At the height of harvesting in late August, The Common Table was producing about 650 pounds of vegetables per week, all of it to be given away.

The Common Table, an urban farm run by the diocese’s Flemingdon Park Ministry, is located on the grounds of the Church of Our Saviour in Don Mills.

The farm, now in its fourth year, grows spinach, peas, radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, beets, onion, zucchinis, hot peppers, beans, okra, kale and more.

Each week, the vegetables are driven to the Angela James Arena, where they are distributed free to residents of Flemingdon Park, a high-density neighbourhood in Don Mills. The food helps to feed about 500 residents, including children. The farm also provides weekly food hampers to about 100 seniors in a Toronto Community Housing Residence.

“It’s a real gift to be able to farm in the city, and to share it with families who wouldn’t normally have access to locally grown organic produce,” says Melodie Ng, farm assistant.

Last year, the farm gave out about 10,000 pounds of produce – 6,000 pounds that is grown at the Our Saviour location and another 4,000 pounds that is donated by a potato farmer.

The farm, which is staffed by Flemingdon Park Ministry employees and volunteers, has 25 rows of vegetables, a pollinator garden, a small greenhouse, a shed and a deck. There are plans to create a labyrinth and provide some workshops for children.

Flemingdon Park Ministry is funded by FaithWorks, the diocese’s annual outreach appeal. The ministry has been serving the residents of Flemingdon Park, a high needs neighbourhood, for more than 40 years. For more information about The Common Table, email hello@thecommontable.org.

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The Rev. Douglas Painter was having a post-dinner rest in the rectory on June 15 when he heard a loud bang. Soon the fire department, paramedics and RCMP were on scene to deal with an SUV that had crashed through the front wall of the parish hall.

“I looked out and saw a car sticking out of the hall,” he said.

The SUV came to rest straddling the stairwell to the basement and breached an interior wall. The driver was taken to hospital as a precaution and later released. No one else was hurt.

“We are praying for all involved,” said Mr. Douglas. “We give thanks to the first responders, particularly to the fire department who were here very quickly, and the paramedics and the RCMP. We give thanks to the Lord.”

He added, “It is what it is, and we will cope. Everyone is safe and that’s the most important thing.”

The New Brunswick Anglican

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Holy Trinity is the regimental church for the Southern Alberta Light Horse (SALH) and Ms. Key is the regiment’s padre. The regiment played an integral part in the liberation of the Netherlands in 1944-45.

Ms. Key described the unveiling and dedication on Aug. 8: “It was a spectacular event with so many people from different backgrounds gathering together to witness the unveiling of a statue of a truly remarkable young girl who stood for inclusion, peace and love.”

Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl, was a Jewish girl who died in a concentration camp in 1945. Her diary documents her life in hiding from 1942-44 during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

During the event on Aug. 8, a community in the Netherlands rang its peace bell at the same time as SALH troops rang a peace bell in Edmonton. In her blessing, Ms. Key said, “May we follow in the footsteps of Anne, remembering that words are stronger than bullets and grenades, remembering how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world, that no one has ever become poor by giving and to live in a manner in which we don’t think of all the misery, but instead we think of all the beauty that still remains here on earth.”

The Messenger

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But COVID-19 didn’t mean an end to the other crises that PWRDF’s partners typically face in a year. Climate-related disasters such as flood, drought, cyclones and hurricanes, and political crises and violence threaten people’s ability to feed their families and make a livelihood.

Managing this complicated and complex portfolio is PWRDF’s humanitarian response coordinator, Naba Gurung. Originally from Nepal, Mr. Gurung came to Canada after completing a Masters degree in international development in Norway, then landed at PWRDF shortly afterwards. 

During his 20 years working in humanitarian response, he has seen many changes. “More and more emergencies are becoming more complex,” he says. “There’s not just one driver that partners have to deal with; there are now multiple drivers and forces that shape an emergency. In Haiti, for example, there was the earthquake, but then there’s a tropical storm and a political economic crisis; in South Sudan, there was a flood for two consecutive years, conflict, continued displacement and devaluation of their currency.”

In many cases, PWRDF directs funds to a larger response from an organization such as the ACT Alliance, which comprises 130 different faith-based groups from around the world. PWRDF is also a member of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Funds spent from PWRDF’s account with the Foodgrains Bank are often matched by the Government of Canada by as much as four to one. PWRDF is also a founding member of the Anglican Alliance, a coalition of relief and development organizations in the Anglican Communion.

Here are some of the PWRDF humanitarian relief responses since August 2020: 

Lebanon (ACT Alliance)

On Aug. 4, 2020, a warehouse storing ammonium nitrate exploded, obliterating the port of Beirut. The disaster exacerbated the already challenging economic and health crises in the area. PWRDF responded to an ACT Alliance appeal and participated in a humanitarian coalition matching appeal through its membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Donations totalled $136,000. Providing food, non-food items, hygiene, blankets and clothing to those in need.

Philippines (ACT Alliance/National Council of Churches in the Philippines)

On Nov. 1, 2020, Super Typhoon Goni (Rolly) slammed into the Philippines with catastrophic winds, torrential rainfall, severe flooding, mud slides and storm surges. It was just one week after Typhoon Molave (Quinta) hit the same region, making it ever harder to cope with the pandemic. PWRDF responded to the ACT Alliance appeal with $20,000. The National Council of Churches in the Philippines supported 8,000 households with food relief.

Ethiopia (ACT Alliance/Lutheran World Federation)

On Nov. 4, 2020, a long-standing political disagreement between the Ethiopian government and the northern state of Tigray’s regional government led to violence and military action, forcing people to flee. By January 2021, the region was facing a severe humanitarian crisis with more than two million people internally displaced. PWRDF responded with $35,000 to the ACT Alliance appeal, supporting the Lutheran World Federation in Ethiopia. LWF trained local staff and 50 community leaders in Tigray to deliver psychosocial first aid in the displaced communities.

Afghanistan (Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Community World Service Asia and Presbyterian World Service & Development)

From November 2020 to April 2021, PWRDF supported Community World Service Asia in providing food assistance to 1,100 households, including 420 female-headed households, in the Bamyan province of Afghanistan. This ensured that communities affected by COVID-19 would not go hungry in the peak food-insecure months, reducing economic migration and increasing the ability of households to host returnees.

Bangladesh (ACT Alliance/Christian Aid)

Support for Rohingyas, displaced from Myanmar and living in Bangladesh, is ongoing. Through the ACT Alliance, PWRDF allocated $35,000 to Christian Aid to provide primary health care services and infectious disease surveillance and referral for Rohingya and surrounding host communities. Two medical doctors, two nurses, midwives, a health assistant, a pharmacist, and support staff were involved to provide services to the patients. Staff were equipped with COVID-19 appropriate personal protective equipment and materials.

Zimbabwe (Canadian Foodgrains Bank, DanChurchAid Zimbabwe)

From January 2021 to April 2021, PWRDF supported a food assistance project with DanChurchAid Zimbabwe and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Food baskets containing maize meal, beans and oil were distributed to 3,600 households in northern Zimbabwe. The most vulnerable households were prioritized for food assistance, including those headed by children, the elderly and women, and households with special needs. Families with land and available labour also received seeds for sorghum and cowpea seed to help re-establish crop production and provide food when the assistance ended.

South Sudan (Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Finn Church Aid, South Sudan Country Program)

In April 2021, PWRDF embarked on an 18-month project with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank that was part of a $10-million grant from the Government of Canada. PWRDF is supporting Finn Church Aid to implement a project in South Sudan, where long-term conflict has led to internal displacement and a high need for humanitarian assistance. COVID-19 has made it worse, causing businesses to close and food prices to rise. Finn Church Aid is providing a cash-transfer, vegetable seeds, tools and training to 600 returnee households (South Sudanese returning from Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo).

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Diocese of the Windward Islands)

In April 2021, La Soufrière volcano began spewing smoke and ashes over the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. An estimated 20,000 people were forced to evacuate and move into shelters. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) identified urgent need for water, buckets, folding cots, toiletries, blankets, field tents, kitchen utensils and sleeping mats. PWRDF responded with a $5,000 grant, and donors quickly followed that up with another $70,000 that will be used for economic recovery.

Palestinian Territories (Episcopal
Diocese of Jerusalem/Al Ahli Hospital)

In May 2021, violence broke out in Jerusalem, overwhelming the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza with patients. The hospital is administered by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and PWRDF has provided funds to purchase equipment or manage high volume in the past. PWRDF responded to the Bishop of Jerusalem’s appeal with $20,000 to purchase fuel for the generators to keep the hospital running. In the past year, $30,000 was donated to purchase a microdebrider for the Ear, Nose and Throat surgical unit.

Tanzania (Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Church World Service Africa)

In May 2021, PWRDF began a three-year project with Church World Service Africa and the Canadian Foodgrains bank to improve food security of Congolese refugees living in Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania. Currently, refugees there rely mainly on rations from the World Food Programme. However, the rations include only staple items and are not enough. Some refugees have begun to plant seeds on land around the camp; however, many people lack the necessary skills and resources to farm successfully. This project will provide necessary farm inputs to 810 refugee households and train them on how to sustainably grow vegetables. 

Lytton fire, British Columbia (Territory of the People)

In July 2021, a fire destroyed the village of Lytton and Lytton First Nation and prompted an outpouring of donations from Anglicans across Canada. An initial grant of $5,000 was used to support families during the immediate crisis. The diocese is developing a plan to use the rest of the funds (approximately $31,000) following PWRDF’s In-Canada Emergency procedures.

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I considered walking part of the Camino de Santiago, as several friends have done, but it didn’t feel quite right; it didn’t feel like my land. Instead, what began to coalesce was the thought of finding a path that would take me through my own home country of Scotland, where I was born and spent my early childhood. And then I hit upon the idea of walking to the island of Iona, one of the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland.

St. Aidan, patron of my parish, was a monk on Iona in the seventh century. Iona was the cradle of Celtic Christianity, and when the King of Northumbria in England wanted to restore Christianity to his realm, he asked for one of the monks from Iona to come. Ultimately it was Aidan who established a monastery there, on the island of Lindisfarne, and Celtic Christianity took root and flourished.

These two holy islands associated with Aidan, Lindisfarne and Iona, are some 550 kilometres apart on foot, linked by no single pilgrims’ way but by a series of ancient footpaths and old roads, some well signposted and others not so much. With my sister and her partner as our accompanying support team, with their caravan and a tent, and with a thick sheaf of detailed maps, we set out on May 5 from Lindisfarne with June 1 as our planned arrival date on Iona.

David and I were also celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary that year. I pictured the pilgrimage as a special experience that we would share together, as we walked in prayerful contemplation from Lindisfarne, where we had spent retreats as young clergy newly ordained in England, over the hills of the border country, past the great ruined abbeys of Jedburgh and Melrose, along the shores of Loch Lomond, up the West Highland Way, and finally to the islands of Mull and Iona. It would be a pilgrimage of the heart and soul, in the footsteps of the great St. Aidan, after whom one of our sons is named. What could be more romantic?

The reality was far more challenging, physically painful, emotionally tough and spiritually rewarding than anything I could have imagined, and our experiences were so markedly different that we each tell the story now from our own perspective.

Caught up in wonder

David:
I am married to a planner, and our support team was her UK sister and partner. Perhaps unwisely, I chose to let them do the planning – unwise, not because they needed supervision, but because I did not get engaged in owning this early part of the walk. As we walked, I was frequently irritated by what seemed like bad planning or odd choices. But actually, the choices they made in careful planning were always correct. Next time I will take ownership in all the stages. Planning and route-finding for an un-commercialized pilgrimage are vital. Hindsight cost me a lot of grumpiness and frustration. Perhaps this, for me, was a necessary transition out of busy parish life and into the silent walking of pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage is not conversational. Paths tend to be single file, so chatting is hard and distracts you from finding your footing on irregular surfaces, and the wind tends to whip your words away over the hill before they have a chance of being heard. Even being together, much of the walking was silent. That too requires some adjustment. We would walk through the morning and stop for a path-side lunch. These lunches were the springs of life! First the feet were set free, then the bodies reclined, and then conversation over a sandwich.

The third challenge was footwear and rain-proofing. I can only suggest that buying where you are walking is better than buying from MEC, which is Canada-centric. I replaced everything enroute.

By now, reading this, I ask, “Why go?” Well, it took me about half the pilgrimage to discover this. “Dis-cover” sounds to me like taking the covering off something. It began for me with clouds as we crossed Glen Coe. We paused for a break as we entered this huge valley, made by a collapsed volcano and then chiselled out by glaciers ages ago. As we descended into the glen, we stopped for a rest after the long morning walk. Lying back on the heather and looking up, there were clouds – white against a cobalt blue sky. Clouds of such magnificence and wonder, mesmerizing in their shape and sheer volume. I was caught up in wonder. I could have spent all day looking at them. What was actually happening was the Spirit finally finding a way to open my eyes and my heart and turn down the noise of my mind and my beloved “critical thinking” mode. Pilgrimage is not a problem to be solved, a project to complete or an item on a bucket list; it is removing yourself from a place where you know, where you are in control, where you are able to carry on as normal. Pilgrimage, for me, was the dismantling, the stripping away of my interface with daily life and leaving me emotionally and spiritually undefended and open.

I never quite recovered from the clouds: even when they were emptying sheets of rain on us, I continued, to Lucy’s slight bemusement, to look up and say, “See how magnificent the rain looks as it sweeps over the cliff above us!” In fact, I was astonished by waves in the sea, by grasses blown by the wind, by the gulls that could hang in the air then tumble, screaming down only to sweep up for sheer joy, by the stonework of a wall made by hands long dead and farms long abandoned by the Clearances. Darkly I found an inner fury at the English wealthy for the callous disregard they had had of “inconvenient peasants” farming where they wanted to shoot pheasants for fun. Pilgrimage opened a way of perceiving. The simplicity of mist spoke of holiness in creation. A beautiful old country estate house spoke of arrogance and greed.

Each day ended in a pub. We called up our support team (whose support, I slowly realized, more and more came from their grace-filled openness of heart) and had a welcomed drink. It was not the distance walked that finally mattered to me; it was the breaking open of my narrowed, outcome-oriented vision, my defences of logic and practicality. It was the awakening of my soul to the unnoticed beauty of dew on the moss in a stone wall, the majesty of a lake, the surge of the sea against rocks, crashing as if for the sheer joy of it all, and God’s invitation to me to dance in this, to delight in it, and continue to notice it. For that too is where God is! 

Pilgrimage is about letting go

Lucy:
I knew we were approaching the pilgrimage with different agendas when David baulked at the idea of walking barefoot across the sands that separate Lindisfarne from the mainland. Pilgrims to Holy Island, as it is called locally, have been crossing barefoot for many centuries, following tall wooden staves that mark a safe passage at low tide. “It’s a pilgrimage tradition!” I urged him. “It’ll be cold and uncomfortable,” he objected. David is a rationalist to my idealism, and he was rightly worrying about keeping our feet dry and unscathed. He is also doggedly loyal and supportive, so took his shoes and socks off as I did, and plodded dubiously across the cold, wet sands on that first hour of our long walk.

I began to question the wisdom of my dream when David strained a knee on Day 4. It grew increasingly painful daily, and he was fearful of a permanent injury. Then we both developed blisters – the walkers’ curse. Small but fiercely painful, they made every step a mental challenge. And we still had hundreds of miles ahead of us, with some challenging terrain. We took a rest day then carried on, David gritting his teeth while I took on the role of encourager and official optimist, while silently wondering if we should give it up.

The turning point came when we faced a two-day hike along the West Highland Way, out of reach of roads and phone range, and so without the safety net of our support duo picking us up, bringing us to our tent and feeding us. We would be carrying extra gear and staying in a hostel between two days of gruelling, rugged walking. It was decision time: press on and take the risk of not being able to make it or wave a white flag now and simply drive the rest of the way to Iona. We decided to press on.

Miraculously, a new pair of walking boots, a knee brace, plus some encouraging words from a German physician staying in the hostel, gave David renewed confidence and the comfort in walking that he’d been desperate for. The mood between us shifted and the land offered up breathtaking beauty with vast banks of bluebells, the long loch and then the highlands opening up before us. The day we emerged successfully from the challenge of that stage is the one day we asked another walker to take a picture of us both, and I still see the quiet, weary joy in that image.

Pilgrimage is about letting go, it seems to me. I had to let go of my preconceived ideas of how it would be, and of how we would experience it together. I had to let David’s experience be his, and mine be mine. We continued to walk together, but we were on different pilgrimages internally, spiritually. I let go of the romantic image I’d had of the two of us chanting psalms and singing hymns as we walked, and instead found simple Celtic prayers like mantras to recite silently. And the more I was able to let go of, like a ship shedding excess cargo, the more I was able to receive.

The day we walked onto the tiny ferry that would take us the last mile to Iona, I felt not euphoria or victory but a quiet, deep sense of peace and gratitude. We spent three days there, joining in the nourishing worship of the Iona Community in the abbey, and letting the gifts of the pilgrimage soak in. It felt like coming home: home to our final destination, but also home to my Scottish roots and home to a Celtic expression of Christianity that is profoundly life-affirming and creation-centred. The pilgrimage was over, and a prayer from the Iona abbey welcome service gave words to what was in my heart:

You, God, have brought us to this thin place
where earth and heaven embrace,
the past interweaves with the future,
and what we want is replaced by what we need.
…. God, you are good to us. Amen.

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After learning of the staff’s determination to shut down the program due to reduced numbers during the pandemic and a change in demographics, the parish swung into action. The Rev. Bob Bettson, interim priest-in-charge, called Councillor Joe Cressy’s office to outline the situation. Mr. Bettson also talked to Carolyn Wong, a nearby resident who has supported the shelter, and she conveyed the concerns of community members to Councillor Cressy’s staff.

The result was a motion to city council tabled by Councillor Cressy, and Councillor Mike Layton, who used to represent the Trinity-Bellwoods area. They asked council to pause the process of terminating the lease and review future options for the city in providing programs at Bellwoods House – either a new permanent shelter or another housing program.

Two days before council met in mid-July, the church received another notice from city staff rescinding the termination of the lease. So instead of losing a tenant, the way was paved for council to adopt the motion and embark on a full study of new options. In September, representatives from St. Matthias were set to meet with city representatives, including the councillors, to take next steps in determining the future use of Bellwoods House. The process will also involve Wendy Pearson of the diocese’s Property Resources department, since the former rectory is held by the parish in trust for the diocese.

Bellwoods House is listed on the City of Toronto website as a long-term shelter for women over 50 who have experienced homelessness for a lengthy period. It has 24-hour-a-day staff to work individually with women on their challenges. The clients come from the city’s Women’s Residence.

As a small shelter, Bellwoods House has made a real difference in women’s lives. One resident who wrote in support of retaining the shelter mentioned the difference from the large Women’s Residence, with its issues of drug and alcohol addiction on the part of some residents. At Bellwoods House, residents have a living room to read, watch TV and socialize, and they’re able to join in cooking. That’s how she met the Rev. Krista Fry, a deacon at St. Matthias, who was visiting the house. Ms. Fry became a new friend. The resident lived at Bellwoods House for six months then found an apartment in the area.

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My role touches on a number of areas, including communications, stewardship, outreach and general administration. As the parish administrator, I have a pastoral role that requires discernment and discretion, all while working within healthy boundaries. I assist a wonderful team of clergy, other staff members and volunteers in the ministry of our parish. Like many other churches, we did the “pandemic-pivot” and worked together to provide both online and in-person worship, ensured that outreach ministries thrived, continued discipleship for children, youth and adults and made sure that we all stayed connected whether online, by post or by visiting. Oh, the skills we learned!

With a year end of June 30, Christ Church is currently preparing for our annual vestry. I know many people would not be too excited about that, but for me it is both an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to plan for the year ahead, so I am working down my lists to check things off. Not many people get to see how the whole of a parish works – how one area informs another. Helping to tell that story, how we are the hands and feet of God within our community refuels me.

The best part of my job and the most challenging part are two sides of the same coin. Planning and hospitality come naturally to me, so I would put those near the top of the list. After all, my name is Martha. The challenge arises during a pandemic. It is all doable but just different, and I find that I have been content with all that. Working behind the scenes to see ministry thrive is a pretty awesome thing, but I need to mindful to not spread myself too thinly and to say no to a couple of things – not always an easy thing to do. I am blessed to work with a great team. We encourage and support one another. We keep God as both the subject and object of all that we do, with good humour and creativity. This, clearly, is not a challenge.

I was born in Peterborough and raised in Brampton. I was baptized and confirmed at Christ Church, so I had be bit of a “leg-up” when I returned after many years, as my parents were still worshipping at Christ Church. Because of this, it comes naturally for me to say “welcome home” when people arrive at Christ Church, whether it be on a regular basis, after several years’ absence or for the first time.

Prior to working at Christ Church, I worked for many years in human resources and strategy in the financial services sector. From an administration and communications aspect, many of my previous skills and experiences were transferable. My background in human resources continues to be helpful in many areas. Mentoring, listening and encouraging all play a role in parish administration.

When I left home, I found that going to church became sporadic but definitely not fully absent. The inevitable messiness of life got in the way and I found myself back in Brampton. I remember distinctly 9/11 (as many people do) and feeling that I was completely alone. The only thing that made sense to me that day was prayer, and I was so grateful that God nudged me to see if Christ Church was open for just that. Looking back, I can see that God nudged me over the years, but I think my unconscious response was to say that my dance card was already full.  That day was a turning point; I accepted the dance and have been dancing ever since. Not all the dancing is joyous, but I know I have a partner – three in one, actually!

Five years from now, I want to be near water and an Anglican church! In 2019, I did a pilgrimage in Wales with a friend. We had another planned in 2020 but you know how that turned out. When it is safe to do so again, I hope go on to more pilgrimages and retreats, but in the meantime I walk my dog, George, about 10km a day and do a practice of Lectio Divina everyday – ever hopeful to travel again.

My favourite passage from scripture is, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) There are so many passages, but I find this one so simple and clear. For me, it means that we are not to be passive but rather active partners with God. That path is not always straight, easy or clear, but if I can use justice, mercy and humility as some guideposts along the way, I feel I am going in the right direction. And believe me, there are times when I need to turn around.

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