Bishops of Montreal and Quebec write Pastoral Letter in Response to War in Ukraine

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Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson and Bishop Bruce Myers have composed a pastoral letter in response to the war in Ukraine.

You may download / read the letter HERE

L'évêque Mary Irwin-Gibson et Bruce Myers ont rédigé une lettre pastorale en réponse à la guerre en Ukraine. Vous pouvez lire la lettre ICI

Meet Your Lenten Listening Circle Facilitators

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Have questions, want to learn more? We are here …

Neil Mancor is the Congregational Development coordinator for the Diocese of Montreal. His role is to help equip parishes for the mission of God. Trained in Restorative Practices for faith communities, Neil is experienced in leading circle group discussions to assist in decision making, to help work through conflict and to facilitate mutual understanding. Neil is passionate about the power of listening to heal relationships and build community

Jean-Jacques Goulet is a retired priest from our diocese. He was part of the pastoral team at Christ Church Cathedral and later at St Hilda’s, la petite chapelle rouge.

His involvement in restorative justice spanned more than a decade and began as coordinator of the Centre de services de justice réparatrice where groups of victims of crimes meet offenders who have committed similar crimes. He ended this period of his life in restorative justice as coordinator of Circles of Support and Accountability for Quebec, a program to protect communities by helping sex offenders not reoffend. He continues to act monthly as a consultant, on line, for this program in France. 

Learn more about the project by clicking HERE

We're Back!

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After two years of working from home, we are pleased to announce that we are back in the office. You may visit us Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9am-4:45

Contact our staff directory to book an appointment !

Après deux ans de travail à domicile, nous sommes heureux d'annoncer que nous sommes de retour au bureau. Vous pouvez nous rendre visite les mardis, mercredis et jeudis de 9h à 16h45.

Contactez notre annuaire du personnel pour prendre rendez-vous !

Bishop's Message Lent 2022 from Anglican Montreal (Spring edition)

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photo by Janet Best

Bishop's Message

Lent begins on March 2nd, Ash Wednesday, and like many of you, I feel as if I have been observing Lent for the last two years!
Navigating these Covid-19 times has been a wilderness experience and a time of self-denial for many
of us. What is the use of Lent in this ongoing time of uncertainty? It surely can’t be about giving up one more thing!
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. The Spirit led him into the desert. There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. At the end of the 40 days, he was hungry. (Luke 4:1-2)
I wonder why the Holy Spirit made Jesus go into the desert after
his baptism? Maybe it was a place where he could intentionally get centered again and hear from God after the events around his baptism. We know from the gospels that it was Jesus’ practice to go to quiet remote places to rest and pray. This time, in the wilderness, Jesus experienced testing and temptation. It was a difficult time that strengthened him in his preparation for ministry as he got clear about whose agenda he would follow—that of God’s kingdom or that of personal power.
This Lent, let’s listen for who God is calling us to be; for what God is asking us to do as his people. Let’s use this time to intentionally be with Jesus in the hard places of suffering, in the knowledge of God’s presence and calling on our lives of service in God’s world.
It was in the wilderness that Jesus chose the path that God had called him to follow. What kind of disciple of Jesus does God want us to be?

Message de l’évêque Carême 2022

Le Carême commence le 2 mars, mercredi des Cendres, et comme beaucoup d'entre vous, j'ai l'impression d'observer le Carême depuis deux ans !

Naviguer dans cette période de Covid-19 a été une expérience de désert et un temps d'abnégation pour beaucoup d'entre nous. À quoi sert le Carême dans cette période d'incertitude permanente ? Il ne peut certainement pas s'agir de renoncer à quoi que ce soit de plus !

Jésus, rempli d'Esprit Saint, revint du Jourdain et il était dans le désert, conduit par l'Esprit, pendant quaran- te jours, et il était tenté par le diable. Il ne mangea rien durant ces jours-là, et lorsque ce temps fut écoulé, il eut faim. (Luc 4:1-2 TOB)

Je me demande pourquoi le Saint- Esprit a fait aller Jésus dans le désert après son baptême ? Peut-être était-ce un endroit où il pouvait intention- nellement se recentrer et entendre Dieu après les événements qui avaient entouré son baptême. Les évangiles nous apprennent que Jésus avait l'habitude de se rendre dans des endroits isolés et calmes pour se reposer et prier. Cette fois, dans le désert, Jésus a été mis à l'épreuve et tenté. Ce fut une période difficile qui l'a renforcé dans sa préparation au ministère, car il a su clairement quel programme il voulait suivre - celui du royaume de Dieu ou celui du pouvoir personnel.

En ce Carême, soyons à l'écoute de qui Dieu nous appelle à être, de ce qu'il nous demande de faire en tant que son peuple. Utilisons ce temps pour être intentionnellement avec Jésus dans les endroits difficiles de la souffrance, dans la connaissance de la présence et de l'appel de Dieu sur nos vies de service dans le monde de Dieu.

C'est dans le désert que Jésus a choisi le chemin que Dieu l'avait appelé à suivre. Quel genre de disciple de Jésus Dieu veut-il que nous soyons

Find out how the Eastern Townships Regional Ministry is Growing God's Kingdom Together

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Dear Friends,

Lent is a time of contemplating our relationship with God and God's Church, and it is fitting that this March should be the launch of our first ever “stewardship month” campaign here in the Eastern Townships.

Our theme for this year's campaign is "Growing God’s Kingdom Together," as we strive to plant the seeds of longevity and lasting ministry presence in our region.

Stewardship is more than just a membership fee or dues owed to a club; it is an invitation to make a priority of our relationship with God, and to become active partners in growing God’s Kingdom. This month, we invite the amazing people of our congregations to make a financial contribution to their church -- such that we can make our dreams possible for the future.
You will be hearing more about financial stewardship as the month goes on, particularly including snapshots of why people support the life of their church, written by lay leaders in our communities: John Dinsmore, François Morin, Kate Murray, Randy Gates, and Janet Allingham.
For some, this stewardship month might be the first time they make an offering. For others, it might be the first time in a long time. Still for others, giving might be an overflowing part of their usual spiritual practices, giving back for what God has blessed their lives with.
And, for those who are regular givers, we encourage you to think about giving just a little measure more, as we move into larger financial commitments in the development of a new regional ministry for our area. The question to ask ourselves isn’t how much is enough, but how much do we want to grow God’s Kingdom together?
Giving can be done by mailing in cheques, or online for Grace Church (Sutton) using CanadaHelps:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/grace-anglican-church-sutton-quebec/?mprompt=1

In Christ, from whom all blessings flow,
Tyson+
Fr. Tyson L. Røsberg, Curate
The Regional Ministries of Brome-Missisquoi

Download the PDF Here

Announcing the Launch of the Lenten Listening Circles Project 2022

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This Lent, the Anglican Diocese of Montreal invites you to be a part of a series of listening circles on Zoom.

With roots in indigenous cultures around the world, listening circles provide people an opportunity to speak and listen to each other in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and equality.

Our hope is to listen with open and prayerful hearts to a diverse range of voices. Whether you are a layperson or a member of clergy, if you are a dedicated church member, a lapsed member or if you have never been to church at all, we are listening and you are welcome to share.

The circles will be small and facilitated by a trained member of staff. Circles will take place primarily in English but French voices are welcome and there will be bilingual (French/English) translation available.

We want to be clear that this will not be a strategic planning or visioning session and we are not trying to achieve consensus or to arrive at any conclusions. There will, however, be guiding questions to support and promote open, frank and honest sharing. There are no right or wrong answers as we are gathering in a spirit of friendship and shared humanity.

These past two years have been very difficult on many levels, both for individuals and institutions. These Lenten Listening Circles are an invitation to come together to break the silence on some of our struggles, to lament, to learn and perhaps even to laugh together.

If you are interested in learning more, we will be happy to answer your questions. Listening Circle registration opens on March 2nd and will take place on Zoom.  Spaces are offered on a first-come first-served basis. Please register for ONE session only and select the date and time that accommodates you best.

Week 1. Thursday March 17th 10am

Week 2. Thursday March 24th 10am

Week 3. Thursday, March 31st 7pm

Week 4. Thursday April 7th 7pm

Reflection/questions to consider:

Impacts of Lockdown and the Pandemic on my unique experience of Faith and Worship:

Is the Changing Landscape of the Church scary or exciting for me right now? Where do I see myself and my faith in this uncertain future?

Contact Lee-Ann lmatthews@montreal.anglican.ca

Meet the Facilitators HERE