A New Parish Council

Congratulations to our new Parish Council, who were elected at the Annual Vestry Meeting on Sunday, February 18:

Bishop's Warden:                                Lei De Santis (continuing)

People's Warden:                                Chris Longley
Treasurer:                                            Ardella McLaren
Vestry Clerk:                                       Catherine Martin
Envelope Secretary:                             Barb Foley
Synod Delegates:                                Jennifer Green (continuing)

Christine Stoll

Youth Synod Delegate:                      Jeremiah Narayan
Alternate Synod Delegates:                Tony Sauder (continuing)

Arlene Sturn

Annette Smith

Youth Alternate Synod Delegate:      Logan Fulton
Members at Large:                              Bruce Middleton

Barbara Massie

Amy Williams

Thank you to the members who served on Parish Council for the last year.

Shrove Tuesday

Perhaps the most famous celebration of Shrove Tuesday, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, takes place in New Orleans.  In Rio de Janeiro it is "Carnival", in many other places it is simple a winter carnival, all taking place just before the commencement of Lent on Ash Wednesday.  But for all, it is a time of celebration,a time to party, and have a last fling before the austerity of Lent.  It is time to use up all the rich and even decadent foods which will definitely not be on the family menu during the Lenten season.  The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning "absolve".

 According to an entry in Wikipedia, Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics, who "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with."

This year, St.Catherine’s will once more host a pancake supper on Tuesday February 13.  All are welcome but sign up is requested to make sure we have enough food on hand.  What are some of the pancake traditions followed in your family?  

Well, in mine we don’t eat big fluffy pancakes, we eat crepes, sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar and rolled up.  Definitely quite yummy.  So Shrove Tuesday will definitely be “Fat Tuesday” in our household!

Candlemas:  an important day in the Christian calendar, marking the 40th day since Jesus’ birth when Mary, a new mother,  went to the Temple in Jerusalem to complete her ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in obedience to the Torah.  Full details are found in Luke 2: 22-40.  It is during this presentation of Jesus that Simeon, a devout and holy man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiahpronounced, upon seeing Jesus,  “LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace; according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of Thy people Israel”.  This passage is known as the Nunc Dimittis.  Also in the Temple that day was the prophetess Anna who began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

There are also traditions and superstitions associated with Candlemas.  For example, in the United Kingdom, good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later: "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again.  In North America the parallel to Groundhog Day is absolute, right down to the day: February 2.  In some parts of Europe, crepes are traditionally eaten on Candlemas,  In parts of Latin America the feast is traditionally tamales.  Sailors are often reluctant to set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in disaster—given the frequency of severe storms in February.

So it seems that in various parts of the Christian world, different traditions are followed.  At St. Catherine’s we will celebrate the Candlemas Eucharist at 4pm on Sunday February 4, followed by a pot luck supper.  Let’s see if any one brings crepes or tamales!

Take away from last Sunday’s sermon: Paul, the moral pharmacist.  In other words, St. Paul, prescribing liberal doses of moral rectitude, to the people of Corinth ( 1 Corintihians 8:1 – 13).  

Thanks to the Rev. Neil Ferryhough for this one