Saskatchewan anglican
The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • February 2013
Saskatoon accepts PWRDF challenge
‘Coldest Night’ in Lloydminster Nationwide project aims to raise funds and awareness about living on the streets in winter
Contributed SASKATOON – The Diocese of Ottawa PWRDF Committee is challenging every parish in that diocese to hold an educational/ fundraising event during the first week of Lent (Feb. 17-24) 2013, to raise awareness of poverty issues, while supporting PWRDF development projects in Canada and the world. They are also challenging all parishes in other dioceses in Canada to hold similar events. They would like to see which diocese has the highest parish participation rate. All donated funds can be mailed directly from the parish to PWRDF (Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund) in Toronto ear-marked “Lenten Challenge”. The Diocese of Saskatoon PWRDF has put the challenge out to all our parishes. We have a stellar reputation for selling One Voice CDs and for our 50th anniversary refugee sponsorship. We would propose that parishes in this diocese consider taking up the challenge and sponsor a poverty meal (i.e. soup and bun) and have participants donate what they would normally spend on a restaurant meal. For a Sunday, litany prayers could be written to be included in the service. PWRDF place mats could be used and educational components, to stand on each table, will be created for your use. To date there has been a response from St. Paul’s, North Battleford, and St. James’ and St. Mark’s, Saskatoon. The parish of St. James’, Saskatoon, will have a Sunday service on Feb. 24 geared toward PWRDF, to be followed by a soup and bun lunch and a bake sale table. The date in other parishes can be flexible as Feb. 24 is the Family Day long weekend. For more information, contact Barbara Spurr at roxannaspurr@ yahoo.ca or 343-4579, or Mary Ann Assailly at rassailly@sasktel. net or 382-0766. Some suggestions that have been made include: (Continued on page 5)
By Rev. Canon Michael Stonhouse
On Holy Innocents Day, 28 candles were lit during a special service of remembrance for those killed in Newtown, Connecticut. The ecumenical service was held at St. James the Apostle, Regina. Photo – Joanne Shurvin-Martin
Service of Remembrance for Newtown shooting By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA – Holy Innocents Day occurred exactly two weeks after the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. An ecumenical Service of Remembrance was held at St. James the Apostle that afternoon, on Dec. 28. It was designed to help people “stand alongside those whose [...] grief is beyond
our imagining,” in the words of a prayer written by Robert Gillies, bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, Scottish Episcopal Church, in response to the tragedy in which 20 Grade 1 students, six school staff, the shooter and his mother were killed. Three of the Scripture readings – Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 23, and Mark 10:13-16 in which Jesus says, “Let the little children
come to me” – were reassuring and consoling. But the reading from Mark 2:1-18 tells not only of the joyful visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus, but also the slaughter of all the boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem, on the order of King Herod. In his homily, Rev. Derek Nicholls said some reports say about 20 boys were murdered, the same number (Continued on page 5)
LLOYDMINSTER (S’TOON) – Folks at St. John’s Minster Anglican Church in Lloydminster are hoping other churches and businesses, clubs, schools and organizations will rise to the bait. St. John’s is planning to field a team, “AngliCan”, as part of a fundraising walk to raise money for the homeless of the city and district. It is part of a nationwide initiative called “The Coldest Night of the Year”. It aims not only to raise muchneeded funds to meet this need, but also to raise awareness of what it is like to live on the streets in the dead of winter. Since the walk takes place Saturday, Feb. 23 for a five-hour period (from 5-9 p.m.), it will give its participants just a wee taste of what it is like to face the elements on a night like this. Participants will be able to end their walk with a warm drink and a steaming bowl of chili and go home to a nice warm house and bed. The homeless, unfortunately, often have no such luck. Donations can be made online (see “Coldest Night of the Year”) and are fully income-tax deductible. According to the ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ website, the event is a non-competitive 5- and 10-km winter-walk fundraiser supporting select Canadian charities that serve the hungry, homeless and hurting in cities and communities across Canada. In 2011, the WALK was piloted in Toronto and Kitchener/Waterloo by Blue Sea Philanthropy. From a standing start in midJanuary until WALK Day 40 days later, a passionate group of 406 walkers signed up and together raised a remarkable $110,000. Seventy per cent of that amount was disbursed to area location partners – Ray of Hope, Yonge Street Mission and Sanctuary Ministries.