Poppy projects attract 'amazing' community response : Local people rally to support parish art displays
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/article44127
- Author
- Puddister, Matthew
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2022 November
- Author
- Puddister, Matthew
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2022 November
- Volume
- 148
- Issue
- 9
- Page
- 2-3
- Notes
- "The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Elora, Ont. was not the first Anglican parish to organize a 'poppy project', encouraging people to knit or crochet poppies for an art installation around Remembrance Day. Canon Paul Walker, incumbent at St. John's, and knitting club coordinator Barb Dunsmore drew inspiration from the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer in Calgary, which had unveiled its own poppy display in 2018 to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Even so, when St. John's organized its inaugural poppy project in 2021, like the Calgary cathedral it found a wave of outside volunteers eager to take part. Dunsmore was stunned by the level of support" (p. 2). Three parishes are planning similar poppy projects for Remembrance Day 2022.
- In 2018 "Pippa FitzGerald-Finch, a member of the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer [in Calgary] knitting group, saw a poppy display at a church in England in 2017 and suggested the cathedral do a similar project" (p. 2). FitzGerald-Finch initially estimated that their 6 member group could make between 2,000 and 3,000 poppies. "Ultimately more than 100 people helped make poppies ... and the group ended up receiving more than 10,000 of them" (p. 3). "The group contacted the Royal Canadian Legion, which owns the poppy as a trademark, to get permission. The legion was happy as long as the church didn't sell the poppies, but only used them for an art display" (p. 3).
- "The desire to connect people during the pandemic inspired a different kind of poppy display at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Oak Bay, B.C. Starting in 2020, St. Mary's began a community poppy project centred in the church's memorial garden. People were invited to spend time in personal reflection and prayer and place a red or black stone in the centre of the courtyard, helping create the image of a large poppy. Canon Craig Hiebert, incumbent of St. Mary's, drew inspiration from a Church of England parish which had organized a similar project" (p. 3).
- 'The Poppies for Peace campaign at Church of the Incarnation in Oakville, Ont., began after parishioner Pearl Moffat visited St. John's. She and fellow parishioner Leslie Hickey began planning a similar poppy display for this year, drawing on advice and knitting and crocheting patterns for St. John's" (p. 3). "As this story was being prepared in late September, the Church of the Incarnation was planning to host an open house on Remembrance Sunday where people could see the poppies, hear the choir, enjoy refreshments, and learn about inutilities like the work of its eco-justice committee" (p. 3).
- Subjects
- Poppies
- Remembrance Day (Canada)
- Remembrance Day - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Knitting - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church (Elora, Ont.)
- Walker, Paul J.
- Dunsmore, Barbara
- Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (Calgary, Alta.)
- FitzGerald-Finch, Pippa
- St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church (Oak Bay, B.C.)
- Hiebert, Craig
- Poppies for Peace
- Anglican Church of the Incarnation (Oakville, Ont.)
- Moffat, Pearl
- Hickey, Leslie
- Royal Canadian Legion