Parish Cycle of Prayer:   Stephanie MacLeod, Paul Racher & Amelia Racher; Elaine Marshall.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for The Diocese of Adelaide, The Anglican Church of Australia.

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada  we pray for the Assistants to the Bishop and the staff of the Eastern Synod.

In the Anglican Church of Canada  we pray for Dr. Andrea Mann, Director, and the staff of Global Relations; Ryan Weston, Lead Animator, Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice.

In our diocese of Niagara we pray for our Bishop, The Right Reverend Susan Bell, All Saints, Ridgeway, the Reverend Daniel Bennett, Rector; Canon David Thomas, Honorary Assistant, and the people of that parish.  

As a community we pray for refugees and those displaced by war, violence and politics and those who help,  support, counsel and care for them.         

Those who have asked to be remembered in our prayers:   Susan Andrews; Eric Mills; Susan Worrall; Linda Andrews-McFarlane; Michael F.; Joseph C.; Kathy Johnston; Gary Hanna; Brandon Johnson; Joshua Fitzpatrick; Larry Andrews; Pat Crowe & family; Jeff & Sally Braun-Jackson; Justin; Allan; Veronica; Brian; Diana; Michael; Mildred; Paul; Jim.      

Our next Cathedral Chat will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel at 7:00pm on January 12. We have assembled an impressive panel of leaders in Hamilton’s social service sector to discuss the current housing crisis. This event is sure to be an informative, compelling, and timely conversation. If you are interested in learning how churches like ours can respond to this growing crisis, please tune in for the conversation.

Join the hundreds from across Canada who have attended the bi-weekly “Praying with PWRDF” worship on Zoom (every second Thursday at 1 p.m. ET) and hear reflections from partners, volunteers and clergy. Visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/xa9pdIc to subscribe to the mailing list to receive the bi-weekly Zoom link. This month's speakers are:

• January 13th - Will Postma, Executive Director, PWRDF

• January 27th – The Rt. Reverend Andrew Asbil, Bishop of the Diocese of Toronto

For information on other ways to continue to support PWRDF, please contact your Parish Representative at louise.vanwoelderen@gmail.com

If you haven’t had a chance to read Generosity Team member John Bradley’s excellent article beginning on p. 26 of the most recent (December) Contact, I’d really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to do so this week.  In his article, John summarizes the themes pursued by the Generosity Team (which in other parishes might be known as the Stewardship Committee) over the fall. He then highlights the themes you’ll be hearing about between now and our annual Vestry meeting,  including Decisions, Urgency, and Convenience. So, we’re now shifting from emphasizing one of the key characteristics that we want the Cathedral community to be known for – that is, generosity – to emphasizing our individual responsibility to give our financial resources, along with our time and talent, so that our church community can thrive.

I’d like to acknowledge right off the top that I’m aware many people hate seeing or hearing discussion of personal giving at church, for all kinds of reasons. I was raised in a WASPy home where discussion of money – especially what anyone earned or gave - was considered in bad taste. I have also struggled with perfectionism throughout my life. It’s ironic that I’ve wound up co-chairing the Cathedral’s Generosity Team with Wendy Newman, because I am one who – at an irrational level - continues to find public discussion of giving awkward, especially when there’s a usually self-imagined implication that I’m somehow falling short or could be doing more.

Depending on our personal story or circumstances, thinking or talking about money may make us anxious, ashamed, angry, fearful, and/or guilty. Money is one of those trigger issues that can raise a lot of difficult feelings, and we may have little insight into why we feel as uncomfortable as we do. When we combine a difficult issue (like money) with a context where many of us sometimes feel vulnerable or unsure about our relationship with God and other people (like church) it’s not surprising that it’s just easier for many folks to avoid talking about money at church at all. Here’s something to ponder: Why might I (or maybe you?) feel gratified to see my name on the donor wall at the local hospital or art gallery, but resistant to thinking or talking about what I give to the church?

Few of us come to church to satisfy the expectations of others anymore. In some way, unique to each of us, we have felt God’s claim on our lives, and in response, we have made a decision to identify with the Christ’s Church Cathedral community week by week. We do this to draw nearer to the One who made and loves us, to come closer to others in our church family, and to serve our brothers and sisters in downtown Hamilton. Like decisions we make about spending time and energy at church, choices we make about our money reflect our deepest hopes, aspirations and values. It makes sense, then, that although some (like me) find it uncomfortable, we think and talk about what we give, and ask ourselves regularly if our decisions are consistent with our commitment to God and God’s church. I invite you to join the members of the Generosity Team over the next few weeks as we take this journey together.

Elizabeth Wensley

Deacon Rob and Rob Miller have moved their weekly lectionary study online until further notice.

Please join us from 1:00 to 2:00pm every Sunday!

Email Deacon Rob at rob.jones@niagaraanglican.ca to receive the Zoom link.

Hope to see you there!

Thank you to all those who have already supported this effort.

As the need continues,  we will continue to accept:  hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, socks, sweaters and coats (mens and womens) during the month of January.  Donations of these items can be made at the Cathedral Tuesday to Friday,  from 11-2pm.   If someone does not respond to the buzzer please call 905-537-2254. 

These items will then be distributed through the Cathedral's Hamilton Out of the Cold Program.  

Chairs of all committees are asked to send their vestry reports to cathedral@niagaraanglican.ca by Sunday, February 6th, for inclusion in the annual report.

Join us for worship online.  All services are available on YouTube or via Zoom.

Please click on the picture above for the letter.