In our Parish Cycle of Prayer we pray for Susan Andrews; Ginny Arnott-Wood; Cameron Atkison; Marie Avery; and Douglas Bain.

In our Community and Partners Prayer Cycle we pray for ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Church of Pakistan (United).

In the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada we pray for the Primate Archbishop Linda Nicholls and the staff of the Primate’s Office of the Anglican Church of Canada; and for National Bishop Susan Johnson and the national staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

In our Diocese of Niagara we pray for our Bishop, The Right Reverend Susan Bell; and for St. Andrew’s, Grimsby, for the interim priest; the Reverend Deacon Jean Ruttan-Yates, Deacon; the Reverend John Ripley, Honorary Assistant; and the people of that parish.

As a community we pray for the isolated, the lonely and those mourning or remembering the death of family and friends.

Those who have asked to be remembered in our prayers: With ongoing needs Celina Liong; Ernie Taylor; Susan Andrews; Cathy Johnston; Larry Andrews; Susan Worrall; John; Wayne & Michelle; Lisa LaRush; Rachel & James; With current needs Kim; Heather Clark; Judy Robertson; Dawn Romig, Charlotte Read; Ann Fricker; The Reverend Michael Clark; Erin Cvitanovich; Alex and Emma Gilling; The Reverend Charles Meeks; Richard Cunningham; Hazel.

Those preparing for baptism Riley Robinson.

Those who have recently died Mark Lemon; Giles Gilling.

Flower Dedication Flowers at the Chancel Steps are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Elsie & Harvey Dewhurst O.N., Jean & George O. Peer, Evelyn E. E. Peer, and in thanksgiving for the Gift of Music given by Gwen Peer and Andrew Dewhurst.

SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER - THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8:30am - Holy Eucharist in person

10:30am - Choral Eucharist in person and on the

Cathedral's YouTube channel

DECEMBER 10 ORDER OF SERVICE

WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER

8:30am - Morning Prayer via Zoom followed by coffee and conversation

12:15pm - Eucharist in the Cathedral

FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER - 12:15pm Litany of Reconciliation in Bishopsgate

SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER - THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8:30am - Holy Eucharist in person

10:30am - Festival of Lessons and Carols in person and on YouTube

In these sessions, we're taking a Bible Tour - an overview of what's in the Bible, where it came from, and how it came together in this extended survey of the scriptures.

Our next stop on the Bible Tour is a look at Isaac and Jacob, aka Laughter and Cheater, as we stroll through the book of Genesis. Come add your thoughts and questions and perspectives to the discussion in the Spence Room after the 2nd Sunday morning service at 12:15-1:15pm.

For further information, please feel free to contact Matthew Green at 905-865-9863.

COP28 is the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 – December 12, 2023. Please join us in praying for this important global event.

God of blessings, the universe sings of your glory. Deepen our gratitude for all you have made and awaken in us a renewed commitment to care for the earth and each other. Inspire world leaders at COP28 with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change and with courage to act urgently and wisely, so that our common home may be healed and restored and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it. Amen.

(From The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development)

Our doors will be open one Sunday per month for anyone to come and enjoy some quiet space in the middle of our busy city.  Feel free to light a candle, say a prayer, or just sit quietly in this beautiful space.

Any willing and available hands are invited to join us for one of our biggest cleaning and polishing events of the year. Come help make the Cathedral shine!

Envelopes for Christmas memorial flowers are available on the narthex table and at each of the collection boxes.  Please print clearly the names of those that you would like remembered in the Christmas bulletin. Envelopes must be returned to the church office or in the collection box by Sunday, December 17th in order to allow for printing of the bulletin.

Christmas cards are again on sale on Sundays, and you can buy the Anglican Church calendar ($5.00) at the same table. Christmas cards were first sold in 2008 in response to requests from those who wanted “Christian” Christmas cards and the acknowledgement of Christmas in the message in place of “Season’s Greetings”. The price today is the same as in 2008, so you can save money and help the cathedral!  Each card is $1.25 ( 4 for $5.00, $15.00 per dozen) – AND the price is 20% LOWER for orders of $50.00 or more.

We are now hiring for a new Parish Coordinator.  The posting is on the Cathedral website.  If you know anyone who might be interested in and qualified for the position, please make them aware of the posting and encourage them to review it.

Towards the end of every year, our Parish Coordinator orders numbered envelopes for parishioners who elect to make their regular donations at time of collection during services.  For those who are already using numbered envelopes, no action is required.   The Cathedral will ensure that your envelopes are re-ordered for the new year.  However, please let us know if opting not to use them in 2024.  For instance, if you've moved to Pre-Authorized Givings, chances are you will not need numbered envelopes. 

For those who are not using numbered envelopes and are filling out the generic donation envelopes every week, you would likely find numbered envelopes both easier and efficient.  If you'd like to know more about how numbered envelopes work, please do not hesitate to email the Cathedral Office or call 905-527-1316 ext 240, or just pop in!

Please Note:  Unused envelopes from the current or past years cannot be used in future years.  That is because we often need to re-assign envelope numbers from one year to the next.  In other words, your number may change from one year to the next.

We are very excited to announce that as part of the City of Hamilton’s Winter Response, Christ’s Church Cathedral, in partnership with St. Matthews House, Hamilton Out of the Cold, and 541 Eatery & Exchange is offering a daily drop in, Monday to Saturday, between the hours of 9 am to 4 pm from December 1 to March 31, 2024.  

The Cathedral Café is a warming and resting centre for "street-involved" and precariously housed individuals in our community.  The Cathedral Café will expand its operations from a totally volunteer run ministry to that of one with paid social work staff and coordinator augmented by a team of volunteers.  We are seeking  more volunteers for the Cathedral Café under the new model as the continuity of this ministry is critical.    

Volunteers are needed to fill the the 3 shifts per day Monday to Saturday: 

• 8:30 am to 11:30 am
• 11:30 am to 2:00 pm
• 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm

 High-level expectations of volunteers are to:

• Greet and welcome guests
• Organize food, drinks, and other supplies and present guests with refreshments
• Prepare refreshments, as required
• Wash dishes, as required
• Verbally interact with guests in safe, respectful and caring manner
• Refer guests to on-site social worker, as needed
• Distributes naloxone kits to guests upon request
• Sanitize/disinfect table used by each guest
• Disinfect refreshment table/kitchen frequently
• Monitor washroom
• Monitor and report to Centre Coordinator adequacy of supplies and/or additional support for guests. 

For full details, please refer to the full Cathedral Café Volunteer Position Description.

If you or someone you know are at all inclined to help as an on-site volunteer, please complete the Volunteer Declaration form and/or connect with Kerry Lubrick at kerryllubrick@gmail.com or call 905-679-2818.

A great stocking stuffer and a wonderful way to help support Cathedral Café, a very important ministry of Christ’s Church Cathedral and the Diocese of Niagara. $20.00 per copy. To get your copy, please connect with Kerry Lubrick at kerryllubrick@gmail.com or 905-679-2818.

1. Thanks to everyone who contributed items to help one of our Cathedral Cafe guests furnish her new home.  When she lost her previous accommodation she had to give away her furniture and most of her belongings, and was starting again from scratch.  It's great news that she moved into a renovated apartment at First Place on December 1, with help from Cathedral parishioner Mike Lubrick and his trusty pick-up truck.  She writes:  "You truly are angels.  Thank you so much for your help in finding what I need for my NEW HOME!! Thank you! Thank you! Melva"
2. Cathedral parishioners Robinson, Gerry and Micheal who have moved to Hamilton from Uganda have also found a new home.  They'll be sharing an apartment in the King and Sherman neighborhood, and are looking for household items including furniture, bedding and bath towels, cleaning supplies, cutlery, pots and pans, dishes and glassware.  If you have any of these items (clean and in good condition), please contact Elizabeth Wensley (eawensley@gmail.com), Kerry Lubrick (kerryllubrick@gmail.com) or David Savage (dsavage3@cogeco.ca).  Moving day is December 15.
3. If you have a general-interest hard copy magazine subscription (Canadian Living, National Geographic, Time, car or sports magazines etc) and have been putting issues in the recycling bin after reading, the Cathedral Cafe warming centre would like to have them instead.  Recent issues (last 3 months) only, please.  We are also looking for 2-3 "C," "micro-USB," and iPhone lightning phone chargers, as well as power blocks (wall plug to USB), if anyone has any they're not using. Contact Elizabeth Wensley (eawensley@gmail.com) if you can help.

Reflections on Farming, Family and Faith in the midst of the Climate Crisis

During this season of Advent, subscribe HERE to PWRDF’s free resource. You will receive an email each day that also includes a PWRDF story or video. You can also download the resource in its entirety as a PDF (you will be required to provide your email address).

Diocese of Niagara PWRDF Advent Challenge

Bishop Susan is challenging the Diocese of Niagara to purchase 39 farms from the PWRDF “World of Gifts” catalogue. The World of Gifts allows you to support PWRDF partners by funding items of need for their programs. A “Diocese of Niagara” crowdfunding page has been created to track the donations to this Advent Challenge. If donating online, please go HERE. If sending a cheque to PWRDF, please write ‘Diocese of Niagara Advent Challenge’ on the memo line.

Let’s do our part to help purchase 39 farms!

For more information on other ways to support PWRDF, please contact your Parish Representative, Louise van Woelderen, at louise.vanwoelderen@gmail.com or 905-387-1820.

It's not too late to contribute to Bishop Susan's special appeal, designed to support the life-saving food security work happening across our diocese through community fridges, running food banks and community meal programs, cultivating community gardens, and delivering prepared meal boxes to those most in need in our communities. Thanks to a generous donor, all donations will be matched, up to $10,000. Funds raised will go directly to our parishes, missions, and affiliated food security agencies to help meet the overwhelming need, especially ahead of the Christmas season. Please consider sharing this special appeal or making a donation yourself. This is a great way to engage their friends and family in support of our ministries. Together we can help enhance our capacity to provide healthy and nutritious meals across the diocese!

Please visit the donation page by clicking HERE.

The Cathedral is delighted that a hearing loop has been installed in the sanctuary and choir seating areas. By installing a hearing loop, Christ’s Church Cathedral has joined thousands of churches and places of worship around the world that are removing communication barriers and building inclusive spaces for people that are hard of hearing.

HOW CAN A HEARING LOOP HELP?

Hearing Loops can transmit the church's audio signal directly into hearing devices via a magnetic field, reducing background noise. Whether it is the sermon, liturgy, or announcements - anything amplified through a microphone can be delivered clearly to an individuals hearing aid, cochlear implant or via a receiver and headset.

HOW TO USE THE HEARING LOOP?

WITH A HEARING AID OR COCHLEAR IMPLANT - Individuals who have a hearing aid or cochlear implant may have a telecoil program activated that will allow them to connect directly to the hearing loop.

WITHOUT A HEARING AID/COCHLEAR IMPLANT - Prior to a service, please ask for a receiver which is used with a headset. You will be asked to leave a credit card or set of keys as a “deposit” as a reminder to return the equipment.

WHAT TO ASK YOUR AUDIOLOGIST AND HEARING AID PROVIDER

“Please advise me if my hearing device(s) has a t-coil. If they do, please activate and program them for use in a hearing loop. If I do not have a t-coil, can my devices be retrofitted or is there an accessory remote control / streamer telecoil option?”

Funded by the Government of Canada's Community Services Recovery Fund.

December's Action Buy fewer items locally, shop secondhand, and repair what you can! Instead of buying everything new this Christmas, focus on repurposing, regifting, or rehoming.

Why? Electronics, clothes, plastics and other items we buy cause carbon emissions at each point in production, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods to market. And supporting local small businesses stimulates the economy where you live!

Impact? Plastics alone generated 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 – 3.4 per cent of the global total. Buying fewer new clothes – and other consumer goods – can also reduce your carbon footprint. Every kilogram of textiles produced generates about 17 kilograms of CO₂e.*

*From the UN's Actions for a Healthy Planet

Please forward items for the Chronicle by 1:00pm on the Wednesday prior to publication to the Parish Coordinator at cathedral.admin@niagaraanglican.ca or 905-527-1316 ext 240.