St. Thomas the Apostle parish celebrates Black History Month
As part of our Black History Month celebrations, St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church in Ottawa welcomed the London Trio Plus Ensemble to perform a concert in our sanctuary. In the afternoon of Feb. 8, we were blessed by the powerful vocals and beautiful harmonies of this group as they shared spirituals and gospel songs.
The original three London sisters who formed the group, The London Trio, added family members and friends to create the “Plus.” It was a truly special afternoon where the audience swayed and clapped in time to the music. We were also invited to stand and join in singing ‘Lift Every Voice’ and ‘Siyahamba (We Are Marching)’.
Other ways of marking Black History Month included guest speakers and a book study on Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley which will continue through Lent. We are grateful to the Black History Month Committee led by Dr. Joy Mighty for planning this, and the many other events we held throughout the month of February. — The Rev. Maria Nightingale
(Thanks to the Rev. Maria Nightingale for sharing these great photos!)
St. John the Evangelist celebrates Black History Month
On Feb. 15, St. John the Evangelist in downtown Ottawa hosted a Black History Celebration. The church was filled with drumming, singing, dancing and joy. Special thanks to Petr Maur for sharing these wonderful photos.
The Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer shared a view of the celebration in the weekly parish newsletter, thanking all the talented guests and people who brought the celebration together:
- Batimbo Percussion Drums! They love to be booked for events!
- Singers and Dancers: Valentine, Giselle, Cynthia, Ciella, Francine
- Our organizers: Deborah Nasasira, Clementine Mahirwe, Nick Busch
Cathedral Deanery — Wallis sketching Christ Church Cathedral West Window Cartoon