March 2018 Primate to Resign on Final Day of General Synod 2019 Joelle Kidd Surprise Announcement
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ANGLICAN JOURNAL Since 1875 vol. 144 no. 3 march 2018 Primate to resign on final day of General Synod 2019 Joelle Kidd surprise announcement. reminders of “what our work is in our own plans to conclude my years of service as STAFF WRITER Reading aloud from a pastoral letter to communities and in the world. Primate, and time for the Church to make Archbishop Fred Hiltz announced January the church written Jan. 7, 2018, the primate “Sometimes those commitments take the arrangements necessary for the election 9 that he has submitted his notice of inten- recounted the baptism of the Lord, and the form of thoughtful and prayerful of a new Primate,” Hiltz read. tion to resign as primate of the Anglican Jesus’ 40 days and nights in the wilderness. discernment with respect to making way His announcement brought tears to the Church of Canada on July 16, 2019, at the “Many biblical scholars speak of it as a for new leadership,” said Hiltz, who at eyes of some Anglican Church of Cana- conclusion of the 42nd General Synod. time of spiritual discernment to the nature times in his speech paused, overcome with da staff, and many staff members paused Hiltz called national church staff to of his mission. It was clearly a time of spir- emotion. while leaving the chapel afterward to a gathering at the chapel of the church’s itual wrestling,” said Hiltz. These stories of “Now, dear friends, is such a time for embrace the primate. national office in Toronto and made the baptism and discernment, Hiltz said, are our beloved Church, a time for me to make See Hiltz, p. 12 ‘You can’t be selfish and survive’ in Canada’s harsh but beautiful North Joelle Kidd STAFF WRITER The Ungava Peninsula in Nunavik, north- ern Quebec, is flanked by Hudson Bay on one side and Ungava Bay on the other. Here, above the treeline, wide open skies frame sweeping views of snow through the crisp, cold air. “It’s a beautiful place, amazingly beauti- ful,” says Esther Wesley, co-ordinator of the Anglican Healing Fund. “But life is harsh.” Wesley, along with Melanie Delva, reconciliation animator for the Anglican Church of Canada, travelled to the area in 5Scene from Waiting for hours for a plane to arrive or December, during a two-week visit with a village in extending a visit because of a storm are Bishop David Parsons, of the diocese of Nunavik, Que. typical barriers to travel in these fly-in the Arctic. Travelling with the bishop gave communities. PHOTO: ESTHER WESLEY them the chance to experience church But people don’t complain, she says. services in eight communities—as well as Waiting at the airport is simply an oppor- Arctic storms—and try traditional foods tunity to chat. and Parsons’ homemade bread. “The hospitality was just immense. We For Delva, it was the first time travelling were welcomed really kindly wherever we so far north. “One of the huge learnings went,” says Delva. People were kind, open, for me was that you’re really at the mercy “not so individualistic and self-centred. It’s of other people and the weather,” she says. very community-centred.” PHOTO: MELANIE DELVA Delva, who describes herself as “type A,” The communities Delva and Wesley Holy Trinity Anglican Church, in the northern Inuit village of says it was a major adjustment for their visited have populations that range from Kangirsuk, Que., was established in 1962. plans to be completely outside her control. See Prayer, p. 6 Is your church dementia-friendly? regrets error FEATURE4 Anglican Journal Tali Folkins seniors for Alberta’s provincial health TheAnglican Journal regrets a are “remote, excessive and STAFF WRITER authority. Cole, who is also president of significant error that ap- unforeseeable”; “vague, exag- As Canadians age, people with dementia the Canadian Gerontological Nursing peared in the story, Diocese gerated and overstated”; and are becoming increasingly common in Association, gave a talk on creating of Brandon denies breach of “the results of other incidents congregations—and there’s more that can dementia-friendly congregations last fall duty in sex assault lawsuit, and events in her life both be done to make churches welcoming to in Calgary, where she attends St. Martin’s published on the newspaper’s here and after the alleged them, an Anglican authority on aging says. Anglican Church. website Nov. 29, 2017. actions of [Nigel] Packwood.” “If we knew a bit more as a community, It’s important because churches have a A sentence in the original What it should have stated we might be a bit more accommodating” unique role to play in helping the elderly version of the story incor- was that the diocese was contesting the plaintiff’s claim to those with dementia, says Mollie Cole, stay socially connected and healthy, she rectly stated that the diocese contends the plaintiff’s claims See We are, p. 10 PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED an advanced practice nurse now managing says. Mollie Cole programs to improve the health care of See Special, p. 7 3 4 Moosonee is on When a church PM# 40069670 a mission closes 2 anglican journal • march 2018 QUEBEC4 Anglicans support paralyzed mosque shooting hero Tali Folkins publicized in newspapers, a fundraising STAFF WRITER campaign was set up with the goal of Quebec City’s Anglican community joined raising the $400,000 organizers say is a multi-faith gathering to offer reflective needed to purchase a new home for him song and prayer to the public January 28, and his family. Soon thereafter, Myers at the one-year commemoration of the posted a link on his Facebook page to the mass shooting at the city’s Grand Mosque. fundraising campaign’s website, inviting Anglicans in the city have also sup- others to join him in contributing to the ported efforts to provide a new home for fund. a member of the mosque whose heroic “He literally put himself in the line of actions during the attack left him paralyzed fire so that others could be saved, and so from the chest down. my immediate thought about him when I Six men were killed and 19 others first heard his story and subsequently read wounded when a gunman opened fire some really compelling media accounts of on worshippers at the mosque as they what happened, was Jesus telling us that no prayed shortly before 8 p.m. January 29, one has greater love than to lay down their 2017. Alexandre Bissonnette, a university life for their friends,” Myers said. “Aymen student, has been charged with six counts is a living example of this sacrificial love in of first-degree murder and five counts of our midst.” attempted murder in relation to the attack. Myers said the cathedral parish has The January 29 shooting was designated its Christmas Eve offering to commemorated through different events the fund—according to a Facebook post by January 26-29, said Bruce Myers, bishop cathedral Dean Christian Schreiner, this of the diocese of Quebec. On January 26, totalled almost $900—and a fundraising a traditional day of community prayers in concert is being organized in the cathedral. the Muslim tradition, Muslims from across As of January 29, $329,842 had been the city gathered at the Grand Mosque for 5Aymen and fulfillment of a promise of peace.” raised to find a new home for Derbali and special prayers of commemoration. Other Derbali, now Quebec City Anglicans have also been his family, according to Amira Elghawaby, events included an exhibit in the mosque’s a paraplegic helping support victims of the attack. In a volunteer for the group behind the the immediate aftermath, the diocese, prayer room—where the shooting took after he took fundraising campaign. Myers says, contributed to a widows’ and The diocese has been reaching out to place—of expressions of sympathy and seven bullets support the Muslim community received orphans’ fund set up to support family Quebec’s Muslim community since the in the days and weeks following the attack. trying to protect members of the victims. More recently, shooting in a variety of ways, Myers said, On January 28, Quebec City Anglicans others during Anglicans have lent their support to hosting this fall, for example, a gathering joined local Muslims, Roman Catholics, the mosque Aymen Derbali, a member of the mosque of Muslim and Anglican families in the Indigenous peoples and Jews for a spiritual shooting, with who was shot seven times while reportedly cathedral, with similar events planned for drawing the shooter’s attention to himself gathering at ExpoCité, a city-owned event- friends and the near future. hosting facility, to mark the attack. in an attempt to save others. Myers said he also feels that the process A small group of choristers from Que- fundraising Because he is paralyzed from the chest of planning the commemoration of the bec City’s Cathedral of the Holy Trinity volunteers down, Derbali is living in a rehabilitation tragedy was something of a step forward sang the Nunc Dimittis (The Song of PHOTO: TARIQ SYED centre, unable to return to his family’s in interfaith relations in the city—one he Simeon) from the Gospel of Luke, chosen, apartment because it can’t accommodate hopes will lead to what he calls “a more in- Myers said, because it “speaks of the hope his wheelchair. After his story was tentional, sustained interfaith dialogue.” g This Easter, make a world of difference. If you’re looking for a meaningful Easter gift for the children in your life, visit PWRDF’s World of Gifts on-line gift guide at pwrdf.org/worldofgifts.