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The cathedral thanks Peter Farah, whose generosity has allowed this project to be fulfilled. The console is dedicated to his father, the Rev. Canon Shafeek A. Farah, a priest in Palestine and Canada. His signature in Arabic is carved into the decoration on the casing.

All are invited to the inaugural recital on Sept. 22. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in one of these ways: search for “David Briggs Recital” on Eventbrite.ca; by e-transfer to bookkeeper@stjamescathedral.ca (please specify “David Briggs Recital” in the message); at the front desk of the Cathedral Centre, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or by cheque, payable to St. James Cathedral, 65 Church St., Toronto, ON M5C 2E9.

To receive information about upcoming musical events at the cathedral, email info@stjamescathedral.ca or call 416-364-7865.

Submitted by St. James Cathedral

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The custom was this: On the final Sunday of the month, after the service had concluded, during the announcements but before the recessional hymn, he was to ask if there were any birthdays in that month. Hands would go up or people would stand. The organist would strike up a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday to You!” and the small, but faithful congregation would lustfully warble along. Following the service, a big slab cake would be served to the ever-diminishing cotton-topped congregation. I suppose that at one time in the parish history, in those halcyon days of yore, when the pews were packed and the Sunday school over-flowing with children, a slab cake was appropriate. Yet, in these latter days of church decline, with which we are all so sadly acquainted, a slab cake was more than enough – too much – way too much for the dozen-and-a-half octogenarians who made up the congregation. They were always pushing half a cake on Mr. Perkins to take home. He was not a big fan of Costco cake.

In his early days in the parish, on the first Sunday when this little ritual unfolded, Mr. Perkins knew he would soon “nix” it. Mr. Perkins, especially in his earlier years, was what we might refer to as a “liturgical fusspot.” Being the Trinity College man that he was, he liked things done with order and decency, according to the rubrics of the authorized liturgies of the Church. After that first Sunday in which he experienced the strange phenomenon of the monthly birthday celebration, he thought to himself, “Well, this is the first thing to go.”

And so, when the next month rolled around and the last Sunday of the month arrived, that Sunday being a Sunday in Lent, and certainly inappropriate for the singing of “Happy Birthday” and the eating of cake, Mr. Perkins knew the moment had come. He rolled through the announcements without a breath, singular in his purpose of arriving at the announcing of the recessional hymn. The recessional hymn played and Mr. Perkins was faced down by angry stares as he processed down the nave to the back of the church for the dismissal. The hymn ended and before Mr. Perkins could say a word, old Judy Jumblejump barked, “We forgot the birthdays! Who has a birthday?!” Miss Lillian Littlestature, that ancient spinster, cried out, “I do! And so does Charlie!” referring to Charlie Strawblade, an old farmer whose family had been founders of the parish, one hundred and fifty-three years ago. The organist struck up “Happy Birthday” and they all began to sing. Judy Jumblejump began to cut up the cake and pass it around to people when they ought to have been on their knees saying their final prayers in silence.

Needless to say, Mr. Perkins heard about it for weeks. He was told how deeply offended people were and how important the monthly birthday celebration was to the parish. A certain Marjorie Mayhem, a stalwart member of the flower guild, confronted him mid-week with considerable rage. She told him that last month was her husband George’s birthday and that she had almost missed the opportunity to celebrate it. “Hasn’t George been gone for a several years?” Mr. Perkins asked, somewhat confused.

“Yes, but it’s very important to be able to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him in church every year. It makes me feel close to him.”

Mr. Perkins didn’t know what to say. The idea of singing happy birthday to a dead person in church seemed beyond the pale. He tried to explain this to her, but she became more indignant and furious. This is the moment when most wise clergy would re-evaluate their decision and ask that time-honored question of themselves, “Is this the ditch I’m going to die in?” But Mr. Perkins was undeterred, resolute. He would hold his course no matter how stormy the seas and root out this para-liturgical abomination from the Lord’s temple. In more a reasoned moment, he said he might allow them to continue to have their “happy birthdays” and cakes in the church hall, but certainly not in the church proper. Such festivities were more suited to a coffee hour than a service in the church. He was drawing his line in the sand. Much grumbling and murmuring ensued over the following month after Mr. Perkins had communicated his decision, but Mr. Perkins paid it no mind. He was firm in his determination to kill this thing.

And thus came that fateful day and one once again the last Sunday of the month rolled around. All wondered what would happen. The service was tense. Mr. Perkins’ sermon, not touching on the topic of “birthdays,” of course, seemed uncharacteristically cold. He was, of nature, a warm man and known for his compassionate preaching. This dissonance only made the congregation feel even more tense. The Sacrament being concluded and the service drawing to a close, he the made announcements with some haste and pushed forward to announce the recessional hymn. Before he could draw a breath to announce the hymn “Take up your Cross and Follow Me,” Judy Jumblejump called out, “What about the March birthdays, Mr. Perkins?!”  His countenance fell. With his head down, he felt a rage pulsing within his chest at this monstrous uprising, this sinister sedition, this blatant act of defiance. He drew in a breath slowly, tried to calm his mind and his heart. He would not make a scene of it. “Take the long view” he told himself silently. He was devoted to order and decency in Anglican worship as an article of faith. He would not lose it from the chancel steps.

“Alright,” he said, “who has a birthday in March?”

Silence. No one answered.

“Surely,” he continued, “there must be at least one March birthday…”

Silence.

“No March birthdays?” he asked, giving one final opportunity. “Alright,” he continued, “Our recessional hymn is…”

“Wait!!” a voice called out. It was Judy Jumblejump. “But we didn’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’!”

“But there aren’t any March birthdays,” he responded, confounded.

“But we always sing ‘Happy Birthday’,” she said.

“It’s true,” added old Charlie Strawblade.

“Indeed it is,” chimed in Miss Lillian Littlestature.

And so, knowing he was defeated, he directed the organist to strike the chord, and they all sang “Happy Birthday” to no one in particular. And when the singing was over, Judy Jumblejump called out, “And don’t forget! There’s cake!”

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Catholic Church on the city’s north side — was already booked, so the Ukrainian Community of Fredericton approached Christ Church Cathedral.

“We started shopping around,” said Oksana Tesla, president of the association, adding she had been to concerts at the cathedral in the past. “Having the service in this beautiful cathedral, everyone was amazed,” she said. “The cathedral looks very European. It feels closer to us.”

The service began outside with the priest, who had travelled from Moncton, blessing the traditional Easter baskets that contained Easter bread, sausage, smoked ham, butter, cheese, salt, horseradish and painted eggs. They also contained a candle and a green branch to symbolize new life.

Having the service given in their native language meant a great deal to worshippers, said Ms. Tesla. Many dressed in traditional costume for the occasion. For both those Ukrainians such as Ms. Tesla who have lived in Canada for several years, and newcomers forced out because of the Russian invasion last year, the day was a special one meant to bring everyone together in celebration. “When you are far from home, you sometimes value things differently,” she said. “It was quite emotional. We were looking forward to it for a very long time.”

The New Brunswick Anglican

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The steel structure and aluminum tiles, which had replaced the original stone spire in the 1940s, had corroded to the point of instability. If left unchecked, the spire was a potential danger to the public, and the cathedral had to undertake major work to ensure its safety and longevity.

The cathedral’s architects developed a plan of action in two phases. In the first stage, which began in 2017, expert masons strengthened the stone tower that supported the spire. The second phase – the work on the spire structure – started in 2019. The original plan was to remove all the aluminum tiles, slice the spire in two and then lift both halves down to the ground for maintenance. However, this proved to be impossible because of the many other construction projects happening around the cathedral and the load-bearing restrictions of the building being situated on top of a shopping mall. A new process had to be developed.

The new approach involved enveloping the whole spire in scaffolding to remove the tiles. Each was painstakingly numbered so that it would find its place again at the end of the project. As tiles were removed, they were taken to a specialist firm in Ottawa for cleaning and decontamination to remove more than eight decades of pollution.

COVID-19 stopped work temporarily and then slowed down the process. Restoration work was also hindered by worldwide supply chain issues. Some of the materials needed for the work, including the additional scaffolding and many highly technical items, had to be sourced elsewhere than originally planned with longer lead times and higher costs.

Last May, Dean Olivier faced his own fear of heights and climbed the scaffolding to the top of the spire to bless the cross as it was set back in place, a powerful symbol of the presence of Christ in the heart of the city.  Since then, the team of architects and contractors worked steadfastly – tackling each challenge as it arose – and finally taking down the scaffolding from the spire.

“This has been an extraordinary journey, one that will ensure that the cathedral will continue to be a place of gathering for Anglicans and Montrealers for many years to come,” writes Dean Olivier.

Although the work is finished, the cathedral still needs to raise $500,000 to $750,000 to cover costs. Donations can be made in three ways: by e-transfer to accounting@montrealcathedral.ca with “Spire” in the message; by cheque labeled “Spire” to Christ Church Cathedral, 1444 Av. Union, Montreal, H3A 2B8; or online at montrealcathedral.ca/finishing-the-spire.

Montreal Anglican

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More than 70 people gathered at the new All Saints Mission, located at the corner of King and Queen streets in Hamilton. The mission is in a newly constructed, 24-storey condominium building.

“You are the best news we’ve had in years,” said Bishop Bell during the service.

Canon Mike Deed, All Saints’ missioner, is working to build partnerships in the local community and exploring ways to open the mission’s doors to new ways of being God’s church. The mission’s mandate is shaped by three priorities: to deepen relationships with God, to walk with its neighbours and to work for justice. “The new building, with its huge windows looking out onto the busyness of King Street, is another constant reminder to seek and meet God in the world and to be invitational,” he says.

Two stained glass windows and the century-old baptismal font from the former All Saints church have been incorporated into the new worship space and are visible from the street.

The people of All Saints Mission have been waiting for a permanent worship space to call their own since 2009, when their church, which dated back to the 1870s, was deemed structurally unsound due to a rare earthquake in 1998. Restoration costs were estimated at more than $6 million, so the congregation voted to leave the building and build a new church to continue ministry in the neighbourhood. The damaged church and other buildings were demolished in 2016.

Since that time, the congregation has worshipped in a nursing home, a local Presbyterian church and with their Anglican siblings at St. Paul, Westdale. The Good Shepherd community in Hamilton also exhibited generous hospitality towards them.

“I hope that you, All Saints, have inaugurated a moment, a movement and a season, and that there will be plenty more new churches to come,” said Bishop Bell.

Niagara Anglican

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With those words, Ugandan bird guide Ibrahim Senfuma greeted the news that St. Andrew, Sharbot Lake in the Diocese of Ontario had raised enough funds for him to purchase 24-channel hearing aids and thus work again as a bird guide.

After a few delays, the funds were transferred from Canada to a hearing clinic in the town of Mukono in Uganda, where a doctor had been working with Mr. Senfuma to find the best hearing aids to pick up bird calls. In early June, Mr. Senfuma was fitted with the aids and, after adjusting to them, decided to try birding. “Today I went birding in the forest,” he wrote. “It was superb. I heard birds everywhere around me. It really works. I heard my birds again.”

St. Andrew’s “Help Ibrah to Hear the Birds Again” fundraiser was a success. Donations came in from as far away as Quebec, B.C. and New Zealand.

“Thanks to you all, Ibrah’s livelihood is now secure and he has received the aids in time for the main Ugandan tourist season, starting in June,” wrote a member of the fundraising team.

Dialogue

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That’s one of the top findings coming out of Cast the Net’s consultations with about 450 lay people. The findings were presented to Synod Council in May.

The diocese’s visioning and strategy process, which takes its name from the Gospel of John, chapter 21, has been consulting with clergy and laity since last fall. The steering committee hopes to bring recommendations to Synod in November that will set a course for the diocese for the next several years.

In the consultations with lay people, participants were asked what it might mean for them to cast their nets on the right (or other) side of the boat. They were asked to imagine that it was five years in the future and there was a feeling of new life and energy in their church and the diocese. They were asked, how did your church try a different approach that resulted in new life? What new or different things did you focus on that brought energy and drew you closer to the life of Christ? What did you need to let go of to allow new things to happen?

Younger people wanted

In response to these questions, many participants referred to young people, including children, youth, young adults and young families. They felt that attracting young people to church was key to their parish’s future, and they hoped the diocese or another church would tell them how to do that. They were concerned for young people’s well-being and wanted to hear from them directly.

Participants suggested changes to liturgy and music to appeal to younger people and newcomers. They desired more energetic, informal and engaging liturgy, and worship that is relevant to community concerns and social justice. They suggested shorter services, updated liturgical language, modern music, relevant and interactive preaching, and different physical spaces and scheduling for worship.

Another common subject of discussion was relations with the wider community, in particular evangelism and outreach, social justice and the Church’s public image. Many participants said evangelism should focus on parishioners who haven’t returned to church since the COVID-19 pandemic, younger people, new Canadians and the “unchurched.” While some expressed enthusiasm for evangelism, others described barriers to it, especially a lack of ability to express their faith and a desire to do so.

In the area of social justice, participants felt the primary focus should be on meeting the material and social needs of those in the community, especially the provision of food and shelter. Advocacy and teaching and learning about social justice issues were also priorities.

Participants said a negative image of the Church may affect engagement with the wider community. They highlighted the Church’s role in the Residential Schools and Anglicanism’s British heritage as two causes of its negative image. They said the image of the Church and the image of Anglicans must change.

High expectations of clergy

In suggesting these changes, participants discussed the roles of lay leaders and volunteers, clergy and the diocese. Some favoured a larger role for lay leaders. “We have to expand lay leadership training,” said a participant. “We have to empower the laity, too.” However, others were concerned by the burden that would be placed on them. “It’s not easy or viable to have churchwardens doing all this work,” said another. “There are so many issues, and we are not supported. It is a tremendous burden.”

Participants had high expectations of clergy. They wanted clergy to be emotionally available and relatable, to be leaders in reaching out to the community, to make preaching and liturgical leadership relatable, and to have spiritual acumen. There was a desire for younger, more diverse clergy. They said pastoral transitions and incumbent vacancies were a significant source of stress in many parishes and encouraged different approaches to staffing. Only one participant mentioned clergy burnout.

Some participants were displeased with the diocese, for taking either too big or too small a role in parish life. They said the diocese could contribute to parish life by supporting outreach, creating a centralized approach to technology, helping with property issues and facilitating collaboration.

Throughout the lay consultations, there was a strong, consistent desire for collaboration among parishes and with other faith and community groups. There was also affirmation of the positive role of technology in parish life, although some feared that it discouraged in-person attendance and put a strain on the parish’s finances and staffing.

Buildings were seen as both a burden and an opportunity. Participants felt congregations needed to get out of their church building as well as welcome the wider community into them. The cost of keeping buildings open was a burden, they said, and many buildings had accessibility challenges. People spoke about letting go of buildings for the good of the community, such as providing affordable housing. Others advocated for a greater investment in buildings, which were seen as anchors for evangelism. They felt that church buildings were often the heart of the community.

Some participants expressed thoughts that were different from the dominant narrative of change for the sake of survival and growth. As a starting point for naming key values, they reflected on why they are part of the Church and moments when the Church had been particularly significant in their lives. They expressed a desire for spiritual connection with God and going back to the basics of their faith. They named a need to be the Church beyond Sunday by living as disciples of Jesus Christ every day.

A number of participants named spirituality, including spiritual experiences, core beliefs and values, as key to their involvement in the Church. “Why do I come to church?” asked one. “There are so many changes in the world; our God is not changing.” Some wanted a stronger emphasis on spirituality in the Church. “Church has become more social and less spiritual – get back to spirituality,” said one. Some called for simplicity, getting “back to basics” in teaching, learning and practicing the faith. Another quiet, consistent theme in the conversations called for a shift in focus from Sunday-only worship in church to living as disciples of Jesus Christ every day.

The presentation to Synod Council in May concluded with some observations from Cast the Net’s coordinators. They said the volunteer facilitators who led the lay consultations reported a lot of positive energy in the groups, alongside considerable anxiety. Participants were grateful for being listened to and were keen for more such conversations, they said, and they were willing to change and work for the outcomes they wanted. There was a need to help people focus on spiritual renewal as opposed to institutional survival – transformational rather than transactional change, “resurrection, not resuscitation,” they concluded.

Not a realistic prospect

Cast the Net’s steering committee asked Dr. Sarah Kathleen Johnson to analyze the results of both the lay and clergy consultations. Dr. Johnson is a professor of liturgy and pastoral theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa and oversees its Anglican Studies programs. Her analyses of the consultations, along with other documents, can be found on the diocese’s website, www.toronto.anglican.ca.

Reflecting on the lay consultations, Dr. Johnson says it is not a realistic prospect for most churches to have a lot of young people, given changing demographics and societal trends. “The desire for churches full of young people is disconnected from the demographic realities that we are facing in Canada,” she says. “The Canadian population as a whole is aging. Our population grows through immigration, and most new Canadians are not Christian, and if they are, they’re not Anglican. Each successive generation is less religious than the preceding generation. These are demographic realities, all of which are not in favour of churches full of young people. So that expectation is out of step with who lives in Canada now.”

However, she says it is important for Cast the Net’s steering committee and the diocesan leadership to hear that desire from lay people. “Recognizing that this is the direction people are looking in, and that there is this underlying anxiety, will be important for the Cast the Net team in shaping a vision.”

Dr. Johnson says one of the highlights of the lay consultations for her was the participants’ focus on liturgy. “There are ways to see it initially as a focus on attracting young people through changing practices, but listening a little bit deeper, there’s a call for liturgical renewal. I describe it in terms of three characteristics: liturgy that is more emotionally engaging and energetic; liturgy that is more relevant and connected to people’s lives and understandable; and liturgy that makes the connection to everyday acts of compassion and social justice that the Church is involved with. I found that really inspiring, to see that call for liturgy that’s more connected to spirituality and discipleship. Those are principles that can be valuable regardless of the style of worship or who’s part of the worshipping community.”

Visionary voices

In her analysis of the lay consultations, Dr. Johnson highlighted the quieter, less prominent voices in the conversations, what she called the “visionary voices.” She says these voices could play a prominent role in shaping a vision for the diocese. “My hunch is that a bold, transformative vision is likely to come from the edge of the Church rather than the centre, and listening to voices that are less central and have historically been marginalized will be important for thinking about ways forward. Looking and listening for those comments was inspiring for me.”

She says it’s important for the Church to listen to those voices. “That’s how we follow Jesus. That’s who Jesus was listening to and was attentive to – those on the margins of his community. One of the ways that we move into our calling as followers of Jesus is being attentive to those who are marginalized in our own context. That’s often where we see God at work, where we hear the prophetic call.”

She was impressed by the amount of energy and engagement shown by the participants. “It was good to hear the energy that was present and the enthusiasm that people had for a chance to gather together to share their stories and learn what other people are doing. I really applaud Cast the Net’s desire and success in listening broadly and deeply.”

Despite the challenges facing the diocese, she is optimistic about its future. “There’s fatigue and recognition of declining membership and participation – those things are real and important to acknowledge – but this is still a large organization. It has financial resources, social power and more than 400 people showing up for a conversation about the future – that’s a strong place to be starting from. While it’s important to acknowledge the fatigue and changing demographic realities, it’s also important to recognize that the Diocese of Toronto still operates out of a position of strength and can use that to shape a future that really serves communities, that serves congregations, that leads to deeper spirituality and discipleship.”

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Archbishop Nicholls leads the Church in discerning and pursuing the mission of God, and despite her national and international roles she makes time to visit parishes of all sizes. Her visit to St. James coincided with the first performance of an anthem composed for the anniversary by parishioner Howard Jones. “St. James in the Heart of the Village” features a lively tune and lyrics that capture the long legacy of faith in the community, including recent times.

When Covid stopped worship in God’s house,

With livestream and Zoom at the touch of a mouse,

God put the church back into everyone’s home,

And still does for those who in person can’t come.

In her address to the congregation, Archbishop Nicholls spoke of God’s constant care for us and our resilience during times like the pandemic. She also welcomed seven members of St. James into the Anglican Communion, a meaningful act for those raised in other faith traditions.

“I’m so glad this happened,” said Claire Olorenshaw. “I was raised in the United Church and attended a Roman Catholic church when my children were little, but I have found my real spiritual home here at St. James.”

Submitted by Diane Allengame, a member of St. James, Caledon East

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Janet Rodrigues, a local spokesperson for Disability Without Poverty, noted that people with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty as other Canadians. Provincial disability support programs, such as the ODSP, leave Canadians with disabilities well below the poverty line. For far too many, it is poverty, not disability, that poses the greatest challenge to surviving with dignity. A Canada Disability Benefit would supplement provincial income supports, helping people with disabilities meet their basic needs and fostering greater personal dignity, independence and social inclusion.

Holy Trinity’s lay pastoral associate, Denise Byard, referenced a Toronto Star editorial written by three health-care providers that outlined the crushing impacts they witness among disabled people living in poverty, and urged swift passage and implementation of the federal benefit. Elin Goulden, the diocese’s social Justice and advocacy consultant, connected the call for a Canada Disability Benefit to other diocesan advocacy efforts, including the 2023 vestry motion to raise social assistance rates.

Several members of the Wellspring Centre (a program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities located at Holy Trinity) and their families attended the event. They spoke poignantly of their experiences of poverty and disability, as well as anti-Black racism. “My son benefits so much from this program,” said a mother of a Wellspring member. “But we can only afford to send him one day a week. I’m worried about his future when I’m no longer able to support him.”

Attendees of the event signed postcards to Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, urging her to implement the Canada Disability Benefit in 2023. The signed postcards were brought to a Disability Without Poverty rally on June 2 at Matt Cohen Park in Toronto, across from Ms. Freeland’s constituency office. Representatives of Disability Without Poverty collected bags of postcards from events held during the week and delivered them to the minister’s office.

Bill C-22 received royal assent on June 22. However, the regulatory process to determine the amount of the benefit, eligibility and other details, has yet to begin. Importantly, the legislation commits to including people with disabilities in the development and design of the regulations.

Still, it could be a year or more before people with disabilities start to receive this much-needed income support. “Considering that the original Canada Disability Benefit Act died on the order paper when the 2021 federal election was called, people with disabilities have already waited two years too long for this benefit,” says Ms. Goulden. “They should not have to wait any longer.”

To call on the federal government to put the Canada Disability Benefit in its fall economic statement and roll out the benefit before the end of 2023, visit the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy webpage, www.toronto.anglican.ca/sjac.  

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