• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Paul, Bob, Rhea, Jen and Megan; Amanda.
• Those who have died; and those who mourn.
• Those affected by conflict or natural disasters around the world.
• Archbishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (Updated list of Twinned Parishes).  
• Our relations in Christ from Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations, from the Métis Nation of Alberta, and from the Métis Settlements in Alberta.
• Click here if you would like someone's name included in this prayer list. We will use first names only. Names are kept on the list for two weeks unless intentionally renewed at the end of those two weeks.

Please hold Bishop Stephen London in your prayers as he serves parishes throughout the diocese and connects with our partners and friends beyond the diocese. The following event and/or service dates have been scheduled:

• Saturday, March 16: Cursillo Training, 9 am
• Monday, March 18: Preaching at Consecration of the Ven. Rachael Parker as Bishop of Brandon, St. Matthew's Cathedral, 7 pm
• Tuesday, March 19: Administration and Finance Committee, 4 to 6 pm
• Thursday, March 21: Executive Council, 7 to 9 pm
• Palm Sunday, March 24: St. Andrew's, Camrose, 10 am
• Tuesday, March 26: Clergy Chrism Mass, All Saints' Cathedral, 9:30 am
• Wednesday, March 27: 10th Anniversary of TRC National Event
• Saturday, March 30: Diocesan Easter Vigil, All Saints' Cathedral, 8 pm

The Anglican Diocese of Edmonton invites you to listen in spirit to where we are as a diocese and discern where God is calling us today. All are invited to speak into the future of the diocese by participating in parish listening exercises, to be led by Anna Bubel of Another Way Consulting, this spring. Watch this space and the Synod Scene for more information about how you can participate in this process.

The 7th Truth and Reconciliation National Event was held in Edmonton in March 2014. These gatherings, held across Canada, acknowledged the pain, suffering and multi-generational trauma of First Nations, Metis and Inuit Residential School survivors.

The Ven. Travis Enright, Archdeacon for Reconciliation and Decolonization, invites members of the Diocese of Edmonton to a community conversation on March 27, at the Edmonton Intercultural Centre, 9538 107 Ave NW, to continue "to hear stories, heal memories, engage the truth and look for ways to reconcile." 

"Over the past 10 years, we've made many strides in reconciliation and healing, but it's time to remember again...  I invite you, please attend this event," the Ven. Travid Enright, Archdeacon for Reconciliation and Decolonization

The event will begin with a Pipe Ceremony, 8 am, and Welcome Prayer, 9 am, followed by community conversations. The day will conclude with a feast, 4 pm, followed by a Round Dance, 5 to 10 pm. For more details, email the Ven. Travis Enright at rector@stfaithsanglican.org

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” -- 1 John 4:12

Our congregation, a shared ministry of Lutherans and Anglicans, selects our monthly missions annually at our AGM. Last year, we divided our contributions between local, service-based missions and national/international donation-focused missions. The feedback we received from members about the opportunity to volunteer locally as a group was very positive, so we committed to supporting several local community agencies again in 2024. 

Our March mission is the Edson Food Bank Society. This local agency is volunteer-driven and is currently serving an unprecedented number of local residents. Holy Trinity stalwart Sheryl Dubois worked with the Edson Food Bank to set up four workbees to accommodate the schedules of as many parishioners as possible. Under the guidance of Amy Pillage, program coordinator for the Food Bank, Holy Trinity volunteers ages five and up assisted with sorting, bagging and shelving items, and prepping hampers and snack bags. Throughout the month, we also collect items on the “most needed” list to keep food on the shelves. 

This winter, warming hubs at several Anglican churches in Edmonton have provided refuge for people seeking relief from the loneliness, isolation and life-threatening, cold temperatures.

On the last day of February, after a significant snowfall and plummeting temperatures dealt another harsh blow to anyone vulnerable to the elements, the Very Rev. Alexandra Meek, rector and Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral, Edmonton; and Hayfa Hamad, Community Connections Support Worker, Boyle Street Community Services, welcomed people into the warm Cathedral.

St. Mary the Virgin in Vegreville had the privilege of organising a local annual World Day of Prayer service on Friday evening, March 1. The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement that brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. The motto of this movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action.

The service was providentially focused on Palestine and entirely written by Christian women from Palestine. However, it should be noted that the decision to feature the work of the Christian church in Palestine was made in 2017 by an international committee. In Canada, the World Day of Prayer resources were prepared in both official languages by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC).

St. Mary the Virgin in Vegreville held its annual Lent Quiet Day on Saturday, March 9^. This year’s Quiet Day came with a twist. Borrowing from the monastic tradition of Lectio Divina, the reading of, praying on, and contemplating in silence on scripture passages, the participants instead listened to, prayed on and contemplated in silence on various sacred music selections. In addition to the ecumenical group of women who shared insights, two ladies from the Baha’i’ faith community also joyfully participated. Submitted by the Rev. Laureta Blondin

The March 2024 issue of In Touch, the quarterly newsletter of the Diocese of Edmonton ACW, is available to download or read online. This issue is full of inspiring stories of faith in action and much more!

From Sorrow to Joy: Good Friday for Families at All Saints’ Cathedral, 10035 103 St NW, Edmonton, on March 29, at 1 pm. All ages are invited to journey together to the cross and to our Easter joy through prayer, art, songs and an Easter egg hunt!

This Lenten season, St. Paul’s, Edmonton invites all to join together online for Morning and Evening Prayer. We pray together on Zoom, each morning (except Thurs and Sun when we meet in person), from 8 to 9 am; and every evening, from 7 to 8 pm. 

Come and just be! We have learned through reading scripture that Jesus often withdrew from all the crowds around him to pray and to remind himself of his relationship with God and how this needed to come before anything else in life. Every Lenten season, our sanctuary is transformed into a desert. The invitation is open. Come... be. There is no agenda. There is no expectation. There is simply a space that is open and quiet... just for you! St. Matthew's sanctuary, 125 Larose Dr, St. Albert, is open daily, Monday to Thursday, from 12 to 1 pm.

Come and join us in an intentional journey to the cross this Lenten season as we gather on Tuesday evenings, at 7 pm, to celebrate the Eucharist. We will gather, break bread, and spend some quiet reflection time in the desert that has been created in St. Matthew's sanctuary, 125 Larose Dr, St. Albert. Come. Be. 

Holy Living, Holy Dying Lenten Series: During this Lenten season, Good Shepherd Anglican Church, 15495 Castle Downs Road, offers an opportunity to come together, on Saturday mornings, to explore common experiences of living our lives. Through conversation and presentation, we offer the gift of delving into some topics that we sometimes haven’t found the right moment to explore yet. Dementia, Wills, Funeral Home Options and Planning a Celebration of Life Service, Medical Assistance in Dying, Holy Living and Holy Dying - A Good Death. We’ll start each week with coffee and muffins at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at approx. 11:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome!

Members of All Saints' Cathedral and Temple Beth Ora invite you to join them for their second interfaith walk together on Saturday, March 16, at 2:30 pm. This will be a time to walk, reflect and meditate together as we mark the beginning of spring. Meet at the Millcreek Ravine parking lot, 8311 96 St. NW, Edmonton, and bring a light, vegetarian snack to share.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037–84 Avenue NW, invites you to join them over the lunch hour for beautiful music in the contemplative surroundings of their sanctuary. 

• March 19 MUSIC FOR STRING TRIO
  Frank Ho and Vladimir Rufino, Violins, Fabiola Amorim, Viola
  Music by Jancewicz, Rival, Kodaly and Dvorak

The next Klaio Grief Support Group meets on Monday, March 18, from 2 to 3 pm, at Good Shepherd, 15495 Castle Downs Rd, Edmonton. Klaio is our peer-support group, for both parishioners and neighbours, who have experienced loss of any kind.

The next clergy day, a Chrism Mass, will be on the Tuesday in Holy Week, March 26,  at All Saints' Cathedral, Edmonton. This is the annual renewal of ordination vows and the blessing of holy oil. Clergy are required to register.

Following our warmly received gathering last year, we invite parishes to come together for the Diocesan Easter Vigil Service on March 30, 8 pm, at All Saints' Cathedral. 

If your parish is not holding an Easter Vigil, please let your community know about the diocesan gathering. You can help us spread the word by including an invitation in your weekly service bulletin and/or announcements.

Anyone interested in participating in the service can email Sarah Kemp at assistant@edmonton.anglican.ca .

St. Matthew's, 125 Larose Dr., St. Albert, is elated to host authors Dawn Hurley and Argentine Imanirakunda on Sunday, April 7, 2 pm, for an afternoon of conversation and connection. These authors met in the Congo and then, with the help of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, found themselves reunited in Athabasca, AB! The story is a great one and you will most definitely want to venture out to St. Albert to be a part of this conversation and reflection on faith, friends, and fears!

This event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required. Please email Leanne at llaroc18@gmail.com to register or with any questions! POSTER

Bishop Stephen London invites youth from the Edmonton diocese to join him at an Ecumenical Youth Event, hosted by the Alberta Synod & the Territories, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. This will be an opportunity for Anglican, Lutheran and Moravian youth to connect over food, games and conversations. The event will be hosted by Trinity Lutheran Church, 10014 81 Ave NW, Edmonton, on Sunday, April 14, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Click here to register

Diocese of Edmonton clergy will have another opportunity to hear about how the Gospel is being lived out in different contexts at a Joint Clergy Day with ecumenical partners on Thursday, April 25 at Camp Van Es. Registration link coming soon...

Join Queerly Beloved as we engage in the spiritual practice of forming a rule of life from a queer context in a safe and open environment. Beginning on April 26, we plan to meet every fourth Friday of the month for 12 gatherings in person at Lodgepole Communitas Highlands, 11203 68 Street NW, Edmonton, from 7 pm to 8:30 to 9 pm. We will provide coffee, tea and light snacks. Please note: the book we are using for this book study, Crafting a Rule of Life,  is not written from a queer viewpoint, but we will be engaging it from a Queer Christian lens. To Register, or information, email queerbelonging@lodgepolecommunitas.ca

Have you considered going deeper in your faith by attending a Cursillo Weekend? The weekend runs from Friday evening, May 3 to late Sunday afternoon, May 5. It revolves around a series of talks given by a team of laypeople and clergy. Small group discussions follow the talks. There are times for worship, fellowship, personal reflection, prayer, and song. As a Christian, the weekend is a time for you to be strengthened in your spiritual journey. This weekend is open to all Christians 18 years and older. For more info, e-mail cursilloedmonton@gmail.com | BROCHURE | POSTER

"Cursillo means a little course in Christianity. But it is so much more. It is, in fact, a profound experience of deep Christian community. It is a weekend of learning, but also of fellowship, worship, laughter and friendship." Bishop Stephen London

We are already on the home stretch of February and parishes have either had or are gearing up for their Annual General Meetings. People's wardens and synod delegates should save the date of October 18 and 19, 2024 for the 69th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton. Details, including the official notice of synod, will be posted at: https://edmonton.anglican.ca/synod

We are happy to share news and pictures, or help promote upcoming events (ie. youth gathering, parish fundraiser, worship service, community outreach, public lecture) in Synod Scene, our weekly e-newsletter to clergy, parishes and subscribers. Please click the link to the form below to tell us about your news and event . Upload a graphic or picture (horizontal / landscape orientation; 1500x784 px), and your event poster (if you have one). Submissions must be received by Tuesday at noon to guarantee their inclusion in the current week's newsletter. Have questions? Email Margaret Glidden, communications@edmonton.anglican.ca; or call 780-439-7344

Good Shepherd Anglican Church in northeast Edmonton is hiring a temporary, part-time parish administrator for 15 hours/week, starting on May 1. We seek an enthusiastic, qualified candidate to fill a parental leave. Please see our job posting here, and share it widely with anyone who might be interested in applying. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we hope to announce a successful candidate by April 3.

Team Anglican now has 50 members and we are at 26 per cent of our annual donation goal. Thank you for being a Partner for Life.

Donating blood and/or plasma is a lifesaving act of generosity. Not everyone is eligible to be a donor, but if you are, please donate. You will join a community of donors making all the difference for patients across the country. No matter what the season, patient need is constant. Your support ensures that patients have access to essential blood products when and where they need them.

To book your lifesaving appointment, call 1-888-236-6283 or visit Canadian Blood Services. Check your eligibility, then click here and enter our Partner ID: ANGL696986 to join Team Anglican. You won't just make a difference. You can make all the difference.

Cold and flu season is upon us, and COVID persists in all its variations. As we spend more time indoors, it is becoming more difficult to contain germs and protect vulnerable members of our communities. Please remember that a minor infection for one person can develop into a major sickness for someone else. If you are feeling unwell (ie. have a cough, runny nose, sore throat, chest congestion, fever...), please stay home.

In our walk of life and faith, the timeless art of Rembrandt invites us to explore the light of God as it shines in our dark places. Join art historian and pastor, Tony Maan, author of Rembrandt’s Jesus: Meditations on the Life of Christ for an evening of Lenten reflections and renewal as we journey with Jesus through the eyes of the Dutch master. Thursday, March 14, from 7 to 9 pm. Early Registration: $20. Register at http://www.starofthenorth.ca/rembrandt or call 780-459-5511.

All are invited to the next Beyond Land Acknowledgements gathering hosted by Westwood Unitarian Church, 11135 65 Avenue Northwest Edmonton, on March 15, at 6 pm. Join guest speaker Lewis Cardinal either in person or on Zoom. Admission is free, but space is limited and to ensure enough soup and bannock for everyone, registration is required. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, email workshops@westwoodunitarian.ca

The Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education & Action will hold its annual commemoration of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Thursday, March 21, at noon, in the Lounge of the Arts Building (formerly Convocation Hall) on the U of A campus. Indigenous artist Cynthia Jim will deliver the keynote speech, Prof. Andy Knight will talk about an upcoming Massive Open Online Course on “Black Canadians: History, Presence, and Anti-Racist Futures,” Stephanie Otieno will provide a “Faith Spaces | Safe Spaces” update, and there will be music from U of A’s Transcontinental Orchestra. 

Holy Week Retreat: Newness of Life in Christ, facilitated by Fr. Dan Gurnick, OFM, Sunday, March 24, 2024 (7:00 pm) to Sunday, March 31, 2024 (10 am)

Life brings about ups and downs. In other words, we share and participate in the dying and rising in, with, and through Christ. Naturally, we have to let go of things as we age, but the newness of life is possible. As baptised pilgrims, we share in the pattern of Christ’s descent and ascent. Let us open ourselves to the newness Christ desires to offer us. Register by March 20 

Please provide information about this event, which is part of Edmonton’s annual Easter activities, to members of your church or organization. You may use this notice or information from it.

The 44th annual Outdoor Way of the Cross invites people to think about the relevance and importance of the Gospel message in our world today. This year’s theme, “Journeying Home,” is based on Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is not this the fast that I choose. . .to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless into your house.”

For more information, contact Marguerite Watson at marguerite.watson@telus.net or visit outdoorwayofthecross.wordpress.com

Interested in initiating or continuing Christian-Muslim dialogue in your community? On April 16, at noon, join the Anglican Church of Canada to learn about the origins of the A Common Word initiative, explore local engagement tools and resources, hear stories from people who have used them in their context and engage in discussion. Register today.

Before we know it spring will be here, and joining a local Christian slo-pitch league is a great opportunity to share fun and fellowship. The ELMSP league, made up of various Christian churches in the Edmonton area, has been going for more than 30 years. Here are some specifics about the league:

• Teams consist of a minimum of 10 players, including at least 3 women and 3 men.
• All players must be at least 14 years old.
• Teams generally play one game per week beginning the first full week of May.
• Games days are Tuesday each week. 
• A year-end tournament is usually held on the third weekend of August.
• League fees are typically $475 per year (may be adjusted depending on how many teams join), plus a $100 refundable deposit per new team.
• If you can't find enough interest from your congregation, feel free to join with another congregation or use this as an outreach opportunity by adding friends to your team.

To play, sign up your team HERE by  April 24. For more info, please email Warren at elmsp.president@gmail.com

Youth Retreat: A Day Just for You

“Young people: They care. They know that this is the world that they are going to grow up in, that they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in.” (David Attenborough). On Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to 6pm, Providence Renewal Centre is hosting a Youth Retreat. It is “A Day Just for You,” a day of activities and programs including Stress Reduction, Art Therapy, Music, God & Sports, and Spirituality & Gaming with the aim of supporting young people. Ages 12 + $75 (first youth); $50 (each additional youth from same family)

Register online for the National Worship Conference, a full-communion initiative of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada since 2001, to be held in Regina, from July 18 to 21. These conferences are wonderful opportunities to explore together in community a particular theme, hear gifted speakers, participate in workshops and, of course, worship.