Greetings Saint Catherine’s Community,

This Sunday, January 19, 2025, we are joined by the Rev. Peter Smyth from the Mission to Seafarers with Holy Communion at 10 a.m. You can read more about this ministry of the Diocese of New Westminster here: https://www.flyingangel.ca/

A gentle reminder to submit reports and photos for the 2024 yearbook to Natasha as soon as possible. 

Our Musician will be Hyejung Jun and Choir 

A downloadable bulletin can be found here: Sunday January 19, 2025

Amica will have several copies 

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 

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Photo grabbed from The Maritime Magazine

Presider and Preacher: Rev Peter Smyth

Musician: Hyejung Jun and Choir

Altar Guild: Sharon Fedorak

Readers: Hugo Lago and Laine Holland 

Greeters: Gillian Holland and Peter Adams

Intercessor: Words written by Sheila Baldock and spoken by Pauline Barrett

Coffee Team: Penny Zuk, Elizabeth Barratt, Susana Wensley

Eucharistic Administrators: Pauline Barrett, Elizabeth Barratt, Bonnie Grundy

Livestream: Ashkon Vahedi

Sunday School:  Ethan Spence

Just a reminder the 2024 Rota is effective until Easter 2025.

If you can't make your designated day please let the office know at scadmin@shaw.ca or if you would like to join for 2025

In our prayers this week, 2nd Sunday of Epiphany Week of Prayer for Christian Unity The Church in the Province of the West Indies

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 he Rev. Dr. Eileen Scully, Director, and the staff of Faith, Worship, and Ministry; Bishop Michael Pryse, the people and rostered ministers of the Eastern Synod; The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the ecumenical work and witness of our churches

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

In our Diocese we pray for Bishop John, we pray for The Rev. Canon Andrew Gross, Canon for Communications in the ACNA, and his wife, Summer. 

We pray for Spencer, Richard T., Terry R. and Nicole.

We remember Rev. Sharon as she travels to South Africa to be with her Dad for two weeks.

The Wildfires in California and all the people affected.

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.

We are thrilled to announce that the Induction of the Rev. Laurel Dykstra will occur on January 21st at 7:30pm at St. George, Fort Langley. All are warmly invited to attend. 

The PDC had its first meeting of 2025 on January 7. Much work has been going on behind the scenes in December 2024. We are currently working on the following:

•      District Response: Efforts are underway to extract a formal response from the District of North Vancouver on our preliminary planning application for land subdivision and rezoning. We aim to meet with District staff shortly and have a response well before Vestry 2025.

•     2025 Budget: We are working on refining the expected costs and budget to advance the pre-construction work in 2025 to be “shovel ready” for active construction as soon as possible after the land is sold. This 2025 budget will be presented to Parish Council for their approval and, if approved, will be submitted to Vestry for approval separately from the Parish operating budget (as was the case last year). Stay tuned for a project budget information session in late February between Parish Council approval and Vestry.

•      Cost estimating: We have engaged two separate construction managers who will provide their construction cost estimates for the new Plan C “within the footprint” renovation design. Their estimates are expected before the end of this month. PDC will use that cost information to make decisions about optional features of the design, in consultation with the congregation on key features.   

•      Financing: In February 2024 Vestry approved an up to $600,000 loan request to the Diocese for bridge financing to pay for pre-construction activities under our 2024 budget before the surplus land is sold. The loan we requested was to be available in two segments, $300,000 right away and the rest when requested later in 2024. The Diocese approved half the amount requested ($300,000) and our 2024 project activities were paced to match the funding available.  Parish Council have now commenced the process to seek the second half of our original $600,000 loan request.  The larger loan would be used to support the remainder of the required pre-construction work in 2025 (including finalizing designs, contract documents, procurement, applying for building permits, completing the subdivision and rezoning and engaging contractors) prior to the anticipated sale of the land at the end of 2025 or early 2026. The loan is structured as a line of credit, such that no interest is paid on the unused portion and having the funds available does not mean that any of it will be spent.  Spending decisions will still depend on 2025 budget approval at Vestry and required Parish Council or A&F approvals of individual expenditures along the way.  A response from the Diocese is not expected before Vestry and thus the proposed 2025 budget will be conditional upon securing funds to pay for the work, as was the case last year.

In the coming months the PDC will continue our weekly meetings to ensure that we keep track of progress and costs.

Saint Catherine’s has partnered with Harvest Project, to help address food emergencies in the North Shore. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 2pm to 3pm at Mary Pellatt Room, we will distribute emergency grocery bags; serve coffee, tea, and pastries; and enjoy a conversation with our volunteers.

Our Emergency Food Program is designed to provide immediate assistance to individuals and families facing food insecurity in the North Shore, provide essential sustenance, as well as cultivate a sense of belonging and shared responsibility within our community. At the core of our Food Emergency Initiative is a simple yet powerful idea: neighbours helping neighbours.

Everyone is welcome in this drop-in program.

Tax receipts for donations to St. Catherine's Church made in calendar 2024 will be issued in February 2025 as usual.  If legislation is passed by the Federal Parliament (which is now prorogued) extending the deadline to include January and February 2025 donations in 2024 tax returns, Gordon Lee and I provide you with additional information on how we will proceed.   Thank you!

A reminder that our first Soul Food Sunday of the year will start February 2nd, 2025 at 10 am. We will celebrate the changing of light and the early signs of Spring with Saint Brigid of Kildare. Rev. Sharon will preach and preside. 

On this Soul Food Sunday, we will gather with strangers and friends around the breakfast table to hear sacred story and share some of our own. Communion is administered around the tables. Breakfast is provided, come along and participate in this meaningful form of community worship.

Purpose: This position at St Catherine’s Anglican Church seeks to empower and support our congregation in their relationships within the parish and their engagement to its broader community. We are seeking someone who will strengthen the internal and external communication of the St. Catherine’s congregation.

Job Description: This part-time communications position enhances our internal communication, and supports the ministries of the Parish Council by engaging online and paper-based communication tools for the broader neighbourhood and beyond. This position reports directly to our Priest-in-Charge. Working from a home office is preferred.

Link to Job Description

Remuneration: $27.50/hr for 8-10 hours a week.
Term: This is a part time, contract position for a 1-year renewable.
Contact: Resume and Cover Letters accepted until February 12th, 2025.