Examples of Earth Hour Events in Faith Communities

In addition to turning out their lights, faith communities around the world commemorated last Saturday's Earth Hour in a variety of ways including prayer services and concerts. This year's World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour festivities included hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life. Events took place in more than 7000 cities in 172 countries. To support climate action, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples were among those that turned off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday March 28th.

In Vatican city, St. Peter’s Basilica joined iconic landmarks around the world to take a stand for stronger climate action. Rome’s Great Synagogue and Great Mosque also took part, along with other religious sites, like St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

At Montreal's Christ Church Cathedral the lights went out and candles were lit as five choirs of young singers presented a programme of music on the theme of light and hope.

Prayer for Peace in Syria and Beyond

Many countries in the Arab world have entered their fifth year of turmoil. Unbearable atrocities have been committed by state and non-state actors in the different conflicts, mainly in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt. In these terrible wars, millions of people have been tragically affected. The religious and ethnic minorities are the most vulnerable communities; and, among them are the Christians, who are our sisters and brothers in the Lord. They face a real danger of extermination and exile from their own region, which will be a catastrophe. So many of us feel, not only hopeless, but also powerless and incapable of making any impact and change. Despite this, as Christians, we keep hope, being confident that our risen Lord will always have the final word.

Looking for Artisans / Artisans Recherchés

St. Philip's Church welcomes artisans to take part in its upcoming Book, Bake & Craft Sale to be held on Saturday, May 9th, 2015. Artisans who create handmade jewelry, painting, greeting cards, wood-working, and pottery are welcome to display their wares. We are located on the border between Montreal West and NDG. This well-attended event is a unique opportunity to promote and sell your crafts. Contact Mark R. at markreimer@bell.net for more details on how you can secure a table.

Please forward this to anyone that may be interested
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L'Eglise St. Philip invite les artisans à participer dans la vente annuelle de livres, pâtisseries et objets faits a la main qui aura lieu samedi, le 9 mai, 2015. Les artisans et artisanes qui fabriquent les bijoux, peintures, cartes de voeux, boiseries, poteries, etc sont invités à offrir leurs créations. Nous sommes situés entre les frontières de Montréal Ouest et NDG. Cet événement attire plusieurs acheteurs et présente une opportunité unique pour promouvoir et vendre vos créations.

Pour plus de détails ou pour vous procurer une table, communiquez avec Mark, markreimer@bell.net.

Faites parvenir cette invitation à tout ceux qui peuvent être intéressés.

The Role of Women in the Clergy of the Anglican Communion

Women's Day (March 8) is an ideal time to look at the role of women in the clergy of the Anglican Communion. While there has been significant progress women still do not have the same opportunities as men throughout the Anglican Communion.

In 2013 a report was released that stated ordained Anglican women face a stained glass ceiling. This report explained that throughout the Anglican Communion women still have a hard time getting the top jobs.

In recent years we have seen a patchwork of progress in the Anglican Communion. Although the ordination of women to all three orders of ministry (bishop, priest, deacon) is canonically possible, there are still provinces within the Anglican Communion where women are prohibited from participating in any of the three holy orders.

The Courage to Bridge the Divide: An Homage to Rev. James Reeb

Rev. James Reeb was a white Unitarian minister who was killed for answering Martin Luther King's call to support the voting rights of African Americans.

On March 7, 1965, people who were attempting to peacefully march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama where savagely turned back by police. Reeb and his wife were among those who watched the television news coverage of the day's events.

In response to what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday," King sent out a call to clergy around the country to join him in Selma for a second attempt to cross that bridge on Tuesday, March 9. Reeb heard about King’s request on the morning of March 8, and he was on a plane heading to Selma later that evening.

Although people were prevented from crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7 they succeeded two days later and Reeb was among them. So began the landmark civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery which took place two weeks later.