The Traditional Anglican Parishes of St Whitsuntide 201…  · Web viewEMERALD ECHO. Parish...

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EMERALD ECHO Parish Newsletter St. Bride of Kildare, Pitt Meadows St. Columba of Iona, Halfmoon Bay The Traditional Anglican Church of Canada Vol. 6 No. 3: Whitsuntide 2015 Is this how the Future looks for Anglican Catholic Worship in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia? In the early 1970’s, having left teaching, a new career started for me when I was employed by Johnson & Johnson as a sales representative. Given a little book entitled ‘Sell as customers like it’, the advice to ‘Plan your work & work your plan’ and with the added counsel that whilst you might be a valued employee, if you once leave that corporation, you will never work for the J&J family of companies again! Whether that was true then or now really doesn’t matter, but it illustrates the change which occurs when we change significant parts of our life, reflecting the attitudes which we adopt to justify our actions. If you decide to take drastic action, you will have already prepared yourself for the step ahead of you: so the loyalty and high regard which you had for previous managers & colleagues might be replaced by a litany of their shortcomings: perhaps at the same time that your soon to be former colleagues have started their own litanies where your shortcomings and failings are catalogued. Whereas you and they have been working to develop ‘team’ and ‘team spirit’ by emphasising common ground between team members, the situation has changed in much the same way that an earthquake alters the landscape in an instant, in unforeseen ways: and once the power of an earthquake is unleashed, man is powerless to withstand the forces set loose!

Transcript of The Traditional Anglican Parishes of St Whitsuntide 201…  · Web viewEMERALD ECHO. Parish...

EMERALD ECHOParish Newsletter

St. Bride of Kildare, Pitt MeadowsSt. Columba of Iona, Halfmoon Bay

The Traditional Anglican Church of Canada

Vol. 6 No. 3: Whitsuntide 2015

Is this how the Future looks forAnglican Catholic Worship in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia?

In the early 1970’s, having left teaching, a new career started for me when I was employed by Johnson & Johnson as a sales representative. Given a little book entitled ‘Sell as customers like it’, the advice to ‘Plan your work & work your plan’ and with the added counsel that whilst you might be a valued employee, if you once leave that corporation, you will never work for the J&J family of companies again! Whether that was true then or now really doesn’t matter, but it illustrates the change which occurs when we change significant parts of our life, reflecting the attitudes which we adopt to justify our actions.

If you decide to take drastic action, you will have already prepared yourself for the step ahead of you: so the loyalty and high regard which you had for previous managers & colleagues might be replaced by a litany of their shortcomings: perhaps at the same time that your soon to be former colleagues have started their own litanies where your shortcomings and failings are catalogued. Whereas you and they have been working to develop ‘team’ and ‘team spirit’ by emphasising

common ground between team members, the situation has changed in much the same way that an earthquake alters the landscape in an instant, in unforeseen ways: and once the power of an earthquake is unleashed, man is powerless to withstand the forces set loose!

In recent months, a small group of people from the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, (St. Peter & St. Paul, Burnaby), the Christian Episcopal Church (St. Saviour’s Richmond & St. George the Martyr, White Rock, as well as the Traditional Anglican Church of Canada (St. Bride of Kildare, Pitt Meadows, & St. Columba of Iona, Halfmoon Bay) have met periodically for Evening Prayer and discussion about Anglican faith and heritage.

More recently, it became apparent that there was confusion about why those who had for many years worshipped together were now separated, and what had to happen

for this division to be resolved. The suggestion was made that as the division, and its healing, were in the control of the Bishops of each church and their respective synod governance, perhaps the best thing would be for the laity concerned in each parish to write to the several bishops and vicar-general to voice their concerns, and request that matters be resolved – perhaps initially with an agreement to permit ‘inter-communion’ between the groups.

This proposal has received some initial & favourable response about the concept of developing some form of intercommunion from Archbishop Haverland and Fr. Mansfield, as well as a reply from the Bishops of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, who state that they are willing to receive any individuals or groups who wish to apply to reintegrate themselves into the ACCC-TAC.

Pray that the work initiated by the laity of these parishes might produce an accord which in turn might, with

contrition duly expressed for those errors committed in past years, lead to the early reconciliation of old differences, and permit further discussion as to the future development of the Anglican Catholic faith in a region where it has been under assault since the Congress of St. Louis in 1977.

DRM+

International Catholic Congress of Anglicans

The International Catholic Congress of Anglicans – Restoring the Conciliar Church and Her Mission – will be 13 – 17 July, hosted by St. Andrew´s, Fort Worth, Texas. The theme is “One Church, One Faith, One Lord.” To register, go to the Forward in Faith/NA website or paste the following address into your browser: (www.fifna.org).

Note from the ACC website: (http://www.anglicancatholic.org/announcements/85)

‘Archbishop Haverland to speak at the International Congress of Catholic Anglicans in July.’

‘Archbishop Mark Haverland has accepted an invitation to speak at the International Congress of Catholic Anglicans (July 13-17, 2015). Sponsored by Forward in Faith, North America, this event is inspired by the famous Anglo-Catholic Congresses of the 1920s and will feature speakers from across the Anglican world.’

A recent telephone call reminded me of the Society of Mary, as I was speaking with Col. Wallace Spaulding, the President of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, who is also the Corresponding Secretary of the Society of Mary….this is from Bishop Paul Hewitt’s newsletter for the Diocese of the Holy Cross.

The Society of Mary

At [the Diocese of the Holy Cross] Diocesan Synod this past April 23-24, a discussion-in-depth occurred about the Society of Mary, and how our parishes and missions could set up cells within it. Mary helps to gather all Christians who love Her Son. “The Society of Mary is one of several Catholic devotional societies within the Anglican tradition, honoring Her whom God has honored, the Virgin Mother of His incarnate Son, Jesus; thus bearing witness to His holy incarnation. This witness to and emphasis on the dogma of the Incarnation, is expressed in devotional and liturgical practices, designed to enrich and enhance the discipleship and spiritual lives of our members, and the worship and mission of the Church.

The place and role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Church, and the economy of salvation is demonstrated in the liturgy and liturgical arts of the Church, in chapels and shrines dedicated to Her, in stained glass and icons, in hymnody and church music.

Many members share the Rule of life and their devotion to our Lady, in Wards and cells, which develop ways to promote Her honor, teach the faith, and celebrate Her glory. And with other devotional societies, we uphold and promote the fullness of Catholic Faith, Order, and Morals, hopefully with apostolic zeal and ecumenical witness.” Fr. John D.

Alexander, SSC, Ph.D., Superior, Society of Mary, American Region. To learn more click (http://www.somamerica.org/)

Other Anglican Devotional Societies: Society of King Charles the Martyr Guild of All Souls Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament

(to be reviewed in future editions)

The Africa Appeal

You can now send donations to either: The Parish of St.

Bride, c/o 20895 Camwood

Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 2N9 or

Parish of St. Columba, c/o Box 894, Sechelt, BC,

V0N 3A0Please ensure that your cheque is

made out to the parish, with a note saying ‘Africa Appeal’

Some Thoughts on Church Growth and Evangelism in the Anglican Catholic Church - Part 1

The Rev'd Canon Stephen C. Scarlett Jun 27, 2011 (The Rt. Reverend Stephen Scarlett, Bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Cross began his ministry as a lay reader by founding St. Mark’s Church in Kentfield, CA. in 1983. He was ordained as a Deacon in February of 1986 and moved to Birmingham, Alabama. He spent his brief time there traveling around the south, visiting and serving Anglican churches in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida. He was called to St. Matthew’s in October of 1986. He was ordained as a priest at St. Matthew’s in December of 1986 and has served as rector of St. Matthew’s since that time.)

Introduction. Archbishop Haverland has commissioned us to begin an American initiative to promote the growth of our churches and the planting of new churches. The intent is for this complement our mission efforts in other countries.

The issue to be addressed. Some Anglican Catholic churches are growing and some have built churches. But a large, perhaps majority number of our parishes exist in a steady or declining state. The typical congregation is faithful but older. There is a struggle to replace those who die or move and an even greater struggle to begin Sunday schools and other programs aimed at youth.

Before we can look for answers, we need to reflect upon the cause of our current condition. One contributing factor is the non-evangelical nature of the Anglo Catholic tradition as we have received it in the ACC. This is not a characteristic of Anglo Catholicism per se. For example, one can read the book, Glorious Battle, by John Sheldon Reed to see the very evangelical nature of many post Oxford Movement Anglo Catholics.

What is meant by the word evangelical? The Affirmation of St. Louis calls us to an

“evangelical witness.” This refers to a concern for the salvation and welfare of the world outside of our parish walls. More particularly, it

refers to a concern for conversion of hearts to faith in Jesus Christ and a desire to instruct believers in the faith–to “make disciples.”

One reason we have not been evangelically oriented is that evangelism was not the primary cause for which the ACC was founded in events of 1977-78 in St. Louis and Denver. The primary concern at our inception was to maintain the Faith that had been abandoned by the Episcopal Church. There was great and necessary concern to define and guard the parameters of Orthodoxy.

Many of the founding clergy of the ACC had, for many years, fought the battle against both low church attacks on the fullness of the faith and heretical attacks on the essentials of the faith. They held on to and bequeathed to us a church, but it was not their vocation and gift to shift gears and evangelize in the new world the ACC faced.

Most of the clergy who gathered for the events of St. Louis and Denver (1977-1978) were raised in the 1940's-1970's, which was a vastly different religious world that we now face. It was a world in which mainline denominations were strong and people identified with them. It was a world in which many were raised in a church. It was a world in which a man could go to seminary for three years and then expect to find a job in the church upon graduation. The ACC has in many ways continued to train men for ministry in the church that was.

In the years immediately following the 1978 consecrations, two others things undermined evangelism. First, the response to the Continuing Church was less than anticipated. There was expectation that thousands would join in a wave of enthusiasm over the new, orthodox Anglican alternative. Instead, thousands stayed put or stayed home. Also,

many who came brought conflict. The raging battle of their former church became the defining feature of their new parish.

Second, there were internal divisions and fights among the Anglicans at the beginning and in subsequent chapters of the history. Those who were present know that sometimes issues of principle were at stake. However, the prospective converts did know this. In the Acts of the Apostle we are constantly told how the unity of the church was foundation for its growth. Evangelism is always undermined by disunifying conflict. It instills a contentious attitude in those parishes that are involved in the conflict. All parish energy is sapped by the conflict so that there is no energy left for ministry. The very issue itself, whatever it is, tends to instill a more inward focus.

The net effect of the things outlined above is that, while ACC parishes are typically confident about the faith they hold, the are also typically uncertain about how to share this faith in their community.

Towards an evangelical Anglo Catholicism. We must begin by putting all past disappointments and conflicts behind us. Few who would be members of our parishes care about our old battles. Even fewer care about how it was done in St. Swithins in 1955. As Archbishop Cahoon once said, “We don’t have time to waste answering questions that no one is asking.”

The good news is that we are also freed from these things. Because we have made our break with heresy and are clear about our theological positions, we do not have to be stuck fighting or rehashing old battles. We can present our faith to the world around us in positive terms, in terms of what it is in its fullness. This will take a conscious change. Some of our clergy and people more comfortable fighting the old battles than doing the work of an evangelist.

Meanwhile, the world around us has moved on in at least some positive ways. The 60's-70's

reaction against tradition has become a return to tradition in the 21st century. There are young people out there who will embrace the whole faith if it is presented to them in an evangelical way. One of the delightful ironies I have witnessed is watching a college age convert to Anglicanism bringing his evangelical church parents to the liturgy. The traditional Christian is now the rebel against the established church of the nondenominational seeker and the established religion of secularism.

The ACC is positioned to welcome converts looking for a return to tradition. However, people will not come simply because we are there. And if they do come they will not stay in a church that is content to be a museum dedicated to the preservation of period Anglicanism. We must realize that change is necessary–perhaps a revolution.

Essential aspects of parish evangelism. The following comments are not meant to be an exhaustive treatment of what to do. But the following points are central and may at least begin the discussion.

1. From maintenance to mission. The first change that must take place is a transformation from concern about church maintenance to concern about the mission of the church. Being satisfied that we rightly performed the liturgy, balanced the budget and paid all the bills for one more year is not good enough. We must want to make new disciples.

We must begin to ask questions like, ‘What is our mission and ministry in this community?’ How will we go about the business of asking people to come? How will we go about welcoming them when they do? What is our program for teaching the faith to newcomers? When will we have our Bible Studies? Who will teach them? What other programs do we want to offer?

We must believe that a growing ministry can take place in our churches–that God can do remarkable things among us. Much of our

ministry is undermined by an unspoken attitude that says, “This is all we can be.” The beginning of evangelism among us is faith that God has called us to do something and boldness to do it new challenging ways.

2. All genuine efforts at evangelism begin with prayer. Without a serious church-wide commitment to pray about God’s will for the parish and for parish growth, all efforts will be wasted. We are saved by grace and not by works. Each parish that wants to change should identify a core group of members that is willing to address the issue. The newly formed “Missions Committee” should begin with a study of Acts 1 and 2. The early church began in the upper room praying for the Holy Spirit to come. The first thing the Christians did was to pray and wait. The first thing a parish should do is pray and wait.

At St. Matthews in the mid 1990's, we set aside Tuesday nights for prayer and discussion about evangelism. We had evening prayer with special intercessions for the growth of our parish. We asked people to fast habitually as they prayed. After prayer, we discussed things we might do. Some hair-brained and almost heretical ideas were surfaced and rejected, but a sense of common calling came out of the prayer and discussion over time. The beginning of evangelism is to begin to ask and pray about the question.

The essential question we discussed was: Since people will not understand the liturgy coming in off the streets, how can we open other doors of entry? We ended up doing various things. The Alpha Course, dinners with seasonal themes, periodic evensong and dinners and an inquirer’s classes. Each parish can discern, by prayer and discussion, what things might work in its particular setting.

3. Evangelism must be rooted in personal invitation. The key to any evangelistic endeavor is invitation. You must invite people to come to your church! All church studies make it clear that in excess of 80% of all new

church members joined because someone invited them. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME TALKING ABOUT ADS. Go ahead and put an advertisement in the paper and in the Yellow Pages. Put it in and forget about it. It will get you an occasional visitor. That is it!

In terms bang for the buck, web sites are much more effective than traditional newspaper advertisements. Young people routinely shop for and find things on the internet. If you become serious about evangelism, you will also become serious about developing a first class, missions oriented website.

However, the fact remains, YOU MUST INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO YOUR CHURCH! You encounter God at your church. Why wouldn’t someone you know also find God there? (If you don’t encounter God at your church, the first step is to remedy that!) Once church members become willing and prayerful about inviting people, God will provide opportunities.

4. Develop non liturgical doors of entry. As you invite, you must remember that the liturgy is not meant to convert those who do not believe. Hence, it is better to invite people to things that are more accessible as a way of introduction to the parish. When people do come to the liturgy, there should be notice given of the next inquirer’s class. It should be made clear that no one is expected to understand the liturgy on their first visit, but it should also be clear that the church offers a pathway to understanding–that we want visitors to know what we know.

St Bride’s Mission

Mass at noon each Thursday, followed by lunch and discussion:‘The Imitation of Christ’ by Thomas à Kempis.

Location: The Meeting Room at St. Peter & St. Paul, 7772, Graham Avenue, Burnaby, V3N 1V4.

Anglican Worship

O worship the Lordin the beauty of holiness 

The Beauty of HolinessThough the 20th century has seen an increasing trend towards "church as entertainment," we in the ACC share the view of Lancelot Andrews, Bishop of Winchester (1617-1626), who believed that there should be a sense of holy decency" in the worship of the Church.  From the grandeur of the Solemn High Mass to the sturdy simplicity of the said Daily Office, Anglican worship is characterized by a sense of reverence.  And while our worship is not always formal, we take care to ensure that is it carried out with a respect for "the beauty of holiness." (Ps. 96.9).

The Daily OfficeThe Anglican Daily Office has its origins in the earliest age of the church. We read, for example, in Acts 10 of Cornelius and his household praying together at specific times of the day. These prayer gatherings

most likely followed the Jewish custom, during which psalms would be recited, canticles sung, and lessons read.

Later, with the rise of monasticism, this course of prayer became regularized, with members of the community coming together seven times over the course of the day. These services were named either to reflect their specific purpose, after the respective hours when they were to occur.

Mattins--from the Latin, matutinus, meaning "of the morning"Lauds--from laudare, meaning "to praise"Prime, Tierce, Sext, and Nones--from the time in which these services were to occur, i.e. the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours of the dayVespers--from the Latin, vespera, meaning "evening"Compline--from the Latin verb form completum, meaning" fulfilled, finished, or complete",

This schedule of services ensured that the monastic community would uphold its officium, or "duty" of regular prayer and reading, but because of the time involved, this practice was not really suited for those who had to labor, and even the secular clergy, whose primary responsibility was to their parish, had difficulty maintaining its course. So, in the 16th century when Archbishop Thomas Cranmer set out to create a Book of Common Prayer, that is, a prayer book for everyone, he combined the sevenfold office of the

old monastic rule into two shorter services, Morning and Evening Prayer. These two services still retained the essential character of psalms, lessons and canticles, but were streamlined and simplified so that secular clergy and even laymen could use them.

This revised rite remains the essential structure around which the prayer life of Anglican Christians is built. The Daily Office, as found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, remains essentially unchanged from the days of Cranmer's revision, and the Psalter, which is taken from the Great Bible of 1539, retains in its language an honest and earthy grandeur. Though Morning and Evening Prayer are an important part of Anglican corporate worship, and are often said in the course of Sunday services, they are intended to be a regular, that is daily office, which may be said by the individual Christian at any time and any place. Thus, the Daily Office is a key means of exercising the spirit in the regular life of prayer.

The Holy EucharistThe Holy Eucharist is the central act of worship for catholic Christians. In the Mass, we commemorate Our Lord's sacrifice on the cross, and receive his body and blood under the form of bread and wine. In the United States, the mass is celebrated according to the rites found in 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Other authorized rites include that the

1962 Canadian Prayer Book, the 1954 South African Prayer Book, and the 1963 Indian Prayer Book, as well as those found in the Anglican Missal.  Each of these has its own beauty, and each occupies a unique place in the history of Anglican worship. In the current Missal, services are said using one of the three authorized canons:

The Gregorian Canon: This is the most ancient, of the Eucharistic three rites. It is the core of what was once known as the "Sarum Rite," which was used throughout most of the southern province in pre-reformation England. Nowadays, when the Gregorian Canon is used, it is generally said in English, though a Latin version is available in certain missals.

The Prayer Book Canon of 1549: This is the Eucharistic canon from the very first Book of Common Prayer. Devised by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, it incorporated many elements of the ancient liturgy and served as a bridge between the Use of Sarum and later prayer book revisions.

The American Canon:  This is perhaps the most familiar of the three Eucharistic canons, being based on the liturgy laid out in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (American Edition). There are a few minor differences, such as the inclusion of certain prayers, most of which are said silently by the priest, but it will be familiar to anyone who

grew up in the pre-1970s Episcopal Church.

The amount of ceremonial in Anglican parishes varies depending on the day, but most services are what have traditionally been thought of as a "Low Mass." This means that although there may be some chanting, the bulk of the rite is said.  Likewise there are no sacred ministers (that is, the priest alone is celebrant), and things like torches and incense are not used.

In some parishes, there are occasions, such as Christmas and Easter, where the importance and rank of the day lends itself to an added level of ceremonial. At such times such parishes may celebrate a form of "High Mass." This generally does involve chanting, as worshippers remember the dictum often attributed to St. Augustine--Qui bene cantat, bis orat, or "he who sings well, prays twice." Such occasions may also see the use of incence, both in honor of Our Lord, who was given frankincense at his birth, and to symbolize our prayers which, St. John tells us, ascend up like 'the smoke of the incense" before the throne of God.

Whatever the level of ceremonial, the Holy Eucharist is the key expression of our catholic faith and an opportunity for the worshipper to enter into communion with God.

(http://www.anglicancatholic.org/anglican-worship?class=greenlink)

News from Fr. David…If we consider that it was the immense power of the Holy Spirit which gave the Apostles & Evangelists, and all who were with them, including the women: the Mother of Christ, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, amongst them, the strength to withstand the assaults of the ‘enemy’, then it is perhaps even more important that as the end times of this world come yet closer to fruition, that we take very seriously the message of Pentecost, and take some time this summer Trinity season to reflect on the state of affairs in our community.

Such reflection might encourage us to see the desperate situation of so many in our own communities, who find life to be increasingly difficult and insecure, in large part because of the high costs which drive the property market, leaving high debt loads, and so little money for all the ‘good things of life’ that Canadian families have come to expect. In turn, the very fact that many cannot afford those ‘good things’ leads inevitably to bad feelings towards those who can afford them, and the risk that such feelings might, at some stage, translate into action. After all, much of the recent violence in the USA and Canada can be attributed by an explosion of hurt feelings, whether this is based on race or on religion.

The drive for Evangelisation with which Bishop Scarlett deals in his article is a drive to bring those who might otherwise be lost to a love and belief in Jesus Christ.

Bishop Scarlett deals with the tactical means of doing this: but for those of us

who simply cannot participate in an ‘action – driven’ project, we have the opportunity to bring the power of the Holy Spirit to bear on the challenge, by devoting ourselves to prayer, prayer that others might find what we have found, what we treasure as that pearl of great price.

‘Almighty and most merciful God, grant, we beseech thee, that, by the in-dwelling of thy Holy Spirit, we may be enlightened for thy service; through Jesus Christ Our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit ever One God, world without end. Amen.’

DRM+

Congo (DRC), Cameroon &South Sudan

The Africa AppealIn the last edition of the Echo, the new parish and order of religious in Edea was featured: this project to develop the house in Edea in order to provide a chapel for worship, office space, and living accommodation for the sisters, who will be involved in setting up a school and health centre as these are developed is now being supported by both Anglican Aid Abroad in Australia, and ourselves at the Africa Appeal as a memorial to Frits Jacobsen: who offered strong support to the Appeal since its inception.

Also as a memorial to Frist is the project in Congo (DRC) to provide a sound roof to the parish church of St. Paul in Fizi.

The appeal for these funds is underway, slowly: but it is sometimes difficult to ensure that we have the regular ‘operating’ funds at the same time.

Bottom line: like so many other appeals for your help, and rather like Oliver Twist - when hungry, he had the audacity to ask for ‘more’; so we hear the needs from the churches in South Sudan, Congo and Cameroon, and then we have to come to you with our bowl in our hands, and say, ‘In your mercy, please help’.

From Michael Townsend in Australia:True?  Who knows?  Who cares?

It is two a.m. and the Nursing Home halls are quiet and dim. I walk through the first floor, looking in each room to make sure my charges are resting easy. I pass the nursing station, nod and smile in silent greeting. I head down the South wing.

Ina is reading, she doesn't sleep much. She likes war novels. Can you believe that? Here is this 91 year old woman, hair primly "up" for the night, commanding fleets and armies courtesy of Tom Clancy and W.E.B Griffin. I get the latest about how we SHOULD have resolved the thing with China about them holding our Navy plane crew. I agree. Ina's a trip.

I come to Tommy's room, he's awake in bed. He's not really aware of where he is any more. It hurts me to see that. I go in and sit beside him. He likes me to do that, it seems to bring him comfort. Soon he is asleep again, resting at peace. That makes me feel good, let's me know that I do matter around here.

Back to the nursing station I push the button to summon the elevator. My colleagues are down the hall helping Norma into bed after the hourly trip to the bathroom. I wave with my head to them as the elevator door whispers open, get on, and press the button for the second floor.

The Duke lives in 228 and joins me as I complete my rounds. His real name is Harold but nobody EVER calls him anything but "The Duke." The Duke's another of our "characters." He pretends to be an old curmudgeon, but he's really an old sweetie. The Duke

If you wish to receive the Emerald Echo electronically, please drop a note to the editor at

sees us and he goes into his routine about: "How can a guy get a little rest in this joint with every body parading by every ten minutes?"The Duke was in the Navy and has coins from all over the world. Each coin has a story and if you don't mind the frequent themes of bars, fights, and the many ladies that have graced The Duke's life, the stories are fascinating. I love The Duke.

Well, time for me to take a break. The kitchen crew will be in soon, I'll be supervising breakfast as always. This is a really full time job. I've no complaints though. I wouldn't want it any other way.

A little over a year ago I was really down and out. My family had broken up and it looked like I wasn't going to have much of a future. When you think about it, I'm lucky to be alive at all. I have no complaints now. I'm needed here and valued for what I bring to the job.

My name is "Angel." I'm a 5 year old female White Boxer. A former "owner surrender." Today I'm a full time, Resident Therapy Boxer in a Nursing Home in New Jersey.Thanks for letting me share my story with you.

~ The Author is Jim Papworth ~Note: I wrote Jim for permission to share this story and he added the following: "Angel really exists. I wrote this story while I sat with my Mom in the Nursing Home and after watching Angel work. The residents portrayed are real and are examples of some of the wide range of people who now call this home. Angel does make her rounds each and every night. She does it solo, has the run of the residence and uses the elevator. She can open doors on her own. She is always supervised but not closely. She has earned the very special trust she now enjoys. Besides her night rounds, Angel works with the physical therapists as an Animal Assisted Therapy Dog during the day. Her main job though is to bring comfort and joy to people who all too often have none in their lives. She's very, very good at her job."

 Necessity may be the mother of invention, but God is the Father of all good things.

Bible Study

The group meets at the Ferguson’s, (T. 604-463-5300) on every second & fourth Thursday (from September 12th) 20895 Camwood Ave.., Maple RidgeTopic: ‘The Acts of the Apostles’Mass 7.00 pm, discussion to follow.

If you have any questions about what happens during divine worship, let us know with a short note to the editor (drm274@ hotmail.com ) and we will try and give you the answer in the next Emerald Echo.

ALL SOULS’ MEMORIAL LISTJune 2 Gerald George Weir

6 Beryl Anne Shier9 Russell Savage9 St. Columba of Iona9 Elizabeth Regina Low17 Betty Fox18 Patricia Amy Evelyn Mills19 Marion Margaret Hayward21 Horace Cartwright22 Clara Clark23 Pat Moline23

Carmino de Catanzaro (Bishop)

24 James Foster27 Sarah Myint27 William Todd27 Charles Donovan28 Terry Fox30 Joey Gardner

July 1 Alfred Woolcock (Bishop)

5 Elizabeth Jane Ferguson11 Douglas Palmer12 James Corps (Priest)15 Sydney J. McLean15 Charles Parrott17 Jerome Bond17 Elizabeth Bond21 Peggy Steacey25 Marion Maud Whalley25 Ruth Whitworth27 William Woroniak28 Charles Lee Abbott (Priest)29 Barbara Boake29 Gertrude Todd30 O'Neill Gaétan Côté (Priest)30 Joyce Frances Lucille Fraser

August 1 Frederick Feilding Wilkins

7 Henry Nelson Campbell10 John Livingston Campbell10 Florence May Thomas22

Henry Arthur Wellesley Ferguson

23 Brian Cowan (Priest)23 Roland Palmer, SSJE (Priest)23

Edward L. Wilkin (Archdeacon)

25 Athol Redmond26 Gertrude Crichton Greene26

Mary Elizabeth Helen Redmond

27 Henry Lyman Corey29 John Woroniak30 Monica Dantu

Services forJune, July & August 2015.

June 7 Trinity I Evensong MassJune 14 Trinity II MassJune 21 Trinity III Evensong MassJune 28 Trinity IV MassJuly 5 Trinity V Evensong MassJuly 12 Trinity VI MassJuly 19 Trinity VII Evensong MassJuly 26 Trinity VIII MassAugust 2 Trinity IX Evensong MassAugust 9 Trinity X MassAugust 16 Trinity XI Evensong MattinsAugust 23 Trinity XII EvensongAugust 30 Trinity XIII Evensong MattinsSept. 6 Trinity XIV Evensong

Midweek Mass:Every Thursday at 12 noon, the St. Bride’s MissionMass is celebrated in the meeting room of St.Peter & St. Paul, 7772 Graham Avenue, Burnaby.All welcome: lunch and study group follows.