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Journey with us through Holy Week“All human situations of suffering and exclusion invite a comparison with the suffering of Christ, the death of Christ. And [the Pietà] condenses and concentrates a devout reflection on that” - Msgr. Timothy Verdon, the director of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo Join St. Matthias Anglican Church for the following events during Holy Week: Palm Sunday with Liturgy of the Palms April 2nd at 10am. Maundy Thursday April 6th 5:30pm. Soup and bun supper followed by table liturgy. Good Friday Service April 7th at noon. Stations of the Cross. Easter Sunday April 9th at 10am.
All welcome, come as you are. Holy Week invites us into a time of mystery and sorrow, longing and letting go. We enter into the story of deep and compassionate love in the midst of grief, betrayal, and loss. We journey together towards hope and an abiding, undying love. Michelangelo's Pieta is a moving image that contains all of this, communicating so much of our own love and our own pain. This Sunday St. Barnabas Church is exhibiting their personal "Pietà Project" from 3-5pm. This is an art exhibit of recreations of the Pietà created by local parents and their children in 2021. See the event below for more details. |
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The Pietà Project - St. Barnabas ChurchThe image of Mary holding her dead son Jesus can be found in many paintings and sculptures. The Pietà (Latin for compassion) captures a moment of incredible pain, loss of all hope, absolute tenderness, endless suffering.
With the Pietà Project, created in 2021 during the pandemic, we experimented with a different, incarnational way of entering into the mystery of Easter. Parents and their children were asked to assume the position of Mary holding her dead son Jesus. This is called a "constellation," in which groups of people physically assume the position/constellation of a religious painting.
All are welcome, and donations are gratefully accepted at the event.
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Thursday Morning EucharistThursday morning worship begins at 10am with refreshments to follow at 11am. During this season, we will be using a Celtic liturgy from the wonderful book 'Celtic Daily Prayer Book Two, Farther Up and Farther In.' This is not a ‘Celtic’ service in the sense that it recreates a Communion Service from the Celtic monastic era, but it is a service shaped by a Celtic theology. The potential strength of this service is its simplicity. It aims to get to the ‘essence’ of this meal that all Christians share. In it, also, are echoes of the meal at Emmaus, the Passover Seder meal and the sharing of bread and wine that is part of the ritual binding between brothers, like David and Jonathan. All are welcome. Thursday communion will continue into the fall on a weekly basis so we invite to come everyweek or whenever you can. Photo by Dennis Kummer on Unsplash
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The Respectful Conduct Policy – What? Why?Remember the old song about “accentuate the positive”? Rather than lead with the tragic topic of Sexual Misconduct (the name of our outdated policy), the diocese has embarked on an effort to focus on the behaviour we want to encourage … grounded in shared respect. Sadly, for years, if there were issues around conduct, regardless of specific context, the Sexual Misconduct Policy was the only administrative policy we had. To be clear, we still have procedures to address allegations of sexual misconduct. Our central point is making sure that we as a church, including clergy and laity, staff and volunteers – and anyone using our facilities (e.g., renters) understand the importance of behaviour that upholds the values of love, truth and justice. Why sign the acknowledgement form? Sadly, organizations sometimes encounter a situation where someone says they “didn’t understand … weren’t shown … didn’t receive” a copy of the expectations. So, yes, we require Safe Church Training for our leadership and service roles. And, for all of us exercising an active volunteer role in the parish, we are signing our acknowledgement, kept on file, that we’ve read and agree to abide by the policy. Need more context? Chat with Reverend Colleen or a warden at coffee after church; by phone or email. We’re happy to discuss. You can also follow the button link below to the policies page on the Synod office website to find The Respectful Conduct Policy. Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash |
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Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)The Victoria Shoah Project invites you to attend Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration on Sunday, April 16 at 1 pm - 2:00 PM, at the Victoria Jewish Cemetery on Cedar Hill Road (south from Hillside Ave.). Those who perished in the Holocaust will be remembered as real individuals, as we also honour the strength and resilience of survivors. This year’s theme is “Reflections Across Generations.” Arlette Baker, who survived the Shoah as a young child, will share her story, and we’ll hear the reflections of Claire Sicherman, a descendant of survivors. The commemoration will include music and songs from that era to move us and remind us of the flourishing cultures in so many locations that were tragically upended by the Shoah. Memorial prayers and reflections will help us to think about how we can act today. We invite you to share in this event with us. We welcome your presence and support as we gather to remember the past and look towards a future of peace and unity. Contact: Peter J. Nadler E-mail: victoriashoahproject@gmail.com |
