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PRO CHRISTO ET ECCLESIA Montreal Diocesan Theological College Newsletter
“God’s work is always unfolding, yet we urgently need to do our part to help bring it to fruition. ”
Theological Reflection by the Rev. Dr. Donald L. Boisvert, p. 8 ADVENT / CHRISTMAS 2014
IN THIS ISSUE MONTREAL DIOCESAN Many Fond Memories Dio Chaplain Leaves Montreal THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE Page 3
And Their Eyes Were Principal The Rev. Canon Dr. John Simons Opened Director of Pastoral Studies The Rev. Dr. Karen Egan Director of Lay Education The Rev. Canon Tim Smart In memory of Xu Lizhi (1990- Chaplain The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Rowlinson 2014), Foxconn worker who killed Administrator Beth Reed himself, September 30, 2014 Development Coordinator Afra Saskia Tucker Page 5
Qu’est-ce que la mission Montreal Diocesan Theological College urbaine, la 5e marque de 3475 University mission anglicane et l’église Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2A8 de l’Épiphanie ont en Telephone: 514-849-3004 commun? Fax: 514-849-3114 Page 7 [email protected] | www.dio-mdtc.ca | facebook.com/dio.mdtc Theological Reflection Doing our Part to Bring God’s Work to Fruition Page 8 Cover: The Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton addresses participants of the celebration of the Montreal School of Theology’s Happy Birthday Montreal 100th anniversary School of Theology Photos on this page by Linda Wei The ‘oldest ecumenical consortium in the Western world’ Design and layout: Roland Hui and Afra Saskia Tucker turns 100! Page 10
Alumni Where Are They Now? Page 11
MDTC Alumni and Friends Homecoming Event Page 12
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The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Rowlinson at the Charter of Values protest in Montreal, September, 2013 Many Fond Memories Dio Chaplain Leaves Montreal
BY THE REV. CANON DR. JOHN SIMONS, PRINCIPAL
On Thursday, October 23, the 1995. Back in the mid-80s was her tutor. Elizabeth college said a formal good- while serving as the Dean of had previously lived in the bye to Elizabeth Rowlinson Women at Trinity College, Montreal area where she had at a luncheon in her honour. Toronto, and Principal of St. earned a Ph.D. at McGill, and, For nineteen years, until her Hilda’s College, Elizabeth with her husband, Hugh, had resignation this summer, enrolled in the college’s raised three sons. Elizabeth Elizabeth served the college as Reading and Tutorial Course loved Montreal and wanted to chaplain, and for most of that in Theology. The Rev’d Dr. return after retiring from St. time in an honorary capacity. Don Thompson, one-time Hilda’s College. Accepted as director of pastoral studies at a postulant for ordination by Elizabeth’s association with the college, and, at the time, Bishop Andrew Hutchison, the college began before her director of the Centre for Elizabeth completed the In appointment as chaplain in Christian Studies in Toronto, Ministry Year in 1993 and was
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ordained the same year. She Elizabeth’s musical have accompanied our served as an assistant priest connections in the wider psalm-singing at the weekly at the Cathedral and as one community earned us an Eucharist in St. Luke’s Chapel. of the chaplains at McGill. It entrée to CAMMAC in the On those occasions when was a natural move for her Laurentians where we have we have hosted our sister to add to these duties the held our annual orientation colleges at tri-college worship, responsibilities of part-time retreat since 1996 (with more than one Dio student chaplain at the college. the exception of two years has felt it imperative to sing while the facility was under the psalm with handbells We were greatly blessed reconstruction). Moreover, as this constitutes (or so it by her ministry. When the her friendship with the is believed) a distinctively college still had the residence, organ-builder, Karl Wilhelm, Anglican contribution to the populated, as it was, mostly allowed for the gift of a praise of God offered by the by McGill undergraduates, handsome tracker-action ecumenical Church. Elizabeth paid special organ currently located in attention to them, hosting St. Luke’s Chapel and given I shall miss Elizabeth social gatherings and a to the college in memory of especially for her wise Sunday night service in Elizabeth’s parents. counsel. As a former dean and St. Luke’s Chapel. She also principal she had invaluable instituted the Service of experience and insight. Lessons and Carols for Elizabeth and Hugh have Advent, which has become moved to a retirement home one of our end-of-term in Ontario. We wish them traditions. In the days when health and happiness, and it was held in Convocation we thank God for Elizabeth’s Hall, it attracted up to eighty And then there are the bells! many years of faithful service persons. It continues to be Elizabeth initiated a whole to the college. held in St. Luke’s Chapel on generation of theology the first Friday in Advent, students into the proper though the smaller space has use of handbells which, meant fewer numbers. for almost twenty years,
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And Their Eyes Were Opened In memory of Xu Lizhi (1990-2014), Foxconn worker who killed himself, September 30, 2014
BY THE REV. TIM SMART, M.DIV. ’87, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR LAY EDUCATION FOR THE DIOCESE OF MONTREAL
In the beginning was the Word.
A Word Processor. A fruit named MacIntosh.
An Apple grown in China, plucked off the shelf in Canada, consumed, opening eyes to the new reality of interconnection and global dysfunction, brought to you by the Internet.
Innocence lost.
Outside of Eden, in the open pit mines of Chile where copper is extracted and peasants displaced; in the “Democratic” Republic of Congo where tantalum for capacitors is harvested from the earth and the water is poisoned; mixed with gold from Australia, The Rev. Tim Smart platinum from South Africa, silver from Peru, aluminum, arsenic, lead and mercury, stores–plug and play, now downloading CBC treasures once hidden beneath the earth, now podcasts to keep informed, connecting to his blended together in magical combinations son in Japan via Skype, and watching more beneath my fingertips, so that I might cat videos than is healthy. Uploading his compute that which will never compute, digital reality to the Cloud; storing contacts, the abuse of land and people. Praise the emails and family photos of Christmases extraction skills of mining companies–we past, precious moments, residing forever on helpfully read online, 75% of the world’s a Server Farm in Iowa (where corn no longer mining companies love to call Canada grows) powered by a coal plant, always on, home–and for good reason. Cue the movie everywhere available, eternal, everlasting Avatar. moments. Omnipresent Data, demanding only huge amounts of electricity and updates Assembled in China by overworked and of what you ate for breakfast. underpaid assembly line youth migrants from rural areas, employed by Foxconn (no irony Four years from now, when I’ve finished intended in that name). Boxed, packaged, with the fruit of this labour, I may throw lifted on board container ships bound for the this Apple into the landfill or toss it into promised land where a pastor who has spare some bin, imagining recycling here or there change to buy electronics at glass window overseas by a young kid in a slum, nimbly
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deconstructing the guts of my electronic life, risking his own life, handling precious, deadly metals to make his own living, hoping one day to buy an Apple fallen from the same tree, a cellphone perhaps, connecting him with me in our global village of success, advancement and the good life.
“A Screw Fell to the Ground” by Xu Lizhi (9 Jan. 2014)
A screw fell to the ground
In this dark night of overtime
Plunging vertically, lightly clinking
It won’t attract anyone’s attention
Just like last time
On a night like this
When someone plunged to the ground
References: https://libcom.org/blog/nao http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/ http://www.kairoscanada.org/take-action/ open-for-justice/ http://www.miningwatch.ca
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En tant qu’étudiante en année terminale du programme de M.Div. au Séminaire Diocésain de Montréal, je désirais acquérir des habiletés dans le domaine du développement de missions urbaines. Je me suis jointe à Afra Tucker qui travaille avec l’église de l’Épiphanie pour rejoindre la population de jeunes adultes de Verdun à Montréal, tout en mettant l’emphase sur la 5e marque de mission.
Josée Lemoine
Nous essayons de rencontrer de jeunes adultes intéressés à organiser des activités afin Qu’est-ce que la de créer des liens et réseaux dans la communauté, avec des gens qui ont des passions mission urbaine, la 5e et des valeurs similaires et qui sont particulièrement marque de mission concernés par la question de la protection de l’environnement, le respect de anglicane et l’église la nature et de notre planète, un but qui coïncide avec la de l’Épiphanie ont en 5e marque de mission de l’Église Anglicane qui est d’œuvrer pour la préservation commun? de l’intégrité de la création et maintenir et renouveler la vie PAR JOSÉE LEMOINE, ÉTUDIANTE EN ANNÉE TERMINALE DE LA sur Terre. M.DIV. AU MDTC ET EN STAGE À L’ÉGLISE DE L’ÉPIPHANIE, Afra et moi avons rencontré VERDUN Christine, la responsable de Réseau de jardinage du Sud-Ouest et Verdun, afin
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de voir si nous pourrions et à la préparation du repas. qui se préoccupent de collaborer dans ce sens. Cette activité permettra à des leur alimentation et de sa Ainsi est née l’idée d’une gens de Verdun de se réunir provenance. Cela permettra activité de fabrication de pour apprendre une méthode également à certains membres paneer (un fromage indien de fabrication de fromage de l’église de tisser des liens préparé à partir de lait de bio sans additif et santé. Elle entre de nouveaux arrivants chèvre bio) combinée à un permettra également aux gens dans le quartier, des résidents repas et échange. Christine de faire connaissance autour de longue date et l’église apporte son savoir-faire à d’une table en dégustant un qui est peu connue parmi l’activité de fabrication de repas qui se terminera avec du la population plus jeune. fromage, l’église fournit paneer au dessert. Le début de relations qui son local et met sa cuisine pourraient nous mener à la disposition du groupe. C’est une activité qui à plus long terme vers Afra et moi participons à permettra, nous l’espérons, de d’autres projets et d’autres l’organisation et la publicité tisser des liens entre des gens collaborations. de l’événement, aux achats qui ont des goûts épicuriens,
Theological Reflection: Doing our Part to Bring God’s Work to Fruition
BY THE REV. DR. DONALD L. BOISVERT
The Rev. Dr. Donald L. Boisvert, We sometimes have a rather with the world in which Dip. Min. ‘12, is Assistant Priest we live. Recently, a public at Christ Church Cathedral limited understanding of in Montreal and Associate what theological reflection theology working group was Professor and Chair of the entails. We think it only established to help move us Department of Religion at applies to church stuff or to in this direction. As its first Concordia University. complex religious ideas. But activity, the group decided theological reflection is really that it would focus on the about trying to discern God’s question of climate change. ongoing work in the world. This was timely, especially in light of the major UN At Christ Church Cathedral, meeting on the topic and the we have become especially parallel marches and protests attentive to the need to around the world. First, we be more deliberate about decided that we needed to engaging theologically inform ourselves properly
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about the issue from a Equally significant, however, baptised and committed scientific perspective, and are parts of our tradition Christians. then we needed to make such as our baptismal vows theological sense of it and what the Anglican Marks Finally, theological reflection together. of Mission require of us. considers our experience Consider the question posed and how God is at work What does climate change at baptism: “Will you strive in the world right now. have to do with theology? In a to safeguard the integrity of Certainly, the growth of the word, everything. Theological God’s creation, and respect, environmental and ecological reflection is best done when sustain and renew the life of movements in the last we look to three sources: the Earth?” Or consider also decades, and the ways in scripture, our broad Christian the fifth Mark of Mission, which they have changed tradition, and our own which essentially echoes this people’s awareness and rallied experience as this is most baptismal vow: “To strive massive public support, clearly embodied in the to safeguard the integrity speak rather eloquently to the culture in which we find of creation and sustain myriad of ways that the Spirit ourselves. We obviously look and renew the life of the continues to guide and to the story of creation and earth.” Both of these place support us. God’s work is our God-given responsibilities responsibilities on us as always unfolding, yet we as stewards. The Incarnation Anglican Christians. Doing urgently need to do our part also tells us something something about climate to help bring it to fruition. critically important about the change is therefore a part goodness and worth of the of what we need to do as created world.
Montreal Diocesan development and graduated Theological College is from MDTC with an M.Div. delighted to welcome its new in 2011. She currently serves chaplain the Rev. Rhonda as Associate Priest and Waters. Originally from Director of Education at rural Alberta, Rhonda has Christ Church Cathedral, lived in Montreal off and on Montreal. In addition to her since 1996, with breaks for diocesan and national church stays in Japan and New York commitments, Rhonda is City. She came to theological on the board of Logifem, a studies from a background in transitional shelter for women anthropology and community and children. The Rev. Rhonda Waters Photo by Matthias Heilke, 2014
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Happy Birthday Montreal School of Theology The ‘oldest ecumenical consortium in the Western world’ turns 100!
The Montreal School of Theology celebrated its Council of Churches. The service was followed 100th anniversary on Wednesday, September by a reception. Approximately 100 people 24, 2014. A celebratory worship service was attended the event, including faculty, students, held in McGill’s Birks Heritage Chapel, which and staff of Montreal Diocesan Theological included a sermon entitled “God Uses Whom College, Presbyterian College, and United God Chooses” offered by the Rev. Dr. Karen Theological College. Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian
Clockwise from top left: Afra Tucker (MDTC Development Coordinator) gives a thumbs up alongside the Rev. Dr. Donald Boisvert, the Rev. Dr. Karen Egan (MDTC Director of Studies), and the Rev. Patrick Wheeler. The Rev. Dr. Patricia Kirkpatrick, honorary faculty member of the MDTC and professor of Hebrew Bible in the McGill Faculty of Religious Studies, introduces the speaker. A display of photos and items, recent and old, belonging to the three colleges. MDTC’s first principal the Rev. Joseph Albert Lobley pictured with students (1878).
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Alumni Where are they now?
Emily Carr (MMC ‘05)
Emily Carr is a graduate of the college’s Montreal Ministry Challenge (recently redesigned as Montreal Mission Internship; see page 12). Emily has since moved to Saskatoon, SK where she served as a Lay Minister at Holy Trinity Anglican Church prior to being ordained as a Deacon in 2012. This year, Emily was appointed Priest-in-Charge of St. George’s Anglican Church in Saskatoon, and will also serve as an associate priest at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
The Right Rev. Ron Cutler (B.Th ‘83) Ron Cutler was ordained priest in the diocese of Central Newfoundland in 1981. He has served in various parishes in Newfoundland and in Nova Scotia. In 2008, Ron was made suffragan bishop, and in 2013, was elected coadjutor bishop. This year, he was installed as diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Ron’s interests include children’s and youth ministry, congregational development, and facilitating lay and clergy team ministry.
The Rev. Canon John Gibaut (D.D. honoris causa ‘12)
John Gibaut has served the Anglican community in a number of diverse areas. As a professor at Saint Paul University, Ottawa, he taught in the faculty of Theology; as a priest, he has worked in the dioceses of Toronto, Quebec, and Ottawa. John has also served on several national and international dialogues and commissions. He is currently the Director of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order based in Geneva Switzerland. In 2015, John will be appointed Director for Unity, Faith and Order of the Anglican Communion.
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MDTC Alumni and Friends Homecoming Event
On Wednesday, October 22, Montreal renowned Yale Divinity School Old Testament Diocesan Theological College showed scholar John J. Collins. If you would like to gratitude for the support it receives from show your support of the mission of the college the newly reconstituted Alumni & Friends as an alumnus/a or a Friend, we would love of MDTC Association by serving members to hear from you (and invite you to future a light dinner at the college followed by events)! Please write to us: [email protected] a lecture in the McGill Birks Chapel by
Left: Professor John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School. Right: Friends and alumni of the college: the Rev. Robert Camara, the Rev. John Serjeantson, and the Rev. Jen Bourque
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