PARISH OF
VAUDREUIL
JUNE 2009
PARISH PULSE
TRINITY SUNDAY: June 7th
The
Diocese will be celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Synod of
the Diocese of Montreal. All are invited
to attend a brunch on Christ Church Cathedral grounds beginning at
Here
in the Parish of Vaudreuil on that same Sunday only two services will be held:
PARISH SEARCH COMMITTEE NEWS:
Your
Parish Search Committee has been busy finalizing the Parish Profile, marking a
major milestone in the search process.
During
the past few weeks we have been busy putting the final touches to the profile
while ensuring we have documented the wishes of the Parish as learnt from our
recent consultations within the congregation. Final editing of the Profile took
place during the third week of May and it is now with the Bishop awaiting
approval. When approved, the Profile will be posted on the Diocesan web site
where it can be viewed by prospective candidates. We are also seeking other
advertising opportunities.
Our
focus has now turned to the appointment process by preparing ourselves for the
applicant review and interview formalities.
We
are continually seeking names of possible candidates and again invite you to
submit names along with a few words in summary of what you know about them.
Possible candidates may come from out of the diocese, province or country.
Our
weekly meetings continue and we look forward to sharing more news with you next
month.
PSC Committee Members:
St James:
Marcus Owen, Rector’s warden linmarc@videotron.ca 450-458-8627
Sue Campbell, People’s warden Sue.campbell18@gmail.com 450-458-2181
Michael Legg, Chair leggml@sympatico.ca 450-458-7219
Tom Pound tom.pound@videotron.ca 450-458-5127
St Mary’s:
Joan Marshall, Rector’s warden joan.marshall@mcgill.ca 450-458-5144
Alan Constable, People’s warden patetal@sympatico.ca 450-510-3919
Tracy Gallacher tracey.gallacher@videotron.ca 450-458-8631
Elizabeth McCrudden elizabeth.mccrudden@videotron.ca 450-458-5442
Youth:
Wanda Smith wandabray@hotmail.com 450-458-0481
JOHN’S & KAREN’S
RETIREMENT PARTY:
What a wonderful evening we had on the 24th
of May to celebrate John’s retirement
and to thank both he and Karen for their service to the parish
community. The weather cooperated and
with the delicious South-western BBQ and entertainment provided by the Turtle
Pond Gang over 150 people enjoyed the alfresco dining on the beautiful grounds
of St. James. The parish presented them
with a beautiful Inuit carving for them to enjoy in their new home in
PRIEST-IN-CHARGE:
As
previously announced Gordon Guy will be our Priest-in-Charge. He can be reached via the Parish Office
450-458-5897, by email at holloguy@videotron.ca
or at 514-425-0378.
URGENT REQUEST:
The Parish website is in
urgent need of content updating and some design improvement.
The Parish Search Committee
will shortly be advertising the vacancy that has been created by John's
retirement. This action will create an
immediate increase in the number of visits to our website, www.parishofvaudreuil.com.
If you visit the website you will see that there are many examples showing a
need for immediate updates as well as an increase in the volume of highly
relevant content.
We really need to do the very
best we can to attract top quality candidates to fill this vacancy and, in
today's environment, that means we need to be up to speed in every respect
including our communication channels.
If you or someone you know
has the expertise and desire to help with this pressing project please leave
your name with the Parish office.
BAPTISMS:
Isla Anne May Bitting,
daughter of Gabrielle Campbell and Seth Bitting, was baptized at St. James on
May 31st.
Malcolm Arthur Christopher
Torrie, son of Gillian Campbell and Brian Torrie, was baptized at St. James on
May 31st.
DEATH:
Howard Bartram died on May 11th
and his Memorial Service was held at St. James on May 29th.
MARRIAGES:
Sandra Colby and James
Forster were married on May 5th at St. James.
Elizabeth Drake and Philip
Astles were married on May 23rd at St. James.
ST. JAMES CHANCEL GUILD: Tuesday
9 June,
The Ven. Gordon Guy is looking forward to meeting members of the Chancel
Guild at a Eucharist in St. James’ Church.
ST. JAMES ADVISORY BOARD Thursday,
18 June –
COMMUNION AT MANOIR CAVAGNAL: Friday
26 June,
PARISH CONSIGNMENT
SUMMER DAY CAMP: Monday
July 27th to Friday July 31
Summer day camp ‘09 will be from July 27 to the 31. Please mark it on your calendar. We will need volunteers to help with snacks and lunch break supervision. We also welcome adults and teens to join our group as leaders and assistants.
The camp is open to all children in the area, and it is an ecumenical program. Please pass the word on to families and friends. A wish list for supplies will follow. Thank you in advance for making this week a special and valuable experience for many children.
For information contact Wanda Smith 458-0481, wandabray@hotmail.com or Barbara Dodds at the parish office 450-458-5897, or parishvaudreuil@ca.inter.net.
The
Greenwood Singers will be in concert St. Mary's Church at
BUILDING AND GROUNDS UPDATE:
Present On
The stonework restoration is
going smoothly and moving along to the point where it is more than half
completed. The walls are reported to be in very good condition overall. There
are a few areas that need an application of injected mortar to a depth of about
three or four inches to replace some of the original mortar. Three cut stone
window ledges were found to be in need of re-securing, as there were signs of
looseness. Other than that no surprises have been discovered. Our forefathers
knew what they were doing when they built our church one hundred and sixty
eight years ago.
Next step in the refurbishing
is the work on the stained glass windows. This will probably begin within the
next week or ten days. Three of the windows will be removed and transported to
the contractor’s workshop for repair which will take about two weeks; they will
then be re-installed. During this portion of the work new window frames will be
constructed to replace the existing frames on the outer windows. When all the
work is completed new exterior windows, with a strong shatterproof glass, will
be installed to continue protecting the stained glass. We should see an
increase in the brightness inside the nave when these windows are in place.
The electrical wiring which we
are required to replace may take place during August when the Sunday services
are being held at St. Mary’s. This would eliminate a lot of disruption as some
pews will have to be taken out while the work goes on. A decision on this will
be made shortly.
A day’s work is
planned soon to remove the tree stumps on the Rectory lawn. The Building and
Grounds Committee members, along with Sextant Roger Seguin, our man of many
skills, will do this work.
Future
Work Schedule Items:
The kitchen will have the
ceiling removed and Insulation will be both blown in and installed by hand
where space permits. Right now there is practically no insulation above the
ceiling. When completed a new ceiling consisting of gyprock construction will
replace the worn tiles presently installed. Along with the kitchen work,
insulation will also be applied to the roof space above the ceiling in the loft
room above the kitchen. This work will be done in August and will require the
kitchen to be “closed” for a week.
Pointing of the chimney is
also planned during August after the completion of the window work outlined
above.
Other smaller items are in
the planning stage so stay tuned for more information next month.
Alan MacLeod
Chairman, Building and Grounds
A
REMINDER FROM THE CHURCH TREASURERS:
Each year, our vestries review and approve the budgets for revenues and expenses. The Corporations then manage the programmes/expenditures to the approved budgets. Regular givings by parishioners make up between 60 and 65% of revenues.
Both churches face a challenge in that between 35 and 40% of givings are received in November and December, while our expenses are fairly constant across the months – particularly since salaries and benefits are our biggest expense.
This year, for both churches, our financial outlook is fairly positive - we have seen no major surprises on regular expenses so far and givings and other revenues are following the usual seasonal pattern. On the other hand, both churches need major investments for renewal of the buildings and this will be addressed in special campaigns.
We hope you will remember - the bills keep coming in – even while we are on holidays. Please provide in some manner for your gifts to the church to continue regularly through the summer months. Many parishioners have switched to monthly bank remittance – the forms are available from the parish office or the parish web site–automatic givings – http://www.parishofvaudreuil.com/PAR%20form.htm.Post-dated cheques are also an option. Thank you for your continued support – together we will sustain our important ministries.
THE
MESSIAH IS ONE OF YOU:
Community is created and renewed when individuals act in love and serve each other. A story called “The Messiah is One of You” illustrates this truth.
Once upon a time there was an abbot of a
monastery who was very good friends with the rabbi of a local synagogue. It was
The abbott found his community dwindling and the faith life of his monks shallow and lifeless. Life in the monastery was dying. He went to his friend and wept. His friend, the rabbi, comforted him and told him: “There is something you need to know, my brother. We have long known in the Jewish community that the Messiah is one of you.” “What!” exclaimed the abbott “the Messiah is one of us? How can that be?”
But the rabbi insisted that it was so, and the abbott went back to his monastery wondering and praying, comforted and excited. Once back in the monastery, walking down the halls and in the courtyard, he would pass by a monk and wonder if he was the one. Sitting in chapel, praying, he would hear a voice and look intently at a face and wonder if he was the one, and he began to treat all of his brothers with respect, with kindness and awe, with reverence. Soon it became quite noticeable.
One of the other brothers came to him and asked him what had happened to him. After some coaxing, he told him what the rabbi had said. Soon the other monk was looking at his brothers differently and wondering. The word spread through the monastery quickly: the Messiah is one of us. Soon the whole monastery was full of life, worship, kindness and grace. The prayer life was rich and passionate, devoted, and the psalms and the liturgy and services were alive and vibrant. Soon the surrounding villagers were coming to the services and listening and watching intently, and there were many who wished to join the community.
After their novitiate, when they took their vows, they were told the mystery, the truth that their life was based upon, the source of their strength and life together: “The Messiah is one of us.” The monastery grew and expanded into house after house, and all of the monks grew in wisdom, age, and grace before the others and the eyes of God. And they say still, if you stumble across this place, where there is life and hope and kindness and graciousness that the secret is the same: “The Messiah is one of us.”
Megan McKenna, in Mary
“The Messiah is One of You” was included
at the conclusion of the Ascension Sunday sermon delivered by Archdeacon Gordon
Guy on
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. (Mary
Vipond, 514-488-3485, maryvipond@gmail.com;
Wilf Hall, 450-458-7913, wghall@sympatico.ca).
Deadline for the next issue is
Submissions should be directed to Mary Vipond
through: maryvipond@gmail.com or
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,
WEB LINKS RECOMMENDED BY THE EDITORS:
http://www.montreal.anglican.org/index-01.shtml
http://www.alphacanada.org/http://www.podm.net/po_how.htmwww.parishofvaudreuil.com