A Message from the Dean & Wardens (January 21)
Dear Friends,
I have been through two vestries with you now: one a regular annual general vestry and the other a special vestry to consider a specific item (see the special vestry note below). I have to say that the first was much more difficult than the latter, but both have been sources of hope and inspiration. Why? Because we are showing ourselves to be a community that can come together to face challenges with care, wisdom, and common purpose. They demonstrated our resilience and desire to be faithful and to reach out with love and hope.
Our beloved Cathedral and its attendant businesses have been facing significant challenges even before the pandemic took centre stage. I believe our vestry meetings planted seeds of beginning that will help us become a stronger witness to the Christian gospel and the timeless truths of our faith. We see light on the horizon, indeed even closer than that. That light is the Christ, who calls us into unity of love and purpose as we continue his work in the world.
Thank you all for your love of this place and of the one who calls us into being and sends us into the world. You are a comfort and inspiration to me as I try my best to be a faithful leader in these difficult times. There is every reason to be hopeful. I will end with a quotation from the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was remembered for his faithfulness and courage earlier this week. For me, it is a potent reminder that God is before us leading the way, with us along the way, and will never abandon us no matter how far we may wander from time to time. It comes from a sermon he preached in 1959:
“God is neither hard hearted nor soft minded. God is tough minded enough to transcend the world, and soft hearted enough to live in it. God does not leave us alone in our agonies and struggles, but seeks us in dark places and suffers with us and for us in our tragic prodigality.”
May God bless you and call you to be a blessing to others.
Dean Stephen Vail+
CREMATORIUM RETORT REPLACEMENT BUSINESS CASE STUDY
As you are aware, the retorts at St. James’ Cathedral Cemetery are now beyond their service life and will need to be replaced if we are to continue to operate a cremation service. Crematorium revenue is vital to subsidizing the cost of the cemetery as well as the ministries of St. James Cathedral. Accordingly, a project to replace the retorts has been proposed.
At a special meeting of Cathedral Vestry held on Sunday, January 17, approval was received for the following motions:
- St. James Cathedral approves proceeding with the replacement of the two retorts at St. James Cemetery and Crematorium at a cost of no more than $2.5 million.
- St. James Cathedral gives permission to its wardens to seek funding for the replacement of the two retorts at St. James Cemetery and Crematorium from the Diocese of Toronto, through a Financial Institution loan, internal sources or some combination.
Steps ahead are as follows:
- Development of design drawings and specifications for building permit application and tender request
- Submission of loan application to and approval by Diocese of Toronto
- Building permit application
- Construction tender process
- Special Vestry #2 – to present for approval a construction contract based on winning proposal as well as specific loan agreement
- Contract award and issue purchase order for equipment
- Crematorium shut down for construction
- New crematorium in operation
Further updates will be provided as the project progresses.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: RECEIVING NAMES FOR PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES
The Annual Vestry Meeting will be held by Zoom on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 1:30pm. The Nominating Committee, comprised of Jenny Formanek, David Gates, Jayne Hobbs, Sybil Wilkinson and Kate Uchendu, is now receiving names for election for the following positions (click on each link to see a description of the position):
People’s Warden
Deputy People’s Warden (please see point 5)
Cathedral Council Members-at-Large (called “Advisory Board” Members by the Diocese)
Lay Synod (please see point 3)
All are one-year terms.
To nominate someone for a position, please email info@stjamescathedral.ca with “Nominating Committee” in the subject line, leave a message at 416-364-7865, ext *229 or speak to one of the Nominating Committee members. Please note: each nomination must have a nominator and a seconder, and the agreement of the person nominated.
There will be a Zoom Information Meeting on Monday, February 1, 2021 at 7:00pm for those who wish to find out more about the nominating process for Vestry Elections and the work of the Cathedral Council and Synod. To receive the meeting link, please email info@stjamescathedral.ca or leave a message at 416-364-7865, ext *229.
SUNDAY SERVICES
In-person services are currently suspended but you can watch the live-stream of the 11:00am service here.
SERMON DISCUSSION GROUP
All are invited to join in a one hour discussion of Sunday’s sermon and its related themes every Monday at 10:00am via Zoom. If you would like to be added to the invitation list, please email the office. A weekly invitation is sent to all who register.
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is running this week, is an annual ecumenical celebration. The 2021 theme—Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit (John 15: 5-9)—calls us to pray and to work for reconciliation and unity in the church, with our human family and with all of creation. In the Toronto area, the week began with a pre-recorded online worship service from St. James Cathedral featuring the Cathedral’s Mandarin Ministry. In case you missed it, you can view the service on YouTube here. The week will end with an English-speaking worship service on January 24 at 4:00pm live-streamed from the Salvation Army Agincourt Community Church on its Facebook page. The service for the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was planned by the Sisters of the Grandchamp religious community in Switzerland. You can find more information on the WPCU website.
VIRTUAL HYMN SING
Do you miss singing together at church? Please join us for our next Virtual Hymn Sing on Wednesday, January 27 at 4:00pm. We will use Zoom and sing from home. To receive a link, please email irenecourage105@gmail.com.
A REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEER CAMERA AND SOUND OPERATORS FOR LIVE-STREAMING: Training provided
We are grateful to the Toronto Diocese for purchasing and installing permanent cameras in the Cathedral’s Nave. Going forward, the cameras will be used for live-streaming our 11:00am and special services. This is a wonderful opportunity for members of our parish to volunteer and train as camera and sound operators on a rotating basis for live-streaming our services. If you are interested in taking on this role, please contact Jim Kotsifas at jkotsifas@stjamescathedral.ca.
TORONTO COUNCIL ON AGING
The Toronto Council on Aging (TCA) is offering a free phone-based program for Seniors in the Winter of 2021. Programs are 30-60 minutes long and provide opportunities for education, wellness, and socialization.
See the January Calendar here.
For more information about the TCA click here.
For more information about the Seniors’ Centre Without Walls (SCWW), click here.
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
Don Solomon & Jayne Hobbs, Wardens
svail@stjamescathedral.ca
wardens@stjamescathedral.ca
