Church and Re-dedication

On Sunday, 19 October, on the Feast of the Dedication, a special Solemn Evensong and Benediction was celebrated. The Rt Revd Philip Poole, Bishop of York Credit Valley, was present to re-dedicate our newly renovated building.

Redecoration of Nursery Complete and Commencement of Children's Programme

The nursery room has been redecorated and refurbished over the summer. The centrepiece is a large, three dimensional mural of Noah’s ark created by the Castañeda family. An accessibility ramp, repainting and new furniture make this room an attractive and welcoming place for young children.

On Sunday, 26 October at about 10:30 we will bless the room and the Castenedas will be on hand to talk about the features of the mural. Members of both congregations are encouraged to attend, and to bring children.

The programme for young children (age up to five) begins on 26 October. The sessions run from 9:45 to 10:15 and take place in the nursery. The first block of lessons will be based on the story of the flood, Noah’s ark, and the covenant between God and humankind to preserve life in our world. Children from both 9:30 and 11:00 congregations are welcome.

To register children or for more details about the program speak to Sally-Beth or Avery MacLean.

Announcement of the SMM Christmas Bazaar and Open House!

Christmas Bazaar in aid of the Second Century Renovation Fund and Open House to celebrate the 120th anniversary of our newly restored church!

• Unique Art
• Tours of the Church
• Music by groups from the Choir of St. Mary Magdalene's under the direction of Professor Stephanie Martin
• and much much more!

Saturday, November the 29th, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, 477 Manning Avenue, Toronto (Manning and Harbord)

For more information call 416-531-7955/416-423-0898

Special Vestry Meeting on 5 October 2008

Notice of Special Vestry Meeting

A Special Meeting of the Vestry of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto took place on 5 October 2008 to vote on the following motion:

In keeping with the motions of Vestry approved in May 2006 and June 2007, no alterations to the church sanctuary be undertaken other than "removing the plywood from all of the windows at the …east and replacing all but the central east window with some form of glass;" (including, but not limited to changes to the sanctuary proposed in the Report from the Building Committee, June 2008), and the ambo on the south side be replaced, consistent with the drawings shown as "Interior Perspective" on the parish website (as available September 20, 2008).

The motion was defeated 47 to 9.

Renovations Update (8 Oct 2008)

The renovations continue successfully. The floor is almost complete and the east windows are expected to be installed next week. The interior is set to be finished by the 15th of October, and the re-dedication will take place at Solemn Evensong and Benediction, 4:30pm on the 19th of October.

NOTICE OF FUTURE VESTRY MEETING ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2008

The Rector and the Wardens are convening a meeting of Vestry to address two issues related to the progress on the Second Century Construction project, which is now nearing completion:

Financing

The project remains within the budget limit set by vestry in June 2007 of $485,134.

Nevertheless, there is a gap between the money the parish corporation requires to pay for the completion of this project and the money the parish has on hand or at the diocese.

The parish corporation has made an application to its bank, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) for approximately $250,000, and could, as part of this application, pledge as security, the existing parish money in its Memorial Fund.  Alternatively, if the Bank does not accept this application, the parish could use its Memorial Fund directly for the Second Century project shortfall, if authorized by Vestry.

The Wardens will be providing complete details on actual amounts spent to date and amounts needed to complete the project in future bulletins leading up to this Vestry meeting.

The Wardens now propose the following motion:

WHEREAS the vestry authorized the parish corporation to proceed with the Second Century project in June 2007 and provided a cap on the amount of funds authorized for this purpose of $485,134;

AND WHEREAS the project is near completion and is expected to be able to be completed under the June 2007 cost cap;

AND WHEREAS the parish corporation has, over the past two years, received more than $150,000 of pledged money from its congregation and other supporters of this parish, but has not received all pledged amounts, and also requires additional money to cover the cost of completing the project;

AND WHEREAS the parish corporation must contractually pay its contractor the project costs owed as accrued and invoiced, and, in any event, no later than at project completion or shortly thereafter;

AND WHEREAS this parish has a Memorial Fund with approximately $250,000 in assets to use for purposes that benefit the interests of the parish and its congregation;

AND WHEREAS the Wardens seek to have any use of the parish’s Memorial Fund for this shortfall replenished with future fundraising activities;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the vestry authorizes the parish corporation to enter into a bank loan with the CIBC to address any shortfall associated with the Second Century project that is nevertheless within the overall project cap set out in June 2007, and further authorizes the parish corporation to use the parish's Memorial Fund to address any shortfall that may arise if the CIBC does not authorize a loan and the Corporation is without other means to cover any shortfall owed, as accrued in received and verified invoices, or, in any event, by the completion date of October 15, 2008.

Diocese

The diocese also requires a resolution of vestry to set out the specific means by which the parish expects to pay for the Second Century project.   The wardens expect that the above resolution will serve this purpose.

The wardens will be providing oral updates to the congregation on the project, beginning Sunday, September 7th, 2008.

On behalf of the wardens and the Rector, 

Sincerely, 

Rodney Northey

People’s Warden

SMM in the News

An article about the ongoing Second Century renovations at St. Mary Magdalene's appears in this month's issue of the Annex Gleaner! A copy of the article is in the office.

Coming up - St. Mary Magdalene's Yard Sale!

ST MARY MAGDALENE’S Second Century YARD SALE -SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M. FEATURING MANY FABULOUS ITEMS PLUS BARBECUE AND BAKE SALE

• Home baking and preserves
• books (no textbooks or encyclopedia please)
• CDs and tapes
• Fabric, wool, sewing materials
• small appliances (that work)
• Children’s toys, games, and books
• Jewellery
• Special gift items

• Set up tables
• sell
• sort material
• flip burgers and sausages
• clean up

If you can help, contact Veronica Allen (416) 423-0898, or Grace Crowell (416) 244-1089.

Building Committee Update

For an update on the renovations from the Building Committee, click here.

Continuing Renovations News and New Parkdale Blog

The renovations are progressing smoothly and the building has already begun to attract new attention in the neighbourhood. The East windows are uncovered, and the floor is well underway.

For a new way to stay up-to-date with the Parkdale Deanery, share ideas, and hear about upcoming events, visit the Parkdale Deanery's new blog: www.parkdaledeanery.blogspot.com

The Renovations Have Begun!(13 June 2008)

The renovations are now underway, and will last until August. In 1908, the people of the parish could not afford to install a hardwood floor in the church. The west entrance of the church presents a very rough, and in some places even hazardous, floor. Refinishing and repair was necessary. In addition in the 1920’s renovations to the sanctuary entailed changes to the seven east windows in the sanctuary. Five were closed up with plywood on the outside, and plaster on the inside, as well as three windows in the choir gallery, the west end. Seven of these windows are being opened and restored. We hope passersby will realise that the church is open and inviting.

The main entrance doors at the west end of the building are solid wood and the inner doors are largely the same. We plan to install doors that will allow passersby to see into the church.

Outside we are installing a new wrought iron fence in place of the chain link fence, a larger sign, as well as some changes to the front steps. Already we have installed a new sound system.

To do all this work the parishioners have pledged to raise the money. Over $320,000 has been raised in pledges and the whole renovation scheme will cost approximately $500,000.

The parish welcomes gifts in support of this fund and the renovations, that will help the parish continue its worship ministry and witness for at least another century.

HJN+

Church Choir Success (June 2008)

As winners of the first prize for Church Choirs in the CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs, the Gallery Choir of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene was invited to sing at the Mondial Choral Gala concert in Laval, Quebec with top choirs from across the country on Sunday May 18 th, 2008. Host Gregory Charles honoured the SMM choir by asking them to sing Mass at St. Rose Church on the morning of the competition.

Pictured here is the Choir with their conductor Stephanie Martin at the Gala concert. Photos courtesy of  www.doublelightproductions.com

The Gallery Choir is a Winner! (27 May 2008)

The Gallery Choir was declared the winner of the Church/Temple category in the recent CBC National Choir Competition. In the end, two neighbouring church choirs competed in the category for the final round. As one of the jurors commented, "Would that all Canadian church choirs could sing as well as these two".

Competition rules are stringent. Works in the initial round have to be unaccompanied and a tape not exceeding 18 minutes has to include four works of contrasting styles, periods and moods, while also respecting the tradition of the category. One of the selections also had to be in French; if it had been in Latin, it would be relatively easy, but this requirement was an added challenge One selection also has to feature a Canadian composer. That was much easier. In fact one of the works, Drop, Drop Slow Tears, is Stephanie Martin’s own composition recently published by Fairbank Music in BC.

The choirs moved through regional, national quarter finals, and the national semi-finalists performed live to air from several locations throughout Canada on April 30. Each choir then had to prepare a new programme eight minutes in length. A capacity audience was present to cheer the SMM choir among the competitors in Toronto at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Other categories preceded ours, including two outstanding youth choirs, and when one of them won, the applause was deafening.

Then it was the turn of the church choirs. Both gave outstanding performances and the jury must have had a tough time making its final decision. Ultimately SMM was awarded first place. Our conductor, Stephanie Martin, praised John Tuttle's St. Thomas’s choir in our sister parish down the road, and also noted that our volunteer choristers would be back the next night singing the Ascension Day mass in the parish church.

Our winning choir had the chance to compete for a further national prize, - effectively for the best in show, - in a final gala concert in Montreal on the Victoria Day weekend. The prize honours Healey Willan, known as the Dean of Canadian composers, and also long time organist and choirmaster of SMM. The sponsor of the event provided all expenses for travel, accommodation and hospitality for participating choirs. We thank the choir for all their hard work.

Choir Competition and Parish Events (May 2008)

Our Gallery Choir entered the CBC Radio national competition for amateur choirs, and has been doing very well in the contest making it through the regional competition and into the semi-finals. Stay tuned to CBC Radio's Choral Concert and keep up with our progress!

On April 6th at 4.30 pm at St. James’ Cathedral, Bishop Johnson will be celebrating the Diocesan Confirmation. We have two candidates being confirmed: Hirotaka Kogure and Martha Riddell.

On April 6th, at 5.00 pm , the parish is offering an Easter dinner for the poor and disadvantaged. Brian Clarke is heading up the organisation for this. David Roth is to be the chef. Help is needed setting up, serving, hosting and cleaning up. A parishioner is paying for all the ingredients for the dinner. If you are interested in helping, please speak to Brian Clarke.

On Sunday, the 13th of April, Solemn Evensong and Benediction will be celebrated. All are welcome.

On the 20th of April, at 4pm at St. Anne’s church, (Gladstone Avenue, south of College Street), The York Credit Valley Area Service of Worship and Praise will be held. All members of the parish are encouraged to attend this area celebration.

2007

Festival of Chant

This year, to celebrate 86 years of Gregorian Chant in the parish, the Second Annual Festival of Chant will include not only a concert, to be held at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday, 25 November, but also a Symposium on Saturday, 24 November.

The Symposium will begin with a Gregorian Mass at 10 a.m. (at which all are welcome) and will continue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with educational seminars held here at the church. The cost of registration will be $15, and further details will be available shortly.

The concert will feature a wide selection of Gregorian Chant and Sarum Chant, including music of the mass, the propers and divine offices. Performers will include the Ritual Choir of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Schola Magdalena, Sarum Schola, the St Mary Magdalene Chant Club, and our Assistant Organist Andrew Adair. More information will soon be available on this site. In the meantime, you may contact Robert Castle at (416) 531-7955.

(23 October 2007)

Gallery Choir to sing Mozart's Requiem

On November 11 at 4.00pm the combined choirs of Christ Church Deer Park and the Church of St Mary Magdalene will perform Mozart's Requiem at Christ Church Deer Park (1570 Yonge Street just north of St Clair Avenue). The choirs will be joined by orchestra and soloists Renita Reitz, Heather Jewsen , Sasha Bataligin, and Matthew Zadow, all under the direction of Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill. All tickets are $25, and may be purchased at the door or reserved in advance by calling the Christ Church office at (416) 920-5211 Ext. 28.

(30 October 2007)

Angelus Available Online

This summer's Angelus, including updates on the work of the Parkdale Development Council as well as our own 2nd Century Renewal, highlights from both Diocesan and General Synods and a discussion of the sacrament of reconciliation, as well as concert and book reviews, may be downloaded from our Angelus page. Printed copies are available at the back of the church.

If you would like to contribute to the next edition of the Angelus, please contact its editors, Norah Bolton & James Parker.

Trinity Sunday Concert Shows Off SMM Talent

On Trinity Sunday, 3 June, a special concert was held at the church to showcase the church's music programme and to raise funds for its future. All the musical groups of the parish participated, including the Gallery Choir, Ritual Choir, SMM Singers, Orff Ensemble, and Women's Schola. As a special treat, the choirs were joined for two pieces by orchestral ensemble. The event was a success--showing both the breadth of the SMM musical repertoire and the enthusiasm with which our congregation participates in this part of our liturgy. Furthermore, a generous collection was taken from those present on behalf of the Healey Willan Music Fund.

Architect Presents First Ideas

Ian McGillivray, the Parish Architect, presented his first set of ideas and sketches to the congregations on Sunday. After both the 9.30 and 11 o'clock masses Mr. McGillivray presented his initial plans for the space. These included options for the opening of the windows on the east and west ends of the church as well as redoing the floor and the treatment of the steps leading into the church. Some of these initial ideas can be seen on story boards currently on display at the back of the church and in the parish hall downstairs. You may view these images here, on our website. Please give your feedback about these ideas to a member of the Building Committee, a warden, or the clergy.

Diocesan Synod Held

On May 3, 4 & 5, Fr Harold and Fr Tay along with two lay representatives from the parish – Heather McGregor and Brian Clarke – joined clergy and laity from the rest of the Diocese for "Synod." Synod is a diocesan gathering every other year at which important decision about the life of the Diocese are made. This year's Synod included powerful presentations about HIV/AIDS as well as important reforms some of the beauracries of the Diocese. Read more about the the 2007 Synod here on the Diocesan Website.

Special Vestry Meeting Held

On Sunday, 29 April, a Special Vestry Meeting passed the following motion nem. con.:.
WHEREAS:
1. Vestry previously supported the creation of an Associate Priest position and authorized Corporation to use capital from the Memorial Fund to cover 2 years of any deficits resulting from the costs arising from the position;
2. Parish revenues have not increased in the intervening period to support fully the cost of the Associate Priest position;
3. The total cost of the Associate Priest to the parish, including salary, governmental contributions and housing allowance is $62,000;
4. The approved projected annual deficit is $37,100;
5. The wardens do not believe that an ongoing deficit of such magnitude can be supported beyond this year without eroding our long-term financial security;
6. The wardens should be required to present and maintain balanced budgets on a year to year basis;
7. While the role and work of the current Associate Priest has added significantly to the life of the parish, the position itself is not currently sustainable;
8. The liturgical, pastoral, and clerical life of the parish cannot be sustained by a single full time priest;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Vestry authorize Corporation, in consultation with the bishop and the rector, to spend on an annual basis $26,000 to hire a part-time Assistant Priest to support the rector in his ministry. Such position might be shared with another parish, or might be divided amongst more than one individual depending upon the current availability of clergy.

Four Confirmed from SMM

Four candidates from SMM were confirmed at the diocesan-wide confirmations held at the Cathedral on the Sunday after Easter. Bishop Colin Johnson was pleased to be able to lay his hands on Kathleen Godfrey, Robert Godfrey, Hannah Gillespie and William Gillespie and pray that God would send his holy Spirit upon them. Confirmation is a way for Christians to acknowledge the vows made at their baptisms and to publicly declare their commitment to the Anglican community of faith. In recognition of their completion of the Confirmation programme led by Fr Moss, the four students were given silver crosses by the church. Our parish also had the honour of having one of our candidates, Robert Godfrey, read the Old Testament lesson.

Bishop Poole at SMM for Passion (Palm) Sunday

Bishop Philip Poole, the Area Bishop of the Diocese of Toronto with jurisdiction over SMM, was the Celebrant and Preacher for our Passion Sunday liturgies this Holy Week. His sermon included a call to us as Christians to pick our crosses by helping others in order to be followers of Christ. He also wished to publicly thank Fr Harold for his ministries in the Diocese - especially in ecumenical and interfaith relations. In his visitation the Bishop was able to meet many members of the congregation and get a sense of how active our parish is at this time of growth and change.

Lent/Easter Angelus Published

Parishioners and friends of the parish will be enjoying a new edition of SMM's newsletter, the Angelus, this Passiontide. This edition includes articles about the initiatives of Parkdale Deanery to renew our ministry, SMM's participation in the Out of the Cold Programme, and our Rector's recent trip to Jamaica. This edition was also published in full-colour for the first time. If you would like to contribute to the next edition of the Angelus, please contact its editors, Norah Bolton & James Parker.

Architect Chosen for Renovations

The Wardens are pleased to announce the appointment of Ian McGillivray as project architect for our forthcoming renovations, based on a unanimous recommendation of the Building Committee. Mr McGillivray has broad experience in church renovation and conservation projects, having won awards for his work at Rosedale United, St. James the Less, Our Lady of Lourdes, Metropolitan United, and the Toronto Baptist Church. He has done renovation projects of varying sizes with at least 20 churches in Toronto and southern Ontario.

The Wardens selected Ian not only based on the depth of his experience, but also on the belief that he expressed most clearly an understanding of designing within the context of an historic building, while ensuring effective and meaningful consultation with parishioners and key stakeholders in the congregation. To commence this consultative process, Ian will be attending the 9.30 Mass on 25 March and the 11:00 Solemn Mass on 1 April (Palm Sunday). He will be available during the coffee hours following each of these services to hear from members of the parish about their ideas, issues, and concerns as we begin the design phase of the project.

The Wardens hope you will welcome Ian and his colleagues to our Parish and support them in their efforts to bring to reality the aspirations outlined by Vestry last June.

Lent Begins at SMM

The Holy Season of Lent began this week with a traditional pancake supper on Tuesday evening and the imposition of ashes the following day. The Ash Wednesday Masses called the faithful to remember the uncertainty and brokenness of life and to embrace the possibility of salvation offered in the person of Jesus Christ. Lent marks a period of preparation to celebrate the yearly commemoration of Christ's resurrection - Easter. For Christians around the world - and especially for Catholic Christians - this is a time for self-examination and spiritual discipline.

This year SMM offers several lenten programmes. The SMM Meditation group will continue to meet every other Monday. Wednesday nights at 7.30 Fr Tay will lead a discussion group entitled "Into the Heart of Prayer: Seeking God in our Lives" which will explore Christian Prayer in its many dimensions. The Bible Study Group will also continue to meet on Wednesdays (after the 10 a.m. Mass). Fr Harold will be leading a group on "Catholic Faith and Practice" for those wishing to prepare for Baptism or Confirmation or who simply want to learn more about the Catholic faith. Stations of the Cross will be offered in the church every Friday in Lent at 8 p.m.

Annual Vestry Meeting Held

This year's Annual Vestry meeting of the Parish was held on 18 February. Every year the members of the church gather to hear reports about the state of the parish and to discuss important decisions that affect the church community. Reports were offered by various groups and elections were held. The Annual Vestry Report will be posted to the website soon.

Highlights of the meeting included a lively discussion of Parish finances and future staffing as well as the appointment of Rob Castle as Rector's Warden and Eva Martin as Deputy People's Warden.

Roman Catholic Ecumenical Officer Preaches at SMM

On Sunday, 11 February, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene was pleased to welcome The Rev'd Damian MacPherson, S.A., as our guest preacher. Fr MacPherson is the Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. He is a Franciscan Friar of the Atonement.

Ritual Choir Performs in U.S.

The Ritual Choir has returned from a whirl-wind 48 hours in St. Joseph, Missouri, where they had been invited by Christ Episcopal Church to commemorate the retirement of their Rector, Fr Sidney Breese.  While in St. Joseph, the Ritual Choir presented 3 Gregorian Chant presentations.  The first was on the local news programme "Live at 5", which was the TV debut for the Ritual Choir.  The following day, the choir presented a sampling of their recital programme to a packed lecture room at Missouri Western State University, following which, faculty and students participated in a question and answer session.  In the evening, a standing room only crowd packed into Christ Church to hear the Ritual Choir present a programme of Candlemas music.  The recital started in candlelight, as the Ritual Choir processed singing with the very beautiful antiphon, "Lumen Revelationem" -- "A light to lighten the Gentiles".   The programme was comprised of the propers for the days, as well as music from the Divine Offices for the day, culminating in the meditative Marian anthems -- almost never heard together.  After the recital, the Ritual Choir was feted at a reception in their honour in the Church hall.

The recital came about through a trip to the Abbey of Solesmes in France this past summer, where SMM's Cantor, Rob Castle, took a course in chant along with Bill McMurray, Christ Church's organist.  Over beer in the café across from the gates to Solesmes, McMurray -- a long time fan of Healey Willan and SMM -- invited the Ritual Choir to come to St. Joseph.  The trip was funded by the Allied Arts Fund and the Missouri Arts Council.

Stephanie Martin Appointed Director of Music

The Wardens of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Toronto, are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Stephanie Martin, B. Mus., M.A., ARCCO, as Director of Music and Organist in the parish. Prof. Martin is a native of Listowel and has been Assistant Professor in the Department of Music, Faculty of Fine Arts at York University, Toronto, since 2004. Her Bachelor of Music is from Wilfrid Laurier University; her Master of Musicology from the University of Toronto and she is an Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Prof. Martin has been making music in Toronto for 22 years. For eleven years she was the highly regarded Director of Music at Calvin Presbyterian Church. She has also been the harpsichordist of the Arbor Oak Trio for 15 years. From this work a number of recordings have been issued. She also works with the Recordare ensemble, I Furiosi and the Toronto Consort. Prof. Martin conducts Toronto’s Pax Christi Chorale, an 85 voice oratorio choir who perform masterworks with full orchestra and professional soloists. Married to fellow musician, Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill, she has performed duet programmes on organ and harpsichord. Performance and study have taken them overseas as well as to Toronto recital locales. Prof. Martin has won the Lillian Forsythe Award for Church Music and the Leslie Bell Choral Conducting Prize. She is also a published composer and arranger. She is a fan of theatre and visual art and dabbles in Celtic harp. The clergy and Wardens look forward to a fruitful and creative collaboration as a new and historic chapter begins in the history of this parish

Ritual Choir to give recital in St Joseph Missouri

The Ritual Choir is headed to St. Joseph Missouri later this week to present three Gregorian Chant recitals at the invitation of Christ Church (Episcopal). The first recital will be on the local news cast, "Live at 5" on Thursday, 25 January. The following day, the Ritual Choir will give a presentation, including a brief talk and recital, to early music students at Missouri Western State University. Later on the 26th, the Ritual Choir is presenting a "Candlemas Evensong Concert" to celebrate the pastorate of Fr Sidney Breese. This represents the first performance of the Ritual Choir outside of Canada.

Christmas Services Well Attended

This year's Christmas Services at SMM were even more well attended than usual. Over 300 people filled the church for the Christmas Eve Mass. Several factors may have contributed, including a last-minute postcard distribution to the neighbourhood and a newspaper article favourably mentioning SMM. The article, which appeared in the Globe and Mail on the 23rd of December, mentioned SMM along with several other churches as places with music and liturgy worth experiencing.

Festival of Chant

The Ritual choir of SMM presented "A Festival of Chant" on Sunday, 26 November to celebrate 85 years of Gregorian chant at St Mary Magdalene's. The afternoon featured pieces by the SMM Ritual Choir, the SMM Women's Schola, and a special guest choir from Montréal–the Schola St Grégoire. At the reception afterwards attendees were heard commenting on the impressive variety of chant styles that were demonstrated by the different groups.

Youth Group Trip to Holy Blossom Temple

The Youth Group led by Riva Lieflander and Fr Tay visited Holy Blossom Temple, a Jewish Synagogue in town, to attend a worship service and explore our spiritual neighbours' religion on Saturday. They were met there by a member of the congregation who helped them through the service and then answered questions afterwards. The group was lucky enough to witness three bat and bar mitzvahs. The group was surprised to learn that the synagogue has over 3,000 members. Future trips of the youth group to other learning opportunities are planned.

Andrew Adair Returns

Mr. Andrew Adair has agreed to return to SMM to complete another year as our Healey Willan Music Scholar. In addition, he will be acting as our Interim Organist for the next few Sundays. The parish is currently in discussions with with possible music directors. In the mean time, Andrew will play the music at both Sunday services and Judith Young will conduct the Gallery Choir. Andrew served as the church's Interim Organist over the summer and is enthusiastic to return.

Fund Raising Dinner Kicks-Off Capital Campaign

The Second Century Renewal Fund began officially on Sunday with a fund raising dinner presented by Veronica Allen and friends. The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson spoke to the approximately 100 guests about her Anglican roots in Hong Kong and her family's experiences as immigrants to Canada. Her newest book, Heart Matters, was available for sale. The event marks the beginning of the Capital Campaign to improve and repair our facilities for a new century of ministry in this place. Rod Northey, Deputy People's Warden, and Bill Riddell, Chair of the Fund Raising Committee, spoke about the meaning and goals of the campaign and were pleased to announce that lead donors had already committed $110,000 to the fund. The moment was punctuated by the announcement that earlier in the day, at the Solemn Mass celebrating the Solemnity of the Feast of the Dedication of the church, a friend of SMM pledged a new fence (one of the goals identified by the parish). For more information about the campaign and how to contribute, please visit the Second Century Renewal Fund section of the web site.

Yard Sale a Success

This year's yard sale raised almost $3,000 for the church's General Fund. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this year's sale.

(2006)

SMM Group Sees Shakespeare

A group of 41 members and friends of SMM went to Stratford on Saturday to see Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Professor Bill Blisset gave a short talk about the play before the expedition left the church. Those who went reported having a good time and enjoying both the play and the lunch hour spent exploring the town of Stratford. Many thanks to Eva Martin for organizing the event.

Sunday School Starts a New Season

Sunday School has reopened this fall as kids return from Summer Vacation. Thanks to our volunteers, the children of SMM have the opportunity to grow in faith during both the 9.30 and 11.00 a.m. Sunday Masses. Read about the Sunday School on their section of this website.

(2006)

Latest Parish Flyer Blankets Neighborhood

A flyer was distributed to all residences in the parish neighborhood: about 5,000 homes. SMM sends out a flyer of this kind three or four times a year. Click here to download a PDF version of the flyer.

(2006)

Parkdale Commission Issues Report

A Commission appointed by Bishop Philip Poole to make recommendations as to the long-term ministry of the churches of the Parkdale Deanery has issued its report. Among the recommendations made by Bishop Fricker, who chaired the commission, and the other members of the commission is the conviction that no parishes should be closed and no buildings should be sold. However, the report does recommend that the Deanery pursue new models of urban ministry to address the challenges faced by urban parishes in Toronto. An action committee has been established to follow through on the Commission's recommendations.
The report may be found here....

SMM on Wikipedia

Wikipeia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, has a substantial article about our church.