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"Women who serve professionally in ecclesial ministry have much to offer the church and have much to share with one another." It is with this conviction that the second Women in Ministry gathering will take place at Queen's House Retreat and Renewal; Centre, Saskatoon, from February 15 to 17, 2009. This year's gathering takes inspiration from the book "Life of the Beloved" by Henri Nouwen.
The purpose of bringing together ordained and lay women employed in ecclesial ministry of all Christian traditions is to share and celebrate our journeys of faith and of call, to learn from and to support each other. Ministry commitments and responsibilities can have a way of insulating us from one another if we are not intentional about forging connections and encounters.
Facilitated by Marie-Louis Ternier-Gommers, Rev. Amanda Currie, Rev. Debbie Walker, and Elizabeth Nickel. There will be a special guest presenter, Bishop Cindy Halmarson of the ELCIC Saskatchewan Synod.
Pre-registration is required at least two weeks in advance in order to ensure that the program has adequate attendance to proceed.
Register online at Queen's House, use the Registration form, or phone (306) 242-1916; fax (306) 653-5941; or email
Join the Saskatoon faith communities on December 31st for candle lighting, quiet music, reflections, and prayer for peace. An annual tradition in Saskatoon, the interfaith Gathering for Peace is held at St. Paul's Cathedral, Spadina Crescent and 22nd Street East on New Year's Eve at 7:30 pm. This year, the theme is "Combating poverty, Building Peace".
The evening begins with candle lighting and quiet reflection, followed by song, readings from various religious texts, and reflections from the multi-faith community. The evening ends with a time for fellowship with hot apple cider and cookies.
Please join us at 7:30 pm on New Year's Eve at St. Paul's Cathedral. Everyone, of all religious traditions, is welcome.
A few years ago, other than a few specialists in Christian-Muslim dialogue, the average churchgoer would have little awareness of the tentative steps taken in dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The Danish cartoon controversy and Pope Benedict's comments at a lecture in Regensburg re-focused attention on the difficult relationship between Christianity and Islam. Since then, there has been an intentional effort to bring more publicity to the existing forms of dialogue. There have also been new forums for dialogue established.
In the past months we have seen three such dialogues gather and report their proceedings to the world. In November, the Catholic-Muslim Forum met for the first time. This forum is a response to "A Common Word", an invitation from 138 Muslim scholars to begin a dialogue with Christians. "A Common Word" was addressed to numerous Christian leaders, and has received positive responses from many quarters. The Catholic-Muslim Forum met November 4-6 in Rome and issued a joint declaration. It is expected to meet again in two years in a Muslim country.
This week we find two further dialogues reporting. On December 14th, a communiqué was issued by a symposium between the World Council of Churches and the Iranian Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in Tehran. This symposium is the fifth in a series, and the first to include representatives of the Iranian churches. This Shi'a Muslim organization has close ties to the Iranian government. A similar dialogue also exists with the Vatican. Today, a further dialogue has reported. The Catholic-Muslim Colloquium is a dialogue between the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Islamic Call Society (WICS). A short communiqué was issued after their December 15-17 gathering in Rome. This colloquium was the 11th in a series.
The Rev. Michael Hawkins was elected as bishop of the Anglican diocese of Saskatchewan on Saturday. The election was held at St. Alban's Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, the seat of the diocese. The bishop-elect has been rector of St. Alban's since 2001, and also serves as Dean of Saskatchewan. Rev. Hawkins was elected to succeed Bishop Anthony Burton who took up parish ministry in Dallas last September. The diocese has announced that March 6th has been set as the date for the consecration of their new bishop.
Help us record the history of ecumenism in our community!
You are invited to share your stories about local ecumenical events or activities that have improved relationships between Christians in Saskatchewan over the years.
Stories will be collected and included in an anniversary history book being prepared by The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism to mark its 25th anniversary in 2009. Please take some time to write up an event or activity, past or present, which brought you closer to other Christians in your area. Photographs are also welcome.
Send submissions to:
The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism,
600 - 45 St. West, Saskatoon, SK. S7L 5W9
E-mail:
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Interreligious Prayer: A Christian Guide
The Rev. Michael Hawkins was elected as bishop of the Anglican diocese of Saskatchewan on Saturday. The election was held at St. Alban's Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, the seat of the diocese. The bishop-elect has been rector of St. Alban's since 2001, and also serves as Dean of Saskatchewan. Rev. Hawkins was elected to succeed Bishop Anthony Burton who took up parish ministry in Dallas last September. The diocese has announced that March 6th has been set as the date for the consecration of their new bishop.
