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Cathedral Newsletter for February 28th 2021
This Sunday we welcome you to celebrate the Second Sunday in Lent at 10:30 am with Canon Doug Richards as our preacher. During this time of pandemic restrictions, we are partnering with St. Luke's Ottawa and their incumbent, the Reverend Victoria Scott. Please join our live-stream from our YouTube channel (click the link below). We hope you will share this service with others in appropriate ways, abiding physical distancing. CLICK HERE to open your Order of Service for Sunday morning. For more infomation visit:
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Dean's Charge to Vestry
This weekend as the membership and family that is Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa gather (virtually) for the annual Vestry meeting, our Dean offers reflections on her first months. Dean Beth offers her message of hope to you and those close to you as we embark of a new year filled with possibilities for renewed energy as we work toward reopening and gathering again. CLICK HERE to download the Dean's Charge to Vestry for 2021 For more infomation visit:
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Annual Vestry via ZoomSunday, February 28th at 12:30 pm As we wrap up final tasks related to the year 2020 and bid farewell to a year we could not have foretold, we are looking forward to our annual Vestry meeting scheduled for this Sunday, February 28th 2021 beginning at 12:30 pm. This meeting will be held "virtually" using Zoom technology. Pre-registration is required in order to receive your Vestry package (by email) along with connection details. Please register here and/or contact the cathedral office at 613.236.9149 if you have questions, need more information or cannot participate via Zoom and wish to make other arrangements. For more infomation visit:
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Plans for Re-OpeningA message from our diocesan leadership team "Recent days have brought rapid changes in the status of many regions as COVID-19 variants emerge; medical experts continue to stress the need for extreme caution. We’re convinced keeping up the measures for staying safe while waiting to see how the variants behave — and how vaccine delivery plans shape up — is the most responsible way to proceed. Therefore, the plan for reopening our churches to in-person worship, which we promised two weeks ago, must remain tentative because it’s conditional on how government restrictions and public health advice evolve. We hope on March 17 to confirm a plan to allow our diocese to move into Amber stage on Palm Sunday, March 28. This would allow clergy and lay leaders 10 days to prepare for in-person Amber worship, if they feel that is the best choice for their parish. Bishop Shane wants to avoid the stressful and demoralizing situation where we reopen prematurely, only to have to go back into lockdown again soon after. As he put it: “It is wise to remain in Red stage during the entire season of Lent, in the hopeful expectation that we can safely reopen on Palm Sunday, and then take the Holy Week journey to Easter with a sense that this is the beginning of the way out of this pandemic.” Although our churches must remain closed to in-person worship until at least March 27, there is some good news on the financial front. On the recommendation of our Property and Finance Committee, Diocesan Council has approved financial relief for all parishes for the month of March." Over the next few weeks, our cathedral clergy and staff will be planning two different streams of worship for Holy Week, one for in-person worship and one for live-stream worship, so that we are best prepared for either circumstance. Please continue to pray and give thanks for our diocesan leadership, and especially Bishop Shane, during these pandemic days. |
Compline during Lent
An online version of Compline will be offered during Lent, continuing this Friday, February 26th at 9 pm with Canon Doug Richards and Andrew McAnerney. This weekly offering will be available on our YouTube channel (click on the button below at the time of the service) and will continue to March 26th. CLICK HERE to check out additional Lenten resources you can use at home. For more infomation visit:
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Spiritual Disciplines - A Lenten Study
This year you are invited to journey with Canon Doug as we learn about, reflect on and practice seven classical spiritual disciplines. Through a series of weekly podcasts, daily scripture readings, and a few ‘digging deeper questions’ we will look at the what the discipline is, some scriptural foundations, and some practical ways to live into the discipline. Each session is offered as a podcast. CLICK HERE to access podcasts - now available. |
Pausing for Prayer: A Weekday Liturgy of the WordThursdays beginning February 25th Take a moment during the day to pause, pray and reflect as you journey through Lent. These services will be posted each week during Lent and will be offered in the same format as we presented at the beginning of the pandemic. The Order of Service will be posted with links to audio files. As an online resource, you may choose to make them part of your weekly Lenten routine at a time that is most appropriate for you. We hope you will enjoy these offerings and take comfort in these gifts.
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Restoration and Phase II Construction Update
Construction of the Phase II development of Cathedral Hill has been part of a long term plan for the cathedral for some time. After a number of changes in the plan it looks like the start of this new project is near. The cathedral will take advantage of the excavation of this space to undertake restoration of the east wall of the cathedral below grade, as well as the adjoining space above. The job fair for the restoration work was held at the beginning of February and we expect proposals by the 25th. A plan and schedule of work will be forthcoming once the restoration work has been awarded. This is the first step in a major construction project that will see a retirement residence developed on the land by the Reichman group. We will continue to offer updates here as plans and work progress. Please feel free to email (info@ottawacathedral.ca) or phone (613.236.9149) the cathedral office if you have specific questions. We always look forward to hearing from you. Thanks to the generous support of members and friends of the cathedral in 2020, we will not be embarking on another fundraiser for this work. We are most grateful for the continued gifts which have sustained the work of the cathedral in the past year and look forward to the year to come. |
Offerings from St. Luke's
On Wednesdays, St. Luke's offers a Service of the Word with Lectio divina on Zoom. Three different translations (NRSV, Good News and The Message) of the Gospel for the coming Sunday are read, and we are guided by the questions "What word or phrase stood out for you?" "What spoke to you in the passage?" "What meaning had you not perceived before?" and "What is the Gospel asking you to do today?". All are welcome. Click here for the Zoom link.
St. Luke's offers a weekly newsletter with worship resources and much more. CLICK HERE to subscribe, or here to look at previous editions.
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Subscribe to the Cathedral YouTubeNever miss a service 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. For more infomation visit:
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To Keep in Your Prayers
Our Cathedral and St. Luke's
The clergy, staff, and all members, as we meet for our annual vestry and guide the resources and work of our parishes.
Those on Our Hearts
All those that we hold near who are ill or suffering and for the families and friends who are caring for them; all who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Diocese of Ottawa
Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, Paul Dumbrille, Ottawa Representative, and for all parish representatives; all Parish Administrators, giving thanks especially for Josephine Hall.
Our Companion Diocese of Jerusalem
Christ Church, Nazareth, Israel.
The Anglican Church of Canada
Bishop John Organ, clergy and people of the Diocese of Western Newfoundland.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The dean, council, and congregations of the Georgian, Huronia and Bay Areas of the Eastern Synod; Martin Luther Church, Ottawa, Pastor Friedrich Demke.
For more infomation visit:
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More Information
Readings for Next Sunday The Third Sunday of Lent, March 7th 2021 Have Questions? For more information on anything in this newsletter or if you are in need of pastoral care or other assistance, The Cathedral church and premises remain closed during this RED stage of the pandemic plan. |