This Sunday we celebrate the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost and Cross of Nails Sunday. Please join us for in-person worship! Holy Eucharist (BCP) begins at 8:30 am, and Choral Eucharist (BAS) at 10:30 am. Our preacher will be Canon Hilary Murray. 

For those of you who are not joining us in-person this weekend, please CLICK HERE to join the live-stream Sunday at 10:30. 

CLICK HERE to open your Order of Service for the 8:30 Holy Eucharist (BCP).

CLICK HERE to open your Order of Service for the 10:30 Choral Eucharist (BAS).

...that our Cathedral is part of the Community of the Cross of Nails? Based at Coventry Cathedral in England, the Community of the Cross of Nails is a worldwide network of some 250 churches, charities, peace-building centres, and educational and training organisations, all inspired by the Coventry story of destruction, rebuilding and renewal, and active in reconciliation in our own ways. All partners adhere to the three guiding principles of the Community of the Cross of Nails: Healing the wounds of history, Learning to live with difference and celebrate diversity, and Building a culture of peace. We are guided by the words ‘Father Forgive’, and we pray the Litany of Reconciliation on a regular basis.

Our Cathedral became a partner in 2017 and you can see the Cross of Nails in the Chapel of Reconciliation. Dean Beth participated in the Cross of Nails Pilgrimage in 2018 and is an active member of the Community of the Cross of Nails Canada. The Litany of Reconciliation is prayed every Friday in our Cathedral. If you are interested in knowing more, please be in touch with Dean Beth.

After several months of seamless live-streaming, the system has not been functioning properly for the past couple of Sundays. As with most technological issues, diagnosing, let alone fixing them, is very difficult. Please know that we are working hard to resolve the problems so that all may join us in worship once again. Thank you for your patience during this frustrating time.

Last spring, the Bishop launched the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultation (SPMC) with the following words: What are the shapes of parish ministry that God is calling our diocese to explore? What dreams would God have us dream together? Where is God calling us to be, and where are we called to invest the resources which have been entrusted to us? These are important questions, and we are seeking to answer them together, as a Bishop working with his clergy and people, through a process of gathering and sharing information, conversation, prayer, and collaborative decision-making.

We are currently in the first stage of the process, and, along with all the parishes in the Diocese, have been asked to answer five questions. This is an opportunity to reflect on our ministry over the past few years (including pre-COVID) and to discern what our future might hold. And now it is your turn to answer the following:

1.  What is the single most important thing that the diocese should know about our parish/congregation?

2.  What are the parish's ministry priorities, and how are these priorities lived out in our decisions and activities and the use of our resources?

3.  In what ways does our parish/congregation serve the wider community? How are we engaged with the local community beyond our walls - outreach, events, partnerships?

4.  What are the challenges to accomplishing the work we’ve identified above, in terms of finances, building status and human resources?

5.  Are there ministry opportunities that we are aware of but not involved in? What would we need to engage in them?

There are several ways to share your input:

In Person: Two one-hour sessions will be held this Sunday, September 26th, at 9.30 and 11.45 am. Please register here for these sessions, as you would a worship service.

By Email: Email your responses to the questions to Jane Morris by end of day, Sunday, September 26th.

By Phone: If you, or someone you know, would prefer to speak to someone over the phone, please contact Jane Morris to arrange a call (before Monday, September 27th)

Our Cathedral representatives will be interviewed by members of the SPMC Team on October 5th. Your participation will guide and feature at that interview, so please do contribute!

Thank you for your input and participation in this important work. Please contact Jane Morris if you have further questions.

There is a new face that you may have seen around the cathedral! Bob Albert is a postulant for ordination in our diocese, confirmed by Bishop Chapman in November of 2019. He is studying at Saint Paul University, planning to complete a Masters of Divinity in the Anglican Studies program in the spring of 2022. Bob will be with us until next spring and he will be participating in various activities, including assisting at worship, as he experiences life at the Cathedral. 

Bob is celebrating close to 32 years of marriage to his wife Tracy, an accountant. Bob and Tracy have two grown children. The oldest, Jamey, is in her last year of nursing school at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, and she has two young children, Kayleigh and Mason. Their youngest son Shane works in foundation repair and does odd jobs on weekends.

Please warmly welcome Bob and take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself. 

On Sunday October 3rd at 4 pm our annual Blessing of the Animals service will be held in the Cathedral. Bring your badgers, squirrels, ferrets, foxes, parakeets, pelicans, guillemots, porcupines, penguins, dromedaries, kookaburras, wallabies, wombats, bullfrogs, chipmunks, chuckawallas, caterpillars, godwits and hedgehogs for a blessing. And oh yes, dogs, cats, bunny rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters are welcome too!

For the comfort and the safety of all present, human and animals, please bring your pets on a leash or otherwise secure in a carrier or cage, and remember that masks are required by all humans attending this event and physical distancing must be respected.

Saturday, October 9th at 4 pm join the Cathedral Choirs in a Festive Concert celebrating Harvest Thanksgiving and the return of choral music to our Cathedral.

James Calkin and Andrew McAnerney will lead our Girls' Choir, professional lay clerks and choral scholars in a selection of familiar hymns, anthems, and motets,  accompanied by Nicholas Walters at the organ.

Admission will be by freewill offering and pre-registration is required, along with proof of vaccination (as this is a public concert, not a service of worship).

The Cathedral Young Adult Group is planning two fall walking events and invites you to join them as they take in this beautiful season as our world shows off her amazing colours.

On Saturday, October 16th,  beginning at 11 am, Canon Hilary will lead a hike along the former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King’s favourite trails on his estate. Take in the lookout on the Lauriault Trail andmthe lovely Bridal Veil Falls.

On Saturday, October 23rd, beginning at 10:30 am, Canon Hilary will lead a contemplative walk following the path below the Parliament Buildings, across to Hull, rounding back over the Portage Bridge and back to the Cathedral. On this walk participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their present faith journey as they meditatively walk with each other. 

Pre-registration is required. Questions or requests for more information should be directed to Canon Hilary Murray at hilary.murray@ottawacathedral.ca

Come and join Canon Doug for a six week in-person study of Timothy Keller’s book “The Prodigal God.”  Beginning on Tuesday, October 19th to Tuesday November 23rd at 7 pm we will gather in the Great Hall to study Keller’s intellectual approach to the story of the Prodigal Son. Keller reveals to us an unexpected message of hope and salvation that is found in this great parable of Jesus.  During the pandemic we have missed in person gatherings to connect with others and this will be an opportunity to gather together and learn and share with each other. 

Please note that you must register in advance, as COVID restrictions limit participation to 10 people. Also, all participants will be required to wear a mask, respect social distancing, and present a Vaccination Certificate at the first meeting. Please register with Canon Doug at doug.richards@ottawacathedral.ca

Our Cathedral Team has been busy walking, biking, kayaking, gardening, etc. with the goal of raising $2,500 for the “Light for Every Birth” project, which provides solar suitcases to health clinics in Mozambique, allowing for safer births at night, in areas without power. A matching grant doubles the efforts. Click here to learn more about this project.

Please sponsor their efforts! And if you have questions or comments, please email them to info@ottawacathedral.ca

In July we presented this unique project created by one of the choristers in our Cathedral Girls' Choir. This lovely initiative was the created by Aleesha Katary with her friend, Ally Guo as a way to bring high school students together with seniors in the community.

Music for Seniors offers virtual concerts and this month they are pleased to offer the newly released 8th in the series. 

The Cathedral YouTube channel is your go-to location for all live-streamed services and a number of other saved treasures for you. If you are interested in following the live-streamed services and/or want to revisit some of them at a later time, they are all here for you. Find us anytime at  https://www.youtube.com/c/christchurchcathedralottawa

To find us easily any time, subscribe to the channel. Call the cathedral office if you have questions or need assistance. We look forward to meeting you there.

Readings for Next Sunday
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (with Baptisms at 10:30 am), October 3rd 2021
Galatians 6:14-18; Canticle 15; Matthew 11:25-30 

Questions?

For more information on anything in this newsletter or if you are in need of pastoral care or other assistance,
please contact us by calling 613.236.9149 or emailing info@ottawacathedral.ca.