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Greetings St Catherine’s Friends,  

This year, like many of you, is my second year of being apart from my family with no immediate plans to visit South Africa. This has stirred within me a heart of longing and a state of reminiscence. And in my memories I feel more connected to my African story than ever before.

  • I am remembering the basket my mother asked her Zulu friend to weave for the Altar at our church to collect groceries for families in need,
  • I am remembering the produce that laden the chancel on harvest festival, as we called it.
  • And the humorous cabbage always placed on the pulpit for my father (the minister) - his most loathsome vegetable!  

This week as I prepare for Harvest Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the many interweaving threads of relationships – family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and parishioners - that enrich my life.  And in the words of George Herbert (1593 – 1633),  I pray:

"You have given so much to me, Give one thing more, a grateful heart.” 

On October 10th, 2021 we will gather to worship and to sing at St Catherine’s. Something we were not able to do last year. There are so many amazing Thanksgiving hymns in our tradition and this year we will get to enjoy them all – well many of them!  

The Altar Guild are inviting you to bring something from your home that is meaningful to you at this Thanksgiving time of year to place at the Altar for the duration of the service.  I will be placing two South African gourds that are dried and are used now as musical instruments.  

At St Catherine’s we are also celebrating the $4300.00 that was raised for our Thanksgiving Outreach. 180 gift cards were given to eight North Shore community service organisations for distribution to neighbours in need. Thank you.  

In gratitude, I invite you to make a thanksgiving offering to St Catherine’s for all that God has done to protect and sustain us through this year. Envelopes are available at the church or give through Canada Helps using this link: Link to Canada Helps (apply the fund: Thanksgiving Offering).   

Grateful for our life together as a community, 

May God bless you,

Rev. Sharon