Bishop Michael Ingham, Joyce Oswald, and the Rev. Sarah Tweedale at St. Clement’s, North Vancouver, beginning the parish’s centennial celebrations

St. Clement's cuts Anniversary cake

St. Clement's, North Vancouver, cut a cake to begin its 100th Anniversary celebrations. Joyce Oswald, a Parish member since 1958, cut the cake, and Bishop Michael Ingham and St. Clement's rector, the Rev. Sarah Tweedale, served it.

Also unveiled at the event April 27 was a special 100th anniversary logo designed by parish members Sean and Linda Faivre-Duboz. St. Clement's dates back to May 7, 1908, when the parish was formed and held its first church service in Lynn Valley.

Cathedral to keep feeding hungry

Christ Church Cathedral is revising the ways it feeds the hungry to comply with public health regulations.

The parish's "Sandwich Project" program, which has operated on weekdays for 12 years without incident, has involved parishioners making sandwiches at home and bringing them to the downtown Cathedral for daily distribution to about 100 people.

However, after visits by a Vancouver Coastal Health inspector, the church has been told that it violates health regulations to serve "high risk" food to the public if it hasn't been prepared in the parish kitchen.

High risk foods include sandwiches with meat, fish, cheese, egg, or similar fillings-generally food that requires refrigeration.

People's Warden Evelyn Carroll told the congregation during Sunday services that while the operation of the program will have to change, with food requiring refrigeration being made on site, Cathedral leaders are determined that the Sandwich Project will continue.

Actor Nancy Bailey in the play, "Trouble in Paradise"

"Our long term plan will be to have the infrastructure in place to serve the same kind of sandwiches we did before but they will be prepared on site with teams of sandwich makers," she said.

St. Agnes play explores poverty

St. Agnes, North Vancouver partnered with St Andrew's United to host a performance of "Trouble in Paradise: Being Poor in a World Class City."

The play is a project of the ecumenical study-action community Streams of Justice (www.streamsofjustice.org). Seventy-five people, most from churches on the North Shore, came to see the powerful multi-media presentation, which brings together scripture, documentary-style interviews and a story of street homelessness.

A lively conversation afterwards touched on panhandling, substance use, letter writing, the lack of a national housing strategy, and the STAND for housing campaign which draws attention to the issue (www.my-calm.info). Both St. Agnes parish and St. Andrews host street corner "stands" on the North Shore.

- Laurel Dykstra

St. Clare's Coffee House attracts 100

St. Clare-in-the-Cove Church Deep Cove is providing the township of Deep Cove with a new performance space where local musicians can play.

The first Deep Cove Coffee House was held this spring. The feature band for the evening was the local group "Lynn Canyon"--a folk and bluegrass band.

It was the first public engagement for the band, and judging from their performance they will be in high demand. According to the 100 people who came to share the evening of music and entertainment, this band has great potential.

The church community has discovered that there is an urgent need for a gathering point in the Deep Cove community. St. Clare-in-the-Cove serves this purpose very well; it is the right size according to the enthusiastic musicians, has flexible seating and performing arrangements, is on the main street and entry way to the Cove, has ample parking - and best of all - provides a great welcome.

The Coffee House will be open on the second Friday of each month. The next will be held on June 13 at 7.30 pm.

- Carla McGhie

Diocesan Archivist to serve Commission

Diocesan Archivist Melanie Wallace has been appointed by the federal government to sit on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Archivists Working Group, a body that will advise the Commission on issues of document collection and identification, personal privacy, copyright, access and inventorying.

The Commission, which will last for five years, will hold hearings across the country and examine the history of Indian Residential Schools in Canada. Part of the Commission's mandate is to create a repository of all residential school records. Wallace said she heads a subcommittee charged with creating a list of all relevant (and potentially relevant) documents.

Justice Harry LaForme of the Ontario Court of Appeal has been appointed to chair the Commission, which is scheduled to be formally established this month when two panel members are appointed to work with him.

The stage at Oberammergau, Germany, where a well-know Passion Play is performed once a decade by a German village
Oberammergau Passion Play 2010
 
Kirsten Oakes of Holy Trinity, Vancouver, is organizing a trip to the famous Passion Play given once a decade by a German village that in 1634 promised to perform it every ten years if saved from the bubonic plague. Two thousand village resident create a powerful play and an unforgettable experience.
There will be an information meeting at  Holy Trinity, 1440 West 12th Ave., Vancouver, on Thursday, June 12, 7:30 pm. Phone Kirsten Oakes, 778 231-3111 kirsten_oakes@hotmail.com, for more information.
 
Fashion Show at St. John's
 
The very fashionable ladies at St. John the Divine, Burnaby, held their Anglican Church Women Spring Fashion Show in early April one Saturday afternoon. All were welcome at the annual event which included tea, door prizes, and light refreshments. Jocelyn Godbout submitted the picture below:
Fashionable ACW members at St. John's, Burnaby