January 23, 2011
The sun shone brightly, the temperature climbed above freezing and Qu’Appelle Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson said it was a sign that God is blessing what “we are doing here today.”
January 23, 2011
The sun shone brightly, the temperature climbed above freezing and Qu’Appelle Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson said it was a sign that God is blessing what “we are doing here today.”
January 23, 2011, will go down in southern Saskatchewan religious history as Kerr-Wilson and Regina Archbishop Daniel Bohan signed an historic Covenant committing the Roman Catholic and Anglican dioceses to an unprecedented level of joint services and cooperation. The Covenant was signed by the 2 bishops during an ecumenical prayer service that featured participants from St. Paul’s and Holy Rosary Cathedrals.
The Covenant is not a formal union, as Archbishop Bohan pointed out at the beginning of his homily. “We are coming together to celebrate what we believe in common as Christian Churches, and to celebrate what we have achieved in our ongoing search for deeper union and we are going to commit to do certain things together as disciples of Christ.”
The Covenant commits the two in 5 activities: holding a joint prayer service with bishops present ideally during Easter season and alternating between the 2 cathedrals; remembering each other in the Sunday service intercessions; work together on justice issues where the two are working together in the developing world; hold joint meetings with First Nations elders to promote reconciliation and healing and maintain communications between the 2 churches when an issue arises in one church that has implications or challenges for the other.
It also encourages 14 other activities including common services during Lent and Advent, common study sessions, common programs, youth leadership, regular meetings of those with similar ministries, social occasions to promote fellowship and speaking out together on areas of common concern. The Covenant also encouraged neighbouring Anglican and Roman Catholic parishes to explore a similar covenant and other Christian churches, where possible, were invited to share in the proposed activities and initiatives.
“The basis of our coming together is our faith in Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Kerr-Wilson. “There is one Lord, one Baptism and one Faith.” Archbishop Bohan’s homily shared a similar theme. He quoted Pope Benedict from a visit to Westminster Abbey last year, “What we share in Christ is greater than what divides us.”
The service began with the 2 bishops presiding over the blessing of new water in the baptismal font emphasizing the one baptism they share. The bishops then circled the church blessing everyone with the new water.
Readings from Isaiah, Galatians and the Gospel of John were read followed by a complete reading of the Covenant. Members of the ecumenical committee that authored the document, Very Reverend James Merrett, Rector of St. Paul’s and Dean of the Qu’Appelle Diocese, Anglican Deacon Michael Jackson, and Joan Galvin from Holy Rosary Cathedral alternated in the reading of the Covenant.
Saskatoon Roman Catholic Bishop Don Bolen credited with initiating the process when he was a priest in the Regina Archdiocese that led to the Covenant was in Barcelona, Spain. Bolen’s co-chair of the committee Merrett, when he was recognized, offered he would like to have also been in Barcelona.
The original signed copies of the Covenant will reside in the chancery offices and copies will be sent to all Anglican and Roman Catholic parishes.
A reception followed the service.
