A Word from our Bishop
As you know by now and as you will see elsewhere in this newsletter, my successor Padre Nigel Shaw was chosen by members of the Anglican Military Ordinariate on March 5th and ratified by the Primate and the four Metropolitans (Regional Archbishops). This is good news indeed and we wish Nigel, Janet and their family every blessing in this new and blessed ministry.
Video highlights: Indigenous military chaplains
Sacred Circle heard a presentation on Indigenous Peoples in the military by Major the Rev. Catherine Askew and Vice President Victor C. Flett C.O., Canadian Aboriginal Veterans and Serving Members Association of Canada.
Visiting the Community of St. Mary
I was recently looking to attend a healing retreat at the Christ the King Spiritual Life Center (the Center) in Greenwich,NY. Upon visiting their website, I noticed a link to the Community of St. Mary, an order of Anglican/Episcopalian sisters. As it turned out, they were co-located with the Center in Greenwich, NY on the other side of the same valley.
Lessons and Carols?
When I first came to the Anglican Church, I encountered this odd animal named “Lessons and Carols”. Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, this was not a service that I was familiar with. Moreover, I thought that the readings we took time with at the Easter Vigil were sufficient in length for a once-a-year event and didn’t feel the need for a lengthy service in the middle of Advent when things were so busy.
“Padre Joe”
Padre Joseph Cardy, or “Padre Joe” as he was universally known to the troops, is a key figure in the history of our Ordinariate. A chaplain distinguished for his courage, humility, and leadership, he was an influential figure in the shaping of the modern chaplaincy.
The Last Act
The one rite of the church that has the potential to have the greatest impact on people is the funeral liturgy. The part that can be the most profound is the act of the committal, or the Service at the Graveside, as it used to be called. For members of a ship’s company, this service takes on a whole new meaning and often has a lasting impact on those who witness and participate.
For unto us a child is born
Christmas is Christmas and Advent is Advent, right. Advent is the time of expectation, the four Sundays and the accompanying weeks prior to Christmas where we recall the announcements of the coming of a Messiah. Advent is a time of preparation, waiting for the Messiah to arrive. Conversely, Christmastide, with its 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany (6 Jan) celebrates the Word-made-Flesh, the Incarnate-One, the Prince of Peace who has come into the world, God-with-Us, Emmanuel. One period is the before-time and the other is the celebration of the realization of God’s accomplishment for us.
Giving Thanks For One Of Our Ordinariate Rusty Wilkes
by Padre Michael Peterson Russell (Rusty) Oliver Wilkes (1905 – 1997) was one of a distinguished group of decorated combat padres of World War Two that included Laurence Wilmot, Robert Seaborn, and John Weir Foote. He deserves to be better known by Anglican chaplains, and particularly by those posted to the Royal Canadian Regiment. Rusty … Continued
John in Jerusalem
A letter of Thanksgiving from John Organ in Jerusalem Dear Friends, I am grateful to Archdeacon Fletcher for his invitation to write a few words for the Anglican Ordinariate Newsletter about life here in Jerusalem. Recently, a long established and important Christian aid organization known as Biblelands changed its name to Embrace the Middle East, which is quickly … Continued
HMCS Charlottetown Commemorates Battle Of The Atlantic
On the morning of May 6, over two-thirds of the crew of HMCS Charlottetown gathered on her flight deck to commemorate Battle of the Atlantic Sunday while sailing in the Arabian Sea. Despite the fact that the day was very hot and humid, almost every member of the ship’s company not on duty volunteered to … Continued