April 29th, 2005 (2005-04)

From the Rector

The world around us is buzzing with important events. Who would have thought that the church would be front page news in 2005! The world still yearns for something better than the vision and goals guiding us politically and socially. As Anglicans in the Canadian Church, I reflect that we are in a place that has been led by the Spirit of God into a gentler, more compassionate perspective than many other societies. With the Primate of our church, I feel that patience on our part may eventually result in more gain than quick unilateral action. Meanwhile, we have been saddened by John-Paul II’s death, we pray for Benedict XVI, and we look for the Spirit to lead us and our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters and other parts of Christ’s Church into the unity Christ prayed for.

Day-Camp! This year the theme is "On Fire"; life-changing stories from the Book of Acts – and each day (July 25th to 29th for children ages 4 to 12) a different story will be told in several different ways – including puppets, plays, songs, and games. I am happy to report that Lamb is well, and will be back this year! Numbers are limited, so please register (at the office, with payment) as soon as possible! If you wish to help with the leadership or support teams, or with the music, please call Sandra at (450) 451-0427.

I congratulate our parish pastoral committee, who have planned a series of wonderful events for young families. Prayer, song, food, and fun. A good combination!

The work of the communications committee is obvious – you are reading it! This Pulse, and the new Website are both happening.

Stewardship committee is still managing to come up with important community reflections, the latest on Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Rabbi Lerner is well-informed, and a good speaker.

Please pray for youth-work in our parish. Our Committee is working on getting this off the ground, and needs your prayers.

As always, I am at 458-5372. I will visit, or bring Communion or a prayer to the shut-in, or the sick; or bless your home; or prepare you for Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, a memorial, or simply chat! Please do call.

God bless you. Fr John

THE PASTORAL COMMITTEE invites families to fellowship:

“PRAISE, PIZZA & PANDEMONIUM” Sunday, May 1st St. James Church Hall – 5:00 pm

A short service followed by supper and a chance to chat while the children watch a video. Adults $5,

children $2.50 (Max per family $20) RSVP: 458-4791, 458-2361 Everyone welcome.

SUMMER DAY CAMP: Will take place at St. James from July 25th to 29th for children ages 4 to 12. A fun-filled day (10am-3pm) of prayers, crafts, games, songs and stories. Register by calling the parish office 458-5897 Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to noon. Cost is $15 per child, $35 per family of three or more.

ST. JAMES SUNDAY SCHOOL: With a big help from the congregation, the Sunday School at St. James has raised $77.20 for the Bishop's Lenten Project. Bravo, and thank you for the support.

ST. MARY’S ANNUAL LOBSTER SUPPER:

Will take place on Friday 27 May at 6:00 pm. Volunteers are needed for setting-up, serving and cleaning-up. If you can help or would like more information, please call Elizabeth Dempsey at 458-4380.

ST. JAMES CHURCH WOMEN:

Our Spring General Meeting will take place in the small hall on Thursday, May 12th at 7:30 pm. We welcome as our speaker The Rev’d Marsha Mundy whose topic will be Christian Challenges for Women in the 21st Century. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served after the meeting.

WE PROUDLY SUPPORT: Kate Ilaqua has been selected by the Organization of Youthworks Inc to be part of a Mission Team working in Juarez Mexico. Kate will leave this summer with other youths from Canada and the U.S.A. The cost of this trip is $1000. St James' ladies are contributing financial assistance of $500 towards her involvement in this worthwhile project.

The Da Vinci Code – fact or fiction ?

Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. Not surprising perhaps. It is an exciting novel opening with a murder in The Louvre, and the detection clues being deciphered lead us racing around other well known European sites. The “who dunnit” is interwoven with extensive “historical” details about Catholicism, the Holy Grail, Opus Dei, the Priory of Sion and the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene (was that her next to Jesus in Leonardo’s painting of the Last Supper?). The book is, as they say, a rattling good read, but how much of the history is actually true and factual? Are 18 million readers being grossly misled? Hudson will have a wonderful opportunity to hear some answers to those questions on Sunday 15th May at 4 pm at St. James, when Rabbi Lerner of Emanu-El Beth Shalom Temple in Westmount will share with us his own detailed interpretation of the novel. He is an entertaining speaker, and those who attended his talk on this subject in Montreal a few months ago, learned some fascinating and surprising revelations. So do read the book if you haven’t already, and plan to join us on 15th May.

ST. JAMES ADVISORY BOARD: Members will be meeting on Thursday, May 19th at 7:30 p.m.

COUNTRY HOMES TOUR: Thursday June 2nd, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Tickets on Sale April 30th in Hudson, at the Emporium and Pickering’s.

Tour Tickets $25; lunch tickets for St. James $10, two sittings 11:30 am and 1:00 pm.

St. Mary’s lunch $8, two sittings 11:30 am & 1:00 pm reservations not necessary but if you would like to make a reservation, please call 458-4380 or 458-5442 .

Also at St. Mary’s coffee 9:00-11:00 a.m. and tea 2:30-4:00 p.m.

PARISH FAMILY: Milestones of recent weeks

Deaths:

Wilf Hamson died on April 16th and his Memorial Service was held at St. George’s Anglican Church,

Place du Canada on April 23rd. His ashes were buried in St. James Church Cemetery.

Jack Piper died on April 10th and a Memorial Service will be held at St. James Church

on Saturday May 7th at noon with a reception following the service.

Jack Piper died at home on Sunday April 10 at age 99. Born in London, Ontario in 1906, he survived a somewhat turbulent childhood, raised by relatives after the death of his parents. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, playing the saxophone to help cover his tuition, his first job was with the stock-brokerage firm of Drury & Co. in 1928. His career took him to A.E. Ames & Company - the underwriting and bond-trading powerhouse at the time, where he was a Director and one of the most skilled and respected bond traders on “the Street”.

Jack and his cherished partner Betty moved to Hudson in 1949, whereupon they proceeded to benefit the town and their new friends with their energy, good ideas and integrity. During a span of almost 60 years at St. James’, Jack served as a warden, and was key to the success of the financial campaigns for the building of the Small Hall in 1950 and the Big Hall in 1962 – both built without incurring debt. He visited many parishioners during several successful Stewardship campaigns, and for the last 10 years, served on the Finance Committee. His advice was wise and clear-headed, and he didn’t hesitate to knock holes in faulty arguments. Who can forget the inevitable moment at Vestry meetings or VON Annual meetings when he’d rise to his feet to ask “Isn’t that a lot for bank charges and brokerage fees ?!”

After their children, John and Julia, left the nest, Jack and Betty spent 17 winters in San Miguel, Mexico, where they brought their charm and considerable talents to bear there also. Betty, as an avid gardener, loved the wonderful profusion of plants and flowers found in San Miguel. From San Miguel, they brought the idea of the wildly successful Consignment Sale back to St. James , which has not only allowed considerable movement of unwanted treasures around Hudson, but also has provided St. James with many thousand dollars of income.

Music was always an important part of Jack and Betty’s life and worship. Who can forget their wonderful Christmas parties with lots of Gilbert & Sullivan, and, of course, the Orchestra Song! Jack could always be counted upon to regale us with a story or two, told with wonderful mimicry and enthusiasm. No matter how many times he told “the Five of Us” or “little Mrs. Five-by-five and the fan”, he was always hilarious. And equally memorable were Jack’s performances with the Hudson Players, especially when he and Helen Zajchowski shared the stage! John and Julia have continued to love music, with John especially a talented performer on just about any instrument or type of music.

It’s tempting to measure Jack and Betty’s activities in financial terms alone, but they contributed in so many ways to the daily fabric of Hudson life. We’ll miss them !

IN HONOR OF MOTHER’S DAY:

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?" And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way! That's too much work for one day. Wait and finish tomorrow." ”But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?" asked the angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she can reason and negotiate the most complex situations."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you, you put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the angel asked. The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."

“PULSE” CONTACT INFORMATION:

The Parish Pulse Editorial Team is actively looking for your articles. Please feel free to contact any of them with your ideas or suggestions for an article. (Patti Ann Gannon, 613-674-1376, pattiann@sympatico.ca; Paul Brierley, 450-458-1750, paul.brierley@future.ca; Wilf Hall, 450-458-7913, wghall@sympatico.ca). The deadline for the next issue is Wednesday, May 18th, 2005. The publication will be Friday, May 27th, 2005.

Submissions should be directed to Patti Ann Gannon through: parishvaudreuil@ca.inter.net, drop off at the Parish Office, fax to the Parish Office at 450-458-8802, or mail to The Parish of Vaudreuil, 642 Main Road, Hudson Heights, Quebec, J0P 1J0.

WEB LINKS RECOMMENDED BY THE EDITORS:

http://www.montreal.anglican.org/index-01.shtml

http://www.alphacanada.org/

http://www.podm.net/po_how.htm

www.parishofvaudreuil.com

SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT MONTH

Wednesday’s throughout the month – 9:30 a.m. Prayer and Study at the Rectory

Sunday, May 1st – 6th of Easter

7:45 a.m. Holy Communion St. Mary’s

9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer St. Mary’s

10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer & Praise Evergreen, St. Lazare

11:00 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

Readings: Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21

5:00 p.m. Praise, Pizza and Pandemonium St. James

Sunday, May 8th – 7th of Easter

7:45 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

9:00 a.m. Holy Communion St. Mary’s

10:00 a.m. Holy Communion Evergreen, St. Lazare

11:00 a.m. Morning Prayer St. James

Readings: Acts 1:6-14; 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11; John 17:1-11

Sunday, May 15th – The Day of Pentecost

7:45 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

9:00 a.m. Family Service St. Mary’s

10:00 a.m. Family Service Evergreen, St. Lazare

11:00 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

Readings: Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23

4:00 p.m. The Da Vinci Code – Fact or Fiction? St. James

Sunday, May 22nd – 1st after Pentecost

7:45 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

9:00 a.m. Holy Communion St. Mary’s

10:00 a.m. Holy Communion Evergreen, St. Lazare

11:00 a.m. Family Service St. James

Readings: Genesis 6: 9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19; 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

Sunday, May 29th – 2nd after Pentecost

7:45 a.m. Holy Communion St. Mary’s

9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer St. Mary’s

10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer & Praise Evergreen, St. Lazare

11:00 a.m. Holy Communion St. James

Readings: Genesis 6:9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19; Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28; Matthew 7:21-29