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ANGLICAN MONTREAL See page 5! Winter 2020 • A section of the Anglican Journal Official Publication of the Diocese of Montreal Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in the Diocese of Montreal CHRIS BELLE I get from the song, anyway. Here now is a sample of one of the Rev’d Christopher Belle is the the verses: Incumbent of St Joseph of Naza- When I was young I us’d to wait reth, Assistant Priest at St Marga- ret of Antioch and Regional Dean On Massa and hand him de plate; of the South Shore Deanery Pass down de bottle when he git dry And bresh away de blue tail fly. Jimmy Crack corn and I don’t care Jimmy Crack corn… Jimmy Crack corn and I don’t care Jimmy Crack corn and I don’t care, What an eye-opener for me. Ole Massa gone away. I did not know this was what -from “The Blue-Tail Fly” by the song meant. I discovered Virginia Minstrels (1946) this song’s meaning in the Dio- cese of Montreal. These were Our television screens have the lyrics on the song sheet that been inundated with images was handed out to everybody of racial discord as thousands in attendance (including me) upon thousands band together at the ‘Welcome Back’ Sunday to speak out against police School picnic on my first Sun- brutality aimed at people of day as a priest for the parish. colour. There have been cries “It’s also a chance to welcome for justice, racial equality, Father Chris on his first Sunday defunding the police, ‘Enough with us!” Smiles everywhere. is enough!’, and so on. For a These people like me; they re- while, it felt like there was ally, really like me! a new instance of racial When it was time, I took discrimination, perpetrated in Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, arranged by Th. my song sheet. I looked it over. a violent and, all too often, fatal Comer, Boston, 1843. Scanned from Dan Emmett and the Rise of Early Negro Minstrelsy by Hans Nathan. I heard somebody say, “Let’s manner, every other week. sing Jimmy Crack Corn”. I was The rallying cry “BLACK to dismantle anti-Black racism “ Clearly, teaching is shows from the mid-Nineteenth on board. I knew this one. I did LIVES MATTER” has been in that country. As with many needed. People need to be century. (Minstrel shows con- not know it was a full song. I heard loud and clear for years things (other than shopping made aware of how sisted of white men perform- scanned the page until I found now, as people all over the and gas), we Canadians tend their words and ing in ‘Blackface’, doing their the lyrics. I started to sing. world stand in solidarity with to comfort ourselves with the actions affect others.” best impression of what they And then I stopped. Mid- Black people who have had to blessed assurance that at least thought Black people sounded line. Hang on. What is this suffer life-threatening injustice we are not on par with the would insist that we don’t have like). This song is about a slave I’m singing? Does anyone else for way too long. Enough is United States. We are not as bad a racist bone in our bodies. lamenting his master’s tragic hear this? Does anyone see MY enough, indeed. as they are. Surely there’s no anti-Black death, after being thrown from face?!? Now, it should be noted that Sooo…why do we need racism to dismantle here. a horse. It seems the horse was I look around. People are many of the cases that have to worry ourselves with Hang on. bitten by the dreaded Blue-tail singing lustily, just leaning into really sparked recent public dismantling racism in the The lyrics printed at the fly, sending the beast into a this song about a black slave outrage (George Floyd, Breonna Diocese of Montreal? We’re a beginning of this article come frenzy. Sadly, it was the job of whose job was to make sure the Taylor, etc.) have occurred in bunch of God-fearing people, from a little ditty called ‘The the slave to brush away these ‘massa’ (and his HORSE!!!!!) the United States of America. who love the Lord, and love Blue-Tail Fly’, a song performed flies, a job he was only too hap- were not bitten by flies. A job he We can certainly see the need each other. So many of us during those delightful minstrel py to do. That’s the impression continued on page 3 Bishop’s Action Appeal Responds to Needs at Home and Abroad NICKI HRONJAK benefit from her annual appeal: ministries are stretched for funds as they have had to adapt When you opened up your Local Missions the services they provide to the paper this month, some- As you may know, each vulnerable, the isolated and the thing should have fallen November, our bishop typically newly arrived in our midst. I out - an envelope with the hosts an annual dinner to raise hope you will take the time to message“Urgent Appeal”. funds for the diocese to help read about these ministries in Instead of recycling this piece us keep our financial committ- the aforementioned letter or of mail, I encourage you to ment to the Mile End Mission, visit our website, www.mon- open it! It contains information Tyndale St Georges Comunity treal.anglican.ca. about this year’s Bishop Action Center and Action Réfugiés. Of Appeal, which asks for your course, due to the pandemic, Disabled Palestinian Children support for ministries that our this year’s dinner was can- The other beneficiary of this bishop holds dear to her heart. celled. year’s appeal is the Princess This year Bishop Mary has Yet the need for our support Basma Hospital in Jerusalem. A Ahmad with his therapist (pre-Covid) at the Jerusalem Princess chosen several recipients to has persists. All three of these continued on page 3 Basma Centre. 2 ANGLICAN MONTREAL • DECEMBER 2020 Bishop’s Message Advent 2020 Message de l’évêque Avent 2020 It’s Advent already and the pandemic is not over C’est déjà l’Avent et la pandémie n’est pas encore terminée ! yet!! In most years the season of Advent is filled with La plupart des années, la saison de l’Avent est remplie d’une mounting pressure: things to do, people to see, and pression croissante : des choses à faire, des gens à voir et des places to go! There is shopping, baking, cooking—per- endroits à visiter ! Il y a des achats, de la pâtisserie, de la cuisine haps gifts to be wrapped, decorating to do, parties to - peut-être des cadeaux à emballer, de la décoration à faire, des host or attend, and extra church services as well! fêtes à organiser ou auxquelles assister, ainsi que des services This year, while some of our congregations have religieux supplémentaires! opened up for in-person services with restricted num- Cette année, si certaines de nos congrégations ont ouvert bers of people, many have chosen to continue to meet leurs portes pour des services en personne avec un nombre online. Either way, we are a long way away from get- restreint de personnes, beaucoup ont choisi de continuer à se ting back to ‘normal’. So, what will this year’s celebra- réunir en ligne. Quoi qu’il en soit, nous sommes loin de reve- tion of Advent and Christmas look like in ‘Covid-tide’? nir à la “normale”. Alors, à quoi ressemblera la célébration de I know that many of us are tired and discouraged, l’Avent et de Noël de cette année sous la “vague Covid” ? missing our loved ones and our freedom to move Je sais que beaucoup d’entre nous sont fatigués et découra- around. I am, too. Some of us have been bereaved, gés, que nos proches nous manquent et que notre liberté de become ill ourselves, or lost jobs. Many people struggle mouvement est menacée. Moi aussi, je le suis. Certains d’entre with loneliness or are afraid of the danger this virus nous ont été endeuillés, sont tombés malades ou ont perdu leur brings to themselves or others. After eight months of emploi. Beaucoup de gens luttent contre la solitude ou ont peur special measures to keep one another safe, I am so impa- du danger que ce virus représente pour eux-mêmes ou pour les tient! I know that you must be too. autres. Après huit mois de mesures spéciales pour assurer la sécurité des uns et Here then are some things to think about: How do I live now, while des autres, je suis si impatiente ! Je sais que vous devez l’être aussi. I wait for the pandemic to end? What do Advent and Christmas teach Voici donc quelques éléments de réflexion : Comment puis-je vivre me about what the world is going through now? maintenant, en attendant la fin de la pandémie ? Qu’est-ce que l’Avent et Noël The Sunday scriptures during Advent have to do with the end m’apprennent sur ce que le monde traverse actuellement ? times and the return of Christ: we need to be ready and patient at Les écritures du dimanche pendant l’Avent ont trait à la fin des temps et au the same time! They encourage us to hold fast to our hope. They tell retour du Christ : nous devons être prêts et patients en même temps ! Elles nous about people who listen to God and respond faithfully when they do.