You can watch for more information in coming weeks about what you can expect from the Joyful Giving Campaign and how you can be prepared to participate.

 

What is the Bible?

This is the final part (10 of 10) of our summer-long Q of W series on the Bible. If any of these pieces have inspired your own question, make sure you get in touch with me (mtatarnic@stgeorgesanglican.ca or 905-682-9232).

Part 10: Tips for Strengthening your Relationship with the Bible

I shared this quote from Barbara Brown Taylor a few months ago in one of my sermons: “My relationship with the Bible is not a romance but a marriage, and one I am willing to work on in all the usual ways: by living with the text day in and day out, by listening to it and talking back to it, by making sure I know what is behind the words it speaks to me and being certain I have heard it properly, by refusing to distance myself from the parts I do not like or understand, by letting my love for is show up in the everyday acts of my life.”

Here are some very Anglican tips for investing in your own “marriage” with the Bible:

Anglican Worship – our Anglican worship is steeped in Biblical verses. Your regular participation in worship allows Biblical language to become part of the vocabulary of your life and your prayer.

Aside from the worship itself, we hear up to 4 passages of Scripture every time we gather on Sunday mornings (Hebrew Scripture, Psalm, New Testament and Gospel). The passages are selected for us by the lectionary, meaning that we hear a wide variety of Scripture, not necessarily just the parts your clergy like the best. Oftentimes, only one of these four passages is discussed in the sermon, so here are some other things to consider about how you participate in worship:

-we have Bibles available in the Sanctuary, or you may wish to bring your own. Some people find it easier to hear Scripture when they can read along. We use the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

-you can also follow along on your cell phone if you wish. Try http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

-you can also prepare. We list the readings for the following week in the Saints Connection and in the weekly email. This allows you to read ahead of time. http://textweek.com is a great resource offering reflections on the readings.

Bible Study: All Christians are invited to invest in a daily habit of Scripture, reading the Bible as part of your personal life of faith. But in truth, the Bible is best approached through some accompanying practice of listening and/or conversation. Our Super Tuesday adult study group engages in Bible study (or book study with a Biblical component). Our various children’s programs likewise help our children to become more familiar with the Bible. We have a small group that meets in people’s homes for fellowship and Bible study, and we are beginning a Young Adult Bible Study group this fall. I am interested in starting a monthly Sunday morning “Bibles & Bagels” group which would look at that morning’s readings in a group setting. If you are interested in knowing more about any of these groups, please speak to me.

Questions: Our Clergy Team love questions! If you want to know more, if you are looking for more resources in growing in your relationship with the Bible, if we say something in a sermon that you want to ask more about, don’t hesitate to reach out! We are all enriched when we hear and respond to one another’s thoughts, needs and questions.

Who Am I? Mary Hesketh

Most of you will know Mary as the faithful and hardworking wife of Canon John Hesketh. She was John’s wife and helpmate for more than 60 years at a time in churchland when wives were frequently the unpaid curate and/or secretary or even, in Mary’s case, the altar guild for a few years. It is difficult to believe in this day of women clergy and spouses with paid occupations outside the church that so many faithful women have spent so many years of their lives working and living in the way that Mary did.

Mary was not raised to do this kind of work. In fact, as she told me, her family were “Christmas and Easter” attendees at Grace Church on the Hill in Toronto during her formative years. Mary attended University in Toronto where she trained to be an Occupational Therapist, a job which she loved, and it was during this time that she met John on a blind date. John was currently preparing for ordination at Wycliffe College.

John, on the other hand, had grown up in a rectory and knew what to expect. Their courtship was long because the ruling then was that no prospective clergy could be married until they had been ordained and that, in order to marry at all, the Bishop had to approve the marriage. Mary must have been in love and believed in the importance of his work, because she gladly submitted to that ruling and so the young couple waited until John was ordained Deacon at the age of 24 before being married.

John was appointed Curate at the Church of the Redeemer in Toronto on Bloor St. Mary was working at Sunnybrook Hospital in her chosen field but, ever practical, she soon realized that their two schedules were not compatible if their marriage was going to last. So she forsook her work so that she could see her husband sometimes!

Only a year later, the newlyweds were off to the Yukon for a big adventure. John had been hired by the Bishop based in Whitehorse to take on the parish church in town but when they arrived the rectory was occupied by renters so they had to live elsewhere. Their temporary home had no running water, no shower or bathtub, only a copper boiler and an oil stove. For Mary, who had grown up in Toronto, this meant a huge adjustment.

Whitehorse in the early ‘50s was a far cry from the Whitehorse of today: no paved roads, very few indoor toilets and a population of only 2500 souls. The rectory was built of logs, as was the church next door, and did have a well but the water was brackish. Nonetheless, Mary soon learned how to cook on the oil stove and baked frequently for the many drop-ins who came to town. John had a bike to get around, lacking a car, but somehow they managed on a very tiny salary. They even became the temporary parents of a little indigenous baby girl whose mother came to town in desperate straits and Mary learned much about caring for a baby from the more experienced Bishop’s wife who lived nearby. When they left Whitehorse three years later they had made many lasting friends, had learned much about frontier living and had cemented their marriage through it all.

They came then to Niagara Diocese and to Ridley College where John had been hired as Chaplain. Mary was pregnant and their first two children, Barb and David, were born while he held that position. It was a very busy life since John’s role required him to work long hours but Mary coped, as always, even though this was where she became the one and only member of the altar guild. Every Saturday evening during term time, Mary found herself in the empty college kitchen cutting the crusts off of white sliced bread and then neatly scoring each piece of bread into little squares for Communion the next day!

In 1961, the Rector of St Thomas’ Church died suddenly and John was asked to take services there. The congregation decided that they should like to keep him and Bishop Bagnall appointed him Rector. This meant moving into the magnificent rectory next door to the church where they had more than enough space for their growing family which soon included baby Rich. John’s salary was elevated too and they enjoyed the extra money as well as the extra space although there were clear expectations that the rectory family at St Thomas’ should entertain. Montebello Park was just across the road and there were frequently vagrants at the door of the rectory. Mary tried to remember to keep the doors locked to keep the children safe but on one scary occasion she had

forgotten to do so and was frightened by an unwelcome visitor. The rectory was well appointed but its location next to the church meant they were constantly visited by lost souls asking for money. John kept certain jobs for such occasions and would offer the visitor a job for pay rather than a handout. Some of the time that worked!

Their next assignment was in Niagara Falls where Christ Church rectory became the family home. This was also right next door to the church. In fact, the rectory there has no privacy at all. Mary became very alarmed when she realized that the window wells of the church were being used for drug drops and she had school aged children who walked from there every morning to school.

In 1973, the family moved to Guelph. Bishop Bagnall had the novel idea of moving three clergy all at the same time in a kind of three way switch. (And you did as the Bishop told you in this regard in those days!) This time, their rectory was a few blocks from the church but it was tiny and while they were in Guelph John became very sick from cancer. Mary was desperately worried that she would become a widow and a single Mom with no home and no income if John died, since their home was tied to his work. John was sick for 2 of the 4 years that they served in Guelph but Mary remembers kind friends helping to keep her sane. Once John was on the mend, Mary decided to return to College and retrain in OT so that she would be employable should his cancer return. Their kids were 14, 12 and 9 when their Dad was so sick but they all seemed to survive the trauma and this was surely a tribute to Mary’s ability to manage the stress with her usual faith and serenity.

Given all of the turmoil and challenges of rectory living and the political challenges that occur even in the best of parishes, it is a credit to Mary and John and their faithfulness to their calling, (because it was certainly a joint call,) that their ministry blossomed, their family survived the constant upheavals and the marriage lasted lovingly and successfully for so many years. Indeed, Mary attributes her ability to survive the stresses to her faith which has sustained her during tough times.

The next move took them to Grimsby and St Andrew’s. Another large rectory next to the church awaited them. Their children went off to college one by one, and Barb was married from here. In fact, their time in Grimsby stretched to 15 years. Mary discovered quilting in Grimsby, became involved with the Niagara Heritage Quilt Guild and continues to meet with a small group of quilters to this day. In fact, sewing and quilting, music and volunteer work, especially with the Aphasia Society, have all been channels though which Mary has found healing and personal joy.

After retirement from fulltime ministry, Mary and John finally moved into their very own home in West St Catharines. It was a delightful old house with interestingly shaped windows and rooms and a lovely back garden in which John could exercise his green thumb. But the most important thing about that house was that it was theirs and didn’t belong to a parish so they could decorate it and change it in any way that they wished. John took on the role of Priest-in-Charge at Queenston where there were few challenges or stresses. This was a graced period of their lives when they actually had time to enjoy travelling and visiting with their growing family of grandchildren.

Eventually, John retired from Queenston too and they came to St George’s where they made many friends and were soon loved by the congregation. Mary happily joined the Tuesday group in the Lounge for their weekly craft time and natter. Her sewing and quilting work is beautiful and plentiful although she has limited space to show it off now that she has moved into her new apartment.

Her family is not nearby. David is in South Africa with his family. Barb and Rich both live in Calgary with theirs. Mary was thrilled to become a great grandma in 2016 when Barb’s son and daughter-in-law had a son. After so many years of shared ministry, John ‘s passing was a tremendous loss but Mary keeps in touch with her lovely family via her new iPad and emails. She Skypes and sends and receives pictures electronically and is altogether the amazingly “connected” great grandma! She delights in her visits out west to see the growing family and looks forward to their visits here.

And so we thank you, Mary, for all that you are and have been in the life of not only St George’s but in the many other places where you and John served together. We love having you in our midst.