Remembrance Day Prayer Service

For the first time in at least a dozen Remembrance Days, Christ Church Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Diocese of New Westminster celebrated a Remembrance Day Prayer Service.

The framework of the liturgy was created by the Very Reverend Christopher Pappas during his tenure in the Diocese of Edmonton and he was glad to officiate on this his first Remembrance Day as Dean of the Cathedral  and the Diocese.

The worship was celebrated online and onsite with approximately two dozen people present including participants in the liturgy: Dean Pappas, the Reverend Marnie Peterson, Corporals Tina Wu and James Alexander from The British Columbia Regiment, reader, Dr. Marv Westwood, trumpeter, Chris Robertson, organist and director of music, Rupert Lang with four members of Cathedral Choir; alto, Margaret Ferguson, tenor, Bruce Hoffman, soprano, Lucy Smith and baritone, Jake Gramit. One half of the quartet, Lucy and Jake are a couple so they remained together, with Margaret and Bruce maintaining physical distance and all singers physically distanced from the organ.

The liturgy consisted of: prayers, Scripture (Micah 4: 1-5 and Revelation 21: 1-6a), a homily shared by Dean Pappas (a video of the sermon is available below on this post), a recitation of In Flanders Fields presented by Corporal James Alexander, the Act of Remembrance, read by Corporal Tina Wu, Last Post and later Reveille played beautifully by Chris Robertson, the Lament customarily played by a piper but for 2020 played by organist Rupert Lang and music sung by the quartet: O God, Our Help in Ages Past; Let there be Light; I Vow to Thee My Country and prior to the Blessing and Dismissal, Rupert Lang’s setting of Kontakion (“Give rest unto your servant with your saints O God”).

At the conclusion of the liturgy, the two Corporals, Wu and Alexander and the clergy placed their poppies on a wreath positioned in front of a credence table at the edge of the chancel entrance platform. After they had fixed their poppies to the wreath, they processed it to the nave crossing where those in attendance onsite were able to take turns attaching their poppies prior to exiting the cathedral.

IMAGES

• The credence table and wreath at the edge of the chancel entrance platform
• Corporal Tina Wu familiarizes herself with the liturgy prior to worship. She is standing in the Regimental Colours alcove
• The Reverend Marnie Peterson and the Very Reverend Christopher Pappas
• Lucy Smith, Jake Gramit and Rupert Lang lead the music in worship
• Participants in The Act of Commitment: Corporal Wu, Dean Pappas, Corporal Alexander
  
• Corporal James Alexander reads In Flanders Fields
• Corporal Tina Wu at attention during the Last Post
• Chris Robertson
• The Wreath