A Seder for Social Justice

A tradition at St. Catherine's is to hold a Seder on Palm Sunday.  This year our Seder took a different approach.  It was a Seder for Social Justice.  Our special guests included Rabbi David Mivasair, who led the Seder, as he has for the last few years, and Dr. Saad Bahr, Imam of the Poco Masjd Alhidaya.  We heard stories of tikkun olam - acts of kindness to repair the world.  Instead of Bible readings, we read quotations related to social justice and repairing the world, including the following:

It is not enough to teach our young people to be successful so they can realize their ambitions, so they can earn good livings, so they can accumulate the material things that this society bestows.  Those are worthwhile goals.  But it is not enough to progress as individuals, while our friends and neighbors are left behind.  Perhaps we can bring the day when children will learn from their earliest days that being fully man and fully woman means to give one's life to the liberation of the brother or sister who suffers.  It is up to each one of us.  It won't happen unless we decide to use our lives to show the way.  -- Cesar Chavez, farmworkers union organizer

A reactionary once said, "A woman belongs at the front of the Synagogue like an orange belongs on a Seder plate."

Congratulations to the Venerable Karen Urquhart

Reverend-to-Be Patricia Ratcliffe congratulates
the Venerable Karen Urquhart on her appointment

St. Catherine's rector, Rev. Karen Urquhart, has been appointed Archdeacon of the Lougheed Area, which makes her the Venerable Karen Urquhart.

An Archdeacon is a member of the clergy who is appointed to assist the bishop in certain administrative and pastoral duties in a diocese.  The Venerable Karen will have responsibility for Anglican parishes from Burnaby to Mission.

St. Catherine's is proud of you, Karen+.