Anglican Montreal • March 2021
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Thanks to your Receiving God’s generosity we grace through raised over Spiritual Direction. $30,000 for the See page 7. Bishop’s Action ANGLICAN Appeal! MONTREAL Spring 2021 • A section of the Anglican Journal Official Publication of the Diocese of Montreal Q&A with Jesse Zink about Dio’s New Strategic Alliance NICKI HRONJAK work together but retain brought more fully into Dio and independent existences, much made available to our students In January 2021, Montreal as we did 100 years ago. and the churches we serve in Diocesan Theological College In the past year, it became Montreal and beyond. (often known simply as Dio) clear that UTC would need and the United Theological to sell its building to achieve Is Dio closing? College (UTC) in Montreal financial stability. That opened No, absolutely not. This announced a new strategic up new conversations about alliance is about expanding alliance. new ways of cooperating. Over Dio’s programming and Under the terms of the course of the summer and diversity of its student body. the agreement, UTC will fall of 2020—and a lot of time Serving Anglican churches in complete the process of on Zoom—we were able to Quebec and around the world selling its building, which it see how a strategic alliance will remain a core part of what announced last summer, and between the two colleges could we do. end independent operations enhance our common work and this summer. Dio will launch change our structures so they How does this alliance work a United Church Studies are better suited to the time we financially? program that will enroll UTC’s are living in. Over the last couple of years, students and incorporate UTC’s Dio’s financial position has faculty. The Rev. Canon Jesse From Dio’s perspective, what improved, thanks to increasing Zink, Dio’s current principal, benefits do you see coming enrollment and generous will continue to serve as from this arrangement? support from a growing principal of the college which At a very basic level, I think number of donors and the will be located in Dio’s current that it is good for our students Diocese of Montreal. We still building on University Street in to learn in an ecumenical have medium- and long-term Montreal. environment with students financial challenges to address Initially, the strategic alliance from other traditions. They may to get to a sustainable position will last through summer not always agree with their and we are working hard on 2022. Over the course of the United colleagues but being those. coming year, the two colleges in the same classroom helps This improvement made us will explore the possibility them understand what they a serious conversation partner of longer-term cooperation believe and why. This alliance when UTC was figuring out towards a combined Anglican- preserves that environment, what to do after it decided to United college. Dio will retain and that’s good. sell its building. all of its existing affiliations At a broader level, I’ve Over the course of this Montreal Diocesan Theological College opened in 1873. with McGill University, The long been impressed by how alliance—through summer Presbyterian College, and the UTC and the United Church of 2022—UTC will contribute Montreal School of Theology. Tell us about how this about whether our structures Canada more generally have its revenue and income to We talked with Dr. Zink strategic alliance came about. best serve our mission. significantly invested in French- Dio to allow us to pay for about the new alliance and For the last couple of On University Street, we language ministry and French- the new commitments we what we can expect going years, we’ve been having have three parallel theological language preparation for are undertaking. Part of the forward. conversations among the colleges—Dio, UTC, and The ordained ministry. Part of our discernment and planning the theological colleges in Montreal Presbyterian College—that alliance is that this work will be continued on page 8 Can Anything Good Come from a Pandemic? For those in Rural Ministry, the answer is yes! TYSON ROSBERG Out in the Eastern and prayers are offered by Townships — where I began my different people; we have a rota The Rev. Tyson L. Røsberg is the ministry as a newly pandemic- for online preaching, including assistant curate for the regional ordained priest — we have some truly amazing sermons ministry of Brome-Missisquoi in been hosting our Sunday from lay members of our the Eastern Townships morning worship services on congregation. And our organist Zoom since March 2020. It provides music from the grand Recently in an Education for has now been almost a whole piano in her home; we sing Ministry (EFM) Zoom session, year since Covid19 has forced hymns and the day’s psalm, as we were exploring the question the temporary closure of our well as metrical settings of the posed in John’s Gospel (1:46): church buildings for our own Gloria and the Creed. Except “Can any good thing come health and safety. Yet, while for the musicians, each of us from Nazareth?” We quickly our buildings might be closed, remains muted to preserve the expanded the question to: “Can Covid19 has not closed the sound quality on Zoom, but we any good thing come from the Gospel, nor has our ministry to still raise a joyful noise to God, Eastern Townships?” And then God’s people been shut down. each in our own homes. asked further: “Can any good We opted for Zoom as Going online has also thing come from a pandemic?” a worship platform as it expanded our worship style, At least for those of us engaged provides for a wide range of allowing for creativity and in rural ministry, the answer is congregational participation. experimentation; sharing a unequivocally yes! Each of the Biblical readings continued on page 3 Images from the region often accompany our worship. 2 ANGLICAN MONTREAL • MARCH 2021 Bishop’s Message Lent 2021 Message de l’évêque Carême 2021 Anchored in hope! Ancrés dans l’espoir! Our Diocesan coat of arms was created in 1850 when the Diocese Nos armoiries diocésaines ont été créées en 1850 lorsque le of Montreal was formed out of the Diocese of Quebec. Over my diocèse de Montréal a été formé à partir du diocèse de Québec. front door is a stained-glass image of the arms, given to me by a Au-dessus de ma porte d’entrée, se trouve un vitrail des friend when I became your bishop. Designed by Bishop Francis armoiries qui m’a été donné par un ami lorsque je suis devenue Fulford, first bishop of Montreal, it contains a pastoral staff, a key votre évêque. Conçu par Mgr Francis Fulford, premier évêque pointing up and outwards, an open book, a six-pointed star, and de Montréal, il contient une crosse, une clé pointant vers le haut an anchor – all heraldic symbols. The anchor relates to Montreal et vers l’extérieur, un livre ouvert, une étoile à six raies et une being a port city but it is also a symbol of faith and hope. ancre - tous des symboles héraldiques. L’ancre rappelle que The original heraldic design shows an anchor with a rope. It’s Montréal est une ville portuaire, mais elle est aussi un symbole the usual 19th century symbol for “hope”. Anchors are used to de foi et d’espoir. keep a ship in place during a storm and to keep them safe once Le dessin héraldique original montre une ancre avec une safely moored. My mother used to sing the hymn “Will your gumène (câble). C’est le symbole habituel du XIXe siècle pour anchor hold in the storms of life”. As a young person, I never “l’espoir”. Les ancres sont utilisées pour maintenir un navire gave much thought to what exactly the anchor meant except en place pendant une tempête et pour le garder en sécurité une something to help a believer in tough times. The letter to the fois amarré. Ma mère avait l’habitude de chanter l’hymne «Will Hebrews says “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the your anchor hold in the storms of life». Dans ma jeunesse, je n’ai soul”. (6:19) jamais vraiment réfléchi à la signification exacte de cette ancre, This last year has been a stormy one for sure, filled with si ce n’est pour aider un croyant dans les moments difficiles. La uncertainty and suffering and fear. The letter to the Romans lettre aux Hébreux dit : speaks about how suffering is part of life and it can toughen us up and point us to hope for God’s plans and purposes: Cette espérance, nous la tenons comme une ancre sûre et solide pour l’âme (Héb.6, 19a) “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and L’année dernière a été une année orageuse à coup sûr, character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because remplie d’incertitudes, de souffrances et de craintes. La lettre God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that aux Romains explique que la souffrance fait partie de la vie et has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 qu’elle peut nous endurcir et nous inciter à avoir confiance dans les plans et les desseins de Dieu : “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.”Romans 12:12 Bien plus, nous mettons notre fierté dans la détresse elle-même, puisque la détresse, nous le savons, produit la persévérance ; la What has been anchoring you in this last stormy year? persévérance produit la vertu éprouvée ; la vertu éprouvée produit What has been your spiritual lifeline? I’m sure that there have l’espérance ; et l’espérance ne déçoit pas, puisque l’amour de Dieu a been times when you did not know what was coming next and you were very été répandu dans nos cœurs par l’Esprit Saint qui nous a été donné.