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A container ship

We need your help

Like many charitable organizations, Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario operates with a cadre of volunteers who provide a variety of help, from greeting and hosting ...
Clergy at the front of a worship service.

This trip taught me to trust God and depend on Him

After more than three years of communicating and praying – and with the support of almost 50 different people, agencies and organizations – my mom ...
A couple in their 30s sits in front of a laptop looking at some papers on a desk.

Take care of loved ones with a will

There are more options to create wills than ever before. There is also a lot less inertia around creating wills these days. Like many other ...
A person with a sign that reads "Love Thy Neighbour" stands outside the encampment at St. Stephen in-the-Fields.

Anglicans continue to advocate for shelter, housing

Advocating for the creation and preservation of affordable housing has long been a priority for the Diocese of Toronto, even before the hiring of Murray ...
The St. Hilda's Towers.

Our properties are resources for a changing world

This special edition of Beyond the Bricks is dedicated to one of the most pressing questions before our diocese today: how we steward our land ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

I feel blessed in this life

I have been fully retired since the end of April. I am living in both contented, buoyant creativity and a happy discovering of a new ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Why our theologies keep ending with us

If there is one thing human beings are remarkably consistent at, it is imagining ourselves at the centre of everything. We have done this in ...
Andrea and Collette Francis speak from the lectern at All Saints, Whitby.

Who needs spiritual renewal?

When you hear the phrase “spiritual renewal,” what images come to mind for you? Perhaps it’s a picture of people gathered and offering passionate praise ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

We can draw strength from faith, community

As you read this column, the trees are aflame in their annual transition into vibrant reds and gold. Mornings and evenings are crisp and invigorating. ...
Tents and temporary shelters in an encampment outside St. Stephen in-the-Fields.

These are the treasures of the church

It was late July, and I was at a small reception around the corner from St. Stephen in-the-Fields to celebrate a couple of community awards ...
A lush green forest.

We can hear God’s heartbeat in nature

Ten years ago, Pope Francis released Laudato si’, an encyclical exhorting all people of good will to care for the Earth, our common home. Grounded ...
A lush green forest.

Communion Forest takes root

Hiking solo in the Adirondacks, I hit a sweet, gentle downhill section of the trail as it curved to my right. I slowed my pace ...
A still pond surrounded by green trees.

We need to get our hands into the soil

“With the forests falling faster than the minutes of our lives we are saying thank you.” – W.S. Merwin Too many of the world’s forests ...
Progressively bigger stacks of coins grow plant shoots.

Statistics indicate continued growth

The lead story in the January 2020 edition of the Anglican Journal read, “Gone by 2040?” Archbishop Linda Nicholls, then Primate of the Anglican Church ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Solitude enriches our inner lives

We live in an age in which many of us are deeply affected by loneliness. Many elements of modern life separate us from other people, ...
Paper doll chain with various skin tones

Why do we do this work?

A highly educated woman in our diocese who had served quietly and faithfully in her home parish for years was asked to accept the position ...
hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

You can welcome people who are fleeing for their lives

World Refugee Day, June 20, is a day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced ...
Four people smile in a selfie taken outside a church building.

Let there be light

There’s a particular kind of stillness that settles in a closed church – the kind that clings to the air and is heavy with dust. ...
Okra sitting on a wooden table.

Talk of food brings joy and memories

Is there a special food that’s dear to your heart (and stomach)? Food is such an incredible site of flavour, memory, culture and satisfaction. Food ...
A green leafy tree.

Communion Forest plants a seed

The devastation was unreal. The trees that had shaded us, protected us, gave us oxygen and life, were destroyed in one summer. Five years ago, ...
A memorial at the Spirit Garden in Toronto lists the names of Residential Schools in Ontario.

Let us renew our commitments to truth and reconciliation

This June will mark 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report on genocide against Indigenous nations in the Residential School ...
A dozen or so young people sit around a round dinner table in a banquet hall.

Speaking about the Bishop’s Company

Seldom do I get an opportunity to speak to a parish fellowship group about the campaigns of the stewardship office. Most often, I’m invited to ...
The Rev. Judith Alltree bringing gift bags to the captian and crew on a ship.

A tip of the hat to seafarers

For the past 164 years, a little-known ceremony takes place on board the first ship to arrive in the Port of Toronto. It’s called the ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Jesus became one of us

Our recent celebration of Easter inspires us to think about God taking on human form through Jesus, whose death on the cross and subsequent resurrection ...
A watercolour graphic of a church building flanked by green leafy trees, with the text "Beyond the Brick."

Welcome to Beyond the Bricks

Let’s begin with a simple truth: our buildings don’t just house ministry and mission – they’re an essential part of them. They hold our stories, ...
Bishop Andrew Asbil speaks at a lectern in the Queen's Park briefing room, flanked by faith leaders.

Majority of parishes support protection and expansion of harm reduction services

This year’s social justice vestry motion, “Protecting and Expanding Harm Reduction in Ontario,” received the support of a majority of parishes across the diocese, as ...
Progressively bigger stacks of coins grow plant shoots.

Going to church is good for you

For my last several columns, I have focused on some interesting changes and trends in the Church that have been accelerated by the pandemic. We ...