At the present time, there are only a few dioceses with active secretariats who meet regularly and have an annual Cursillo weekend. The dioceses of Calgary, Edmonton, Huron, Islands and Inlets (formerly the Diocese of British Columbia), Niagara, The Northern Lights (formerly Rupert’s Land) and Ottawa were represented at this year’s meeting. Sadly, the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island had just voted to close Cursillo before the triennial meeting.

The weekend was structured in an Ultreya model with opportunities for worship and continuous music in the chapel. There was a choice of two workshops—one on Pastoral Listening and the other on reimagining the future of Cursillo. Lots of active conversation ensued.

We also had a wonderful presentation from retired Bishop Logan McMenamie, formerly the Bishop of the Diocese of Islands and Inlets, who shared reflections on his lenten walk from Alert Bay to Victoria in the spring of 2016. As he journeyed, he sought permission to enter each Indigenous community as an act of contrition and repentance for the Anglican church’s role in colonizing the land and the Indian residential school system. An insightful discussion followed with many more stories shared.

We were also privileged to have the Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, share in our fellowship. She joined us on the Saturday to give the keynote address, celebrate at our worship service and take part in the installation of the national executive for the next three years.

The whole weekend was one of connecting with old friends and making so many new friendships Hats off with thanks and a grateful heart to our gracious hosts, the Cursillo community in Nanaimo for a wonderful weekend.

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We are writing with with heavy hearts as the pandemic and lockdown situation continues.

We have given considerable deliberation to the actual continuation of the Bale program, but Leslie and I have realized that the Ottawa Bales to the North project has come to its natural end, considering the COVID crisis, the aging of our congregations and the availability of online shopping, even in the North.  

Writing this in January, with the vaccine roll-out stalled, we expect that even by April or May of this year, our Diocese will still be requiring the rigid RED or AMBER protocol for churches, which would automatically preclude us being able to gather to pack bales in our regular fashion.

We realize that many parish ACW groups have kept the goods that were ready to be packed in 2020 and the question now is, “what are we going to do with them”?  We have a couple of suggestions:

There are many places in your own communities that would be more than happy to receive your contributions of goods or money, including the Ottawa Mission, Centre 454 or a local refugee resettlement group. 

If you decide to pack your own box for the North, we can help. We are prepared to provide the necessary packing equipment and labels, to support a Deanery group gathering the items in one place to pack the boxes and send them off at your expense. Last year, a four cubic ft packing box filled to 39lbs, cost $120 to send to Iqaluit, for example. 

In the past few years, we have mailed to 13 communities yearly, so we would suggest that if you write Leslie, she will give you the proper mailing address for one community.  That way, between the groups, we keep the mailings even.    

Some groups may have more goods than money for this project.  But since the groups have generously donated to Bales for so long, our Diocesan money can continue to be spent, for this, the final year.   

Please give consideration to these suggestions and let us know what your thinking is and how you would like to proceed:  acw@ottawa.anglican.ca

This is not the way we envisioned drawing our wonderful Bales Program to a conclusion, but we both feel that a decision has to be made sooner rather than later. 

Money for Fair Share or the Bishops Discretionary Fund or Bales for the North can be sent to Leslie Worden,  59 Dalecroft Cres., Nepean, ON K2G 5V7.   She will acknowledge your gift, then forward it to the Diocese. 

Blessings on each of you, and for each group. 

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