Tales of Ecclesiastical Adventures
We have a beautiful church in which to worship God, built by previous generations. Many churches are only used on Sundays. But that has never been true of us.
Reflections
Advent and Christmas are seasons of hope. The birth of a child in any family brings with it the expectation of the continuation of life.
Reflections
I have reflected on these words of Jesus following our Lenten and Easter celebrations. And, indeed, we had an excellent Lenten program organized by Fr. Alain Brosseau on Wednesdays, which was very well attended, and also good Easter celebrations.
Face to Face: A Late Summer Reflection
The precarious state of organizations which help those without shelter in Montreal, of whom members of First Nations constitute a significant number, is front-page news this summer.
Reflections
Business may not be next to godliness, but it gives a pretty good impression of it in much of our culture. And yet we all need a time of rest, a Sabbath.
A Wedding in Victoria
Michel Pilon and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the marriage of Haley Kruse to Kieran Wilson in Victoria on July 7.
Reflections
Do you ever have those occasions when you wonder whose side God is on? Even clergy occasionally ask such a question.
Soujourners: A Summer of Comings and Goings
The Clergy are sojourners. During my time at the seminary, I served as an intern in three different parishes. Each lasted one academic term; just enough time to fall in love with the community and to regret having to move on. It was an excellent preparation for parish ministry. However, these experiences have not made subsequent farewells any easier.
The Tabernacle
I was especially interested by a notice from around the end of the First World War outlining the specifics of the Tabernacle erected in St Anne’s Chapel during the ‘flu epidemic of 1918.
The Jazz Mass
This year’s Jazz Mass was even bigger. Attendance rose by 25% for a total of some 165 Souls.
From Crucifixion to Resurrection: Our Shared Journey through Holy Week
My life-affirming journey through the series of greenhouses bore a remarkable resemblance to our experience of Holy Week, during which we accompanied our Lord during the last sombre days of His earthly ministry, through to the colourful explosion of joy that is Easter.
Jazz Mass 2018
Our third annual Jazz Mass fell right on July 1 - the Octave Day of St. John the Baptist in the prayer book, but was somewhat overshadowed by Moving Day in Quebec.
A Lenten Reflection
At St. John the Evangelist, Mass is celebrated every day of the week, and has been for almost the entire history of the parish. Indeed, this practice is such an integral part of our identity that attendance at a weekday service is suggested as a Lenten observance.
Reflections
We have had at least two exciting developments this autumn! The first was the visit of The Rt. Rev’d James Almasi, Bishop of the Diocese of Montreal’s companion Diocese of Masasi in Tanzania in East Africa. He was here for our commemoration of the canonization of John Henry Newman on the Thanksgiving Weekend.
New Directions for the Jazz Mass
After the shock of a snowstorm in early November, it is comforting to turn our minds back to the Jazz Mass, which we celebrated at the beginning of la belle saison.
Evangelism
Just before the General Synod in July, Fr. Keith preached a sermon on evangelism, the theme of the Synod. His thoughtful discourse prompted me to write this article in response.
Why I Give
Yes, André had given me more than I could ever give him. Giving and receiving I thought, must be intimately interconnected, if not the same thing.
Rev. Dr. William Wright: ‘Man of God, Man of Mystery’
In Mount Royal Cemetery there is what appears to be an Irishman’s grave, a Celtic cross, among whose tangle of Celtic knots there is carved into the granite Revd William Wright, M.D./Professor McGill University.
High Church, Low Comedy: A Silly Season Reflection
The performance of liturgy is serious business... until something untoward happens, and the servers and clergy are hard-pressed not to crack up.