The Anglican Church of Canada is releasing a series of 10 short podcasts to support people’s personal devotions during Lent. The series “Solemnity and surprise” is written and delivered by Sister Margaret Hayward, a member of the Community of the Sisters of the Church. The first podcast, for Ash Wednesday, is available online now.
Sister Margaret guides listeners through the important Biblical texts of Lent, and the ups, downs, and surprising emotions that come with this special season.
In the first podcast, for Ash Wednesday, she contrasts the darkness of Lent with its hope of vibrant renewal. “Lent is the time to look inward,” she said, “until our eyes pop open to the new light of Easter.”
Podcasts are less than five minutes in length and are available by subscription through Podcaster and iTunes.
The Anglican Church of Canada web team has produced several other seasonal podcast series featuring members of Canadian Anglican religious orders. The most recent was the Advent series “Welcoming Christ,” with Brother David Bryan Hoopes, Order of the Holy Cross.
Sister Margaret was born in Montreal, Que., and has a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto. She joined the Community of the Sisters of the Church (CSC) in 1993, and made her life profession in 2000. Sister Margaret has been the Sister Provincial of the Canadian province since 2009.
CSC is an international community composed of four provinces: Australia, Canada, the Solomon Islands, and the United Kingdom.
Sister Margaret works part time at the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada in Toronto, where she helps manage abuse claims from residential school survivors. She views this as her work and ministry.
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