One highly valued item in many New Brunswick churches is the Roll of Honour – the framed list of parishioners who answered the call to go to war. Such pieces of history have been a part of churches for decades or even a century or more.

Now, the New Brunswick Military History Museum has a special place for them. It is developing a Quiet Room as part of its expansion and welcomes Rolls of Honour from New Brunswick churches. It already has one roll – from St. James in Saint John – and would like to have more.

The museum is located at CFB Gagetown in the town of Oromocto. It is more than 50 years old and houses an impressive collection that tells the story of the province’s military history, from the 1600s to the present day.

The Rev. Peter Gillies, an avid student of history, found out about the museum’s plans for a Quiet Room during a visit last fall. “I was taken with the small collection of the Rolls of Honour they had mounted on the walls. After some discussion, I agreed to pursue reaching out to churches, so here we are.”

He sees the room and its eventual contents as the perfect solution to the quandary of where to send items when a church is closing. “Ecclesiastical things might be a bit easier to pass on, but things like memorials must truly be a problem and a concern,” he said.

The New Brunswick Anglican

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As of April, 319 large sleeping mats and 316 sitting cushions have been shared with outreach organizations in the Ottawa area. The agencies hand them out where needed.

On Tuesday evenings, about 15 people are in the hall, preparing or weaving the bags. “Tuesday evenings are filled with non-stop chatter, sharing, laughter and often support for one another,” writes Grace Jones. “Everyone is welcoming, non-judgemental and keen to reduce waste in the landfill and help others. Lifelong friendships have been made.”

The items make a difference, she writes. “Streetsmarts (an outreach organization) told us about giving a mat to someone who was so excited to go home, throw out his bed and replace it with a milk bag mat as his building was ridden with bedbugs and the bugs do not like plastic. Someone who received a mat from Ottawa Inner City Ministries told them: ‘I love this. It’s so warm. I won’t freeze tonight.’ The mats have also been seen lining a tent to provide some insulation from the cold. A mat was also given to someone who was newly housed but didn’t have a real bed yet.”

Perspective

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When officers arrived, they discovered a man on the roof. According to churchwarden Marnie Jacobsen, the officer checked to see if the climber was safe.

The man was taken into custody. Finding no immediate damage, the church decided not to press charges, even though the congregation was left with a costly repair bill. The next day, church members noticed that a section of copper cladding on the steeple was dangling precariously, alongside on what appeared to be a rope.

According to RCMP, metal theft, fuelled by high global demand and rising prices, is a growing problem. Thieves target everything from catalytic converters and boat propellers to streetlamp wires and, as seen in Trail, copper cladding on a church steeple. These crimes often cause more financial damage than the value of the stolen metal. The church must first get insurance approval, which requires a crane to assess the damage. Even with approved coverage, the church faces a $2,500 deductible. Thieves are often driven by drug addiction. A moral question for the church.

The Highway

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“It’s something I’m very passionate about, and I think (the expo) really stemmed from me wanting to do something,” she says. “I’m a teenager and there’s not a lot I can do. But I knew that using the church would be a really good way to do something impactful in my community.”

The expo featured 15 local organizations and farms that focused on environmental sustainability. Each group hosted a table, and attendees could talk with leaders and volunteers to learn more about achievable actions they could take to help the environment. There were also presentations from speakers.

Ms. Gossman single-handedly organized the event, including marketing it. She put up posters around the community and posted about it on the church’s website and Facebook groups. The Rev. Ingrid Anderson, incumbent, also lent a hand by mentioning the event at services and encouraging parishioners to spread the word.

Their efforts paid off as the event attracted more than 150 people. Attendees were a mix of church members and citizens of the local community, including several teens and children.

Ms. Gossman says the event achieved its goal. “I think the biggest thing with the environment, and environment anxiety, is the fact that people really don’t know how they can get involved and how they can help the environment in their own community. So, giving people this opportunity to donate or to volunteer their time or to just learn about what’s happening and things they can do, I think was really impactful.”

Faith Tides

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The volunteer-run Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP) is a quiet but vital force in the Church, promoting prayer as a foundational practice for spiritual life. This event, structured in two sessions and centered entirely in prayer, brought participants into a sacred space of reflection and renewal. Hosted online, each 90-minute session was a part of the AFP’s monthly online seminar series, “Let Us Pray.” The resources, including teaching guides, webinars and prayer materials, and the videos from this pilgrimage are freely available at anglicanprayer.org.

The Ven. Paul Feheley, the national director of AFP, welcomed attendees with these words: “As we gather today, we are invited into a pilgrimage – an ancient journey that stretches back through the centuries. This is no ordinary journey. It is a journey of spiritual renewal, a pilgrimage into the tenderness of Christ.”

Unlike traditional pilgrimages that require travel by foot or plane, this spiritual pilgrimage took place in the contemplative stillness of homes, churches and quiet spaces. In many parishes, groups gathered around the computer to share the pilgrimage and its learnings together. Participants were invited to walk inward, not with feet, but with soul, mind and heart.

The virtual event was structured with great intentionality. Each session began and ended in prayer, reinforcing the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer’s central mission to enable and encourage the ministry of prayer. Throughout the day, participants preserved a shared sense of reverence and focus, emphasizing that every moment of the pilgrimage was to be grounded in prayer.

Dean Richard Sewell, the day’s spiritual guide, is no stranger to the transformative power of pilgrimage. As Dean of St. George’s College in Jerusalem, he serves as both a pastoral leader and a steward of spiritual formation for countless pilgrims who visit the Holy Land. With more than two decades of ordained ministry, Dean Sewell brought to the session a deep well of experience, compassion and wisdom rooted in both scripture and life in Jerusalem.

The first video began on the Mount of Olives, with Dean Sewell sharing a vision of the Holy City. He descended the mount to show the Garden of Gethsemane and the gate through which Jesus likely entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In the second video, he led the pilgrims on the Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross within the old city arriving at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where, according to traditions dating back to the fourth century, the two holiest sites in Christianity are: the place where Jesus was crucified and the empty tomb of the resurrection.

Throughout the sessions, Dean Sewell drew from both ancient Christian traditions and his own lived experiences in Jerusalem, offering insights into how prayer shapes identity, mission and the rhythms of daily life. In inviting people to embark on a spiritual journey, he emphasized that pilgrimage is as much about transformation as it is about destination. He spoke tenderly of the inner landscapes that believers must traverse – the valleys of doubt, the mountaintops of joy, and the winding paths of surrender and trust.

“Pilgrimage is about allowing ourselves to be remade by God,” he said. “It is an invitation to open our hearts, to soften the places we’ve hardened and to step forward in faith, even when the way is unclear.”

The day was in every sense, a pilgrimage – a sacred movement of the heart toward God.

Those who participated felt drawn together in what one attendee described as “a communion of longing and belonging.”

As the final prayers of the day echoed across time zones of Canada and the U.S., there was a profound sense that something holy had happened in the hearts of all who had gathered to journey together on the eve of Passiontide.

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André Lyn, ODT, co-chair, actively serves his parish, St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea, and the Diocese of Toronto. Answering God’s call, “Here I am Lord, send me,” he applies strategic, inclusive leadership to advance equity, dismantle systemic barriers and foster belonging in and beyond the Church. Drawing strength from Joshua 1:7, “Be strong and courageous,” André leads with faith, vision and a commitment to inclusion.

Donna Scantlebury, co-chair, is a devoted member of St. Hilda, Fairbank. She teaches equity, inclusion and human rights to law enforcement professionals. Donna’s motivation for racial justice stems from her belief that religious spaces should honour the diversity of our cultures, identities and experiences, while being sacred sanctuaries of safety and belonging. Donna hopes to witness people truly exemplifying the sacred message, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.”

The Rev. Adrienne Clements has been the incumbent of St. Hilary, Cooksville since 2018. She grew up in a diverse area of downtown Toronto, so for her, the world has always been multi-cultural and multi-coloured. Working in Africa and India for 20 years, Adrienne grew to appreciate the concept of “Ubuntu – I am because of you.” She considered it a gift to live in such a rich array of cultures.

The Rev. Susanne McKim is a working retired priest who was formed in anti-racism years ago as her mother modeled radical inclusion when Black and Brown people moved into their all-white town. She’s had a heart for equity ever since, and she’s found that sharing her blind spots can encourage other white people to become aware of their own. Susanne does some writing and continues to preach justice.

Bishop Riscylla Shaw, who has oversight of the North and East archdeaconries, is our diocesan Diversity Officer. Bishop Riscylla has been involved in many concerns for racial justice throughout her years of ministry.

Brother Reginald Crenshaw, OHC, is a member of the Order of the Holy Cross. Working as lay pastoral associate at Holy Trinity, Thornhill, he continues to serve as a parish selection coach, an Appreciative Inquiry coach and a member of the Momentum working group. With a doctorate from Columbia University, he’s been a significant educator in antiracism programs in the dioceses of Chicago, New York and Toronto, and as adjunct professor of theology at New York Theological Seminary.

Elin Goulden is the social justice and advocacy consultant for the Diocese of Toronto. She’s interested in the intersectional aspects of social and ecological justice and is always learning from her Black, Indigenous and other racialized neighbours, colleagues and fellow Anglicans. Elin has provided staff support to the Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry since 2018.

The Rev. Leonard Leader has served extensively in the Diocese of Toronto, with ties to several parishes, including St. Paul, L’Amoreaux, St. George on Yonge and Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale, where he currently worships and serves. He’s interested in sharing ideas and advocating for inclusion. His pre-ordination public service career included staff positions in employment equity and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Alice Akinwalere, a lifelong member of Trinity-St. Paul, Port Credit, graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in sociology and criminology. Now pursuing a legal career, Alice is deeply committed to social justice and social change. With a strong foundation in faith and advocacy, she strives to influence positive change, using her skills to create a more just and compassionate world.

The Rev. Canon Maurice Francois works with a focus on multilingual and intercultural ministries. Working with three parishes (St. Paul, Runnymede, St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto and Parroquia San Esteban), he also serves as a pastor for immigrant communities and offers pastoral support to the transgender community of downtown Toronto. In addition to these ministries, Canon Maurice produces our artwork.

John O’Dell, an instructor on equity, inclusion and human rights, is a churchwarden, a choir member and a performer of African drumming at Nativity, Malvern. A community volunteer since 2004, John’s work has included negotiating collective agreements and defending employees’ rights against their employers, among many other things. In 2017, John received the African Canadian Achievement Award for Community Service.

This article was written by André Lyn, ODT, and Donna Scantlebury. If you have any questions or want to learn more about how the members of the Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry can serve you, email them at intercultural.ministry@toronto.anglican.ca. Your correspondence will be kept confidential.

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The walk carried the participants through the stations of the cross, beginning inside Riverdale Presbyterian Church, and then stopping inside Holy Name Roman Catholic Church, the Danforth Church and East End United Church, ending at St. Barnabas for the last stations and meditation on the cross. Inside each church, participants worshipped with readings, reflection, prayers and hymns. While they travelled from one church to another, they sang “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

“It was very meaningful to all worship together in each church, and to walk alongside fellow Christians on the way, ” said the Rev. Louise Dightam, priest-in-charge at St. Barnabas. “It was also heartening to see how the churches worked together on planning the walk, with one church preparing the bulletin, another repairing the large wooden cross, another storing it for the next year and we Anglicans providing the posters and social media content, as well as hosting a simple reception at the end.”

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Rooted in the idea that community-building can happen on and off the pitch, ACCF offers a unique space where all are welcome, seasoned players, first-timers, children, seniors and curious spectators alike. The festival uses modified rules to ensure inclusive participation, embodying the gospel message of welcome, inclusion and joy.

More than a game, the ACCF is a space for the working of the Holy Spirit through cricket in the lives of young and old, churched and unchurched, skilled cricketers and enthusiastic amateurs alike.

“Cricket, for many of us, is more than a game – it’s a language of community,” says Anand Natesan, captain of last year’s winning team from Westney Heights Baptist Church. “The ACCF feels like worship in motion. Every cheer and high-five becomes an act of praise. It reminds us that sport can be a joyful reflection of faith – God’s love in action.”

This year’s festival promises to be more exciting than ever, with the possibility of welcoming new teams to the lineup. Back for more friendly rivalry are our beloved regulars: Church of South India, Toronto; Holy Family, Heart Lake; St. Bede; St. James the Apostle, Brampton; St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea; St. Jude, Bramalea North; and St. Thomas à Becket, Erin Mills South. And we can’t forget the ever-spirited Clergy & Friends XI, led by the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields. Expect a day full of matches, music, food and plenty of laughs!

As host city, Brampton continues to play a vital role in fostering this celebration of sport and spirit. The Rev. Jeff Stone, a longtime supporter and key inspiration behind the cricket team from St. Jude’s, says, “The ACCF isn’t just about cricket. It’s about witnessing the community of God’s good-news bearers, gathering in joy to enjoy a little fun competition. That’s the beauty of this festival – it opens hearts while opening innings.”

Join the celebration – your presence matters!

To register or volunteer for the ACCF, contact Ranil Mendis, ODT at rmendis1@gmail.com.

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