The post Confirmed & received appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

As of April 24, Anglicans had given $65,000 to the appeal. With a $50,000 matching grant from FaithWorks, the total amount sent to Jamaica was $115,000.

“You responded with perseverance,” wrote Bishop Andrew Asbil in his weekly letter to the diocese at the end of the appeal. “I am told that 17 of our parishes, 184 individuals and our beloved Sisterhood of St. John the Divine all made heartfelt and generous donations. People have sent in their gifts from every corner of our diocese – from $20 to $2,000. I want to single out the parish of St. Paul, Newmarket, which raised an incredible $9,000. Amazing! It has been an outpouring of love and support to a devastated island. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The appeal, held from late February to mid-April, raised money to help Jamaica rebuild after Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean island nation last year. About half of the places of worship were destroyed by the storm, along with homes, schools and infrastructure.

All the funds raised were forwarded to Alongside Hope for distribution through its established partners in Jamaica.

The post Anglicans give to Jamaica appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Happy day! appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

His talk then focused on the rebuilding process, which will take several years. Most of the country’s public infrastructure and buildings were destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa last October, as were many thousands of homes. Many church buildings on the island were damaged or destroyed. Mr. Davis concluded with his thanks for the relief efforts we have already undertaken. He appealed for our ongoing help and support in the months and years to come.

St. Paul’s has been raising funds for Jamaica relief since the day after the storm hit. Although the funds raised now exceed $7,000, we will continue fundraising and are hoping to take advantage of the Bishop’s Appeal for Jamaican Relief, which will match donations up to $50,000. The deadline for the appeal was April 17, but St. Paul’s is committed to raising funds for relief efforts well past that date!

The service was followed by a lovely luncheon where parishioners could meet and speak to Mr. Davis and his family.

Submitted by Phil and Dawn Claxton, members of the parish.

The post Consul-general thanks church for relief efforts appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Good Friday walk appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Clergy honoured appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Warm hearts appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post New beginnings appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Historically known as an enthronement, the installation service marks the symbolic start of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s public ministry in the Church of England and across the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Bell is attending as co-chair of the Anglican-Methodist International Coordinating Committee, and one of only a handful of Canadians who will be attending, including the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

“I am deeply moved to be invited to attend this historic event, not only for the life of our Communion but for the spiritual leadership of women in the Church,” said Bishop Bell. “It’s a great honour and privilege.”

The bishop has asked that the people and parishes of the Diocese of Niagara be steadfast in their prayers for the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, and for the Communion. “We must pray for her and for our beloved Church, especially in the days leading up to the installation,” she says.

Rooted in centuries of tradition, the service will look forward with the hope of Jesus Christ and celebrate the diversity of the Church of England and the Communion.

Archbishop Mullally will be installed on the cathedra of the Diocese of Canterbury, the oldest diocese in the English Church. Following this, she will be installed on the Chair of St. Augustine as Primate of All England, which also symbolizes her ministry in the Anglican Communion.

“It’s a great honour and privilege to have the opportunity to represent Niagara and, of course, our wider Anglican Church in Canada, and bear witness firsthand the bonds of affection we share across the Communion with the see of Canterbury,” says Bishop Bell.

Back at home, the bishop invites parishes to organize watch parties for the historic event and to offer special intercessions on the Sundays bookending the installation.

The role of the Archbishop of Canterbury is not only that of the most senior bishop in the Church of England, but also the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury.

The Niagara Anglican

The post Bishop to attend enthronement at Canterbury appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

“Yeah, it’s definitely got that rec-room vibe,” says the Rev. Mark Kleiner, incumbent. Nutflakes – a pun on the streaming giant Netflicks – is the video store/community centre that’s been operating out of the building since 2021.

At Nutflakes, there’s no membership fee and rentals are technically gratis (donations, however, are accepted, and benefit CHEP Good Food, a local charity fighting food insecurity). Don’t have anything at home that can read a DVD? They have players available. And if you’re just looking to browse and talk with the volunteer staff about your favourite scene in Leprechaun 2, you’re more than welcome to.

At Nutflakes, the hang is really the point. Mr. Kleiner came up with the idea during the pandemic while thinking up ways to serve the community at large, and it was founded by volunteers. Nutflakes is part of the “third spaces” movement that is addressing Canada’s loneliness epidemic: the idea that everyone needs a comfortable place beyond home or work where they can mix with their neighbours and just be themselves. A communal living room. Or in this case, a video store.

When Mr. Kleiner pitched the idea for Nutflakes to a group of volunteers at his church, he acknowledged the concept was maybe a little out of step with the times. “It seemed kind of joyously anachronistic,” he says, but he bet on “a homespun little pop-up video store” attracting people from the neighbourhood and beyond, and for nearly five years, it’s been doing exactly that.

“We get a really wide-ranging demographic,” he says. Some visitors are just curious to experience the novelty of it all; others are there because they might not be able to afford another entertainment option. Mr. Kleiner says he’s noticed families coming to Nutflakes because they want to show their kids an alternative to “just scrolling endlessly through digitized choices at home.”

“Do we want to bring back the … Blockbuster (store) experience? You know, not so much,” says Mr. Kleiner, who doesn’t hold any special nostalgia for the golden age of home video. Before streaming, the corner video store filled a different, more transactional need, he says. You were there to grab a stack of new releases and retreat to the solitude of your living room.

Options for accessing movies are greater today, even if neighbourhood rental stores have largely vanished. When it comes to acquiring physical media, Nutflakes was able to quickly build its library by collecting donated Blu-Rays and DVDs from people in Saskatoon.

What’s in short supply now is a reliable place where people can gather, and for the two days of the week when Nutflakes is open, Mr. Kleiner and a team of dedicated volunteers welcome visitors to feel at home. “It’s a very low stakes community-sourced and community-run operation, but I would say that’s the whole point — and its charm.”

CBC Saskatoon 

The post Church creates place to hang out appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.