A Busy Sunday
St. Mark’s celebrated a special day on Sunday, February 9, 2014 when it welcomed the congregations of St. Richard’s and St. Michael and All Angels to worship with the Bishop of Ottawa, the Right Reverend John Chapman. The day was also special for particular members of all three congregations; several reaffirmed the baptismal covenant; others were confirmed as Anglicans; and some were received into the church. From our congregation, Audia Barnett and Kathy Joly reaffirmed their faith, while Gilliam Martin and Will Knight were welcomed into the Anglican communion.
It was good to see St. Mark’s pews filled with members from all three parishes. The choir too was larger, supplemented by other choristers. And the Reverend Brian Kauk shared the altar with the Reverend Dr. Linda Privitera from St. Michael’s and the Reverend Margo Whittaker from St. Richard’s. Our bishop commented on this when he briefly spoke in his welcoming remarks. He hoped it bode well for the MAP process in which all three parishes are currently engaged. In his sermon Bishop John reminded us that we are both the salt and light of the world, a commentary on Matthew 5:13-16. His observations on regaining our saltiness and showing our light spoke not just to those confirming and re-affirming their faith, but to all congregation members as they contemplate what MAP means.
After the service, the Bishop posed for pictures with those he had just confirmed, re-affirmed, and received. Afterward, the large combined congregations made for a lively coffee reception after the service; it was actually hard to navigate around all the little knots of people in Bishop Reed Hall. But it appeared that everyone got a slice of cake, thanks to the care of our able coffee servers.
Will Knight – St Mark the Evangelist, Ottawa
Confirmation: Hannah and Nicole Genge, Calum and Lily Fraser, Paul Whittaker
Reception: Kara Brisson-Boivin, Gillian Martin *, William Knight *
Reaffirmation: Audia Barnett *, Kathy Joly *, Barbara Jones, Carran Taylor
* St Mark’s
