The Church of St. Barnabas has always been grateful for your prayers, support, and friendship, and we continue to appreciate them now more than ever.

Over the past year, we have prayerfully considered the necessity of replacing the floors of the church, the sacristy, and the church hall. The Vestry has approved this project for 2026-27, and a committee has been formed to oversee the various steps involved, led by an experienced architect, John Donkin, who has strong ties to our parish.

On Saturday, June 27, at 4 p.m., we will be hosting a fundraising concert featuring the London Trio Plus. This event is more than just a concert; it is greater than just about floors that are beautiful and functional; warm and inviting evoking a sense of peace and reverence to all. It is about a community within Centretown and beyond.

While St. Barnabas continues to be a home of Anglo-Catholicism it also serves as a welcoming space for numerous initiatives within our city, These include: St. Luke’s Table every Saturday, Music and Beyond Concerts during the summer, and STEM camps in the summer months July to August (Monday to Friday), STEM Camp is a not for profit organization founded in 2013, offering up fun and educational summer camp experiences for kids 4-13 all across Canada, including Ottawa.

Music, voice and organ lessons provided by three experienced and talented teachers who help nurture future musicians and host Royal Canadian College of Organists Ottawa Centre, exams and seminars.

Once a month, we open our doors to the city with a Community Tea fully funded by St. Barnabas. This is a drop-in tea with finger foods and door prizes for anyone living in Centretown and beyond—whether they are homeless, have a home, live alone, or with family.

The Sons of Scotland Band also holds their rehearsals here every Monday. We actively contribute to and participate in the Centretown Foodbank and Centretown Churches Social Action Committee, and provide a place of worship and community for university students away from home.

We are a member of Multifaith Housing and recently participated in the Annual Tulipathon Walk, and our church raised over $2000.

Furthermore, the Old Roman Catholic Rite Church meets at St. Barnabas every month. We continue to be a place where people can turn to in great times of prayer, need and celebration.

This project has an impact on the City of Ottawa and beyond. If every member of the above-mentioned groups, along with anyone reading this article, were to contribute $10 dollars towards this initiative, we could raise a significant amount. Remember, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

With your support, we can ensure that St. Barnabas continues to be a welcoming home for many, transcending the Christian faith. Together, we can extend our hands in unity and demonstrate the love of Christ through this concert, as we work to gift St. Barnabas with new floors.

We are excited that the London Trio Plus group was available to provide this concert, which marks one of the first of many fundraising endeavors to come. The dynamic London Trio Plus (LTP) Ensemble is a gospel and harmonic vocal group based in Ottawa. The group is made up of three London sisters—Vanessa, Valerie, and Celeste. The “Plus” in their name signifies a larger flexible group beyond the initial trio, which includes additional family members and friends as vocalists and band members.

Under the expert direction of Valerie London, the group has thrilled audiences for over 20 years, with harmonious and uplifting music – sharing their talents through concerts and other community initiatives. The group continues to delight audiences throughout Canada and the Caribbean, with voices in perfect harmony. This talented group has produced concerts, written and arranged several pieces, organized festivals and mentored young performers. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to listen to this enthusiastic group of musicians.

Date and Time

Saturday, June 27 at 4 p.m.

Tickets

$40 per person

$70 for a couple, with a freewill offering for children 12 and under.

Here is the link to purchase tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/fundraising-concert-by-london-trio-plus .

Target

Our goal is to raise $10,000.

Parking:

Due to road construction, there is very little on-street parking in the immediate area of our church.

PAID parking is available at 381 Kent Street (Medical Building) for $5 for an unlimited time. This parking lot can be accessed from Gilmour Street off Kent Street.

I deeply value your support and prayers for the successful launch of the Floor Fundraising Activities.

God speed to you all as you make your way to the concert, on Saturday, June 27 at 4 p.m.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Canon George Kwari

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Last year, one of the ways St. Stephen’s celebrated Black History Month was with an interactive African drumming event, which started with us joining together to share a meal of African and Caribbean foods.  We are a global community at St. Stephens, and the food that evening was prepared and presented by members of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) parish members and beyond. The food we enjoyed included Sadza from Zimbabwe, Caribbean beef and chicken stews, jollof rice, fried plantain and, of course, several desserts.

After dinner, the tables were pushed back, and the floor was opened up to the drumming world of Sadio Sissoko. A multi-talented African musician originally from Senegal, Sadio has lived in Montreal for many years. Sadio brought at least 30 drums of different sizes with him and as he led the music, he encouraged us to either use the drums, slap our thighs or clap to the rhythms. By the end, there was a lot of dancing too. We had so much fun, we asked him to come back.

Do consider joining us at this year’s Drumming Extravaganza. Bring your loved ones for a special Valentine’s celebration. Celebrate love and heritage in a memorable way. It is a perfect way to honour Black History Month while enjoying delicious dishes from African and Caribbean traditions and an evening of beautiful music and rhythms.

Come for 5:30 pm on Feb. 14. Dinner will be at 6 pm, and the drumming will start at 7 pm.

Please call the church office at 613 828-2472 or email sscometochurch@gmail.com to reserve a spot as we would like to keep tabs on numbers coming so we can prepare enough food.

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Friday, Feb. 2, 6 pm – 9 pm

On Friday, Feb. 2 at 6 pm, the talented and enthusiastic multi-instrumentalist Sadio Sissoko will set the tone of our month-long celebration. The participants can expect to use more than 25 drums and multiple instruments. Through Sadio’s teachings, we will gain a deeper understanding of the rhythmic beats of African drums, which hold a vital role in African customs, particularly in worship and community celebrations. In African communities, drums hold the same significance as organs and pianos, as they are integral to both traditional and religious music. A Zimbabwean Anglican Church service without the use of drums is comparable to a Christmas Eve service at Christ Church Cathedral without the accompaniment of organ music. I think that truly understanding the art of drumming is a way to honour the deep roots and cultural significance of the Black African Community.

Sadio’s enthusiasm and expertise are sure to make this learning experience both educational and enjoyable for everyone. Sadio plays the djembé, sabar, doun-doun and tama (talking drum). Sadio is a singer, dancer, musician and songwriter. In 2018 and 2019, he won the Juno Award for best world music group in Canada with the group Okavango.

Anyone may join in on the fun at this exciting event. The bigger the group, the livelier the atmosphere. All that’s needed is your sense of wonder, desire to learn, and an open mind and heart.

Along with the drumming we will feast on delectable African-Caribbean dishes

Since St. Stephen’s boasts a diverse representation of people of African and Caribbean descent, be sure to come hungry and indulge in the delectable dishes from the African Caribbean Community.  On the menu you can expect dishes like sadza and fat cooks, as well as international favorites such as Nigerian jollof rice, rice and pigeon peas, conch fritters, and jerk chicken.

Sunday Feb. 4, 10 am

The Voices of Praise referred to as the “funky disciples of Gospel” will be the guest choir at the Sunday Eucharistic service and will lead the congregation in worship, praise and dance.

This year, St. Stephen’s is focusing on Black music in an attempt to help our community understand the context within which the African-American music grew in order to gain a deeper appreciation the Black people’s music.

I once read an article about an accomplished musician who casually played more like a token, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The musician was surprised when Black ministers and members of the congregation began to look at him uncomfortably. The musician failed to recognize that Black songs were a product of slavery, colonization, and apartheid. The melody was a signal that the time for freedom had arrived. In addition, the song can trigger strong emotional responses in those who encounter racism in their daily lives, whether it is subtle or blatant. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” was sung at Harriet Tubman’s funeral and became an unofficial underground anthem during apartheid in South Africa. The rich tapestry of African-American music is woven with the threads of pain, resistance, sorrow, and a tumultuous history of bigotry, violence, and oppression.

African-American songwriter and storyteller Courtney Ariel, in “How not to appropriate: a guide for white people,” for Sojourners magazine offers the following advice, “Listen. Lead with empathy, always. Be mindful when appropriation becomes misappropriation and exploitation. You are human, lovely and amazing. You did not create these constructs and systems. But you might likely be in a position to affect positive change through awareness, greater understanding and meaningful action. I pray you choose to do so.”

Prior to singing or playing a song by an African-American writer, be sure to dedicate time to understanding its history and culture, and deliver a meaningful rendition. Although music is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone, it can cause issues when there is a lack of understanding about its historical and cultural roots.

May your Black History Month celebrations be filled with positivity and joy. Join us for a delicious feast and then dance the night away!

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As I write this, I wonder how much the world may have changed by the time you read this article. We have lived with so much change and uncertainty during the pandemic. 

 I find comfort and certainty in the liturgical seasons. As we begin our Lenten journey, I look forward to singing ‘Forty Days and Forty Nights.’ (Common Praise 175). It has always been my go-to hymn during Lent and this year its meaning is amplified as I sing those words, “Shall not we your trials share, learn your discipline of will and with you by fast and prayer wrestle with power of hell? Saviour may we hear your voice—keep us constant at your side and with you shall rejoice at the Eternal Eastertide.” 

I really need to hear this hymn as we go through our own 40 days/months and thousand nights in the wilderness of COVID-19—a journey into the unknown just like eternal Eastertide! 

When the pandemic started, I took out an ironing board from St. Stephen’s Sacristy to preach via my laptop with the hope that it would be a six-month pandemic. Twenty months later, I am still preaching and officiating church liturgy from an ironing board.

In the course of those 20 months, we have lost friends, parishioners and close relatives without having a chance to walk with them. Some were sick for a long time in isolation. Worse still we could not come and grieve together as a community. I still have a family waiting for me to officiate at the funeral of their mother who died in July of 2020. This is delayed grief that takes a toll on us. Between lockdowns and partial re-openings, new waves and more lockdowns, some days if feels like we are going in circles like the children of Israel in the wilderness. They did almost everything God asked of them but it was not always smooth sailing all the way to the promised land.  

How about us? We had our vaccines and booster shots, but still, we have to batten down the hatches—prepare for the unexpected. I thought that, with the children getting vaccinated, life would start to return to a new normal. But the Omicron variant meant that the new year began much like the last one with the children learning online. My two children are very different. One is an extrovert and the other an introvert but they both missed in-person learning. Like many other parents, grandparents and guardians, I had to monitor and supervise their never-ending homework.

I was happy when they returned to school but also worried about their catching the virus. I long for a world free of the pandemic, but no one can offer that. So, I guess I will take in-person learning with the risk that I may miss work because I might be in isolation one Sunday. Friends, that is a lot to go through alone, and I need a physical community to help me deal with all this. Is it the same at your house?

I often receive calls from people with serious illnesses and, in the past, I would go pray and console them. Not anymore. I can no longer do that because they need to limit their contacts for their treatments and appointments. I would like our whole church to surround them, lay their hands on them and pray for their healing, or to walk with them.

The hugs, tears from one another that soothe our souls, and laughter in the hall at fellowship are muted in lockdown times.

Friends, our bishop and clergy hear you; they see you and you are always in their thoughts and prayers. If they, being mere mortals can understand you, how much more deeply can our God who is omnipresent in every place and every home?  Friends of mine have a plaque in their dining room which reads, “Christ is the Center of our Home, a Guest at Every Meal and a Silent Listener to Every Conversation.”

Friends, we are never alone. Remember the Scripture, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside God’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” God is walking with us.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” We all carry the weight of the trauma, whether we have thrived or floundered.

“Saviour, may we hear your voice, keep us constant at your side,” I sing again. The journey to Pandemic Eastertide might be long but ‘we have just got to stick at it, keep going, we will get there in the end do not give up’. “So if Satan, pressing hard, soul and body would destroy, Christ who conquered, be our guard …”

With Christ who conquered the evil in the wilderness and overcame death on the third day we shall overcome and reach the promised land with COVID-19 muted. I do not know the day but my faith tells me that with vaccines and playing it safe it is possible. Above all God who heals will have the last word! I wish you a blessed Lenten journey as we wait out the pandemic. 

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Our guest speaker will be Joy Mighty, a professor emerita from Carleton University where she held appointments as associate vice-president, senior scholar for innovation in teaching and learning, and full professor in the Sprott School of Business and the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her special interests are organizational development and change, as well as equity, diversity. We are fortunate to have her as our guest speaker since she is a much sought-after keynote speaker. 

Dr. Mighty is ideally suited to speak on our 2022 theme, “Embracing and Acknowledging Diversity.” This theme is in support of the launch of “Project Anti-Racism: Advancing Inclusion and Reconciliation in the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa” 

For Christians, the practice of multicultural diversity is motivated by love for God and love of human beings. As peoples from various races, cultures and conditions come to faith in Jesus Christ, He reconciles them to God the Father and therefore to each other. The Church has an inherent and God-given diversity. Knowing this, how can the Church heal the sin of racism and instead help people see each other as sisters and brothers—children of our Heavenly Father? 

The late Emeritus Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu expressed his belief that, “Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are precisely different in order to realise our need of one another.” Celebrating Black History Month gives us the opportunity to pause and give thanks to God for our diversity and work together for a better world.

Each February gives us a chance to acknowledge the presence among us of people of African descent. I do hope that congregations will select one or more Sundays in order to listen and learn about Black History. I would be pleased to help you with resources or the names of possible guest speakers. We currently have six black clergy licensed to preach in our Diocese and a long list of black lay people with whom I can connect you for a Sunday sermon. Please e-mail me at georgekwari@gmail.com for more information.

On behalf of the Planning Committee, I look forward to seeing you all, at either in person at Christ Church Cathedral or online on Feb. 19.

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