December 2023 Issue
Dean Richard Sewell offered Synod insights into the devastating war in Israel and Gaza
The guest speaker for Synod was the Very Rev. Canon Richard Sewell, who has served for five years as the Dean of St George’s College, ...
Rehabilitating children at the Princess Basma Centre in Jerusalem
JulieAnn Sewell offered those at Synod a view of the important work done at the Princess Basma Centre in Jerusalem (JPBC), which is one of ...
Perth affordable housing project moves forward
The Perth town council has voted unanimously in favour of a motion that moves St. James the Apostle’s affordable housing project closer to reality. It ...
Housing projects will surpass original goal of 125 units
Plans in various stages of development are on track to create 279 new affordable housing units across the diocese, more than double the original target ...
PWRDF launches “Branches of Hope” at Synod ’23
Was the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) Working Group operating a little pre-Christmas tree lot at Synod? Such was not the case! Those ...
Ascension finds funding to boost greening efforts
Church of the Ascension’s participation in the Ottawa Faith Community Capacity Building Program, co-sponsored by Greening Sacred Spaces and Watersheds Canada (Crosstalk, April 2023), which ...
Cathedral partners with McGill and Royal Canadian College to introduce young musicians to the pipe organ
For more than five years, our Cathedral has benefitted from a close relationship with the organ and church music department at McGill University’s Schulich School ...
Early Bytown residents honoured
The City of Ottawa held a solemn ecumenical service honouring seven early citizens of Bytown as their remains were reinterred at Beechwood Cemetery on Oct. ...
Archbishops of Canterbury and Jerusalem issue a joint appeal for the Diocese of Jerusalem
On Oct. 24, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop Hosam Naoum issued a joint emergency appeal for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Writing about ...
Gaza hospital partner closes to new patients
PWRDF has been responding to the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza since violence began October 7. We granted an initial $30,000 to long-standing partner, the Al-Ahli Arab ...
Balanced budget approved with reduced Proportional Parish Share
Tracy Albert, chair of the Property and Finance Committee, and Sanjay Grover, director of financial ministry, presented a balanced budget to Synod for the three-year ...
Approved: A Plan for Parish Development
The Rev. Kerri Brennan presented a Plan for Parish Development (Action 10 of the strategic plan) that was adopted by Synod. She explained that the ...
Youth view reflects a deep desire to make a change
There were four young adults registered as observers at Synod, but there were also a number of young Anglicans who attended Synod as representatives from ...
Engaging with the world in new ways
At Synod 2022, there was a palpable excitement and energy in discussions about finding new ways for the church to engage with the world around ...
A Time of Prayer: Listening for Divine Sparks in our Midst
Following the presentation on contextual mission and new worshipping communities, Bishop Shane Parker outlined how a new forward-looking initiative will involve every parish: “By 2028, ...
Sharing Old World faith in the brave New World
In his final address to Synod, Dean Richard Sewell spoke of the dislocation he felt having travelled from “the Old World,” in Jerusalem, “where people ...
A daring escape and a new life in Canada with help from the Refugee Ministry
Wahida Azizi recalls her last day of work in Afghanistan vividly. An activist for women’s rights, Azizi advised women about their rights to be educated, ...
Remembering refugees with Saint Bernard de Clairvaux
Reading Hélène Goulet’s wonderful article about St. Bernard’s tribute to Charlotte Davidson (Crosstalk, April 2023) for her 40 years of providing Christian education to children ...
Reclaiming Advent, living Christmas
I have always loved Advent. It offers a rich time of reflection in which we read some of our most profound, inspiring and challenging scriptures, ...
Saint Alban, Mattawa — Pembroke Deanery
Mattawa had always been regarded as an important place, serving as a jumping off place from the settled area of Upper Canada on the upper ...
Using our senses to learn about and experience God
This is the fourth of a series of articles exploring the use of our senses in connecting with God. If we restrict our understanding and ...
Bishop’s Charge speaks to a thriving church that is well-equipped to serve the world