• Those who are sick, suffering or in need: Darlene, Rhea, Megan, Jennetta, Christian, 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 and those who mourn.
• 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.

With a determined focus to move into where God is calling her and members of the Edmonton diocese next, and in celebration of all that is new, the Rt. Rev. Jane Alexander publicly concluded her 13-year episcopal ministry of “outrageous love” by presiding over the Holy Eucharist at All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral in Edmonton on the most joyful day of the Christian year – Easter Sunday.

Bishop Jane began her April 4, 2021 homily by reflecting on a “wonderful” passage from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 8.

“I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love,” she said through a camera lens to more than 270 people watching the service live on All Saints’ YouTube channel. “Absolutely nothing, not even a pandemic, can get in the way of this truth that holds firm for all times and all places…Today, we receive the promise of salvation and the assurance that we are redeemed,” she said. “Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and promises us life forevermore.”

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.

Bishop Jane has approved the election of the Rev. Jonathan Crane as Regional Dean of Battle River Deanery. Battle River includes the parishes of St. Mary, Edgerton, St. Augustine of Canterbury, St. David, St. Luke and St. Patrick in Edmonton, St. John, Sedgwick, St. Thomas, Sherwood Park, St. Mary, Vegreville, St. Matthew, Viking, and St. Thomas, Wainwright.

Cheryl Atkinson of Holy Trinity in Old Strathcona, Edmonton, shares this reflection on the March meeting of the Anti-Racism Book Club hosted on Zoom by Good Shepherd Anglican Church.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad is a guide for white people to do the self-examination necessary to pursue the work of anti-racism. It was not like other books we have studied in our book club; it invites or even demands our active participation. The book is a series of 28 topics with accompanying prompts for reflective journaling. Like layers in an onion, each topic reveals another truth about how white North Americans have been shaped by a system of white supremacy.

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.

Wednesdays at 7pm, beginning April 21, St. David's Anglican Church in Edmonton will host a Zoom discussion of this book by the late Rachel Held Evans. Please email the Rev. Dr. Renée Desjardins (rector.stdavid@gmail.com) for more information and the Zoom link.

“Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations. Undaunted by the Bible's most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture's mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God's loving and redemptive work in the world.”

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

Mothering can be an indescribable blessing. It can also be full of constant demands leaving little time to connect with yourself and with God. Ruth Heine of St. Thomas' in Sherwood Park will lead this workshop inviting you explore ways of nurturing some simple spiritual practices to awaken your awareness of God’s presence in your everyday life, helping you bloom right where you’re planted. The cost is $25. Please register by April 28, and if you plan to attend with young ones who might be in the background and or need to be with you just let us know when you register, and Ruth will accommodate the possibility of that in her planning.

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 

The Diocese of Edmonton is a "Partner for Life" with Canadian Blood Services. We have pledged to give 100 units of blood in 2021 and, so far this year, our team has given 21 units. Donor centres remain open throughout the pandemic and new and existing donors are needed to fill more than 4,000 appointments this spring. Enhanced wellness measures are in effect for the well-being of donors and staff members. POSTER

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.

Nukskahtowin, the Indigenous Meeting Place of Athabasca University, invites you to its ongoing series of Indigenous films and documentaries. April's film  is The Cree Hunters of Mistassini by Boyce Richardson and Tony Ianzelo. Since times predating agriculture, First Nations people have gone to the bush of the James Bay and Ungava Bay area to hunt. We see the building of the winter camp, the hunting, and the rhythms of Cree family life.

Online Bannock and a Movie is set up so you can self-enrol even if you do not have an Athabasca University account. Click the link below. Create a new account or sign in if you have already registered. Please contact Ivy Lalonde with any questions at ivyl@athabascau.ca

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.

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  

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.

Restrictions imposed by public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have radically altered the way Anglicans share the Eucharist. This has led to an enormous amount of discussion and debate, which has now been distilled and made available for reading and study. The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada has published a collection of essays titled Eucharistic Practice & Sacramental Theology in Pandemic Times. The book is made up of more than 40 essays and reflections, and includes a study resource as well. 

The Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) has launched a $100,000 fundraising campaign in support of post-pandemic programs for children, youth, and young adults in Canada. “Say Yes! to Kids” will run from April 5 to June 30, marking the 10th anniversary of the Kids Helping Kids Fund. The campaign will be supported by a variety of fundraising initiatives including an online peer-to-peer program designed to engage youth advocates nationwide.

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.

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"? 

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.