'Life marches on' : As the pandemic persists, Anglicans across Canada continue to adapt life- and death-defining liturgies
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/article43023
- Author
- Gardner, Matt
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2021 April
- Author
- Gardner, Matt
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2021 April
- Volume
- 147
- Issue
- 4
- Page
- 1, 6
- Notes
- The Rev. Michael Tutton, assistant priest at the Anglican parish of St. Timothy and St. Paul in Halifax, who was ordained in 2018, "officiated at his first two baptisms last fall and winter [2020]. Both took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the measures, require to safeguard against COVID-19, including masks, social distancing and frequent sanitization, the experience of the baptisms was highly fulfilling for Tutton -- and, he believes, for others as well. 'It feels special to be performing baptisms in a time of adversity for people, knowing that they'll look back on that day and it'll be part of their family's story and their legacy', Tutton says" (p. 1). ''In Ontario, the Rev. Matthew Brown, associate incumbent at the Parish of the Valley, presided over five baptisms between September and December [2020] at Holy Trinity Church in Pembroke" (p. 6). Brown said, "My own thinking is that we need to continue following the guidance and direction of local health authorities .... [but] God's at work in people's lives and life marches on .. We can't really [put] all of life on hold because of the pandemic. It's just how do we adapt to care for each other as these services come together ? (p. 6)" "Weddings, too, are more challenging when family members aren't able to travel. Last August [2020], Megan Collings-Moore, archdeacon of Waterloo and chaplain at Renison University College, officiated at the wedding of two recent graduates. The bride, originally from Venezuela, was unable to bring her family to Canada for the marriage ceremony due to travel restrictions" (p. 6). "In northern Saskatchewan, baptisms and wedding have been relatively few in number. Yolanda Bird, a suicide prevention worker for the Anglican Church of Canada and resident of Montreal Lake Cree Nation, says ... 'There haven't really been a whole lot of baptisms in our area', Bird says. 'But when they do have them. it usually would be a private service, just to be safe for the baby's sake and the family'" (p. 6).
- Article includes two colour photos including cover photo of the Rev. Michael Tutton holding baby Janessa Munn at her baptism.
- Subjects
- COVID-19 (Disease) - Canada
- COVID-19 (Disease) - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Public worship - Anglican Church of Canada
- Baptism - Anglican Church of Canada
- Tutton, Michael
- Brown, Matthew
- Collings-Moore, Megan
- Bird, Yolanda