Good day,

Lay Readers’/Church Leaders’ Conference This Weekend! It’s easy and free to register. Simply email your info to Dr. Carol Knox:   carolknox3@gmail.com (Please provide Carol with your name, email address, parish, deanery, and role in the Church). You can get more info here:   https://www.dioceseofalgoma.com/2023/07/11/2023-lay-readers-church-leaders-conference-information-now-available/

Holy Trinity, St. Joseph Island is a stop on the Country Roads Tour! This annual tour offers the opportunity to visit numerous talented artisans around the Island. Holy Trinity is the “home base” for Charlie See – a youth in our congregation who is very talented. He will be selling resin products (coasters, keychains, necklaces, bookmarks, etc.), stepping stones, and much more! We are offering a chili lunch for $15 (big bowl of chili, bun, dessert, drink). I’ve made “Decadent Chocolate Dreams” to sell for the occasion – just $2 for a solid chocolate “muffin” with various tasty add-ins. See you this Saturday, Sept.30, 10am – 4pm.

Wonder what a green burial is? How about the cost of burial and cremation? What can you do if you can’t afford it? Where are homeless people buried? All of your questions about after-death particulars will be answered on Monday, October 2nd, 9:30am at St. George in Echo Bay (159 Church St.). Please join us for a free continental-style breakfast and guest speaker (Jules from O’Sullivan’s Funeral Home).  On Tuesday October 3rd at 4 p.m., all ACW ladies and friends are invited to dinner at the Carolyn Beach Motel & restaurant located at 1 Lakeside Drive in Thessalon hosted by Church of the Redeemer, Thessalon.

Guild of St. Joseph Men’s Breakfast: Saturday, October 14, 8:30am at The Trinity Centre in Sault Ste Marie (on Northern Ave., access via the Holy Trinity Anglican Church parking lot).  

A Liturgical Note For You:  Since we are celebrating St. Michael & All Angels this Friday…

The Anglican Church does not have a process for canonising people as ‘saints’ like the Roman Catholic Church does. However, since the Reformation, our Synods do have discussions about various individuals, adding them to our calendar of observances although we do not name them as saints.  In fact, the Anglican Church does not make any claims about the kingdom status of such individuals nor do we want to imply any sort of hierarchy (some being more saintly than others) so our calendar does not use the term saint even for those people who were made “saints” by the Church before the split with Rome (like Jerome). Of course, there are exceptions. Our calendar uses the term saint to refer to the apostles (including Stephen) and gospel writers, Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and Saint Michael (as in Saint Michael and All Angels).  It is also the case that some churches (St. George in Echo Bay included) who put the title “Saint” in front of their church name although these same “saints” are not labeled as such officially on our calendar. Check out p.22-33 in the BAS). 

Now an interesting tidbit about saints in the Roman Catholic Church: Across the centuries, over 10,000 people (and a dog) have been venerated as saints. However, since the veneration of folk heroes (and dogs) is highly questionable in the minds of many, a lot of these “saints” are no longer acknowledged on the Roman calendar. The actual number of saints in the Roman Catholic Church can range from 800 to 8,000, depending on who you ask but, it’s safe to say, they have a lot. The R.C Church used to have a “Devil’s Advocate” – this is the common term given to the canon lawyer whose job it was to argue against the canonization of new saints. His real title was “Promoter of the Faith”. Pope John Paul II eliminated this position and went on to canonize more saints than all of the other popes in the previous 500 years combined (How many saints are there? – U.S. Catholic (uscatholic.org)). 

For Your Devotions:

Monday, September 25th is the commemoration of Sergius, Abbot of Holy Trinity, Moscow, and Spiritual Teacher, who died in 1392. At a young age, Sergius and his brother decided to become hermits living in the Russian forest. However, in a time when Christians in Russia were disheartened and confused, news of their wisdom, gentleness, compassion, and spirituality spread and they soon had a monastery forming around them. Sergius was instrumental in the eventual formation of an independent Russia. To find out more:   http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/251.html

Tuesday, September 26th is the commemoration of Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, who died in 1626 (I love his name – it reminds me of Sir Lancelot of Arthurian legend). Andrewes is one of the greatest Anglican scholars – he knew 15 languages and contributed greatly to the King James Version of the Bible.  You can read more here:  http://prayer.forwardmovement.org/the_calendar_response.php?id=400926

Friday, September 29th is the Holy Day of St. Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas). When this day falls on a Sunday, it is one of the very few days that actually takes precedence over the weekly feast of the Lord – our Sunday celebration of the Paschal Mystery. Michaelmas is also known as “Goose Day” since a well fattened goose was eaten to protect against financial disaster for the coming year. Scottish people cooked St. Michael’s Bannock (a large scone cake) on a lamb skin (thank goodness my mum left out that part of the tradition). Scottish people also had the tradition of allowing you to steal your neighbour’s horse on the Eve of Michaelmas, ride it all the next day, and then return it. Those Scots! 🙂 Blackberries had to be picked before “Old Michaelmas Day” because you couldn’t eat them after that – it has to do with Lucifer having a bit of a temper…To find out more:  https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/  

Saturday, September 30th is the memorial of Jerome, Teacher of the Faith, who died in 420. Jerome is known as one of the most learned of all of the Latin Church Fathers. You may have heard of his Latin translation of the bible which is called the Vulgate. Jerome was born into a wealthy Christian family and was well-educated. He tried his hand at being a hermit for a couple of years then agreed to be ordained – as long as no priestly functions were forced on him. Hmm… He spent many years travelling and learning from various greats (like Gregory of Nazianzus) then ended up in Rome as secretary to Pope Damasus I.  However, his fiery preaching – reprimanding Roman clergy, lax monks, and hypocritical virgins – created such controversy that he left for the Holy Land. He spent the remainder of his life living in a monastery he’d formed in Bethlehem.  To read more:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Jerome 

In the joy of Christ,

Susan