Slideshow image
Slideshow image
Slideshow image
nav image
nav image
nav image

On Sunday, November 21, 2021 most of the parishes of the Diocese of New Westminster were celebrating the "Reign of Christ", the lectionary festival that takes place the Sunday before Advent I. However, at St. Laurence, Coquitlam the community celebrated the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria (transferred from November 25).

On this Sunday, Bishop John Stephens made his first episcopal visit to St. Laurence, but this visit was specifically intended for the Parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the parish long resident in the community of Port Coquitlam. Early in 2021, the folks from St. Catherine's relocated from their shared space at Trinity United in Port Coquitlam to St. Laurence where Deacon, the Reverend Pat Ratcliffe and the laity were welcomed by the St. Laurence community. In their honour the Feast Day of St. Catherine was celebrated. The Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria had been deleted from the general Roman calendars in 1969 but restored as an optional memorial in 2002.

In his sermon (which can be found here on the diocesan website in three formats), Bishop John spoke of St. Catherine and of the gathering of the two communities. In the first paragraph he said:

"It is good to be with you at St. Laurence this morning, I am grateful to be able to share in this time of worship and reflection with all of you this morning. I recognize that this morning the emphasis is on St. Catherine’s and the coming together of two communities and looking to the future and God’s calling to new possibilities. It is great to be with all of you..."

IMAGES

  • The clergy and crucifer: Deacon of St. Catherine's, the Reverend Patricia Ratcliffe; Crucifer, Derek Walmsely; the Archdeacon of Westminster and Vicar of Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Venerable Richard Leggett; the Rector of St. Laurence and Regional Dean of  Tri-Cities/North Burnaby, the Reverend Eric Mason; Bishop Stephens
  • Derek Walmsley leads the procession out
  • Bishop John smiles for a photo, the person on the left looks a bit surprised.
Tri Cities & North Burnaby
St. Laurence