Founded by the Rev. Natasha Brubaker, the support group received more than $3,000 last year from the local board of health to offer the monthly help sessions for the public at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Antigonish.

Ms. Brubaker moved to Antigonish County in 2022 and started the support group the next year. Soon after moving to the community, she had learned of the suicides of two young local men. They weren’t directly connected to her parish, but word got to her through church members. She wondered how much support was available in the community for those grieving a suicide loss.

Unfortunately, she had a close link to the topic: Ms. Brubaker lost her mother to suicide. “The question felt personal and urgent,” she explained. Plus, she figured, there were people grieving other past tragedies who may not have received support.

“Grief after suicide has its own contours,” said Ms. Brubaker. “It’s a traumatic loss, often complicated, and it requires special care and a safe, intentional space with people who understand its dynamics.”

The goal of the meetings is to help people understand “they’re not losing their minds, that what they’re experiencing is normal and that they’re not alone,” she adds.

Ms. Brubaker has since stepped away from the program, passing the reins to new help who are continuing the valuable work. At each monthly session, there’s a candle-lighting ritual to open the space, then a check-in to gauge how people are doing that day, that week or over the past month. A topic gets introduced, usually focused on what may have been broached by the group in a previous session, but the bulk of the time is left open for people to respond and talk. Participants are encouraged to speak from “I” statements, and not to give advice, interrupt or monopolize.

While Ms. Brubaker no longer has an active voice in the healing circle, she feels the program is in good hands. “Part of my role as clergy is helping others discover their gifts and how they can care for their neighbours,” she explained. “I try to cultivate that, create space for others to step in and then step back myself. So, I see the evolution of this group as a very good thing.”

Nova Scotia Health

The post Support circle grows for suicide loss survivors appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The event is the culmination of efforts by each congregation to grow in love and partnership. St. Paul’s shares its building with the other congregations. Each exercises its own worship and ministry and has its own office space. In return, St. Paul’s receives help in covering its financial obligations. “These relationships are about so much more than a blessing of space and finances: they have brought about a flourishing of spiritual vitality and mutual care,” says the Rev. Canon Stephen Silverthorne of St. Paul’s.

The churches’ commitment to prayer, along with social gatherings like the potluck, has been a powerful sign of care for one another, he says. “With each passing month, parishioners have grown more committed in friendship and in appreciation for each other’s way of living out a Christian life.”

Perspective

The post Church shares building, learns from others appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Inspired by a parishioner who mentioned, “You don’t get a chance to go out to many places when you live alone,” the plan was to hold quarterly gatherings based around a meal. “We came up with a catchy name and a snazzy logo, but we were so excited that we probably moved too quickly, because our first outing had only three parishioners join us at the North Docks restaurant,” said an organizer.

Word spread, however, and the following three outings were well attended. Eighteen people gathered at the Saylor House Cafe in Bloomfield, 22 met at the O’Connor House English Tea Room in Deseronto, which was followed by a visit to an adjoining antique shop, and 26 attended a lunch at the Inn at the Lake on the Mountain on the Bay of Quinte.

“We make sure that anyone who needs a ride gets one, and we’re able to accommodate people with walkers or wheelchairs,” said the organizer. “Everyone is welcome to bring friends along, too.”

Dialogue

The post Outings provide company and food appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Christ Church was honoured to welcome the group on June 26. It was one of 70 overnight stops on the journey. The church provided the group with dinner, social time and a place to sleep. Also that evening, the City of Saskatoon allowed the riders use of a community pool for a swim and showers. The following morning, the cyclists rose to freshly washed laundry, breakfast and food for the road. After an emotional farewell with parishioners, the police gave them an escort out of the city.

“We feel blessed to host this amazing group of young people very year and always feel, with each visit, that we have gained far more from their visit than we have given,” says the Rev. Peter Coolen.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

The post Church helps cyclists on epic ride appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Decked out in rainbow colours and carrying placards and flags, the Anglican contingent, which included Bishop Stephen London, brought both celebration and protest to the streets. “It was affirming and energizing to be greeted by thousands of people waving flags and shouting encouragement,” said the Rev. Mark Vigrass, deacon at St. George, Edmonton. “To walk with and among people who accepted and affirmed me as a beloved queer child of God – and extended that affirmation to others – was deeply moving.”

The Rev. Jordan Giggey, rector of St. Timothy, Edmonton, described the experience as “living out a part of my calling to the priesthood,” and a tangible step toward reconciliation with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. “Seeing so many denominations gathered to remind us in the queer community that we too are beloved of God was a powerful testament to the gospel at work in our city and our diocese,” he said. Though the walk lasted only 30 minutes, Rev. Giggey believed its emotional impact “will last for years to come.”

The Messenger

The post Anglicans walk in parade for first time appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Cathedral holds confirmation prep appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Home run appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The gala was the culmination of 18 months of planning by a dedicated anniversary committee. Its vision was to create a once-in-a-lifetime event that would do justice to the parish’s long and rich history. The response from the community was overwhelming: 200 tickets were sold, filling the evening with energy, laughter and a strong sense of belonging.

Guests enjoyed one another’s company as they shared stories across generations, drawing connections between the parish of today and the one founded two centuries ago. The program was expertly guided by master of ceremonies Gary Spence, ODT, who introduced a fun and engaging series of skits performed by parishioners. These short plays brought figures from the parish’s past to life, dramatizing key moments in our story. To the delight of the audience, even an imagined parishioner from the future “visited,” offering a glimpse of what our community might become in the years ahead.

The highlight of the evening was a captivating presentation by historian Matthew Wilkinson of the Mississauga Heritage Foundation. With engaging anecdotes and a historian’s insight, Mr. Wilkinson traced the journey of our parish from its founding days to the present, introducing the audience to the men and women who first dreamed of establishing a place of worship in this growing community.

Our parish’s roots are deeply intertwined with the development of the region. The founders built not just a church, but a gathering place that became central to community life. Over the decades, the parish weathered wars, social change and rapid urban development. Yet through all this, it remained steadfast, adapting to new realities while holding on to the values of faith, service and fellowship.

The gala evening, with its combination of fellowship, fine food, theatre and historical reflection, served as a reminder of the legacy entrusted to us. As we celebrate 200 years of faith and community, we recommit ourselves to carrying this heritage into the future, ensuring that the next generation inherits a parish as vibrant, welcoming and faithful as the one we enjoy today.

The post Parish marks 200 years with gala appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Online monthly meetings of our companion partnership group give members the opportunity to continue to plan – in both English and Portuguese – and to pray together. The co-chairs, the Rev. Canon Maurice Francois from Toronto and the Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Espiúca from Brasilia, together with Bishop Andrew Asbil and Bishop Mauricio Andrada, lead the small committee of clergy and laity into dreaming and realizing new ways to deepen our shared understanding of what it means to be Anglican Christians in two different contexts, and how to participate in the life of each other’s Church.

The online theology day for clergy and lay theologians on March 25, featuring the Rev. Dr. Christopher Brittain from Trinity College, Toronto and Dr. Paulo Ueti, a Brazilian theologian, discussed liberation theology in a Zoom event that attracted more than 200 clergy and lay leaders from both dioceses. On Oct. 18, the annual Outreach & Advocacy Conference of the Diocese of Toronto welcomed the Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Espiúca from Brasilia as its keynote speaker. Dr. Espiúca is the Coordinator of Advocacy Strategies for Brasilia, and the Anglican Communion’s Communion Forest facilitator for the Americas. A viewing party of Brazilian Anglicans watched online during the outreach conference, making the event a shared experience. The annual Toronto Clergy Conference at Trent University in late May 2026 will welcome Dr. Ueti back to our diocese as the keynote speaker, and we hope that some clergy will make the trip with him so that we can offer hospitality to clergy colleagues from Brazil.

A disappointment came when the planned youth delegation from Brasilia – seven teenagers and three leaders – had difficulty attaining visas to travel to Canada in time to attend the ReCharge Youth Retreat in late September. We had looked forward to having them join in the fun and energy of our own youth gathering. Because this event is annual, however, we are working towards their visit next year with renewed vigour. If any young people in our diocese have some skills in speaking Portuguese, we’d love to hear from you! It would be wonderful if our Brazilian guests could speak to young Anglicans in their own language.

We continue to look for video greetings from your parish to the Diocese of Brasilia. If you would like to film a brief video on your phone to introduce your parish or an interesting ministry to our Brazilian siblings, send your clip to our Communications department, and they’ll take care of adding the translations for you. Videos continue to be an effective way for us to get to know each other more and more. Messages from Brasilia will punctuate our Synod gathering in November, and we are looking forward to warm words of friendship and some wonderful music.

Please continue to pray for this growing relationship and for our siblings in Christ in South America and their work and ministry for the Gospel.

The post Relationship between dioceses deepens appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

In keeping with Tamil Anglican tradition, an oil lamp-lighting ceremony was held at the conclusion of the service to symbolize unity and faith. Those who lit the oil lamp included Archdeacon Hunt, the Rev. Karen Hatch, Dr. Kalison, the Rev. Dr. Irwin Sikha, the Rev. Andrew Kaye, Rev. Solomon and rector’s warden, Chrishanthy Arunkumar.

About 110 worshippers attended the service, including former parishioners, families and friends of the church. Following the lighting ceremony, anniversary greetings were shared by the clergy. After the service, everyone gathered for a fellowship dinner in the church hall. Archdeacon Hunt, along with Rev. Solomon, Rev. Hatch and Rev. Kaye, cut the 35th anniversary cake to mark the occasion. To commemorate the event, bookmarks were designed and distributed to all who participated at the service. The church also prepared a 35th anniversary banner which adorns the sanctuary.

The post Special day appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.