In the first appointment of its kind in Canada, Lutheran minister James
Buenting has become the full-time pastor at All Saints Anglican Church in Regina.
The crossover was made possible by the Waterloo Accord between the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada, signed July 2001in Waterloo, Ontario.
Rev. Buenting is bound to Anglican liturgies and has been assigned a local Anglican priest
to act as a mentor until he is more comfortable in his new role. Buenting expects he will
not face challenges much different than he would in a typical Lutheran parish. Last year
in Oliver, B.C., an Anglican priest was appointed to a Lutheran parish; there is a
Lutheran pastor serving part-time at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Whitewood,
Sask., and, in August, an Anglican priest became chaplain of Luther College at the
University of Regina.
St. Peter’s Catholic Hospital and St. Paul’s Lutheran Home in Melville
Saskatchewan have joined in a health care facility that may be the only one of
its kind in Canada. “It’s an expression of the unity Christ prayed for,” said
Saskatchewan Bishop Allan Grundahl of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, while
Regina Archbishop Peter Mallon said it is very much an example of ecumenism. With one
nursing station serving both facilities, a common dietary centre, a common laundry, common
access to public health services, addiction therapies and district health offices, the
joint facilities will save an estimated $500,000 per year in operational costs. The
official opening, ribbon cutting and unveiling of the commemorative plaque took place in
front of the hospital June 21. Speakers representing all groups involved extolled the
virtues of community coming together, the uniqueness of the facility and the visible
expression of Christians working together for the benefit of all.
Ontario
Priests and rabbis from around Toronto shared their frustrations over
keeping youth interested in religion at the third annual priest-rabbi study day, June 6.
In Toronto, most synagogues now refuse to perform a bar or bat mitzvah unless the child is
enrolled in Jewish day school where the study of Hebrew scriptures and religious tradition
takes place on a daily basis. The priests told their rabbinical colleagues of a parallel
set of frustrations in trying to give Grade 8 students a meaningful experience of
Confirmation when children and their families are caught up in a secularized culture.
Catholics should not be surprised they share such problems with Jewish families, said
Rabbi Daniel Komito-Gottlieb. “We face the same challenges of assimilation into a
secular culture,” he said. The annual gathering of Toronto’s Jewish and Catholic
religious leaders is jointly organized by the Toronto Board of Rabbis and the archdiocese
of Toronto’s Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Affairs.
Quebec
An ALPHA Consultation will take place on November 29-30, 2002 at the
Salvation Army Citadel in downtown Montreal. The consultation will cover how to start or
improve an ALPHA course, how to train the ALPHA animators, small group dynamics, pastoral
work during and after ALPHA, worship services and answers to frequently asked questions.
Information: Kenton Brunner, 514-878-3035, or Louise Olsen,
514-284-1846, .
“When Justice and Spirituality Meet”, a day of renewal for
the church with John Bell of the Iona Community will be offered at Rosedale United Church,
6870 Terrebonne, Montreal, on Saturday, October 19 from 9:30 to 4:00 p.m. Participants in
this day of renewal and reflection will experience the new forms of worship developed by
the Iona Ecumenical Community and explore ways of integrating spirituality with the work
for justice to which God calls everyone. Members of the Iona Community, at its base near
Scotland and throughout the world, pursue concerns relating to: discovering new and
relevant approaches to worship, promoting peace and social justice, supporting the cause
of the poor, combating racism, strengthening interdenominational understanding, promoting
inter-faith dialogue, and developing the ministry of healing.
Unitas, an ecumenical centre of spirituality and Christian meditation,
has moved to a new address. This welcoming oasis of quiet and peace in the midst of
Montreal’s hectic pace is now located at 3289 St. Jacques on the corner of Greene and not
far from the Lionel Groulx metro station and Atwater Market. With the move behind them,
the Unitas team is now applying its energy to actualizing the Centre’s mission of teaching
and practising Christian meditation in an ecumenical and bilingual context and offering
related spiritual activities. A programme of activities is being drawn up to start in the
fall. For information: Tel.: 514-485-0009, Fax: 514-483-9995, website www.unitasmeditation.ca e-mail: .
Atlantic Provinces
Women from different Churches attended the annual Women’s Ecumenical Pot Luck
Supper on April 15 at St. Alphonsus Church in Hampton, NB. One of the guest
speakers, Wanda Shepherd-Cosman from the Elizabeth Fry Society, spoke about her
involvement with female prison inmates. She helps them read and record stories that can be
sent to their children so they do not feel abandoned by their mother while their mother is
in prison. Debbie Delong from The Transitional Home in Sussex was the other guest speaker.
Delong spoke about the work the home does in helping women and their children who come
from abusive situations in the Sussex area. A collection was taken up and the money
received was divided between the two guests speakers to help in the activities in which
each is involved.