Good day!
This Week:
Free Preaching Webinar offered by APLM (Associated Parishes For Liturgy and Mission), Thursday, Sept.18, 4pm Eastern, on the Vocation of Preaching with Gordon Laithrop. You can register here: https://liturgyandmission.org/2025/07/09/webinar-with-rev-gordon-lathrop-on-the-vocation-of-preaching/
Lay Presiders’ Workshop!! Saturday, September 20, 10am – 2pm at the cathedral. Come to enjoy learning about our liturgies – what we do and why we do it. Even if you don’t think you’ll ever preside, it’s worth taking this in. Please let me know you’re coming so that I have enough food for everyone. (susan.montague2@gmail.com)
Coming Soon:
Lay Readers’ Annual Conference! Friday evening and all day Saturday (Sept.26 and 27). It’s at Christ Church in North Bay or available via Zoom. To register, please go here and scroll to the bottom where you’ll see a blue button to click to register: https://www.dioceseofalgoma.com/ministry-resources/lay-readers/
Blessing of the Animals: Saturday, October 4, at Holy Trinity, SSM (in the Trinity Centre), 11am followed by refreshments (just human food…
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Way down the Road (but it’ll be here before you know it…)
ACW (Deanery of Algoma) Annual Corporate Communion: Thursday, November 27, 10am at Holy Trinity; worship service of Holy Eucharist with the propers for St. Andrew, followed by refreshments.
Old Tyme Snowflake Tea & Market: Saturday, November 29, 11am – 3pm, Trinity Centre. Yes, we’ll be having those fancy little sandwiches (among other things) plus bake table, “new to you”, and various vendors. Tea: just $12!
A Liturgical Note For You: This past Sunday, the liturgical colour was red instead of the green we’ve been seeing. This is because it was the feast of Holy Cross Day which is celebrated on the Sunday when it falls on a Sunday. So, why was it red? Red is the color of heat, passion, love, life and life-giving energy, and for this very reason red became the symbol of the resurrection – the victory of life over death. The Anglican Church also associates red with the Holy Spirit as “the Lord, the giver of life.” But at the same time, it is the color of blood and torments, and the color of Christ’s sacrifice. Martyrs (like Stephen) are depicted in red clothing on icons.
A different colour this week…You’ll likely see violet if you have church services this Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. These are the Holy Cross Ember Days – days set aside for special prayer and devotion (and often for ordinations). Why violet? We are a holy people, a royal priesthood of God. The dye for making violet cloth was very expensive and so this colour became associated with royalty – the people who could afford lots of purple clothes. With Jesus Christ, purple also became associated with humility, with the giving of the self for others. Eventually, violet also became known to us, because of these associations with the Christ, as symbolizing the waiting/preparation and penitence that we undertook most intentionally and deeply during Lent and Advent. All of this rolled together makes violet a very fitting colour for those preparing for ordination as well as for those discerning other leadership roles and ministries within the Church.
For Your Devotions:
Tuesday, September 16th is the memorial of Ninian, Bishop in Galloway, about 430. Ninian was born and died in Britain and was the first bishop of Galloway in Scotland. He is credited as being the first Christian missionary in Scotland and had widespread success converting the Celts, and likely also some Picts. This is a big deal because Ninian was going against the grain in actually caring to bring the Gospel to people outside of the Roman provinces. (Yes, prejudice was alive and well long before modern times). Ninian established his “see” in what became known as “White House,” now Whithorn, (because it was built of whitewashed stone – a huge departure from the usual wooden churches built by the Britons). In Latin, this place was called “Candida Casa” – still the official name of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Galloway. The monastery established here by Ninian was a thriving centre of Anglo-Saxon monasticism by the 6th century. To read more, check out p.280 http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
Thursday, September 18th is the memorial of the Founders, Benefactors, and Missionaries of the Anglican Church of Canada. It was on this day, back in 1893, that the first General Synod of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada came to an end with a Service of Thanksgiving. The Church in Canada was now a united, autonomous church, member of the united family of Anglican Churches around the world. This would be an ideal day to remember those in our own parishes who were instrumental in building up the Body of Christ in our own little neck of the woods.
Friday, September 19th is the commemoration of Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury who died in 690. Theodore is best known for organizing the church in England and establishing a school in Canterbury. He was the surprise fill-in for the elected Archbishop who died before he could be consecrated. Theodore was actually a monk, not a priest, at the time, but he turned out to be a great choice – he was energetic and enterprising, leaving behind a long list of accomplishments. Theodore lived to be 88 years old – quite the feat in those days. For more info: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/250.html
Saturday, September 20th is the commemoration of John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia martyred in 1871. His ‘companions’ who were martyred with him are also remembered today. In those days, many white Europeans believed they were superior to other cultures and were doing these cultures a favour by introducing European materials, skills, and attitudes. John believed the Melanesians could benefit from European advances but this was not out of a sense of superiority. He also believed he could learn a lot from the Melanesians and worked at building an indigenous ministry. His death was a sad case of mistaken identity. To find out what I mean (and to learn more about this dedicated missionary), go here: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/55.html
In Christ,
Susan
Deanery of Algoma 