Dear Saint Catherine's Family,

Its nearing the end of our Advent and the light is at an all time low. We hunker down and await the Christ child,  the promise of light. The words that I am holding onto this season are: the light shines and the darkness did not overcome it.

An exerpt from TS Eliot's poem really speaks to me: 

"If the lost word is lost, if the spent word is spent
if the unheard, unspoken
Word is unspoken, unheard;
still is the unspoken word, the Word unheard,
the Word without a word, the Word within
the world and for the world;
and the light shone in darkness and
against the Word the unstilled world still whirled
about the centre of the silent Word"

With Eliot I hold on to the hope that, in the midst of current chaos and confusion, still the Word remains central and steady, and the darkness does not overcome the Light.

As we enter the Christmas and gather together, may we experience the light of the silent Word, whispering peace, joy, hope and love to us. All our services are listed in the newsletter, I trust that something of our humble offerings may meet you where you are.

In Faith,

Rev. Sharon 

PS: Look out this weekend for an email with the Parish Council e-card and Christmas letter.

_______

This Sunday, December 22, 2024 - We will have a traditional service, Rev. Sharon Smith will preach and preside. 

Our Musician will be the Hyejung Jun and our Choir 

A downloaded bulletin can be found here:Sunday December 22, 2024

And if you are living at Amica there are copies at the reception.

The service will be livestreamed.

The Service livestream can be found here:

St. Catherine's Website Services Page

Previous livestreamed services, and sermon notes can be found here:

St. Catherine's Website Past Services Page or

St. Catherine's YouTube Channel

In our prayers this week, Advent 4, The Episcopal Church in the Philippines

We pray for our Companion Diocese: The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines, The Right Rev Benny Lang-akan, Bishop. We pray for our companion cluster parish of St. Catherine of Siena in Cervantes and The Rev. Gladys Pag, Bunga, Tadian.

In Canada we pray for Archbishop Linda, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, The Rt. Rev. Christopher Harper, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, and the staff of Indigenous Ministries; the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples; Dawn Maracle, Indigenous Justice Animator,  Carmen Ramirez, Assistant to the National Bishop, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Peter Wall, Assistant to the National Bishop for Worship

In our Province we pray for our Metropolitan, Archbishop Lynne McNaughton.

In our Diocese we pray for Bishop John, and  The Deanery of Sea to Sky - The Revd Cameron Gutjahr, Regional Dean, The Deanery of Royal City/South Burnaby – The Revd Arvin Amayag, Regional Dean,  The Deanery of Point Grey – The Revd Marion Wong, Regional Dean

We pray for Ted, Spencer, Dick, Nicole, Richard,  Sandra, Janet M., Tony, Mel, Nancy, Monica M, Jean K, Joy, Gary, Mike K, Heather & John, Bonnie and Robert Calder, Paula, Dian, and Nancy Sc., Toni Parsons, Jeff and Ashkon.

For Donna who died and Derek and Family who mourn her; and for Ivy who mourns the loss of her daughter.

Send non-confidential requests to Natasha: scadmin@shaw.ca

**Please note that for confidential, urgent prayer requests, Natasha will send these to our prayer circle ministry. We ask that you make this clear either by phone or email.

Thank you to all volunteers for making our services so special.

Join us this Christmas Eve for a joyful celebration of the season! We are excited to offer two special services for all ages:

• 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM - Christmas Eve Pantomime for Young Children
  A fun, interactive experience filled with laughter and holiday cheer, perfect for our youngest parishioners.

• 5:00 PM - Christmas Eve Family Traditional Service
  A beautiful service for the whole family, featuring traditional carols, scripture readings, and a message of peace and hope.

Both services will be held at Saint Catherine’s Anglican Church.

The 5 pm Christmas Eve Traditional Service will be livestreamed. Here's the LINK.

We look forward to sharing this special time with you and your loved ones! 

Merry Christmas!

It's that time of year again for Christmas Dedications. On behalf of the church, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous dedication of Christmas flowers. Your thoughtful gesture has brought beauty and joy to our sanctuary, creating a warm and festive atmosphere for all who gather to celebrate this special season.

* The flowers on the Credence Table Shelf are given by Sharon Fedorak in memory of her son Gregory Thomas.

The Flowers around the Altar are given by:

*  Julia Hadrill in remembrance of John

*  Lois MacGregor and family remembering Duncan with love and in thanksgiving for many blessings.

* Nancy Sunderland and the family in loving memory of Phil Sunderland

* Penny Zuk and Elaine Van Horn for many blessings

* Elizabeth Barratt in memory of Derek

* Marion Porter in memory of her father, Albert Gibault

* Heather and John Luccock in memory of Jack and Florence Luccock and Rod and Muriel Maclean and for our many blessings

* Bonnie and Nairn Grundy in loving memory of Fred and Daphne Grundy and Daniel and Angela Smith

Celebrate the First Sunday after Christmas with Lessons and Carols – Prayers for Peace this Sunday. Everyone is warmly invited to attend and reflect on the hope and joy of the season.

In-person at Saint Catherine's Anglican Church
Livestream: CLICK HERE.

Here is the LINK to the bulletin.

Let’s come together in worship and reflection.

Celebrate Epiphany Sunday with us at a Morning Prayer Service. You will be invited to choose a word as a spiritual intention for the 2025 year ahead. Everyone is welcome to join this meaningful gathering!

In-person: At the church
Online: For those unable to attend, join the live stream here: LINK. Access the service bulletin here: LINK.

Please be advised that our office will be closed for the holiday season starting December 23 and will reopen on January 7. During this time, we will not be available for regular business operations.

We wish you a joyful and peaceful holiday season and look forward to serving you in the New Year. If you have any urgent matters, please contact us before the closure.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

We are excited to announce that the Christmas tree is now up in the lobby, bringing festive cheer to our church! The Parish Council Christmas Poster can also be seen at the lobby.

A heartfelt thank you to our Bonnie, Monica, and Marion for their time and effort in making this beautiful display possible. Your dedication and spirit of giving help make this season even more special for all of us.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!