Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 9 Thoughts from our Bishop Youth reach out to homeless Centre 105 overwhelmed by Albert Dumont on Canada’s peers generosity first PM THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF OTTAWA Section of the Anglican Journal February 2021 Crosstalk PHOTO: BARBARA BROWN Cathedral Labyrinth Guild members share the wonders of snow labyrinths and walking meditations. See story pp. 6-7 Cornerstone’s emergency shelter moves to a new location PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID HUMPHREYS emergency housing for more than director of Cornerstone, says the 100 women. The aging property impact on both staff and residents ust before Christmas, 34 home- on O’Connor Street was in need of has been huge. While challenged and less and vulnerable women repair and lacked capacity for critical tired, the staff have gone above and boarded an OC Transpo bus at social distancing to protect against beyond the call of duty, excited about Jthe Cornerstone Emergency Shelter COVID-19. being able to offer better accommo- on O’Connor Street for a short ride Anyone who has gone through a dation. into an uncertain but hope-filled single household move knows it is an The challenges included plumbing future. unsettling and stressful experience. leaks and flooding in a building that When they reached their destina- Imagine, then, a “household” of 34 had been vacant for a year before be- tion in downtown Ottawa, some of moving. ing leased by the City of Ottawa for them were literally moved to tears to The shelter on O’Connor housed the shelter. discover new private or semi-private 61 women until the pandemic made Dore has high praise for the City rooms with washrooms and support the numbers in the old building for funding and facilitating the com- services with built-in physical distanc- unsustainable, forcing many to be plex move. The City designated a ing. relocated temporarily to hotels. team to work with Cornerstone every “We were expecting to have a Their new home is the Physical Within two weeks of the move, step of the way, including modifying terrible year both financially and Distancing Centre for Women, which the original 34 welcomed another 40 the new building and adding CO- with in-kind donations of food is a Cornerstone Housing for Women residents from the temporary hotel VID-19 signage. and supplies, but it was the op- partnership with the City of Ottawa lodgings and the Shepherds of Good The result, she says, is a new and posite,” reports Taylor Seguin of and Shepherds of Good Hope. Hope shelter. Staff expected to reach big opportunity for Cornerstone. Centre 105 in Cornwall. The centre, operated by Cor- capacity early in 2021. nerstone, provides safe and secure Martine Dore, interim executive Cornerstone, page 4 Centre 105, page 5 Page 2 • CROSSTALK • February 2021 FROM OUR BISHOP When the desert blooms, life begins anew ne of the great joys in my I like to lead pilgrimages during like we have been in the ministry has been a close the season of Lent. In the beautiful wilderness for a very long connection with our com- Ash Wednesday service in the Book time. We have had a vivid Opanion Diocese of Jerusalem and the of Alternative Services we say, “every experience of the 40 days Middle East. Since 2004, when I first year at the time of the Christian and 40 nights Jesus spent visited the land of the Holy One, I Passover we celebrate our redemption in the hills and valleys have been a pilgrim and led several through the death and resurrection you see in the photograph pilgrimages—most recently in 2019. of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is a beside this column. When the pandemic ends, I intend time to prepare for this celebration When the prophet to lead more pilgrimages because and to renew our life in the paschal Isaiah speaks of hope to they offer rich spiritual growth to mystery.” a people who have been clergy and laity—and because our Journeying through the land of in exile, away from the partners there are greatly heartened the Holy One in Lent, listening to the normal pattern of life by visits from fellow Anglicans. “Fifth Gospel” as it is proclaimed by and the familiar things Coadjutor Bishop Hosam the sun, wind, water and stones of they had always known, Naoum, with whom I share a warm the places where the life, death and he says, “the wilderness friendship from our years as cathe- resurrection of Jesus happened, is a and the dry land shall dral deans, says, “the population profoundly moving way to prepare be glad, the desert shall of Christians increases every time for the celebration of Easter. rejoice and blossom; like a pilgrim group comes here!” This On the first full day of my pilgrim- the crocus it shall blossom sounds light-hearted but speaks to an ages we journey to the desert, the abundantly, and rejoice important truth: Christians comprise wilderness where Jesus was tempted, with joy and singing.” If only 2% of the population of Israel where Moses led the people of Israel, you look closely at the ac- and about 1% of the population of and where John the Baptist dwelt. companying photograph, Palestine, and the vast majority are Driving down from Jerusalem to the you will see something Arabs. In both cases, Anglicans are Dead Sea, and then south to Masada, rare: the desert is blooming. The Judean Wilderness, seen from the Wadi a small minority of all Christians pilgrims look upon the land Moses Soon, God willing, and Qelt lookout, Lent 2019. in the land of the Holy One. When last saw before he died, as the Exodus with the best of human In the meantime, lift one another’s pilgrim groups are on the ground, reached its conclusion and Joshua wisdom and compassion, all people spirits, and give generously to orga- the presence of Christians (socially fought the battle of Jericho. From the on earth will see the end of this nizations that are assisting others in and economically) makes a big dif- staggering vistas of Masada, pilgrims pandemic, this time of walking in these challenging days. And do not ference. feel the heat of the desert as they sometimes foreboding desert lands, hesitate to receive the vaccine when it look out over its expanse in Israel and with dark valleys and steep inclines. is available in your area: that, too, is Jordan. Think of how we will rejoice when PHOTO: ART BABYCH an act of selfless care and generosity In the late afternoon, having spent that happens, when the desert blooms toward all other human beings. It is a time in the ancient oasis city of Jeri- for us and life begins anew. Christ-like thing to do. cho, we go to the Wadi Qelt lookout, an out of the way place I discovered while on a course at Saint George’s College in Jerusalem. I like to give pilgrims lots of time to sit or walk along the ridge, listening to the land tell its story of Jesus in the wilder- ness, knowing that what they see is Bishop s largely unchanged since the time Jesus walked there. It is at once mind- expanding and deeply centring. It is hard to believe that we en- The Rt. Rev. Shane Parker, tered into the coronavirus pandemic Bishop of Ottawa in Lent of last year, although it feels CLERGY NEWS 38th Annual and 1st Virtual The Rev. Adam Brown has been the Parish of St. Aidan’s, Ottawa, appointed Assistant Curate in the effective Mar. 3, 2021. Area Parish of the St. Lawrence, effective Feb. 15, 2021. The Rev. Jan Staniforth has been appointed Spiritual Director of the Save the Date! The Rev. Susan Lewis has been Ottawa Anglican Cursillo Movement, appointed Associate Incumbent (half- effective Dec. 1, 2020. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 time) of the Parish of West Quebec, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The Rev. Arran Thorpe has been appointed Incumbent of the parish The Bishop’s Gala Committee members are hard at The Rev. Alana McCord has been of Epiphany, Ottawa, effective Mar. appointed Associate Incumbent 8, 2021. work behind the scenes planning this fabulous event of the Parish of St. Paul’s Kanata, for all to enjoy. Please look for more information in effective Mar. 2, 2021. The Rev. Rhonda Waters has the March edition of Crosstalk. been appointed as Regional Dean The Rev. Rosemary Parker of Ottawa Centre, effective Dec. 1, has been appointed Incumbent of 2020. February 2021 • CROSSTALK • Page 3 PARISH NEWS St. Helen’s and All Saints youth team up to give well stocked backpacks to homeless teens By Clara Adams around the circle with the n Dec. 6, 2020, the youth supplies we had brought. and their leaders from St. We had masks on and kept Helen’s Anglican Church socially distanced, but it was Oand All Saints Westboro came still an awesome opportu- together to create backpacks full of nity to get to know people supplies for homeless youth. The two from other youth groups groups collected materials for the and make a difference to backpacks, including hairbrushes and other people of our age. hair elastics, socks, towels, and the And I can tell you, seeing backpacks themselves. all the backpacks piled into This was done with funds raised one of the cars afterwards by the youth, originally for CLAY, was really rewarding and which was unable to happen in per- gave us all a feeling of ac- son this year. CLAY, or the Canadian complishment.