Regional news

 — Sept. 30, 200430 sept. 2004

West

Light and Shadows: Ecumenical Relations in an Interim Context was the
title of a lecture given April 29 at Campion College in Regina by Rev. Dan Bolen, a priest
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina who is currently on the Staff of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome. The talk was sponsored by
Campion and Luther Colleges. Rev. Bolen noted that the agreement signed between the Roman
Catholic Church and Lutheran World Federation on Justification has gone to 76 Methodist
churches. He described the Waterloo document, bringing the Anglican and Evangelical
Lutheran Churches in Canada into full communion, as “a great ecumenical
accomplishment. Bolen noted that there are several international bodies in discussions on
ways to translate agreements into church strategies. He referred to the ecumenical board
that oversees the operation of St. Michael’s Retreat House in Lumsden, Sask., and the
cooperation between Campion and Luther Colleges at the University of Regina. Describing
them as “wonderful ecumenical witnesses within the parameters of our churches,”
Bolen said, “there is a trust that the Holy Spirit is working in all Christian
churches. This is God’s journey that he is leading us on. We belong to Christ and
therefore we belong to each other.” (Prairie Messenger)

Abraham, Hagar, Ishmael: Drawing from Jewish, Muslim and Christian Views,
the first lecture in a series to celebrate Luther College`s (Regina) 90th anniversary, was
delivered March 11 by professor emeritus Dr. Roland Miller. Miller described Abraham
through five positive values: his friendship with God, his humanity, his love of children,
his spirit of sacrifice and his faith in the future. Following Miller’s lecture each
member of a panel made up of Jeremy Parmes, director of services for Beth Jacob Synagogue;
Zarqua Nawaz, a Regina-based filmmaker and a Muslim; and Rev. Carla Blakely, pastor of
Christ Lutheran Church, gave a brief response. (Canadian Catholic News)

Ontario

About three hundred Muslims, Jews and Christians gathered at Beth
Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto for a conference on ethical issues in end-of-life care which
brought religious perspectives to questions of medical ethics. Hazel Markwell, medical
ethicist for St. Michael’s Hospital; Dr. Michael Gordon, head of geriatrics at Baycrest
Centre; and University Health Network gerontologist Dr. Shabbir Alibhai each presented a
summary of their religion’s principles for helping dying patients and their families. The
three experts found common ground in talking about the value of human life. “Dying is
more than a medical event,” said Markwell. People need to think about medical ethics
issues in the context of their religions, said Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, executive director
of the Canadian Council of Churches. She noted that the religious medical ethics
conference was an important witness to a society that privatizes religion. (Catholic
Register)

Christian churches of all denominations in the national capital area
should be more active in displaying the unity they share, says Ottawa Roman Catholic
Archbishop Marcel Gervais. “We need to celebrate more frequently on an ecumenical
level,” he said. The infrequent joint celebrations now held each year just
“looks like politeness.” The archbishop was speaking at an ecumenical roundtable
discussion organized by the Christian Council of the Capital Area (CCCA). (Catholic
Register)

Members of Toronto’s Jewish and Arab communities joined together for a
post-Passover festival called the Just Peace Community Mimouna. The Judeo-Moroccan
tradition celebrates friendship, community and sharing between Muslims and Jews. The Just
Peace Mimouna follows the third annual Just Peace Seder at which the communities gathered
to mark the beginning of Passover. The communities organized the events a few years ago to
bracket the Passover period and to help raise funds for a just and sustainable peace
between Israelis and Palestinians. (The Gazette)

Archbishop Michael Peers, former primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada, has been appointed by the Toronto School of Theology as its first
Ecumenist-in-Residence. The position will enable Archbishop Peers to participate in the
scholarly, social and worship life of the school’s member colleges, provide support and
guidance to the faculty and students, and speak on behalf of TST in churches and other
public settings. He will also serve as a guest lecturer on the history and practice of
ecumenism and as a resource to those wishing to consult about aspects of ecumenism.
Established in 1970, the TST has eight participating denominations (Anglican, Baptist,
Christian Reformed, Evangelical Lutheran, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, United)
making it one of the most diverse theological cooperatives in the world. (Anglican
Journal)

The Beaver Valley Outreach, an ecumenical community organization that
includes Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Free Methodist, Nazarene and
United Church volunteers in Thornbury provides a food bank, emergency loan program, day
care, a transportation network that helps seniors get to out-of-town medical appointments,
the Breakfast Club that helps keep children alert and learning at the local public school,
the Valley Visitors who visit shut-ins, after-school activities, teen programs and more.
As an ecumenical community group, the organization is funded by church groups as well as
the community as a whole. A pay-what-you-can community Thanksgiving dinner and silent
auction recently netted close to $20,000. (The United Church Observer)

Quebec

A man for friendly relations between the west and the Muslim world, Antoine
Chatelard finds his inspiration in the life of Charles de Foucauld, a 20th
century convert who spent his life among the Muslims of the Sahara. During his visit to
Montreal in May, this priest, Little Brother of Jesus, animated three events: a
meeting-exchange with friends and disciples of Charles de Foucauld, a public lecture
sponsored by the Centre Justice et Foi, the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and the
Interfaith Circle (Montreal) on: “Is Dialogue with Arab or Muslim World Possible? The
Witness of Charles de Foucauld.” and a recollection day on the theme: “Living
with Muslims as a Brother — The Witness of Charles de Foucauld.” (Translated from Vivre
en Église)

Participants in the 5th Grand Ecumenical Tour, co-sponsored by Unitas:
Ecumenical Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality and the Canadian Centre for
Ecumenism, visited two churches in the Montreal area in 2004 to discover the richness of
diverse traditions and celebrate our common faith in God. On Sunday, April 4, they prayed
with the Communauté chrétienne de Béthel and met with the pastor, Rev. Dr. Lezoka
Mwinda and members of the community after the service. On Sunday, May 16, they attended
the liturgy at St. George’s Anglican Church and met Rev. Ralph Leavitt and members of the
community after the service. For more information: Unitas Centre, Louise Séguin,
co-ordinator, tel.: (514) 485-0009 (office), fax: (514) 483-9995. (Unitas)

Atlantic

The Oikocredit Atlantic Cooperative, less than two years old, has
raised almost $30,000 in share capital for the parent organization in the Netherlands (the
Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society). The capital is loaned to qualifying projects
in various countries of the world, especially to economic cooperatives and to clusters of
persons who take small loans to purchase raw materials. Churches and individuals can
invest in these projects by purchasing shares at the cost of $250 each. Small dividends
are paid on these investments, and the principal can be liquidated at the call of the
investor. There has been a very high rate of repayment of these loans, and they provide a
hand up for the recipient that allows for the optimum of dignity and pride in
accomplishment. Members of the cooperative are available to speak to churches and local
councils about the work of Oikocredit. For further information, please contact Mary and
Doug Rigby, 25 Graham Street, Darmouth, N.S., B3A 3H9 (902) 466-4048, Leo van Dijk
(902) 466-3210, or Neil Bergman (902) 835-2592 or []. The
Oikocredit website is [www.oikocredit.org].
(Friends of The AIF)

All are invited to a conference on the Future of Ecumenism
in a postmodern age which will include a lecture and workshop on this topic.
Dr. Marsha Hewitt of Trinity College in Toronto will deliver the 2004 Paul Wattson lecture
at Saint Mary’s University on Monday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. The lecture will be preceded by a
workshop open to all, beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Oct. 31, at the chapel
building of the Atlantic School of Theology and concluding by noon on the following day.
For more information, please contact Neil Bergman, at (902) 835-2592 or
[]. (Friends of The Atlantic Ecumenical Council)

Posted: Sept. 30, 2004 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=111
Categories: CCE • In this article: Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme Transmis : 30 sept. 2004 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=111
Catégorie : CCE • Dans cet article : Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme