• Those who are sick, suffering or in need: Rhea, Erin, Grayson, Kenzie, Gail, Joan, Eddie, Sheila and Meredith.
• Those who are struggling with physical or mental illness due to COVID-19; for "bending the curve" and bringing down the number of cases in Alberta; for all who are doing their best to serve others in this time.
• Those who have died: Nick, Bev; and those who mourn: Nick's mother Cathy and family, friends and parishioners at Good Shepherd; Bev's family, friends and fellow parishioners at Christ Church.
• Bishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (Twinned Parishes).  
• Our brothers and sisters in Christ from Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations, from the Métis Nation of Alberta, and from the Métis Settlements in Alberta.
• Click here if you would like someone's name included in this prayer list. We will use first names only. Names are kept on the list for two weeks unless intentionally renewed.

Join Bishop Jane in prayer during Holy Week.

Join All Saints' Cathedral online Easter Sunday morning, 11 am, in welcoming Bishop Jane for her last official service. 

During this season of Lent, Canon for Family and Children’s Ministry the Rev. Sue Oliver, issued a challenge to youth in Edmonton diocese to take on one bible reading every day for 40 days. The youth met the challenge and exceeded expectations. A dozen young people received a daily email with an assigned passage of scripture and two questions to answer about the passage. The program caught the attention of young people from across denominations and churches. The group also met weekly via zoom to explore the Bible and build community. 

Download the April 2021 edition of The Messenger or view online as a flipbook.

Click here to subscribe to The Messenger or to change your subscription address. Print editions of the Anglican Journal and The Messenger are now mailed to confirmed subscribers only.

A virtual Farewell Service of thanksgiving for Bishop Jane’s extraordinarily welcoming, compassionate, courageous and inspiring episcopal leadership will be hosted by the Very Rev. Alex Meek and All Saints’ Cathedral on Saturday, April 17, at 3 pm. All are invited to watch the live stream of the service (details to come), and give thanks for Bishop Jane at a virtual reception via Zoom.  

In honour of Bishop Jane and her ministry, the Edmonton diocese wishes to gift the Diocese of Buyé with a community water spring improvement project. Burundi is blessed with an abundance of clean groundwater, but it is difficult for people to access the water without contamination. Each improved spring supplies an entire village and reduces waterborne disease, a major cause of illness and death, particularly in children.

St. Augustine of Canterbury in Edmonton will host three events over the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week and welcomes any from the diocese who would like to join. 

• Monday: a guided 'small retreat' on the passion story.
• Tuesday: a reading of the passion story with the feminine pronoun.
• Wednesday: Stations of the Cross

All events will be live-streamed starting at 7:00pm. Two include Zoom participation.

The Anglican Parish of Christ Church is pleased to present three unique evenings of learning, prayer and worship during Holy Week. Each will focus on a passage of scripture and excerpt from Handel's musical masterpiece: Messiah. Join us virtually on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week (March 29, 30 and 31), at 7:00 pm.   

All are welcome! Please email admin@christchurchedm.ca to request the zoom link.

Trinity Youth Project has seen tremendous success in the past year, working with at-risk youth through TYP TOP Bakery, based at Holy Trinity Church in Old Strathcona, and under the leadership of diocesan Outreach Youth Coordinator Clark Hardy. You can help them manage their success and keep their focus on the kids by volunteering to make deliveries or help in the kitchen. Please click here for full information about the opportunities, or email Cathy Harvey at cathyrtharvey@shaw.ca 

Good Shepherd Anglican Church will host its monthly Anti-Racism Book Club on Monday, April 26. The group meets on Zoom and will be discussing the novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. The book is described as: "Extraordinary for its exquisite language, its implacable sorrow, its soaring beauty, and for its monumental portrait of the forces that shape families and nations..."

To register, email Archdeacon Jordan Ware and she will send you the Zoom link. And if you want to buy a copy of the book, Glass Bookshop focuses on Canadian writers who focus on social justice. They offer free delivery within Edmonton, Sherwood Park, and St. Albert.

The ACW of Edmonton diocese will hold its annual meeting via Zoom on Saturday, May 1, from 10:30 to noon. The theme, Use Your Gifts to Serve, will be based on 1 Peter 4:10-11. For more information and to register, email acw.dioceseofedmonton@gmail.com  POSTER

We normally associate the No Room in the Inn campaign with Christmas, but giving toward this annual fundraiser runs all the way to Easter, so this will be the final week to contribute. At the time of writing, NRII has received more than $28,000 of an anticipated $40,000. The money is designated for playground equipment at two shelters run by Catholic Social Services for vulnerable women and children. Click below to see a 2-minute video appeal by Troy Davies, CEO of Catholic Social Services, which includes this link for donations: http://bit.ly/safeplayground

Just a reminder that Synod Office staff are working from home in compliance with current public health guidance in Alberta. The best way to get the help you need is by email. 

General office questions and communications
(Synod Scene, The Messenger):
Shelly King at reception@edmonton.anglican.ca

Questions regarding finances and giving:
John Gee at treasurer@edmonton.anglican.ca

Questions to the attention of the Bishop:
Jennifer Wirun at assistant@edmonton.anglican.ca
Bishop Jane at bishop@edmonton.anglican.ca

Contacts: 
*The Ven. Travis Enright, Archdeacon for Indigenous Ministry: rector@stfaithsanglican.org / 780-477-5931
*Fiona Brownlee, Aboriginal and Rural Communities Liaison: f.brownlee@edmonton.anglican.ca / 780-312-9070
*The Rev. Lori Calkins, Priest: loriinkster@gmail.com 

Please see the Indigenous Ministries section of the diocesan website for leaflets, web links and other resources to help you pray and take action for reconciliation. See also the Anglican Church of Canada Reconciliation Toolkit.

The six-week Survivors and Thrivers learning series will be offered every Thursday, at 12:00 noon MT, March 25-April 29. Indigenous speakers will share their experience of survival and how they are thriving and inspiring others in their lives now. Registered participants who are unable to attend the live session will receive a link to the recording. POSTER  

St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was the first Indigenous saint of North America. She converted to Catholicism at age 19 and, after refusing to marry, moved to the Jesuit mission at Kahnawake, south of Montreal. There, she lived a life of prayer and asceticism. Following her death, many miracles and supernatural occurrences were attributed to her. She was canonized in 2012. In Canada, her feast is celebrated on April 17.    

This weekend retreat—April 16-18—will focus on the relevance of St. Kateri’s spirit today, her relationship with our Creator God and the gifts of creation. Join online or with a limited number of in-house participants.

This page lists online opportunities for worship, learning and virtual community provided weekly by parishes throughout the diocese.

In this time of continued uncertainty, the Church, the Body of Christ, remains a loving and connected community. we hope to do all we can to support each other, and the diocese grateful for any and all donations we receive. If you are able, please continue to support the ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton. You can make a secure online donation through the diocesan website.

The Holy Week Bible Proclamation has begun! Our neighbour to the north, the Diocese of Athabasca, is hosting this 100 hours' non-stop reading of God’s word until the afternoon of Maundy Thursday, and you can sign up to read for one hour. Primate Linda Nicholls, former Primate Fred Hiltz, and the senior Bishop of the ECLiC will take part. Others will join from Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Philippines, Germany, England and right across Canada. If you would like to join, email Canon Peter Clarke at seens@telus.net. Peter is also looking for people to be moderators or hosts for 4-5 hours at a time. If you'd like to watch or listen to the Bible Marathon and not read yourself, please click below for the Zoom link.

In this 35-minute video, St. George's College Jerusalem invites you to mark the final events in Jesus' life with Dean Richard Sewell, JulieAnn Sewell, Canon Don Binder, Chris Binder, and Saleem Kasabri as they walk the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem. Attached is the liturgy used.

The 41st annual Outdoor Way of the Cross invites people to think about the relevance and importance of the Gospel message in our world today around the theme “From Fear and Fatigue to Hope and Action: Take Up the Cross and Follow Me.” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s walk will be presented virtually, in video format.

All are welcome to join the Taize ecumenical community on Facebook for musical meditation with scripture, silence and songs of Taize. POSTER

Clergy and congregation leaders are welcome to download this three-minute Easter message from National Bishop Susan Johnson (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) and Archbishop Linda Nicholls (Anglican Church of Canada) for use in local worship. Their message speaks to our collective experience of isolation and reminds us of the continued signs of hope and resurrection around us.

A Common Word Alberta invites you to a Christian/Muslim "Continuing the Conversation" mini dialogue on April 6, 7 pm, via Zoom (Meeting ID: 853 5013 7009). These conversations are an opportunity for Christians and Muslims to connect over their faith tradition's teaching and practice of hospitality (making room for the other in our context) and embassy (entering the other's context to bridge). 

Join facilitator Glenda Sartore to build your capacity to hold yourself – and the world around you – with compassion. This is a three-week session Thursdays April 8, 15, and 22, 7 to 8:30 pm. Cost is $65. Register online or call 780-701-1854 by April 1. POSTER

Star of the North Retreat Centre is hosting the second of two free, online coffee-hour information sessions about a program hosted through the Star called Healing the Healers: Recognizing Spiritual Suffering. Join presenters Richard Groves and Debbie Doornbos Thursday, April 8 at 2:00 pm. Register online.

The Network of Biblical Storytellers of Canada is an ecumenical affiliation of people who practise the art and discipline of telling Christian scripture by heart. Guided by God to deepen our understanding of the Word, our mission is: to encourage everyone to learn and tell scripture by heart. (from the nbscanada.org website) 

April 9-11, NBS is holding an international, online Festival Gathering to celebrate this way of taking in and sharing out the scriptures. Click below to find out more or see this pdf bio of NBS founder, Tom Boomershine.

Not sure about sending kids to camp this summer? Well, Hastings Lake Bible Camp is bringing camp to kids! They will be running five week-long day programs at central Alberta churches. The program, which will run from morning to mid-afternoon, will include indoor games, outdoor games, team building activities, crafts, chapel, skits, group activities, snacks, service projects and Bible studies. 

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is seeking applicants to its Primary Reserve Force (part-time faith leadership) in the region of the Edmonton diocese. The CAF has Primary Reserve Units all across the country and each is served by chaplains. Background information about the nature of this work and ministry is available here.

Please email questions about the application process to RCChS Recruiter Padre LCol James: Angela.James@forces.gc.ca

The Chester Ronning Centre will host a “Religion and Beyond in Contemporary Vaccine Hesitancy” webinar with Dr. Paul Bramadat, University of Victoria, on April 22 at 12 pm. What does the study of religion contribute to our understanding of hesitancy with relation to the COVID-19 vaccine? Or, to look at this matter from a different angle, what do we learn about religion/spirituality by thinking about "conspirituality"?