A Warm Welcome to Bishop Sixbert and Clotilde

Some old friends dropped by the diocese this week, setting off a whirl-wind of activity. Bishop Sixbert Macumi of Buyé Diocese in Burundi and his wife Clotilde returned with Bishop Jane from the Consultation of Bishops in Dialogue conference in Ontario, providing an opportunity for them once again to visit our parishes and clergy. It’s Bishop Sixbert’s fourth visit to Edmonton diocese, but there’s always something new to see.

The week’s activities began Monday morning with the roar of engines and a flight north! The Rev. Donna Gauthier is a pilot as well as the rector of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Cold Lake. She flew them up to her community where they visited her home, rode quads on her family’s acreage and were warmly welcomed by the St. John’s church family.

Tuesday morning, the Bishop and Clotilde stayed earth-bound and visited St. Luke’s in Edmonton, where cinnamon buns were being served at a work-bee for an upcoming mission trip, and where Bishop Sixbert also had a long chat with the Ven. Richard King and the Rev. Andreas Sigrist about the ID framework for mission and discipleship.

Tuesday afternoon found them sampling homemade honey as they toured the Sunshine Community Garden at St. Augustine of Canterbury, and in the evening they were treated to a family barbeque hosted at Christ Church, complete with bouncy castle.

Wednesday, about 20 clergy from Edmonton diocese met for a coffee morning at Holy Trinity Old Strathcona with Bishop Jane and the visitors to hear more about life and ministry in Buyé diocese and to reconnect, as needed, with twinned parishes.

Thursday, they sampled a traditional staple of summer church life visiting the vacation bible school at St. Michael and All Angels, then joined a community lunch at St. George and toured the Devonian Gardens in Devon.

On their final day in Edmonton diocese, Bishop Jane will take Bishop Sixbert and Clotilde to Vermilion, where St. Saviour’s is once again serving pie at their annual grand stand booth at the Vermilion fair. Word has it the mayor and the local paper will come out and make an official visit of it.

Saturday… well… perhaps they’ll sleep on the plane.

See all the photos on our Facebook page and watch for more stories in next week’s Synod Scene and in future editions of The Messenger.