E-Connections – June 17, 2021
Dear Friends,
Beginning on June 23rd, the Cathedral will hold a weekly Service of Holy Eucharist outdoors, on the Terrace of the Cathedral Centre, on Wednesdays at 9:30am. We know that the virus is much less easily transmitted outdoors, and the weather is amenable, and we miss sharing in the Body in person with more of you, so we hope you’ll come! We’ll be distanced and masked, and in case of inclement weather we’ll duck into Snell Hall with the doors to the Terrace open for better ventilation. We’ll have a sign-in sheet available for contact tracing when you arrive, so no need to pre-register.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Terrace, and celebrating in a new way each week Christ’s welcome of each of us as members of his own Body.
Executive Director
Joyce Badley and Susan So
It has been a bittersweet week at the Cathedral. We are saying goodbye to Joyce Badley as our Executive Director. Joyce has done a phenomenal job at seeing us through some very choppy waters and we are deeply grateful to her. Happy retirement from all of us, Joyce! On the other hand, we have the joy of welcoming Susan So as our new Executive Director. Susan is a lovely person with a deep faith and excellent skills and experience. Welcome, Susan! As with all the email addresses, Susan’s follows a format based on her name: sso@stjamescathedral.ca. The phone extension remains the same: 416-364-7865 ext *225.
Dean Stephen Vail+
Re-Opening Update
If all things remain on the current course of decreased numbers, we will reopen for in-person services on our Patronal Festival, St. James the Apostle. That date is Sunday, July 25, 2021. Services that day and on Sundays between then and Labour Day weekend will be at 8:00am and 10:00am. We realize this is a significant change. Please visit our website for the full announcement at https://stjamescathedral.ca/reopening-update/
Please note that the 10:00am service will continue to be live-streamed each week.
PASTORAL CARE
Lockdown can be a lonely experience for many members of the Cathedral. Not only does it take away the opportunity for in-person worship, it adds the burdens of isolation and disconnectedness to so many who live alone. If you know anyone who would benefit from a call from our pastoral care team, please be in touch with Canon Beth Benson at bbenson@stjamescathedral.ca.
CONNECTING WITH ST. JAMES
SUNDAYS
Live-stream the service every Sunday at 11:00am on the Diocesan Facebook page and, starting on June 27, on the Diocesan YouTube channel (See below for details.)
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 and you will receive the link each Sunday to join Coffee Hour. Bring along your favourite coffee, tea, or other refreshment!
CONTINUING EACH WEEK
- Sermon Discussion Group on Zoom with The Reverend Dr. 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 Tuesday, June 22 at 7:30pm and Wednesday, June 30 at 4:00pm
National Indigenous Day of Prayer service – June 20 at 11:00am
This Sunday, June 20 is the National Indigenous Day of Prayer. We are delighted to welcome The Right Reverend Riscylla Shaw as our preacher at the 11:00am service. Bishop Shaw is a member of the Metis Nation and Area Bishop of the Trent Durham Episcopal Area of our Diocese. We hope you can tune in as we welcome Bishop Riscylla and give thanks for our Indigenous siblings in Christ.
Live-stream Change – From Facebook to YouTube
Starting on Sunday, June 27, we will be moving our weekly Sunday live-stream from the Diocesan Facebook page to the Diocesan YouTube channel. We know some members of our community have had issues accessing Facebook, so this will help us make sure everyone is able to worship online with us.
The live-streams will be available on the Diocese’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/tordio135. You’ll be able to find a link each week on our website and Facebook page.
Anyone can watch the service on YouTube; you don’t need an account, and you won’t be asked to sign in. If you want to add comments during the live-stream, you’ll need a Google/YouTube account. To create an account, visit YouTube.com, click “Sign in” in the top right corner and choose “Create Account.”
We love the vibrant community that’s been worshipping with us on Facebook since last March, and we hope you’ll make this move with us to YouTube!
Ordination of Deacons Service – June 27 at 4:30pm
The Ordination of Deacons for the Diocese of Toronto will take place virtually on Sunday, June 27 at 4:30pm. Among the ordinands are Andrew Kuhl, the Cathedral’s former Children and Youth Program Coordinator. The service will by attended by a limited number of guests, by invitation only. You can watch the live-stream of the service on the Diocesan YouTube channel. Please pray for Andrew as he prepares for Ordination!
Be Surprised by the Spirit – Join us for times of reflection about the changes in our lives over the past year.
Anglicans across Canada have been invited to gather in small groups to reflect on what we have experienced and discovered in our churches and in our personal lives over the past year in the pandemic. We are organizing a series of conversations over the next several weeks around prayer, scripture reflection and shared stories. Our next session will be June 30th from 10:00-11:00am, with a conversation about our shared life of learning and Christian formation. Email info@stjamescathedral.ca for the Zoom link. Questions? Contact The Reverend Claire Latimer-Dennis at clatimerdennis@stjamescathedral.ca or Canon Beth Benson at bbenson@stjamescathedral.ca
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. Please note that the next recital takes place on the Tuesday, July 13, the second Tuesday of the month. The concerts will be presented via the Cathedral Choir Facebook page, 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.
Did you miss an Organ Recital? You can still access it on the Cathedral Choir’s Facebook page.
Organ Recital Schedule
Tuesdays at 1:00pm via the Cathedral Choir Facebook page
*Please note: The July recital takes place on the second Tuesday of the month.
July 13: Stefani Bedin (St. Basil’s Roman Catholic Church and doctoral candidate U of T)
August 3: Nick Veltmeyer (past Wayne Vance Organ Scholar at St. James Cathedral)
*Please note: The September recital takes place on the second Tuesday of the month.
September 14: Gordon Mansell (Music Director and Organist at Our Lady of Sorrows Church)
Summer Reading Groups
Looking for some good fiction to read this summer? Join Reverend Claire in reading two novels.
On July 18, we’ll meet to discuss In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden, a story about a professional woman joining a cloistered Benedictine Community in England.
On August 22, we’ll discuss Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin, the story of a teenage boy living in Harlem in the 1930s, his family, and their church.
Please email clatimerdennis@stjamescathedral.ca if you’re interested in reading one or both of the books!
E-Connections Summer Schedule
Beginning the first week of July and for the summer, brief editions of E-Connections will be published weekly. Announcements will continue to be posted on the back of the Sunday leaflet each week. A ‘full’ edition of E-Connections (like the one you’re reading now) will be published in the last week of July and August.
Anti-Racism Working Group – Correction on Action Items
In the last edition of E-Connections, there was an error in reporting the action items to achieve Goal #2, as selected by the parish for the Anti-Racism Vestry Motion.
Under Goal 2: To provide the following educational opportunities in anti-racism and training to enrich our knowledge of each other, the goals should have read:
- Hold discussion groups on movies, books, or articles to allow people to interact and form relationships.
- Host panel discussions/ invite speakers for significant dates like Emancipation Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racism, Black History Month, Indigenous History Month, etc.
If you have any ideas about movies, books or articles dealing with the experience of racism that might be helpful moving forward, please send them to the Dean at svail@stjamescathedral.ca.
From the Health Council – Selected Health Promotion Events
For your information, the following selected events will take place in June:
- International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – June 26
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day – June 27
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
