An excerpt from the December 21 letter to the diocese from the Venerable Tanya Phibbs, Archdeacon of Huron:
Dear friends,
In light of the increasing case counts of COVID-19 throughout our diocese, Bishop Townshend, out of care for the health of our parishioners and communities, has made the decision that the Diocese will reinstitute the Diocese of Huron’s Loving Our Neighbour Red Stage guidelines, effective immediately. No in-person worship is permitted in any of our churches until further notice. The Red Stage Guidelines may be found here. While the lockdown ordered by the provincial government does not start until Boxing Day, this decision is being made following the advice of medical professionals and epidemiologists who have stated that "the earlier work starts, the lower the case numbers will be." All of us staying home may help prevent cases of COVID from further spreading in our communities. While it will be extremely difficult for us not to worship in-person at this most holy time, we are comforted by the belief that the Christ Child still comes to each of us as he came first to a dark and difficult world.
Dear friends,
In light of the increasing case counts of COVID-19 throughout our diocese, Bishop Townshend, out of care for the health of our parishioners and communities, has made the decision that the Diocese will reinstitute the Diocese of Huron’s Loving Our Neighbour Red Stage guidelines, effective immediately. No in-person worship is permitted in any of our churches until further notice. The Red Stage Guidelines may be found here. While the lockdown ordered by the provincial government does not start until Boxing Day, this decision is being made following the advice of medical professionals and epidemiologists who have stated that "the earlier work starts, the lower the case numbers will be." All of us staying home may help prevent cases of COVID from further spreading in our communities. While it will be extremely difficult for us not to worship in-person at this most holy time, we are comforted by the belief that the Christ Child still comes to each of us as he came first to a dark and difficult world.
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Find the current parish newsletters, from January 2021 to present, in the current newsletter archive. You can join the mailing list from there! Find the older pandemic newsletters, to November 2020, in the 2020 newsletter archive. WORSHIP SERVICES
A parish Morning Prayer service is held each Sunday at 10 am via Zoom. The link is in your emailed parish newsletter. Parish services, meditations, studies, and diocesan updates from Sunday, March 15 | Lent 3 to this current Sunday ARE AVAILABLE/FINDABLE ON OUR WORSHIP VIDEOS PAGE. On December 21, 2020, in-person worship services were suspended by the diocese until further notice.
But we have a worship schedule, which organizes the weekly participation of each of our churches in our online services. We need readers, intercessors, and musicians to help! For readings and prayers, this could be as simple as calling Justin, who can record you over the phone. It is a great encouragement to your fellow parishioners to hear your voice. Please be in touch with your church wardens and worship coordinators if you are able to participate: 
LENTEN FAST INVITATION
The St. Matthew's Christian Foundations study group has decided on a community fast for Lent. A community fast is not the sort of fast you're used to! It is a conscious effort to learn together and to work together to make certain choices around certain commodities. The two in focus this year will be cotton and chocolate. How big a difference could a community make if they think about their cotton and chocolate choices? Let's see! St. Matthew's would love company in this, and so is opening it up to make it a parish community fast! If you wish to join, write to St Matthew's and we will forward Mother Lisa's how-to email, and get you on her mailing list for the weekly article. Or write directly to Mother Lisa -- that works too! |
MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Church of the Redeemer, Highgate, at its regular vestry meeting, called a special vestry meeting for Friday, March 5, at 7 pm, to consider a motion to disestablish. Parish council will next meet Thursday, March 18, at 7 pm via Zoom. If you are a member of parish council, you will receive that link via email. The St Matthew's Christian Foundations study group meets online each Monday at 7 pm. The Christ Church Christian Foundations study group meets online/by call-in each Wednesday at 10 am. Catechesis means "teaching" and it's a chance to ask all the questions you've ever had about the content of our faith -- and find some answers! The Catechesis group meets online each Tuesday evening at 7 pm. PANDEMIC OUTREACH Individuals all around the parish are doing what they can to keep in touch with shut-ins, deliver groceries and cheer, and follow pandemic protocols to keep everyone safe! Here is the story from one of our points. Tell us yours! It takes a village... The Village Stitchers (St. Matthew's and Florence Library) always accept donations of good quality yarn and cloth. Where they once worked together on articles for the local men's and women's shelters, meetings are, right now, cancelled until further notice. But the Stitchers are stitching from home! They are making facemasks for community individuals and for clinics and group homes. If you need a mask, write to stmatthewsflorence at gmail.com and they will fix you up! On April 16, at the request of the local hospital ICU, the Stitchers started a new project knitting hearts for COVID-19 patients, dying alone, and their remote grieving families. A heart is placed with the patient, while a matching heart is held by a loved one. In more cheerful news, these hearts are now going to a local retirement residence so residents and their families can "hold hearts" while physically distancing. St Matthew's has also set up a Little Free Pantry in the village of Florence and has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the pantry builder, the sign painter, the "landlord" (who has installed a heater!), and the community in keeping it stocked! The latest project is quilts for the shelters and the Westover Treatment Centre, cut by one Stitcher, and sewn, at home individually, by others. |
