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	<title>April 2025 Archives - Perspective</title>
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	<title>April 2025 Archives - Perspective</title>
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		<title>Saint John, Innisville — Deanery of the Southwest</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/saint-john-innisville-deanery-of-the-southwest/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Glenn J Lockwood]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 15:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diocesan Archives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. John's Innisville]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179104</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The former Saint John’s Church, Innisville looks almost timeless in its rural setting, at least when viewed in daytime. This photograph from fifty years ago was taken before the cross atop the steeple became highlighted in neon, virtually assuring that this house of worship had a presence for travellers passing by on Highway 7 at [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/saint-john-innisville-deanery-of-the-southwest/">Saint John, Innisville — Deanery of the Southwest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The former Saint John’s Church, Innisville looks almost timeless in its rural setting, at least when viewed in daytime. This photograph from fifty years ago was taken before the cross atop the steeple became highlighted in neon, virtually assuring that this house of worship had a presence for travellers passing by on Highway 7 at night.</p>
<p>Saint John’s Church had not always been located here, as the previous frame and log worship structures had been located in the village of Innisville proper. In the generation leading up to the building of this house of worship on this site in 1911, we forget that there were tensions between farmers and prominent parish members resident in many villages across the diocese: mainly because so many of the former out on their farms in the rural concessions were in debt—sometimes irretrievably so—to the latter for their services as doctors, merchants and tradesmen.</p>
<p>So, it was almost inevitable that when the time came to build a large new stone church to replace the small, plain frame building that had been the site of Anglican devotions at Innisville since the 1850s, there was a tussle between building the new church in the village proper or out on a larger rural site in the nearby countryside.</p>
<p>Saint John’s picturesque site here tells us that the farmers won that battle, but the real winner was a tried and true design produced by Ottawa architect John W.H. Watts. Watts had a number of regional church designs to his credit. They included Saint Margaret’s, Janeville [Vanier] (1887); the first Saint Matthias’s Church, Ottawa (1890), Saint Paul’s, Renfrew (1900); Saint James’s, Port Elmsley (1900); Saint Augustine’s, Galetta (1902); Saint Mary’s, North March (1908), Saint Thomas’s, Woodlawn (1915), and Christ Church, Ashton (1915).</p>
<p>Watts was an English-born architect and a member of the Royal Academy who by the early 1880s had immigrated to Canada and was living in Ottawa. From 1882 to 1896, he was appointed Curator of the fledgling National Gallery of Canada. He is reputed to have persuaded the Gallery to make its first purchases of Canadian works of art. His main work was as Assistant Chief Government Architect, ostensibly working for Thomas Seaton Scott who back in the 1860s had designed a handful of Anglican churches including Trinity, Cornwall.</p>
<p>Watts’s Anglican churches were all private commissions, designs carried out after hours apart from his duties at work for the federal government. His early designs differed from one another, but by the turn of the century his designs featured three signature features. The first of these was a curving chancel ceiling with curving ribs.  The second was a rounded apse.  Watt’s third signature design was a landmark square tower culminating in a belfry surrounded by four pylons crowned by a tall spire. Watt’s signature style became so obvious that the design of the churches at Innisville and Ashton is exactly the same except for the placement of the tower.</p>
<p>There were differences between even these two churches. Saint John’s, despite being on a rise, was five steps up from the ground, whereas Ashton was only one step up.  Saint John’s had a shallow eyebrow gable on the roof, where Ashton did not.  Finally, Ashton had pointed windows in its chancel, whereas Innsiville featured square windows with pointed traceries.  Decreasing attendance led to Saint John’s, Innisville being deconsecrated in August 2024.</p>
<p><em>If you would like to help the Archives preserve the records of the Diocese and its parishes, why not become a Friend of the Archives? Your $20 membership brings you three issues of the lively, informative </em>Newsletter<em>, and you will receive a tax receipt for further donations above that amount. </em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/saint-john-innisville-deanery-of-the-southwest/">Saint John, Innisville — Deanery of the Southwest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179104</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Remembering the Rev. Canon William Gilbert</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/remembering-the-rev-canon-william-gilbert/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Perspective]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:50:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Rev. Canon William Gilbert]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179100</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Rev. Canon William Gilbert, a retired priest of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and former editor of Crosstalk, passed away on Jan. 27, 2025 at the age of 87. Born and raised in Toronto, Gilbert earned an Honours Bachelor Degree in History at the University of Toronto in 1959. He graduated with a Bachelor [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/remembering-the-rev-canon-william-gilbert/">Remembering the Rev. Canon William Gilbert</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Rev. Canon William Gilbert, a retired priest of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and former editor of <em>Crosstalk</em>, passed away on Jan. 27, 2025 at the age of 87.</p>
<p>Born and raised in Toronto, Gilbert earned an Honours Bachelor Degree in History at the University of Toronto in 1959. He graduated with a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from a Trinity College in Toronto in 1962. In 1962 and 1963, he was ordained deacon and priest in the Anglican Church of Canada by Bishop Ernest Reed of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. Subsequently, he served as a parish priest at St. Richard’s Church, Ottawa, in the Parish of Petawawa, and at St. Martin’s Church, Ottawa.</p>
<p>In 1969, Gilbert graduated from the Ottawa Teacher’s College and was a teacher at Hopewell Avenue Public School in Ottawa for four years. In 1973, he accepted a position as programme officer with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and also edited <em>Crosstalk</em> for several years. His son, Bill, who has worked as an accountant in the diocesan financial ministry for many years, told <em>Crosstalk</em> that he remembers his father laying out the stories and photos for issues of the newspaper on a light table. “He loved it,” he said.</p>
<p>Gilbert was later appointed as diocesan director of programme.</p>
<p>In 1975, he was awarded a Master of Education Degree from the University of Ottawa. Gilbert was invested as an honourary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa. In 1990, he was appointed parish priest of St. John’s Church in Richmond, Ontario, from which he retired in 1998.<em>     </em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/remembering-the-rev-canon-william-gilbert/">Remembering the Rev. Canon William Gilbert</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179100</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Nicene Creed: Unity in diversity</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/the-nicene-creed-unity-in-diversity/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:40:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ici on parle français]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179093</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>With the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea falling this year, I tried in my last piece to account for the Creed’s place in the Sunday Eucharist. Rather than a limiting explanation or definition of the mystery of God, it is instead a reliable pointer to the dimensions of that mystery as it has [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/the-nicene-creed-unity-in-diversity/">The Nicene Creed: Unity in diversity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea falling this year, I tried in my last piece to account for the Creed’s place in the Sunday Eucharist. Rather than a limiting explanation or definition of the mystery of God, it is instead a reliable pointer to the dimensions of that mystery as it has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ.</p>
<p>There is, of course, much more that can be said about the Creed. Even as it points to the mystery of God, so too it speaks about the Church. The Creed proclaims that the Church is “catholic.” That is, the Church is for all people. The Church itself is the symbol of what is going on in the creation as a whole. Both the Church and the whole of creation are directed to their fulfilment in the Kingdom of God. What we try to live in the Church is a sign of the destiny of the whole creation. Far from reducing everything and everyone to a bland, grey sameness, such wholeness affirms the genuine gifts and features of humanity. St. Paul proclaims that “in Christ” there is “neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28. He also tells us that “there are varieties of gifts…varieties of service…varieties of working” (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Once again, we encounter paradox: unity is held together with diversity. Both together constitute catholicity.</p>
<p>Catholicity also means authenticity. Authenticity of belief and practice follow because they depend on the consensus of the Church. We learn authentic faith by considering and following what Christians do and think. It is not always easy to discern just what authentic faith might entail in new circumstances. For this reason, we determine weighty matters by summoning a council and ascertaining the consensus of the Church. Anglicans are among those Christians who understand the universally recognized councils of the Church, such as those of Nicaea and Chalcedon, to have special authority as giving expression to the authentic faith under the guidance of the Spirit. As an expression of that faith, the Nicene Creed has become one of the structures of the Church in which its catholicity is embodied.</p>
<p>The Creeds, then, are catholic in both senses of the word. They set forth the authentic faith, but not as sets of propositions to be received intellectually. Faith is, instead, an entire attitude and direction of one’s whole life. When we join with other Christians in proclaiming the Creeds during worship, we are joining in a common attitude and orientation toward Christ</p>
<p>It is possible to become fixated on the letter of correct doctrine and lose sight of the universal character of the Church. When churches exclude from their membership or worship people of the wrong race, class, sexual orientation or whatever, they are refusing to be part of the ever-widening communion which cannot stop short of all creation. What</p>
<p>Christ has done is universal in scope. Indeed, to limit that scope to human beings alone is to fail to see that “the life of the world to come” includes all things (Col. 1:20). The royal and priestly task of the Church is to live that catholicity, treating all people and all things with the honour and love for they are creatures with an eternal destiny.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/the-nicene-creed-unity-in-diversity/">The Nicene Creed: Unity in diversity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179093</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Le Symbole de Nicée : l’unité dans la diversité</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/le-symbole-de-nicee-lunite-dans-la-diversite/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Le révérend chanoine Kevin Flynn]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:30:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clergy reflection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ici on parle français]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179089</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>À l&#8217;occasion du 1700e  anniversaire du concile de Nicée qui a lieu cette année, j’ai tenté dans mon dernier article de rendre compte de la place du Credo ou Symbole de Nicée  dans l’Eucharistie dominicale. Plutôt qu’une explication ou une définition limitative du mystère de Dieu, il s’agit plutôt d’un indicateur fiable des dimensions de [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/le-symbole-de-nicee-lunite-dans-la-diversite/">Le Symbole de Nicée : l’unité dans la diversité</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>À l&#8217;occasion du 1700e  anniversaire du concile de Nicée qui a lieu cette année, j’ai tenté dans mon dernier article de rendre compte de la place du Credo ou Symbole de Nicée  dans l’Eucharistie dominicale. Plutôt qu’une explication ou une définition limitative du mystère de Dieu, il s’agit plutôt d’un indicateur fiable des dimensions de ce mystère tel qu’il nous a été révélé en Jésus-Christ.</p>
<p>Il y a bien sûr beaucoup plus à dire sur le Credo. Tout en évoquant le mystère de Dieu, il parle aussi de l’Église. Le Credo proclame que l’Église est « catholique ». C’est-à-dire que l’Église est pour tous les peuples. L’Église elle-même est le symbole de ce qui se passe dans la création dans son ensemble. L’Église et la création tout entière sont orientées vers leur accomplissement dans le Royaume de Dieu. Ce que nous essayons de vivre dans l’Église est un signe de la destinée de la création tout entière. Loin de tout réduire et de tout ramener à une monotonie fade et grise, une telle intégrité affirme les dons et les caractéristiques authentiques de l’humanité. Saint Paul proclame que « dans le Christ » il n’y a « ni Juif ni Grec, il n’y a ni esclave ni libre, il n’y a ni homme ni femme » (Gal. 3:28). Il nous dit aussi qu’« il y a diversité de dons [&#8230;] diversité de ministères [&#8230;] diversité d’opérations » (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Une fois de plus, nous rencontrons un paradoxe : l’unité est maintenue par la diversité. Ensemble, elles constituent la catholicité.</p>
<p>La catholicité est également synonyme d’authenticité. L’authenticité de la croyance et de la pratique en découle, car elles dépendent du consensus de l’Église. Nous apprenons la foi authentique en considérant et en suivant ce que les chrétiens font et pensent. Il n’est pas toujours facile de discerner ce qu’implique exactement la foi authentique dans de nouvelles circonstances. C’est pourquoi nous déterminons les questions importantes en convoquant un concile et en vérifiant le consensus de l’Église. Les anglicans font partie de ces chrétiens qui considèrent que les conciles universellement reconnus de l’Église, tels que ceux de Nicée et de Chalcédoine, ont une autorité particulière pour exprimer la foi authentique sous la direction de l’Esprit. En tant qu’expression de cette foi, le Symbole de Nicée est devenu l’une des structures de l’Église dans laquelle s’incarne sa catholicité.</p>
<p>Les Credos sont donc catholiques dans les deux sens du terme. Ils exposent la foi authentique, mais pas comme un ensemble de propositions à recevoir intellectuellement. La foi est plutôt une attitude et une direction de toute la vie. Lorsque nous nous joignons à d’autres chrétiens pour proclamer les Credos pendant le culte, nous partageons une attitude et une orientation communes envers le Christ.</p>
<p>Il est possible de se focaliser sur la lettre d’une doctrine correcte et de perdre de vue le caractère universel de l’Église. Lorsque les Églises excluent de leur communauté ou de leur culte des personnes de race, de classe, d’orientation sexuelle ou autre qui ne sont pas correctes, elles refusent de faire partie de la communion toujours plus large qui ne peut s’arrêter à toute la création. L’œuvre du Christ a une portée universelle. En effet, limiter cette portée aux seuls êtres humains, c’est ne pas voir que « la vie du monde à venir » inclut toutes choses (Col. 1:20). La tâche royale et sacerdotale de l’Église est de vivre cette catholicité, en traitant toutes les personnes et toutes les choses avec l’honneur et l’amour qu’elles méritent, car elles sont des créatures ayant une destinée éternelle.</p>
<p><a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/the-nicene-creed-unity-in-diversity/"><em>English translation of this article </em></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/le-symbole-de-nicee-lunite-dans-la-diversite/">Le Symbole de Nicée : l’unité dans la diversité</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179089</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Where does our help come from?</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/where-does-our-help-come-from/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Rev. Canon Stephen Silverthorne]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:20:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clergy reflection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reflection]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179080</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Probably the hardest part of a clergy person’s job is dealing with death. Through the many joys of ministry, we never know when death and its sorrows might force itself into our day. In my own ministry, I have had days when a baptism interview has been filled with joy and laughing children. Then the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/where-does-our-help-come-from/">Where does our help come from?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Probably the hardest part of a clergy person’s job is dealing with death. Through the many joys of ministry, we never know when death and its sorrows might force itself into our day. In my own ministry, I have had days when a baptism interview has been filled with joy and laughing children. Then the next meeting is with a family crushed with grief, coming to plan a funeral service.</p>
<p>Most difficult are those times when clergy are called to the bedside of a dying person. Like me, most clergy come into that hospital room filled with a sense of powerlessness. What can we offer that will change anything? Prayers of comfort and words of condolence can bring some relief, but they cannot change the reason why we were summoned. A person lies dying.</p>
<p>Non-clergy may not face these situations as often, but they will face them. We all lose loved ones, and we all proceed through life with the knowledge that we are mortal. We too will face the end of our life, and we too will be powerless to prevent it.</p>
<p>These gloomy truths are the kind of thing we usually prefer to avoid thinking about. Yet Good Friday and Easter ask us to think about them a lot. We are asked to consider Jesus’ betrayal, his arrest, his abandonment, and his death. In Good Friday’s service, we hear once again the whole sordid story of our innocent Lord’s death as a criminal, and we look at the ugliness on display as crowds bay for his blood. These make us think about our own sorrows, our own sins and sins inflicted upon us, and about our own mortality.</p>
<p>So why not avoid looking? Why be reminded of death’s power and humanity’s frailty? We do it because we cannot avoid these things forever. And we look at them without fear because doing so is the only way we can be reminded of the greater power of Christ. At the heart of the Easter story is the proclamation we all need to hear: that through Jesus’ power, death’s claims have been proven false. He has crushed them under his feet.</p>
<p>In a funeral sermon by Rev. James Goodloe, he puts it well:</p>
<p>&#8220;Death pretends to be Lord over us. It’s not. God alone is the Lord over our lives. Death tries to have the last word about who we are. It doesn’t. God has plans for our lives that even death cannot destroy. Death struts its seeming great power, but its power is broken. To Christ belongs the victory. Though death will lay claim to all of us, it will not hold us all, for we do not belong to death. We belong to God in life, we belong to God in death, and we continue to belong to God in that new life on the other side of death.&#8221;</p>
<p>All this is true because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Good Friday and Easter reveal that we belong to Jesus. We were bought with a price.</p>
<p>Sin claims power over us, and it mocks us whenever we stray from God’s path. It tells us that we are worthless, guilty, and unwanted. Death claims power over us, and pushes us to despair whenever we feel its approach. It tells us that it will take us, and never let us go. Jesus’ work at Easter shows us that these are lies.</p>
<p>Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself at the cross, even the sins of those who crucified the Son of God. Jesus took the sting of death upon himself at the cross, even the deaths of those who had not yet been born. In bursting from the tomb, he showed that these had no power over him. In welcoming us as his brothers and sisters, he shows us that they can have no power over us as well.</p>
<p>This Easter, don’t be afraid to acknowledge your fears and frailties. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your sins and mistakes. Jesus knows all about them. Instead, bring them to him. He will bear them on the cross, and he will reassure you that they have no claim on you. You are his, and you always will be. When things go wrong in this life, he still has plans for you. And when this life comes to an end, he will still have plans for you. He will not let you go.</p>
<p>This is the reason we cry out: Alleluia! Christ is risen. It is good news for all who are burdened by the cares of this life, and it is good news for you.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/where-does-our-help-come-from/">Where does our help come from?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179080</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>One Love — Panel discusses Black contributions to peace</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Leigh Anne Williams]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History Month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Thomas the Apostle - Alta Vista]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179077</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>St. Thomas the Apostle also hosted a Black History Month panel discussion on Feb. 15. With Dr. Joy Mighty moderating, the chosen theme was Black contributions to peace. The panelists were: Dr. Joseph Amuah, senior researcher at the Canadian Institute for Health Information, originally from Ghana, and a parishioner at St. Mark’s. Josiah Davies, St. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/">One Love — Panel discusses Black contributions to peace</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>St. Thomas the Apostle also hosted a Black History Month panel discussion on Feb. 15.</p>
<p>With Dr. Joy Mighty moderating, the chosen theme was Black contributions to peace. The panelists were:</p>
<ul>
<li>Dr. Joseph Amuah, senior researcher at the Canadian Institute for Health Information, originally from Ghana, and a parishioner at St. Mark’s.</li>
<li>Josiah Davies, St. Thomas of the Apostle parishioner, who came to Canada from Liberia</li>
<li>The. Rev. Felix Longdon, a PhD candidate in theology at St. Paul University, an Anglican priest from Ghana, serving as interim priest in the Parish of Bearbrook-Navan.</li>
<li>Victoria Sajuyigbe, a product marketer and a parishioner at St. Thomas, originally from Nigeria
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-joseph-amuah/'><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="400" height="370" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899-400x370.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Dr. Joseph Amuah" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899-400x370.jpg 400w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" data-attachment-id="179119" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-joseph-amuah/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899.jpg" data-orig-size="750,693" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="11. BHM &amp;#8211; panel &amp;#8211; Joseph Amuah" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Dr. Joseph Amuah&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899-400x370.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Joseph-Amuah-e1742804854899.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-josiah-davies/'><img decoding="async" width="300" height="400" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies-300x400.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Josiah Davies" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies-300x400.jpg 300w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-attachment-id="179118" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-josiah-davies/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies.jpg" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="11. BHM &amp;#8211; panel &amp;#8211; Josiah Davies" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Josiah Davies&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Josiah-Davies.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-felix-longdon/'><img decoding="async" width="300" height="400" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon-300x400.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="The Rev. Felix Longdon" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon-300x400.jpg 300w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-attachment-id="179121" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-panel-felix-longdon/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon.jpg" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="BHM panel &amp;#8211; Felix Longdon" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;The Rev. Felix Longdon&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-panel-Felix-Longdon.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-st-thomas-joy-mighty/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="400" height="332" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396-400x332.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Dr. Joy Mighty" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396-400x332.jpg 400w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396.jpg 699w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" data-attachment-id="179117" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-st-thomas-joy-mighty/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396.jpg" data-orig-size="699,581" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="BHM- Dr. Joy Mighty" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Dr. Joy Mighty&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396-400x332.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-St.-Thomas-Joy-Mighty-e1742805065396.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-paenl-victoria-s/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="400" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S-300x400.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Victoria Sajuyigbe" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S-300x400.jpg 300w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-attachment-id="179120" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/11-bhm-paenl-victoria-s/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S.jpg" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="11. BHM &amp;#8211; paenl &amp;#8211; Victoria S" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Victoria Sajuyigbe&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/11.-BHM-paenl-Victoria-S.jpg" /></a>
</li>
</ul>
<p>They discussed several public figures who have made important contributions to peace:</p>
<ul>
<li>Martin Luther King</li>
<li>Kofi Annan, Ghanian diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize</li>
<li>Influential Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley</li>
<li>Former South African President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu</li>
</ul>
<p>Joseph Amuah added that the idea of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which originated in South Africa, is an important Black contribution to peace.  “People are given the opportunity to actually share their experiences, have conversations with those who are the perpetrators, and then come to peace for themselves and by extension their society.” He noted that Canada followed this model for its Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that it had also been used in Sierra Leone and Rwanda. “There’s nothing like the victims having conversation with the perpetrators and gaining that peace. That is the reality of it. Retribution doesn’t move anyone forward.”</p>
<p>The panelists also reflected on what peace means on a personal level.</p>
<p>Josiah Davies, who grew up in Liberia when the country experienced 20 years of civil unrest, spoke about how that political situation made it nearly impossible to have any personal peace. “I couldn’t have calm as a person because….I was afraid, thinking if I walked to the road I could get shot by other people or someone could harm me or my parents. So, when I want to consider peace, I think about that state of mind where I’m at ease. I can have food, I can have water, I can have shelter, I can have clothing, I can say hi to my neighbour, I can be of help in my community.”</p>
<p>Victoria Sajuyigbe agreed that the conditions in the society play a big role in how much peace people feel personally. She explained that if she sees people around her suffering from chronic poverty, she can’t feel at peace in her own life.</p>
<p>All four panelists had migrated to Canada and spoke about the challenges of integrating into a new country.</p>
<p>Sajuyigbe said she felt she had to work twice as hard as non-immigrants to achieve the same things.</p>
<p>Amuah described an experience when he was teaching first- and second-year students at a university in Calgary who said they couldn’t understand him. Amuah was puzzled because he was teaching statistics with mostly numbers and formulas, not difficult language, and people always seemed to understand him in other settings. He wondered: “Maybe they’ve never seen someone like this before, and so they are sort of struggling to see maybe why you are the one … teaching them this class, and so, it manifests in a different way, that we don’t understand what you’re saying.” But once they got to know him, they were soon coming to his office to ask for help with their studies.</p>
<p>Mighty asked the panelists about the role of the church. “Has the Anglican church played a role in moving us toward peace? “</p>
<p>Longdon said the church’s liturgy is very inclusive. “It tries on the idea of unity in diversity. We try to tap into each and everyone’s gifts in the church.”</p>
<p>Davies mentioned the Anglican Church of Canada’s participation in calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. Aside from what the leaders do, he added, “what we can do is just show love to one another and that will spread like the branches of a tree.”</p>
<p>Much of what the panelists focused on were ways that individual people in the church make a difference and have welcomed them into their worshipping communities.</p>
<p>Sajuyigbe said she has been attending St. Thomas for about two years. “When I came into this church, I was welcomed with open arms and there was so much love….The fact that the priest smiled at me, looked into my eyes, called my name, made a difference. I could see that the church was very intentional.  And what more intention can the church have than what we are doing right now, giving us the opportunity to sit down here and educate others about who we are, about our experiences.”</p>
<p>Amuah shared the story of how he began to attend the 8 am Sunday services at St. Mark’s Church but would always hurry home right afterwards to watch soccer. “One day while I was slipping out, this lady called to me. “Hi, how are you? I see you every time, but you leave so early.’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been caught,” he said, laughing. She asked him for his name and contact information so they could stay in touch and soon after his wife told him an elderly lady from the church had called their home. “Before that I hadn’t really talked to anyone. So that was what drew me.” Gradually, he began to stay for coffee, got to know people and became a part of the community.</p>
<p>Mighty shared her own story of moving to Kingston, Ontario. Her parents came to live with her, and “we decided we would church shop…. We were looking for a church that would be welcoming” she said. They started at Christ Church Cataraqui. After the service, they wrote their names in the guest book. “A couple of days later, there were three ladies who rang the doorbell. They brought bread and flowers welcoming us. It touched me. …And then Father Ed came and visited. That was the end of the shopping. We had found a church,” she said. “It starts with just one person being kind or open or welcoming to another person.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/one-love-panel-discusses-black-contributions-to-peace/">One Love — Panel discusses Black contributions to peace</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179077</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>St. Stephen&#8217;s celebrates Black History Month — dining, drumming and dancing</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Leigh Anne Williams]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:40:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History Month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Stephen's Ottawa]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179062</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>St. Stephen’s in Ottawa hosted a party on Feb. 14 that included a wonderful buffet of African and Caribbean dishes and an interactive drumming workshop from Juno-award winning musician Sadio Sissoko. Originally from Senegal, Sissoko travelled from Montreal to share his music with more than 100 people of all ages. He was welcomed back enthusiastically [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/">St. Stephen&#8217;s celebrates Black History Month — dining, drumming and dancing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="Body1113brandnoindCrosstalkbranded" style="margin-top: 4.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US">St. Stephen’s</span><span lang="EN-US"> in Ottawa hosted a party on Feb. 14 that included a wonderful buffet of African and Caribbean dishes and an interactive drumming workshop from Juno-award winning musician Sadio Sissoko. </span></p>
<p class="Body1113brandindCrosstalkbranded"><span lang="EN-US">Originally from Senegal, Sissoko travelled from Montreal to share his music with more than 100 people of all ages. He was welcomed back enthusiastically after offering a similar workshop last year, and many of those who attended last year returned wanting more. </span></p>
<p class="Body1113brandindCrosstalkbranded"><span lang="EN-US">Sissoko brought many drums with him, and they were distributed and shared among those who wanted to try drumming. He led the group through drumming rhythms and patterns until the whole hall resonated with the music and energy.</span></p>
<p class="Body1113brandindCrosstalkbranded"><span lang="EN-US">His partner Nicole Glaze, who has studied African dance extensively, danced and invited everyone to come dance as well. </span></p>
<p class="Body1113brandindCrosstalkbranded"><span lang="EN-US">Sissoko also closed the evening with quieter songs played on the kora, a traditional African string instrument, which has a harp-like sound.</span></p>

<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-kora/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-kora-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" data-attachment-id="179067" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-kora/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-kora.jpg" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="10. BHM &amp;#8211; St Stephen&amp;#8217;s &amp;#8211; kora" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Sadio Sissoko plays the kora:&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-kora-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-kora.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-kathy-gibb/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-Kathy-Gibb-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" data-attachment-id="179068" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-kathy-gibb/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-Kathy-Gibb.jpg" data-orig-size="750,999" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="10. BHM St Stephens &amp;#8211; Kathy Gibb" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Kathy Gibb enjoys the drumming.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-Kathy-Gibb-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-Kathy-Gibb.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-cake/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-cake-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="The Rev. Canon George Kwari and Shirley Braithwaite cut the cake." data-attachment-id="179127" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/10-bhm-st-stephens-cake/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-cake.jpg" data-orig-size="750,999" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="10. BHM- St Stephens cake" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;The Rev. Canon George Kwari and Shirley Braithwaite cut the cake.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-cake-300x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10.-BHM-St-Stephens-cake.jpg" /></a>

<p class="CalendardatesredCrosstalkbranded"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/st-stephens-celebrates-black-history-month-dining-drumming-and-dancing/">St. Stephen&#8217;s celebrates Black History Month — dining, drumming and dancing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">179062</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sharon York, passionate former director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, mourned</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/sharon-york-passionate-former-director-of-the-ottawa-pastoral-counselling-centre-mourned/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Leigh Anne Williams]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:20:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179041</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Sharon York, the former executive director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, died on Feb. 5, 2025 at the age of 68 following a sudden diagnosis and swift progression of cancer. In a pastoral announcement, Bishop Shane Parker wrote: “Sharon helped thousands of people in the course of her career as a skilled, wise, compassionate, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/sharon-york-passionate-former-director-of-the-ottawa-pastoral-counselling-centre-mourned/">Sharon York, passionate former director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, mourned</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sharon York, the former executive director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, died on Feb. 5, 2025 at the age of 68 following a sudden diagnosis and swift progression of cancer.</p>
<p>In a pastoral announcement, Bishop Shane Parker wrote: “Sharon helped thousands of people in the course of her career as a skilled, wise, compassionate, and faithful counsellor. She will be greatly missed and grieved, even as her life is celebrated with much thanksgiving. May the hopeful light of Christ, which burned brightly in Sharon, bring comfort and peace to her family and all who grieve her passing.”</p>
<p>Heather Fawcett, who succeeded York as the executive director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre (the OPC) after she retired in 2023 told <em>Crosstalk</em> that there has been an outpouring of grief at the Centre among the many people whose lives she touched. York retired after a long career with the OPC, including 11 years as its executive director. She continued a remote practice as a psychotherapist at the OPC until recently.</p>
<p>Fawcett described her as a wise and kind mentor who loved to laugh, remembering how she listened thoughtfully to the challenges faced by her successor but also teased her from her retirement saying, “I’m glad it’s you not me.”</p>
<p>“She was a life-force,” Fawcett said, “not only a life force but a life-giving force.”</p>
<p>The Rev. Dr. Canon Peter John Hobbs, director general of Anglican Community Ministries (including the OPC) said York was held in the highest regard for her therapeutic abilities. “Sharon was respected, but she was also really loved…. People really cherished their relationships with Sharon, and it’s not an understatement to say by any stretch of the imagination that she made a remarkable impact on the lives of individuals she cared for, but also in our diocese,” he said. “Her commitment to the OPC goes back 30 years or more.  She was the clinical coordinator or supervisor. She was, for many years, the person that people would call, particularly clergy…..Although she did one-on-one work with people who wanted psychotherapy, she was also there in a consultative role for parish clergy if they were facing a particularly challenging pastoral situation. It may or may not have resulted in a referral to the OPC, and very often it did, but in other circumstances, it helped just to be able to have a sounding board.” He added, “I’ve always said that one of the great measures of Sharon’s excellence as a psychotherapist is that the clergy of this diocese entrusted their families to her.”York was instrumental in creating the OPC’s Counselling Support Fund (CSF), which is used to provide financial assistance for people who need counselling but can’t afford the fees. “She worked tirelessly to establish that fund. And by the time she retired, there was more than $200,000 in it,” said Hobbs.</p>
<p>“Sharon held a conviction. Anyone who wanted counseling should have it, which actually is a conviction that we shared,” Fawcett said. “Because we both believe therapy ought to be available for all who hurt and have experienced loss or trauma and who want to work for themselves as part of growing and healing, and it ought not to be available only to those who can afford it. And so, because of this, Sharon was passionate about building and sustaining OPC’s Counseling Support Fund (CSF).”</p>
<p>Fawcett shared that she and York had a conversation this past November about balancing stewardship of the Counseling Support Fund with compassion “because there’s only so much money and we don’t want to exhaust the fund that we have. There’s such a high demand.” But she said that York reminded her of her view that the “OPC is God’s ministry and it is his money. …He knew who would be coming our way and what they needed. Our goal as EDs was to have compassion, to use the money well and to trust him to provide. She also spoke to me about the importance of fundraising in order to ensure the fund would always be available, and so it came as no surprise that in lieu of a retirement gift or flowers for her funeral, she wanted people to honour her by supporting that which she was so very passionate about and that was the Counseling Support Fund.”</p>
<p>York’s family wrote this moving tribute to her: “Sharon touched the lives of many people through her therapy work, her advocacy, and her community building. She was a fair and kind person, who strove to help people heal and to make the world a better place. She was quick to laugh, quicker to hug, and she lived her life to the fullest. She was a gardener, a kayaker, a runner, a baker, a tea drinker, a kitchen dancer, a star gazer, and a jam maker. She was an amazing mother, sister, partner, and friend.”</p>
<p>Information on how to donate to the Counselling Support Fund can be found here:  <a href="https://tinyurl.com/3nweeu7t">https://tinyurl.com/3nweeu7t</a></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="179043" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/sharon-york-passionate-former-director-of-the-ottawa-pastoral-counselling-centre-mourned/qr-code-for-the-opc-counselling-support-fund/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund.png" data-orig-size="263,263" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="QR Code for the OPC Counselling Support Fund" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund.png" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund.png" class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-179043" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund-150x150.png" alt="QR code" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund-150x150.png 150w, https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QR-Code-for-the-OPC-Counselling-Support-Fund.png 263w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/sharon-york-passionate-former-director-of-the-ottawa-pastoral-counselling-centre-mourned/">Sharon York, passionate former director of the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, mourned</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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		<title>All Saints Greely makes a difference one milk bag at a time</title>
		<link>https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Grace Jones]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:10:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Saints Greely]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[April 2025]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/?p=179036</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What do you do with your milk bags?  Do they have a use before going to the landfill? In the hall of All Saints Greely approximately 1,500 milk bags are diverted from the landfill each and every Tuesday evening. They are prepped and woven into sleeping mats and sit-upons which then provide a little bit of comfort and dryness [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/">All Saints Greely makes a difference one milk bag at a time</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What do you do with your milk bags?  Do they have a use before going to the landfill? In the hall of All Saints Greely approximately 1,500 milk bags are diverted from the landfill each and every Tuesday evening. They are prepped and woven into sleeping mats and sit-upons which then provide a little bit of comfort and dryness to those living in difficult situations.</p>
<p>To date 319 large sleeping mats and 316 sit-upons have been shared with outreach organizations in the Ottawa area. Belong Ottawa, Shawna’s Outreach, JFS Streetsmarts, Highjinx, Ottawa Inner City Ministries, Somerset West Community Health Centre, are some of the organizations who hand them out where needed.</p>
<p>You might ask how a small but mighty congregation does this. The answer is simple. In June 2022, we asked the community to come, and the community came. They came from far and wide to weave and they are still coming. People from three years old to 95, with five new people dropping in just in January. Others prep the bags in their own homes.</p>
<p>On any Tuesday evening, you will find an average of 15 people in the hall, most of whom are from the community. We haven’t got an exact count, but we estimate our biggest turnouts have had at least 70 people.</p>
<p>Tuesday evenings are filled with camaraderie, non-stop chatter, sharing, laughter and often support for one another. When we held a winter warmth collection drive for outreach, someone dropping off items in the church thought there was a party happening in the back. Everyone is welcoming, non-judgemental and keen to reduce waste in the landfill and help others. Lifelong friendships have been made.</p>
<p>Last fall, we asked people why they come to weave. Wendy told us: “I love the people who attend. I really enjoy the great conversations and learn so much. I have made many new friends who are so kind and helpful and funny and cheerful. I like being able to contribute to a worthy cause and help other people.”</p>
<p>Penny said: “One Tuesday night I was really tired and didn’t think I’d attend. Then I thought about the homeless having so much less than my blessed life. I felt I could give up two hours of my time to perhaps make their lives a little more comfortable. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve others. We have a lot of fun, too.”</p>
<p>Lynn responded “I kept seeing Facebook messages and was interested, but I passed by a few posts before I decided to take the drive to Greely and see what it was all about. I was intrigued by the idea of making mats out of milk bags and wanted to learn how to do it…. I must say that I felt a little intimidated at first, seeing that everyone seemed to know each other and definitely knew what they were doing, but I was welcomed in from that first night, which I really appreciate. Amazing people in this group, who are all very welcoming and cheerful and make it a fun time!”</p>
<p>Laura said: “It is a great way to help out those in need and also a great way to reduce the amount of plastic that makes its way to the landfill. Meeting all of you and hearing your stories has also kept me coming back.”</p>
<p>How dedicated are the weavers? At Christmas this year, we switched to Mondays so that we wouldn’t miss weeks during the holidays. The push was on to finish the 300th sleeping mat by the end the year, and on Dec. 30th that was our unspoken goal, and we didn’t leave until it was done.</p>
<p>Do the mats actually make a difference?  Yes! Streetsmarts told us of giving a mat to someone who was so excited to go home, throw out his bed, and replace it with a milk bag mat as his building was ridden with bedbugs and the bugs do not like plastic. Someone who received a mat from Ottawa Inner City Ministries told them: “I love this. It’s so warm. I won’t freeze tonight.” A man shared with Shawna’s Outreach that it is the reason he’s still alive. He has carried it to Montreal and back and can’t imagine being without it. They have also been seen lining a tent to provide some insulation from the cold. A mat was also given to someone who was newly house but didn’t have a real bed yet.</p>

<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-milk-bags/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-milk-bags-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" data-attachment-id="179130" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-milk-bags/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-milk-bags.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,955" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="6. All Saints Greely &amp;#8211; milk bags" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;All Saints Greely&amp;#8217;s team adds notes for a personal touch.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-milk-bags-400x382.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-milk-bags.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-bag-in-use/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-bag-in-use-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="A person transports a milk bag mat by bicycle." data-attachment-id="179131" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-bag-in-use/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-bag-in-use.jpg" data-orig-size="769,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="6. All Saints Greely &amp;#8211; bag in use" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;A person transports a milk bag mat by bicycle. Photo: Courtesy Shawna&amp;#8217;s Outreach.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-bag-in-use-308x400.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-bag-in-use.jpg" /></a>
<a href='https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-sit-upon/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-sit-upon-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="A person rests on a milk bag mat. Photo: Courtesy Shawna&#039;s Outreach." data-attachment-id="179132" data-permalink="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/6-all-saints-greely-sit-upon/" data-orig-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-sit-upon.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,965" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="6. All Saints Greely &amp;#8211; sit upon" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;A person rests on a milk bag mat. Photo: Courtesy Shawna&amp;#8217;s Outreach.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-sit-upon-400x386.jpg" data-large-file="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6.-All-Saints-Greely-sit-upon.jpg" /></a>

<p>Interested in learning or hearing more about this outreach ministry? Just ask, as we would be more than happy to come and share a presentation with you.</p>
<p>Do you have milk bags to donate?  Donations of clean dry milk bags are always welcome.  Flattened is helpful but not necessary. We just love milk bags. They can be dropped off at the church in the bin outside, any Tuesday evening between 7 and 9pm or, contact us to make other arrangements.</p>
<p>The need is great and with God’s help, your help, and the help of our amazing local community we will continue to make a difference one bag at a time.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca/all-saints-greely-makes-a-difference-one-milk-bag-at-a-time/">All Saints Greely makes a difference one milk bag at a time</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ottawa.anglicannews.ca">Perspective</a>.</p>
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