NEW PARISH DIRECTORIES have arrived. Contact offfice to pick up your copy.
LENTEN LECTURE SERIES 2010
Mental Health
through
Life’s Stages
A series of five sessions exploring the themes
supporting life’s challenges with regard to mental health.
All sessions are held on Wednesday evenings
February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24,
at 7:00 pm
ST THOMAS’ STITCHERS are "busy bees” when placed in
front of a sewing machine. They work in blocks of six to eight weeks, gathering
once a week, to complete fundraising and outreach projects. Some sew, some cut, some iron and all socialize. Stitchers welcome newcomers at any time.
Deb and Erin
Linda and Heather
THREE
GENERATIONS ATTEND NOVEMBER 8, VETERANS SERVICE AT ST THOMAS’
Capt John Jelinas participated in reading names of those that gave their lives in
WW1. He is accompanied by daughter
Rachel, wife, Major Annette Snow, and grandparents of Rachel, Reg Snow and wife
Elfrieda.
There was a large turnout for this special event and
for the reception for the Hasting and Prince Edward Regiment following the
service.
On the following day, Monday, Nov. 9, Father Brad Beale
was installed as padre for the Branch 99 of the Royal Canadian Legion. The installation
was conducted by the zonecommander Ted Taylor, with the
DeputyZoneCommander present - Buck Buchanan - who is also the
President of the Hasty-Ps Regimental Association.
SOUNDING THE ALARM BELLS
St. Thomas’ Green Team was
pleased to welcome about 130 people who came to our hillside on October
24th to join a world-wide action day. Our purpose was to express our
concern about the rising levels of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere. Levels above 350
parts per million threaten our future as a viable planet. Levels are now close
to 390 ppm. Singing and ringing bells to sound the alarm, we hope to get the
attention of world leaders who will meet in Copenhagen in December 2009
to draw up a new agreement to address the climate change crisis. The time for
meaningful commitment and action is NOW.
For further information go to http://www.350.org/
Reported by Catherine Hall
GOODS, SERVICES AND TALENTS
On Friday, Oct 23rd, from 6:00- 9:00pm, St
Thomas’ held a special fundraising event consisting of a live
auction hosted by Boyd Sullivan, a veteran auctioneer, as well as a  separate silent
auction. The overall goal of the night was to raise money to go to church based
programs including several active within the local community. For almost ninety
minutes Sullivan was able to entertain all present while still getting people
to purchase every item that was donated. These items ranged from a ‘1 hour back
massage’ to a ‘half hour performance by a local barbershop quartet’.
With so many items up for auction, everyone had a chance to
cast their bid, and some did this with great zeal, probably exceeding all
expectations including those of their spouse.
Among the more elegant of the items auctioned was a standing
mirror, purchased by none other than the St Thomas’ minister himself, Fr. Brad
Beale. Perhaps the night’s highlight came when Sullivan announced that the next
item up for bidding was ‘8 hours of property maintenance’ donated by a local
parishioner. The first person to bid was the donors wife. Sadly, other bidders
found his time to be worth more and the item eventually sold for more than
twice her opening bid to another appreciative female  homeowner. In the end the item that garnered the most
attention was a ‘7 course meal for 6 people’, which, after literally minutes of
bidding was finally sold for a whopping $600.
St. Thomas’ wishes to thank all those that attended as well
as all the donors and committee members that worked so hard to make this a very
successful and enjoyable evening.
Reported by Mark Wickson
Using God’s Gifts
In early May of
this year, two quilts, produced by Emma Gordon and Mia Gelinas, were blessed by
Father Brad Beale.
In September,
both girls entered their quilts in the Quinte Exhibition and both won first
prize in their divisions. Mia also was the recipient of the Judges Choice
Award.
Way to go
ladies!!
Mia and Emma show off their prize winning quilts.
Ladies Appreciation Night at St. Thomas' Feb 6th 2009
What woman doesn’t enjoy an evening out being wined, dined and entertained? That’s exactly what the ladies at St. Thomas’ were treated to on Friday, February 6th. Our "Scottish Evening” included menu items such as hors d’oeuvre featuring smoked salmon and kippers served on toast triangles, cocka leekie soup, a delectable roast beef dinner and, of course, haggis presented with all the flourish that is its due. Dessert included such interesting items as Tipsy Laird (trifle) and Fly Cemetery (current cake) accompanied by shortbread cookies.
Dinner was followed by a Scottish dancing demonstration  put on by the Belleville Scottish Country
dancers and the ladies were even invited to join in
for a couple of "round the room” dances.
Our thanks go out to all the gentlemen who worked so hard planning, preparing and serving our wonderful dinner and treating us to such a fine evening of food, entertainment and fellowship.
The Ladies of St. Thomas’ Church.
NORA BOTTOMLEY RECEIVED AS OBLATE TO THE SISTERHOOD OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Incorporated within the Eucharist of the day, Nora Bottomley was received as an Oblate to the Sisterhood of St John the Divine (SSJD) on the 20th of Jan 2009. Heather Rutledge and Erin Champeau, two of Nora’s support group, were present. An Oblate is a Christian who discerns a vocation to make a self-offering to God alongside and in partnership with the Sisterhood and to the Oblate’s local community. An Oblate develops a Rule of Life based on Prayer and Service including: annual residence at an SSJD house; regular meeting with a spiritual director and a support group; regular attendance at the Eucharist; spiritual reading; retreats and prayer. An Oblate may be identified by the wearing of a St John’s cross.
The SSJD was founded in 1884 by a Canadian woman, Hannah Grier Coome. She grew up in Carrying Place and in Belleville, Ontario where her father, Rev John Grier was the third rector of St Thomas’ Anglican Church. A group of devout Anglican men and women in Toronto felt there would be great benefit in establishing a women’s religious community in Canada and so they formed a committee to begin raising funds to establish a sisterhood. When the committee learned that Mrs. Coome hoped to join a religious community in England, they suggested that she stay in Canada and start a new community. Mrs. Coome agreed but since there was no community in Canada where she could go for her training, she went to an American community for two years. When she returned there were a group of women awaiting to join her in a monastic life.
Today their ministries include:
hospitality;
spiritual direction;
pastoral care;
providing a regular schedule of retreats, quiet days and workshops;
leading retreats and quiet days,
preaching;
ministering to those in need; and,
promoting unity, healing, and wholeness.
Associates are men and women who wish to live out their baptismal covenant by following a Rule of Life in association with the SSJD but unlike Oblates, who are a relatively new affiliation, the Associates go back in time when they were members of the group who founded the Sisterhood. The Oblates and Associates differ primarily by their Rule Of Life. At the time of acceptance as an Oblate, Nora had been an Associate for 29 years, so it was with a bit of sadness when she had to return her Associate cross.
Some information for the above article taken with permission from the SSJD website.
|
