Good day!
Thursday, February 7th is the White Elephant at Holy Trinity, SSM (352 Northern Rd); 10:30 am. – 1:00 pm.
Saturday, February 9th is St. Luke’s Junior Girls’ and Boys’ Auxiliaries at the Cathedral (160 Brock St.); 12 – 1:30 pm. Saturday is also the sewing lessons at Christ Church, SSM (585 Allen’s Side Rd); 1:00 – 3;30 pm
If anyone knows of any other Deanery of Algoma teams, please let us know too! (algomadeanery@gmail.com)
In the works…I’ve prepared a Lenten Workshop and Retreat on the Psalms. I’ve heard quite a few people express the opinion that the Psalms are boring, especially in our worship services. Hmm… Anyway, we’ll experience the Psalms together in a few different ways (that’s the retreat part) and we’ll learn some Psalm basics plus: “Dash their little ones against a rock!? Should We Be Talking Like That?” We’ll talk about this thorny issue. That’s a paraphrase from Ps.137, by the way. Stay tuned for a place and date.:-)
For Your Devotions:
Tuesday, February 5th is the memorial of The Martyrs of Japan in 1597. First Jesuits and then Franciscans made their way to Japan and baptized about 300 000 people. Unfortunately, rivalries between the missionaries (really) and political intrigue (go figure) led to the persecution of these new Christians. Here is what happened: “The first victims were six Franciscan friars and twenty of their converts, who were executed at Nagasaki on 5 February 1597. (They were tied to crosses, the crosses were raised to an upright position, and they were then quickly stabbed to death by a soldier with a javelin.)” The power of the gospel led to something amazing…250 years later, when Japan was reopened to the West, it was discovered that Christianity had gone underground and had survived. To read more: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Japan_martyrs.htm
Wednesday, February 6th is the commemoration of Anskar, Missionary Bishop in Sweden, died 865. The Swedish church calls Anskar its apostle – he built hospitals and did many other charitable works. In fact, Anskar convinced the leaders in the north country to give up their profitable slave trade business, telling them it was contrary to Christianity. (Too bad that particular message hadn’t been more widespread!) When a “heathen king” burned Anskar’s church, monastery, library, and everything he owned, Anskar befriended him and, with Job as his example, he rebuilt without complaint. To read more: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Anskar.htm
Saturday, February 9th is the commemoration of Hannah Grier Coome, Founder of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine, died in 1921. When her husband died, Hannah thought of returning to England to join an already established sisterhood but some people who knew her had other plans…They thought Canada could use a sisterhood of its own and convinced Hannah to stay. The new sisterhood started off in a former stable in Toronto and the rest is history, as they say. Here’s a sample: “Shortly after, they acquired the house next door, on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Robinson Street, where they opened the first surgical hospital for women in Toronto. Since that time, our community has pioneered in training nurses, in convalescent care, and in rehabilitation; we have administered schools and an orphanage; worked with the mentally handicapped; ministered to the elderly; and worked with the poor in large cities and depressed rural areas.” Check out the website for more: https://ssjd.ca/history.html
