All-Community Walk: Lets Keep Building Our Community
Support and Celebrate Station 20 West

Bring friends, family, and neighbours!!

Saturday April 5th, gather at 10am at Station 20 West, 20th Street West and Avenue L South

Station 20 West is a Community Enterprise Centre being constructed in the heart of Saskatoon's core neighbourhoods.

The project will strengthen the economy and create skills and employment, provide much needed services and amenities, reduce poverty and health disparities, use LEED environmental design, and help revitalize the Westside core neighbourhoods.

The Provincial government has pulled their $8 million in promised and committed funding from the project, effectively stopping construction.

We will walk together to show community support to reinstate funding and let this innovative and much-needed community-building project reach its full potential.

Resources:
• Community Walk Poster - download, print, and post in a public location
• Join the Station 20 West Facebook Group - for the latest information on the campaign to reinstate funding
• Community Walk invitation on Facebook - send invitations to your friends
• Sign the online petition to reinstate funding
• Visit the Station 20 West website to read about the project, see artistic renderings, and contribute to the capital campaign

As the Executive Director of an inter-church agency working in Saskatchewan to promote inter-church cooperation, I am writing to express my surprise and grave concern about the decision to cut $8 million of promised and committed provincial funding to the Station 20 West project. At a time of healthy budget surpluses, I cannot understand the provincial government's reasoning and assume it must be based on lack of reliable information about the project.

This is no "throw-more-money-at-the-inner-city-quick-fix" solution, but rather a very well planned partnership between local community based organizations, social service providers, the Saskatoon Health Region, the University of Saskatchewan, the city of Saskatoon and local businesses. Its purpose is to address the very well documented discrepancies in social and health care provision between different areas of Saskatoon.

[Anglican Journal] The diocese of Saskatoon, at its biennial synod held April 4-6, narrowly defeated a resolution that would have allowed clergy to bless same-sex civil marriages.

The vote was 41 against, 38 for and four abstentions, said Lorea Eufemia, secretary/treasurer of the diocese.

Moved by Canon Colin Clay and seconded by Cathy Hartsook, the resolution said: "Be it resolved that this 68th Session of the Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon request the bishop to allow clergy, whose conscience permits, to bless the duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples, where at least one party is baptized, and to authorize rites for such blessings."

It was the first time the issue had come before the Saskatoon synod, and the debate lasted nearly an hour and a half, said Ms. Eufemia. Opinions did not divide along urban and rural lines, she said. "Some members of urban parishes voted against it and some rural parishes were for it," she said. She also noted that the debate was characterized by "respect, kindness and love." The bishop of Saskatoon, Rodney Andrews, who could not immediately be reached, was pleased by the tone of the debate, she said.

The diocese has been discussing the issue of same-sex blessings for the past couple of years, she said. Members of the gay support group Integrity have spoken at diocesan council, the St. Michael report (which considers whether it is a matter of church doctrine) has been distributed to parishes and parishes have held consultations on the issue.

This Pastoral Letter was read in churches across the Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan on April 20th.

To the clergy and people of the Diocese of Saskatchewan

Dear friends,

This is a difficult letter to write but I must let you know that I have submitted my resignation to the Metropolitan of Rupert's Land effective September 1, 2008. I begin that day a new ministry as Rector of the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the privilege of serving with you these past 17 years, first as Dean and, since 1993, as Bishop. Our sense of call to Texas is a positive one but at the same time I felt that it would be an opportunity for the Diocese to be overseen with a fresh pair of eyes, and to enjoy the excitement and momentum a change of bishop brings.

Archbishop Clarke will soon be in touch with our Executive Committee to start the process to elect a new Bishop. The person you will choose to carry this ministry forward will be greatly blessed. This Diocese is well known for the singular spirit of cooperation, good will, and thoughtfulness you bring to the challenges of the day. I have good hope and every reason to believe that God has another fruitful season in store for you.

It was said that St. Paul had a thousand friends and loved each as his own soul, and died a thousand deaths when the time came for him to leave them. I suppose every departing bishop feels something of this sense of loss but I feel it acutely today because of the exceptional generosity and openness of heart with which you have consistently encouraged me. I hope to visit with many of you before we go.

Anna, Caroline, Peter and I wish you God's blessing as you continue steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Anthony Burton
Bishop of Saskatchewan

[Marites S. Sison • Anglican Journal] Justice Harry S. LaForme, an aboriginal Ontario Court of Appeal judge, has been appointed by the federal government to chair an independent commission that will hear the stories and promote public education about the 150-year legacy of the now-defunct Indian residential schools.

"This is an important step in our commitment to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, and another example of our government doing the right thing for former students, and all Canadians," said Minister of Indian Affairs Chuck Strahl who announced on April 28 Justice LaForme's appointment as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Ottawa. Mr. Strahl said that Justice LaForme, who is a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nations in southern Ontario, "brings a wealth of respect and leadership experience and is the most senior aboriginal judge in the country."

Assembly of First Nations chief Phil Fontaine hailed Justice LaForme's appointment saying, "Not only is he a proud First Nations citizen, he is an outstanding jurist and a compassionate and understanding person." He added: "I have no doubt he will leave no stoned unturned in his investigation of exactly what happened in residential schools, the harm caused, why and how it happened and who was responsible. At the same time, he will bring the grace and compassion required in the truth commission's work so necessary for healing to begin."

[ELCA News Service • Fort Worth, Texas] -- By a vote of 864-19, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) adopted an implementing resolution April 28 that will establish full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Full communion will be fully realized by both churches should the same proposal be adopted at the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly, which meets Aug. 17-23, 2009, in Minneapolis.

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (Vatican) and the Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) held their sixth Colloquium in Rome from 28 - 30 April 2008 under the joint presidency of His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and His Excellency Dr. Mahdi Mostafavi, President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.

The delegation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was composed as follows:
- His Excellency Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata
- His Excellency Archbishop Ramzi Garmou
- Reverend Monsignor Khaled Akasheh
- Reverend Monsignor Prof. Piero Coda
- Reverend Father Prof. Michel Fédou, S.J.
- Prof. Vittorio Possenti
- Dr. Ilaria Morali

The delegation of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation was composed as follows:
- Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Mohammad Jafar Elmi
- Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Mohammad Masjedjamei
- Dr. Abdolrahim Gavahi
- Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Seyyed Mahdi Khamoushi
- Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Hamid Parsania
- Dr. Rasoul Rasoulipour
- Mr. Mohsen Daneshmand

The participants, with the help of six papers presented by three scholars from each side, examined the theme Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam, which was developed through three sub-themes from the point of view of Catholics and Shi'a Muslims: 1) Faith and reason: Which relation? 2) Theology/Kalam as inquiry into the rationality of faith; 3) Faith and reason confronted with the phenomenon of violence.

And the end of the meeting the participants agreed upon the following:

1. Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind.

2. Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it.

3. Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith.

4. Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values.

5. Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalities and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs.

6. Generalization should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions within Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered.

7. Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them.

The participants expressed their satisfaction with the level of the presentations and the debates as well as the open and friendly atmosphere during the colloquium.

The participants were honoured and pleased to be received at the end of the colloquium by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who was particularly satisfied with the choice of the theme and the venue of the meeting.

The next colloquium will be held in Tehran within two years, preceded by a preparatory meeting.

Source: Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue