E-Connections – April 6, 2021

Dear Friends,

What a glorious weekend we just had. It was wonderful to see so many of you, to hear the praises of God sung, and the Resurrection of Christ proclaimed in word and sacrament. Putting the services together is a team effort, and we have a fabulous team. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated and talented staff, honorary clergy and volunteers. I am also grateful to all of you for your faithfulness and generosity as members of this community. I wish you the richest blessings of the Easter season.

I think we have all been alarmed by the increased numbers of Covid-19 cases in Ontario and especially in our city. After consulting with the Bishop and Churchwardens, I have decided that we will discontinue in-person worship as of Thursday, April 8. This will be in effect for the remainder of April, at which time we will reassess the situation. We will continue to livestream worship on Sundays at 11:00am (English) and 1:30pm (Mandarin), as well as holding our various online weekly activities.

Erring on the side of caution is sometimes the most prudent route. I am aware that this decision will not be popular with everyone and that it goes beyond what the provincial government is allowing as I write this. However, given our location, demographic and the seriousness of the variant situation, I feel this is the right thing to do in order to protect our membership. Online worship and spiritual communion, while not ideal, are perfectly valid ways of worshipping the Risen One and honouring the commitments of following Him.

Please note that the Cathedral Centre remains closed until further notice. Canon Beth Benson is available for those needing pastoral care during this trying time and may be reached at bbenson@stjamescathedral.ca. I am most grateful to her and to God for her gifts.

This is not the news any of us wanted to hear but the safety of the vulnerable in our community is crucial. Please know that we continue to pray for you and appreciate your ongoing support during this historic and challenging time as a faith community. We ask that you pray for us and one another as well.

God bless you and keep you safe.

Dean Stephen Vail

Please note: The Dean will be taking his winter break a little late this year. He will be away from April 12-22, 2021, during which time the parish will be in the capable hands of Canon Beth Benson.

SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR

Join us for Virtual Coffee Hour on Zoom each Sunday at 12:30pm. If you have not already registered to attend, send an email to the office by Friday at noon and you will receive the link each Sunday to join Coffee Hour. Bring along your favourite coffee, tea, or other refreshment!

CONNECTING WITH ST. JAMES

• Sunday: Live-stream liturgy at 11:00am on the Diocesan Facebook page
• Virtual Coffee Hour: Sundays at 12:30pm; email the office to receive the link
• Sermon Discussion Group on Zoom with The Reverend David Danner, one of our Honorary Assistants: Mondays at 10:00am; email the office to receive the link
• Morning Prayer: Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the Cathedral Facebook page; you can also find them posted on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel
• Virtual Hymn Sing on Zoom: Email irenecourage105@gmail.com to receive information, dates, and the link; the next sessions take place on Wednesday, April 7 at 4:00pm and Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30pm

ORGAN RECITALS

St. James Cathedral has presented lunchtime organ recitals on Tuesdays for many years. We are delighted that these concerts have resumed virtually and will take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 1:00pm. The next concert takes place today at 1:00pm. The concerts will be presented via Facebook live, allowing everyone to have an excellent view of the instrument and performer.

The organ is a fine four manual instrument dating from 1863, composed of four manuals and 5,100 pipes. Further details are available on the Cathedral website.

Organ Recital Schedule
Tuesdays at 1:00pm via Facebook

TODAY! April 6: Aaron James (Holy Family Roman Catholic Church and University of Toronto)

May 4: Hanné Becker (PhD candidate in organ performance University of Toronto)

June 1: Rashaan Allwood (St. Ansgar Lutheran Church)

EASTER WEEK MIDDAY EUCHARIST

Holy Eucharist will be offered on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 12:30pm. You may choose to make your Easter Communion at this time. Seats are limited and registration is required here. Please make sure you arrive on time as the doors will be locked once the service begins at 12:30pm. Please note: the Easter Week midday service will not be live-streamed. We regret that the Midday services on April 6 and April 8 have been cancelled.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE WARDENS

In September 2019, Joyce Badley agreed to come out of semi-retirement for a few months to join us as the Executive Director of the Cathedral. Over a year and a half later, Joyce has decided it’s time to officially retire and so will be leaving us on June 17th.

We are exceedingly grateful to Joyce for her steadfast leadership in supporting the Cathedral through what has been a very challenging time. Her dedication and expertise have been a tremendous asset and we will certainly miss her.

We are pleased to advise you that we have recruited Joyce’s successor, Susan So, who will be starting her role as Executive Director on June 14th.

Susan joins the Cathedral with 29 years of professional experience in managing not-for-profit membership organizations. She has been working at The Albany Club for the past 20 years and has been the Assistant General Manager since 2014. She oversees the club’s financial and accounting matters and is a key player in the leadership team, adding her expertise in managing operations and administration.

Susan has served in volunteer governance roles in other churches, most recently as the treasurer and a member of the Board of Trustees for another large Anglican Church. She is an active member of her parish and attends services with her husband Luke and their daughter Liz.

JOYFUL GIVING

During this Easter season, we are asking you to consider your support of St. James Cathedral. Thank you for taking the time to reflect and consider this request. Your stewardship is vital to the life of this parish, its programmes and its community.

Yosola Sholagbade-Adeoye, a member of the congregation for over 20 years, on why supporting St. James is important to her:

“First, honouring the church is honouring God.  Supporting the Cathedral and its ministries is an opportunity for me to give back to the community that spiritually supports me and to show gratitude for the grace I received and am still receiving from God. Importantly, we all know the Church must meet many operational needs in order to remain afloat and to continue all its good works. Therefore, as a parishioner I believe I have the obligation to give of myself, be it financially or physically through volunteering or simply sharing my talent. All of these to help to keep up God’s house, promoting the Gospel, most especially continuing to share His love and Promises. Lastly, on a personal note, I am also blessing myself: ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over’ and that to me…is a Win-Win.”

Edwin Hawken, a long-time parishioner, on his relationship with St. James:

“I first attended a service at the Cathedral almost 50 years ago after being transferred to Toronto from Vancouver, B.C in 1971. I was drawn to St James by its history as a Cathedral and parish church dating back to the late 18th century and, as well, by its commitment to liturgical & music excellence.  I have continued to worship and attend at the Cathedral ever since. Over the intervening years I have been privileged to serve the Cathedral in many different capacities including as a Church Warden under Deans Abraham & Stoute. I urge you to please join me in supporting the Joyful Giving Initiative to benefit the Cathedral’s Mission.”

As long as it is day, we must keep on doing the work of Him who sent me.
John 9: 4

GRIEF SUPPORT INQUIRY

The weight of grief, the isolation of loss, remembering, forgetting, living in an altered reality…

This notice is to determine a sense from the congregation at St. James as to whether a series of small groups for men and women coping with loss and grief would be welcomed in either the near future or sometime later in the year.

The group sessions would be held as virtual or in-person meetings in accordance with applicable pandemic restrictions and would be facilitated by a trained Group Therapist under the auspices of St. James’ clergy.

It would be open to all, regardless of church affiliation, and all discussions would be kept confidential.

Please email your interest to info@stjamescathedral.ca or leave a message on the clergy line at 416-364-7865, ext. *232.

The Health Council

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

We are exceedingly grateful to those of you who continue to support us financially. If you would like to make a donation, here are the ways to do that:

• Mail a cheque to 65 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2E9.
• Use the ‘Donate’ button on our website.
• You can now hand-deliver your offerings to the Cathedral Centre: A secure mailbox has been mounted in the Church Street vestibule at the entrance of the doors at 65 Church Street. The doors are open from 9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday – Friday.
• Sign up for Pre-Authorized monthly giving, thus ensuring a vital stream of income for the Cathedral. Please note that at any time you can stop or change the PAG amount by emailing the office.
• Make a gift of securities (see details here).
• We are delighted to have a QR code for donating electronically which you will find in all bulletins. Simply scan with your phone camera and donate! You can also donate here.

STAYING CONNECTED

We invite you to continue to link to the Cathedral’s website or Facebook page for updates, Morning Prayer, service listings and inspirational messages. Thank you for your love and support during this period in the life of St. James. Please remember, you are not alone.

Blessings and peace to you all,

The Very Reverend Stephen Vail, Rector of St. James Cathedral & Dean of Toronto
Joan Peters & Jayne Hobbs, Wardens
svail@stjamescathedral.ca
wardens@stjamescathedral.ca