Weekly Newsletter

April 24th, 2026

A Note from Rev'd Ben

Dear St. George's

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I hope you are enjoying Eastertide, especially as the weather warms!

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One of the things I like to do in this season is reread the "Homily of the Resurrection" from the Second Book of Homilies. The Books of Homilies were two official books of sermons put out by the Church of England in the reigns of King Edward VI and Elizabeth I, and they remain important descriptions of Anglican teaching (see Article 35 of the Articles of Religion). I wanted to share a little bit of this sermon with you all, lightly modernized, because I think it really sums up the meaning of our Easter celebration -- a celebration that isn't just for one day but for the whole 50 days of Eastertide!

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As Jesus died not for himself, no more did he rise for himself. He was dead, says St. Paul, for our sins, and rose again for our justification...If death could not keep Christ under his dominion and power, but that he arose again, it is manifest that death's power was overcome. If death was conquered, then it must follow that sin -- of which death was appointed as the wages -- must be also destroyed. If death and sin are vanished away, then the devil's tyranny is vanquished, which had the power of death, and was the author and brewer of sin, and the ruler of hell. If Christ had the victory of them all by the power of his death, and openly proved it by his most victorious and valiant resurrection (as it was not possible for his great might to be subdued by them), and it is true, that Christ died for our sins, and rose again for our justification -- why may not we, that are his members by true faith, rejoice, and boldly say with the prophet Hosea and the apostle Paul, "Where is thy dart, O death? Where is thy victory, O hell? Thanks be to God" -- say they -- "who has given us the victory by our Lord Christ Jesus."

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If you want to read the whole sermon, you can do so here. I hope you all rejoice in the glorious truth that because Jesus rose from the dead, we can trust that not death but God has the final word for each of our lives. Thanks be to God!

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Yours in Christ,

Ben

Table of Contents:

What to expect in this issue of the Newsletter!

1. Updates for this week
   1. Bishop Visit!
   2. May 3rd Clean Up & May 17th Gardening
2. In Case You Missed It!
   1. Open doors is Coming Back!
   2. Burst into Spring
3. Sunday Service Information

Updates for this Week, April 24th:

The Bishop Visit

The Rt. Rev. Victor-David Mbuyi Bipungu will be visiting St. George's this Sunday, April 26th! It's St. George's Sunday and it's sure to be a joyful service with a baptism and lots to be thankful for. There will be a celebratory reception following the service. Mark your calendars, you won't want to miss it!

Mark your Calendars:

May 3rd clean-up & May 17th Gardening

Spring is coming to St. George's and with it some exciting community initiatives!

We are looking to beautify our green spaces and we need your help.

In collaboration with our friends at St. Michael's Mission we will be having a yard clean up day following the 10:30 service on Sunday, May 3rd. A lunch will be provided by the Mission just after the service and the clean up will begin around noon!

Why the clean up? To prepare for our new garden!

Thanks to the generosity of St. Michael's Mission and their friends at Eco-quartier, we are receiving a donation of flowers to be planted throughout our front lawn. Green thumb or not, we encourage you to join us following the 10:30 service on May 17th to help bring this garden to life.

We welcome personal plant donations as well! If you have any extra annuals, please bring them. The more flowers the merrier! Additionally, we encourage you to bring gardening gloves if you have them.

With thanks and excitement,

Grace, Eli (St. George's) & Emma (Saint Michael's Mission)

In Case You Missed It:

Return of Open Doors

Hello! We look forward to spring and the "resurrection" of our “Open Doors” this May.

We need volunteers on Thursdays and Fridays from 12 noon until 2 pm from May 28-October 30.

This initiative is important for us especially at present as a significant indication of our outreach to our community and beyond. Together with Sacred Stitches Wednesday Services, and Sundays, it is testimony both to the diocese and the broader community of our centrality to the spiritual life and heritage history of our community and of St. George's as a magnificent embodiment of that history of faith, culture and society.

During the past several summers we have reached thousands of members of the public during these limited hours. On average we welcome over 1600 members of the public each season! What a wave of humanity - from five continents to local neighbours - we have welcomed to visit, explore and/or quietly pray and meditate in our calm and beautiful spiritual home! Our job is simply to welcome them and be present at the narthex (entry) if they have any questions.

There have been no serious unpleasant incidents - none – and the church office is open with staff onsite on both Thursdays and Fridays. Church staff members will unlock and lock the gate and doors and put out the sandwich sign.

Each year we have been adjusting our calendar to a window of projected optimum visitation. Again, in 2026, we are looking on Thursdays and Fridays to 12-2 pm from Thursday, May 28 until Friday October 30. Please confirm your availability during this period on Thursdays and Fridays, and I will draw up the rota taking into account any anticipated restrictions in availability.

Again, having received your replies, we expect to ask for your help no more than once a month, but need your participation. Please contact The Office (office@st-georgeschurch.org) or me directly.

We want to have the schedules out by early May.

Thank you!

Hilliard Goldfarb

Head of Open Doors Ministry

"Burst" into Spring Update

Greetings from the Stewardship Committee!

We are officially two weeks into our Burst into Spring Campaign! Many thanks to those who have donated so far. As of Tuesday April 7, we have raised $2,550 in cash and cheques, and 13 people have donated this way so far. On top of this, we have also received donations via CanadaHelps, but we do not have the exact numbers received from this donation method yet. We are well on our way!

We will be providing regular updates to you all as we progress. If you haven’t yet donated, please consider doing so by cash, cheque, or on CanadaHelps. We have until Pentecost Sunday May 24 to achieve our goal of $10,000. Please remember to mark your donation with the words “Burst into Spring” so ensure that the funds go to the right place.

Yours in the Risen Lord,

The Stewardship Committee (Chloe, Susan, Tom B, Tom D, Robert)

This Sunday, April 26th

St. George's Day

Zoom Link for Services

Ways to Give to St. George's​

• Interac transfer to accounting@st-georgeschurch.org

• Contact the office at office@st-georgeschurch.org to initiate or change your PAR giving

• Mail a cheque to: St. George’s Church, 1101 Rue Stanley, Montreal, QC, H3B2S6​
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