June 2012

Open publication - Free publishing - More anglican

Dedication of Archdeacon Francis Buckle Memorial Archives

Indian Bay Quiet Day

Indian Bay Quiet Day

Submitted by Trudy Collins

On Saturday 3 Mar ch 2012, The Rev'd David Coffin, Rector of the Parish of Indian Bay, led a very spiritual Quiet Day at St. John the Baptist Parish Hall, Wareham. The event began with a hymn and Service of Morning Prayer which was conducted by Rev`d David.  The Guest Speaker was The Rev'd Perry Cooper, Executive Officer of the Central Diocese of Newfoundland.  He delivered three interesting, informative, and inspirational talks based on The Book of Genesis , Chapter six -the story of Noah and the Ark. Following each talk those in attendance were each given a list of questions that were discussed by the individual groups. Each group’s thoughts were then shared with everyone and discussion ensued. 

A delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches and cookies was provided and we enjoyed the fellowship of dining together as Jesus did with His disciples more than two thousand years ago.

Rev’d Perry’s final talk was delivered after lunch break again followed by a discussion period. Rev’d David then led a hymn and Service of Evening Prayer to end our Quiet Day. We all went back to our busy lives feeling rejuvenated and refreshed having spent this wonderful time of worship, praise and learning in the presence of the Lord.

I

Building Bridges with Belize

Building Bridges with Belize

Archdeacon Gerald Westcott

The Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador and the Diocese of Belize are currently in the process of developing a companionship that we hope will be built on intentional relationships and mutual support. Canon David Pilling, who is now the Chairperson for SAMS Canada (South American Mission Society), has played an important role in this endeavor. In the last number of years, our CLB has been to Belize on a mission, both Bishop Pitman and Bishop Phillip have visited each other’s diocese, and they have been encouraging our clergy and people to do the same. It is in this context that I also have recently been to Belize. 

From the moment I was greeted at the airport in Belize City by Father Eric, until the time I was returned from Corozol in the north of Belize by David and Graham, I was welcomed and fully embraced by Bishop Phillip and the people of the Diocese of Belize.

The population of Belize is approximately 300,000. Most of the country is rural and undeveloped. It has a high unemployment rate. It has significant English and Colonial influence. It speaks mostly English, but has its own unique or native language. And many of its people move out in order to find work and a better living for their families. Sounds like Newfoundland and Labrador at a glance!  But of course Belize is not Newfoundland and Labrador. It is a very poor and fairly new democratic country that is trying to find its way forward in making a better society for its entire people.

Although Belize is a developing country with many needs and challenges, it is also a country that has a lot to offer. One such area is its witness to human diversity. Belizean population is made up of indigenous Aztec and Mayan. It also has strong and deep African and Spanish ancestries. And now with modern mobility globally, other cultures are also finding a home in Belize.

Such cultural diversity has evolved over the centuries to a more open acceptance and normalcy. In every gathering I participated in, I was amazed at the very obvious differences in ancestral backgrounds of the people. Yet they are all "Belizean." What amplifies this sense of unity is the common use of Creole - a unique form of broken English that most Belizeans use.

After attending a lunch meeting with the diocesan administrator and the manager of Anglican Schools, Cecile and Debra, I began to have a better understanding of how the diocese of Belize operates, and what some of its many challenges are. An immediate concern for the diocese is its need for priests. There are not enough priests to do all the work required in the Anglican Church throughout the country. And with very limited and lacking resources, both human and material, the diocese is also trying to discern new ways to re-connect with the people of the country. Although there may be differences, these are some of the same challenges that we are facing in our own diocese and province.

After this meeting, I also got a better sense of how closely the schools of Belize are connected with the various churches. What an opportunity for the church to positively influence the young people of Belize. The government is of course involved in the funding and operating of all schools, but it is in partnership with the churches. Although we in Newfoundland and Labrador will never again know this kind of relationship between church and school, is there something we can learn from Belize about how the church can recover maybe some degree of relationship with local schools that can positively influence students and families?

I had the privilege of joining the Bishop at a church liturgy for the re-opening of the cathedral school after the Christmas holidays. Five hundred students were in attendance, and I had the opportunity of being able to share a homily with them. What a joy to see so many young high school students engaged in worship. And what an opportunity to share the Good News of Life!

I was inspired by a number of experiences while in Belize. One such experience was an evening social gathering with Bishop Phillip and some of his friends. The topic of discussion was the role of the church in the continued transformation of Belize society. This was not a sedate conversation. It was a passionate debate. What inspired me was their conviction of the Church’s important and absolutely necessary place in Belize society. 

On another evening the Bishop and I traveled to the capital city, Belmopan, about an hours drive west of Belize City. There we met with the local church committee on some issues of how they are to move forward in a period of leadership transition. It was very much like a vestry meeting in our own diocese, and the issues are very similar. Growing and enabling leadership and better connecting with the city were of the concerns. 

One of my jobs to do while in Belize was to meet with a variety of groups from around the diocese, and to give conferences around leadership and spirituality. I was given the opportunity to hear the stories from the people who are the church of Belize. I was given the privilege to have been exposed to the people, culture and country in meaningful ways.

As I mentioned earlier, the diocese of Belize is in desperate need for more priests. We need to pray for more vocations to priesthood in both of our dioceses. What the church in Belize does have is a laity that is gifted and that loves the church. While praying for vocations to priesthood, the diocese needs to better enable, equip and empower lay ministry and leadership. Similarly, this is another area of ministry that we can both encourage and support one another on. 

One of the many aspects that I like about us developing this relationship with the Diocese of Belize is that we are equal partners. There are various and worthwhile forms of mission opportunities happening in our Church. But what makes this opportunity a little different and worth giving some attention to, is that it is mutual, and it will work both ways. It is about the Anglican Church in two different parts of the world, supporting one another in trying to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

My visit to the diocese and country has been rich in many ways, and I am thankful for the experiences, the hospitality, and the new friends. It is my prayer and hope that we will continue to find ways to partner with the people of Belize that will be mutually beneficial to both our dioceses and the work of the church in the transformation of our societies.

Cannings Cove celebrates its 100th Anniversary

Cannings Cove celebrates its 100^th Anniversary

Arthur Penney

This year 2012, marks the one hundredth anniversary of St. John the Divine.   Over its one hundred year history it has seen two church buildings.  The first opened in 1912 and the second in 1971. Prior to the first church, worship and schooling was conducted in a small school chapel from the mid 1880’s to 1912.  Before that religious activities such as marriages would take place in a dwelling house. One such house which was mentioned on the church register at Kings Cove (Cannings Cove which is in Brooklyn Parish and was under the Kings Cove charge prior to 1879) was that of Richard Pitt. 

To commemorate this event a book has been written which is a compilation of historical facts, photographs and information about the church and church activities. As well it contains information of a genealogical nature for anyone tracing their family history. Books are available for sale from the author, Arthur Penney by calling (709)467-5289 or email art.penney@hotmail.com.

I would have been a Pietist

I would have been a Pietist

Allison Billard

Before taking the church history course I’ve been enjoying this semester, I would never have used the term “pietism” to describe my religious inclinations. The word has a negative connotation these days, associated with hypocrisy and self-righteousness. But when the Pietistic movement began it was simply an effort to recover the personal dimension of faith, to bring their hearts and emotions into the church and into their faith. The Pietists needed to feel religion deeply and strongly. The Church of their day was killing the Spirit rather than setting it ablaze.

So I think I would have been a Pietist. The movement really got the concept of social gospel going. They believed in religious tolerance, giving responsibility to lay people, and living a practical faith rather than focusing on doctrine exclusively. And the emphasis in preaching was on teaching and instruction rather than on propagating dogma. I’m in!

I’ve long held that we as Christians should focus less on the differences within our structures and more on living our faith in the world. Just because the church doesn’t seem to have a lot of influence on our modern, secular society doesn’t mean it can’t make a difference. We do make a difference, every day. In each issue of this paper, and others like it, we hear stories about how we are making a difference in the world through outreach, social justice, fellowship, missions, you name it.

Just imagine the good we could do if we let go of some of the fears and misgivings we have within the Christian church. If we could band together as Christians, not just Anglicans or Roman Catholics or United Church people, but as the body of Christ and go out into the world with the good news on our lips and God’s love in our hearts?  If we went to work tomorrow not thinking about how much we’d rather stay in bed but about how much God loves us?  If we were looking for ways to show His love to others, not just our words, but our actions?  What a difference it would make. And not just to others, but to ourselves.

You know how a smile can change your day? When you’re in a funk and someone random on the street smiles at you? Maybe the girl handing you your coffee, or the man holding the door open behind him so it doesn’t smash you in the face. Every day could be like that. We could be the random person to make some else’s day better. It’s all in your attitude. How will you show God’s love tomorrow?

Over 40 Years of Faithful Ministry

Over 40 Years of Faithful Ministry

Article & Photos Submitted by Gordon Abbott

   

“We will give ourselves continuously to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” – Acts 6: 4

On Sunday, February 26, 2012, the Rev’d Robert Max Peddle, (known to most as Bob) officiated his final worship service as a full-time Anglican Priest in the Diocese of Central Newfoundland, after forty plus years of faithful Service to the Lord. 

Bob’s journey of faithful ministry began while still a teenager at Hodge’s Cove. He was inspired by a United Church Lay Reader and Sunday School Superintendent, Mr. Tom Baker, who became a great influence and role model in his spiritual awakening and Christian formation.

In 1965 with encouragement and support of his clergy and mentor, Rev’d Gordon Ethridge, and while in grade 10, Bob became a Lay Reader for his home congregation of St. Mary’s. In 1967, during the incumbency of the Rev’d Morley Boutcher, he was issued a license for the Mission of Random.

Out of high school Bob taught one year as “emergency supply”, and following Teachers Summer School, one year as “probationer”, but knew he didn’t want to pursue a teaching career. 

Bob answered a heartfelt calling to ministry, attending the Anglican Church Army Training College in Toronto, from 1968 to 1970, and began living the Church Army motto – “Fight the Good Fight”. 

During the summers of 1969 and 1970, Bob served in the Parish of Elmvale, Diocese of Toronto. On May 8, 1970, he was commissioned a Church Army Officer and Lay Evangelist into the ministry of evangelism and Christian social service.

From 1970-1973, he was appointed assistant to the rector and Parish/Youth Worker at St. John the Evangelist in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Diocese of Algoma.

During the academic year of 1973-74, Bob was on staff at the Church Army Training College, and served at St. Paul’s, Bloor Street, Toronto, introducing a new Christian Education curriculum to the parish.

In the fall of 1973, Bob met his soul mate and life partner, Judi Lewis, a Newfoundlander from Curling, Corner Brook, beginning her training at the college. Shocker – two Newfoundlanders meet in Toronto! 

When Judi completed her training, they took their first leap of faith together, and married on July 5, 1975 at Judi’s home church, St. Mary’s the Virgin, Curling. Now it was no longer just Bob’s ministry, but a ministry he shared with his wife. Moving to Montreal, Bob served as Assistant to the Rector at St. George’s Church from 1974-1977, and became Co-Director of Tyndale – St. George’s Inner city community center. This was a Joint Ministry of the Montreal Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church and Anglican Diocese of Montreal, with Bob responsible for the Anglican share of this Outreach Program.

At the invitation of Bishop Mark Genge, Bob and Judi moved back to the Rock, and to the Diocese of Central Newfoundland. From November 1977 until August 1978, he was appointed Lay Evangelist in charge of the Parish of Catalina.

In August 1978, Bob and Judi moved to the Parish of Bay L’Argent, where they got their first taste of the Burin Peninsula. Until 1979, he served as Lay Evangelist and assistant to the Rector.

From 1979-1981 they moved to St. John’s, where Bob enrolled in studies focused on preparation for ordination. Traveling back to the Burin Peninsula, Bob was ordained a Deacon at Holy Trinity Church, Ship Cove, in the Parish of Burin on May 17, 1981. On October 21, 1981, he was ordained an Anglican Priest at St. Mary’s Church in Hodge’s Cove, Trinity Bay. This date held significant meaning for him, as it was at St. Mary’s where he first received his Call to Ministry.

Following 11 years as a Church Army Officer Bob served the next 31 years in ordained ministry in the Diocese of Central Newfoundland. Included were the Parishes of Buchans (1981-1984); Brooklyn (1984-1989), and Twillingate (1989-1994).

In August 1994, Bob found himself back on the Burin Peninsula, and the Parish of Marystown. It was here that Bob spent his longest term of 11 years, until August of 2005. During his ministry in the Marystown parish, Bob served as Chaplain for the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 29 offering spiritual support to his comrades. In 1996, he and Judi became strong Supporters of Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” sponsored by the Burin North Ministerial Association, of which he was a member. 

In September 2005, Bob and his family, moved to the Parish of Port Rexton.

Still, the Burin Peninsula kept calling them back, because in September 2008, Bob and Judi returned to “the Boot”, serving as Rector of the Parish of Burin, (St. Andrew – Port au Bras; Holy Trinity – Burin Proper: St. Matthew – St. Lawrence). Again, he served as Regional Dean, as well as Examining Chaplain to the Bishop. Bob and Judi served the spiritual needs of the residents at the U.S. Memorial Hospital and Mount Margaret Manor in St. Lawrence. It was in the Parish of Burin on May 8, 2010, that Bob celebrated the 40^th Anniversary of his Ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Sadly, in January 2012, after four years in the Burin parish, Bob (heavy-hearted) announced his retirement, to take effect in February. On Sunday, February 26, 2012, the Rev’d Robert Max Peddle officiated his last official service as an active Priest, in the same church where he was ordained in 1981. This was indeed a sad occasion, but also a happy one. They say that as one door closes, another opens; and so it was that this opened the door to a new chapter in both Bob’s and Judi’s lives, and in their continued faith journey together. And where did they plant their new roots, Burin or Marystown? – Being fair to both, they dropped the welcome mat in Lewins Cove!

Life sometimes has a funny way of tricking you in to doing things you don’t want to. At the beginning of this article, it states that Bob answered his calling to ministry because he didn’t want a teaching career. Yet in spite of that, he spent his entire life teaching the Word of God – Life’s most important subject for Christians.

Over these 40 plus years, Bob and Judi have experienced sad times when having to move, leaving friends behind, and through the deaths in the parishes in which he served. But as our faith teaches us as an Easter People, they have likewise experienced many happy and joyful times, in making new and life-long friends, and through countless marriages and baptisms.

Amongst these marriages, was his own with his soul-mate Judi, who has so faithfully been by his side, and remains by his side today, and is a pillar of love and support.  Just as memorable, were the births of their children … Jeremy (1981), and Laura (1987) – and two weddings the proud father shared in.

Then there are the baptisms, too many to count, but still there is one that will always be a most memorable and cherished moment for Bob and Judi, when he baptized their first grandson – Max.

As you can see, Bob has lived a full and rewarding Christian Journey, dedicating his entire life to the Ministry of God’s Word, Sacraments and Pastoral Care. 

Bob has done many things, he has been many things to those he has met, and he is many things to those around him. He has been a Lay Reader, Lay Evangelist, Church Army Officer, Youth/Sunday School Director, Deacon, Priest, Rector, Examining Chaplain, Regional Dean. He is a Faithful Husband, Loving Father, Proud Grandfather, Inspiring Mentor and a True Friend.

Bob, on behalf of EVERYONE you have met, and ALL the lives you have touched during your ministry, I say THANK YOU; and wish both you and Judi a long, happy and peaceful retirement, as you embark on this new chapter in your faith journey together, with your family.

I will close this article the same way it started – with scripture. 

And I direct this scripture passage to the Rev’d Robert Max Peddle, with the words from St. Matthew’s Gospel 25: 21 …“Well done, thou good and faithful servant”

Synod looks at reducing number of dioceses in Ecclesiastical Province of Canada

THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE OF CANADA
in the Anglican Church of Canada

Tuesday 17 April 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Motions envision a leaner, more efficient ecclesiastical province better equipped to carry out God’s mission in eastern Canada

Delegates to this fall’s Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada will be asked to explore the possibility of reducing the number of dioceses in eastern Canada.

It’s one of several motions being proposed by the Provincial Governance Task Force, aimed at reforming governance and administration so they can help the Anglican Church in this part of the country become more focussed on mission.

The proposal to reduce the number of dioceses “recognizes the changing demographic of the Anglican Church within the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada in terms of both decreasing numbers and the increased cost of providing ecclesiastical services within our seven existing dioceses,” according to a background note accompanying the notice of motion.

The background note goes on to envision what such a new map of the ecclesiastical province might look like. It suggests merging the dioceses of Montreal and Quebec. The Diocese of Fredericton and the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island could also be united. Newfoundland and Labrador, which was divided into three dioceses in 1976, would be reintegrated back into one single diocese.
“We should start from a presumption that greater cooperation among the dioceses is desirable,” said Archbishop Claude Miller, Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada. “Then we need to determine which structures may best achieve this outcome.”

“We are also trying to determine whether a revised diocesan arrangement may create a stronger Anglican community in terms of mutual support and encouragement in eastern Canada,” added Charles Ferris, the ecclesiastical province’s chancellor, and head of the Provincial Governance Task Force.

If the motion passes this fall, the province will undertake to “explore possible realignment of dioceses,” and then report back to the next Provincial Synod in 2015.

Another motion from the task force will ask the synod to consider centralizing in the provincial structure several administrative functions currently handled at the diocesan level, such as human resources, payroll, and information technology. The task force suggests such an approach might be less expensive and more efficient.

There is also a proposal to reduce the size of Provincial Synod itself by almost half. At the moment, each of the seven dioceses in the province is entitled to send as many as 11 members to synod, which meets every three years. A motion from the Provincial Governance Task Force would see that reduced to six delegates per diocese. Doing so, reads the motion, “would make it a more cost-effective body.”
A related motion would see the Provincial Council, which is the ecclesiastical province’s decision-making body between synods, reduced from 31 to 22 members.

The motions are in part in response to the call by the 2010 General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada for all levels of the church to discuss “whether and how the diocesan, provincial and national structures need to be modified to support and enhance mission.”

These and other motions will be voted on when Provincial Synod next gathers in Montreal Sept. 20-23. The full text of the motions can be found at 
www.province-canada.anglican.org.

The Ecclesiastical Province of Canada is one of four regional groupings of dioceses in the Anglican Church of Canada. It is composed of the country’s seven easternmost dioceses: Montreal, Quebec, Fredericton, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Western Newfoundland, Central Newfoundland, and Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

- 30 -

For more information, contact:
Archdeacon Bruce Myers
Deputy Prolocutor & Communications Officer Ecclesiastical Province of Canada bmyers@quebec.anglican.ca
(418) 914-7582

May 2012

Open publication - Free publishing - More anglican

Happy Easter to readers of Anglican Life

Anglican Journal: Archbishop of Canterbury to step down

Anglican Journal: Archbishop of Canterbury to step down

April 2012 - Our History - St James Anglican Church (Battle Harbour)

St James Anglican Church (Battle Harbour)

David Davis

Along the coast of Labrador the predominant religious organization had been the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratram) which originated in central Europe in what is now Germany. This church via contacts in England was able to engage in missionary activities in Labrador to extend their missions in Greenland.

The British government made extensive grants to the Moravians in the middle eighteenth century probably as way of bringing some control to the very thinly occupied lands of the coast of Labrador. The coast of Labrador was seen as Moravian territory for many years and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), the missionary arm of the Church of England left Labrador to the Moravians.

When Bishop Feild began his summer cruises around the coast of Newfoundland in the 1840s he went north through the Labrador Straits southernmost part of Labrador which was visited annually by the Newfoundland fishing fleet.

Battle Harbour, which was fishing station on an island, became a kind of capital of southern Labrador. The Slade firm of Poole, Dorset, England became the primary fishing and trading in Battle Harbour for one hundred years when they sold out to the Baine Johnson firm. When the fishery collapsed in the 1990s, a charitable foundation took on the restoration and preservation of Battle Harbour.

It is natural that it was at Battle Harbour that the Bishop Feild and the SPG should plant their first church in Labrador. If Battle Harbour was the trading centre of the southern Labrador coast then it was the logical place to establish a parish/church and so it remained for many years.

The design of the Church is credited to the Rev. William Grey an architect as well as a priest and a part of the Gothic architectural trend which was very strong in the nineteenth century in England and therefore strongly influenced trends in British colonies and former colonies. This church (St. James) was the basic building with a floor plan needed for church activities.

The decline of the Labrador fishery and the decline/disappearance of many of the tiny Labrador communities meant that time was not on the side of St James and the formation of the Battler Harbour Trust saved it from collapse. It was an earlier incident in the radical decline in parish numbers in rural areas which has led to closing/amalgamation of parishes and church buildings.

The Document

The document in this article comes from the list of Registered Heritage Structures (heritage.nf.ca).

In 1848, Newfoundland’s Anglican Bishop, Edward Feild, made a trip to the Labrador coast. While there he decided to petition the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) to establish as mission in Labrador. The SPG had been established 1701 to send missionaries throughout the British Empire where the local population lacked the means to support a minister.

During the summer months Battle Harbour’s migrant fishing population, known as “floaters,” swelled to several thousand. In addition the permanent residents or “lyvers” numbered several hundred. Despite the large numbers of people, however, the fishermen could not afford a resident clergyman. The SPG complied with Feild’s request, and by 1850 Battle Harbour became the headquarters of the SPG’s Labrador mission.

In 1852, construction began on St James the Apostle Anglican church. Finished in 1857 the church became the focal point for the spiritual needs for both the resident and migratory population. This is the oldest non-Moravian church in Labrador.

The building is typical of Anglican mission churches build throughout Newfoundland in the nineteenth century. The clapboard-covered church has a tower on its west end with a chancel and vestry in its east end. Beneath the exposed roof framing of the church is a baptismal font and communion table. The furnishings of the Church, as far as can be determined, date from its consecration and reflect the Gothic theme of the church.

The designer of the church, William Grey, was a significant contributor to the Gothic revival in Newfoundland during the nineteenth century. He designed several churches two of which were stone and the rest wood. St. James is the only remaining example of Grey’s work in the province.

Newfoundland architectural historian Shane O’ Day stated that St. James the Apostle church in Battle Harbour represented an “attempt by both Feild and (William) Grey to translate the ideals of the Gothic revival into Newfoundland terms and to produce a fairly simple building which met, liturgically the requirements for a proper church.”

With the eventual decline of the Labrador fishery, the church fell into disuse and began to deteriorate. A major restoration project in 1991 repaired much of the damage sustained after years of neglect.

In recognition of it architectural and historical importance St James the Apostle Anglican Church became a Registered Heritage Structure in July, 1991. This structure was also awarded the Southcott Award for heritage restoration by the Newfoundland Historic Trust.

April 2012 - Tradition in Cavendish

Tradition in Cavendish
Submitted by Alma Jackson


The Annual Social in Cavendish, which consists of a delicious turkey supper, is steeped in tradition. Like their ancestors before them, hand-crafted items, homemade baked goods, and preserves were sold at the event.


The highlight of the evening was a visit from Santa who helped distribute gifts, which were hanging from a freshly cut evergreen tree, to excited children and adults. The Social proved to be the most successful with proceeds netting over $3500.


None of this success would be possible without the help and dedication of the ACW and members of the congregation. From the youngest, like Vanessa Jerrett, to eldest it was indeed a group effort.

It is a blessing from God that the senior mem- bers of the congregation are still vital and active in the activities of the church. It is also a joy to see that younger members are following right along in their footsteps.


When you see the generous spirit of all the mem- bers of the Church in Cavendish working together, you can believe that the future of their little community church is in good hands. 

April 2012 - Art Exhibit in Topsail

ART EXHIBIT

Submitted by Sharon Smith

Photos by Sharon Smith 

On Sunday February 26, 2012 following the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 the Congregation of St. John the Evangelist was invited to an art exhibit in the Parish Hall given by this year’s Confirmation Class. The theme of this exhibit was "Symbols of Our Faith". 

The symbols we frequently see in our weekly bulletins were given to each confirmand with an explanation and appropriate Bible reference. These symbols represented the seasons of the Church from Advent through to Trinity.

The drawing were very well received by the congregation and many comments on how much they learned was very gratifying to the Confirmation Class. In the pictures you see the work as it was presented and it certainly proved to be a blessing to all in attendance. 

April 2012 - News from the Parish of Bay St. George

News from Parish of Bay St. George

Submitted by The Rev’d Terry Rose

The first picture is of a lay reader commissioning that was held on Sunday February 5th, at 7pm service of Holy Eucharist at St. Mary the Virgin St. George's. Tara Lee Maisie Young on the (left) and Marie Rose on the (right) were licence as Lay readers in the parish of Bay St. George. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they begin there ministry as lay readers.

 The second picture is of the ACW Church Women receiving their certificates of appreciation for years of service. On February 26th at the 7pm service of Holy Eucharist. The ACW women of St. George's Church in Robinsons received certificates of appreciation for the many faithful years of serving the church in their ministries. These certificates range from 50- 70 years to service. 

April 2012 - Easter Greetings from Bishop Cyrus Pitman

We Are Easter People

By Bishop Cyrus Pitman

Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador

Our Easter feast invites us to bring together two powerful realities, the Incarnation and the Resurrection of the Lord. Together they form a unity and a foundation of faith in the Christian tradition that links God and us in a way that no other religious tradition does. As Christians, we believe Jesus came to us in His humanity fully open to us and to our world so we, in turn, could be fully open to God and to each other.

The Easter message is challenging. We can ignore it, thinking that it is impossible for people to live in Christ's image some two thousand years after his death. We can claim that Jesus lived in another time and in a less sophisticated culture where people felt hopeless, despaired and empty. 

Today, however, many people still die in hopelessness and many are poisoned by cynicism and defeated by disillusionment. More than ever, we must tell our story, we must sing our song. “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song” concludes St. Augustine. But being an Easter people means that resurrection is part of our life experience, part of who we are, part of what it means to be us. Easter celebrates how Jesus dies and rises in each of us, in our personal lives, in family, church, parish, community. It celebrates how Jesus dies and rises in our daily work, in our home life, in our relationships, in the joys and sorrows of the world.

Confidence in the resurrection of Jesus is not based on wishful thinking. It is founded in truth and sharpened through experience – the experience of light following dark, of joy following pain, of hope out of defeat, of warmth beyond cold, of life out of death. 

The faith of Anglicans through the centuries is built on belief in the amazing grace of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. May this reality be spoken not only on our lips but be the song of our hearts. May this be the message we bring and bear witness to – Christ is risen. Let us rejoice as we celebrate on this Easter day and throughout the Easter season this gift of new life in Christ. 

We should be able to see the risen life of Christ in us by our words, by the way we live, and by how we treat others. The starting point, of course, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus also said that we should love one another just as he has loved us (John 13:34). These are the ways that we can bear witness to the Risen Lord as we go about our daily living. 

This Easter why not ask yourself, "How well am I doing at testifying to the risen Lord? How can my living be a testament to others?"

May God bless you and keep you and fill you with the joy and peace of his presence.


+Cyrus