This week our cantor, Ellen Mead, is singing a communion service setting by Richard Jeffrey-Gray. Richard is Head of Music Service at Clifton Cathedral in Bristol, England and principal of Hoxa, a UK media services company. Some of you may remember our Cathedral Girls' Choir singing the Stabat Mater setting by David Bednall in 2018. Jeffrey-Gray is a colleague of Bednall and shares his strong talent for enriching words through texture, harmony and line. With this new brand new work, Richard has responded to the need in choral foundations such as ours for increased variety in cantored/solo mass settings as a result of the pandemic and restrictions on group singing. We are delighted to be able to offer it this weekend in what we believe is its Canadian premiere.

We continue to reopen in stages and will have limited numbers for the immediate future. If you are interested in attending, pre-registration is required. Please email or call the cathedral office. 

As the new season starts, members of the girls' choir met in-person on Thursday for the first time since March! While they were not able to sing together they thoroughly enjoyed re-connecting with each other and the Cathedral campus after a six month absence and to hear about our plans for this next chapter in the life of the GC. How many do you recognize?

On Sunday October 4 at 3:00 pm the Cathedral will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals service - an outdoor service on the forecourt.

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. 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. If you require seating, please bring your own chair. And we will proceed, no matter the weather!

As so many return to school in so many different places and ways this month, we remind you that Sunday school activities are also available online. Check out the virtual classroom with Natasha by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you again soon in-person and hope that until then, you and your families remain healthy and safe.

Remember when we could gather around a real table together and share fellowship in-person? It has been a long and beautiful summer and we have waited patiently for opportunities to connect again.  The Young Adult group has been on a break but will meet again Sunday September 20 at 7 pm for a Zoom Social. If you are interested in joining this event or want to connect with the group even if you can't make this first meeting back, contact the cathedral office and we will put you in touch.

Looking for a special way to send your next message? This unique set of greeting cards offers lovely images from the cathedral and carry your message to say thank you, to mark special occasions and just to let someone know you are thinking of them. Each package contains 5 separate images and are blank inside. Envelopes included. Contact the cathedral office to purchase your package of 5 cards for $10, all in support of cathedral restoration.

It has been a long summer and we have missed being together. This week we reopen "with restrictions" to test the waters and make sure we offer a safe experience for everyone. If you are interested in joining us, we'd like to give you an idea of what to expect. Pre-registration will be required either by email of phone. At this time, the services on September 20 and 27 are fully subscribed. Please contact us to pre-register for other Sundays in September and October.
CLICK HERE for more details.

If you have decided to wait to see how it goes, we will continue to offer an online option until you are comfortable joining us.

In this challenging time we offer a prayer service for healing and comfort. 
Grace and peace to you as you share in the worship of the Church.  

Two Richard Rohr meditations from The Center for Action, in  Albuquerque, New Mexico, are now available online. The first will look at 'The Foundation of Community' and 'Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part One - Awe, Wonder and Love'. You are invited to engage in contemplation learning more about how you view Christian community and faith. 

Readings for next week 
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 27 2020
Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32

For information on anything you read here, please write to us at info@ottawacathedral.ca and we'll be glad to help.

The Cathedral church and premises remain closed except for worship. 
If you are in need of pastoral care or other assistance,
please contact us by calling 613.236.9149 or email us at info@ottawacathedral.ca