Back Online during Shut Down
Due to the Provincial Shut Down that began April 3rd, our church buildings are again closed for at least 4 weeks. Join us for worship online at our YouTube channel which you can find using the button below
Annual Vestry Reports Available
The Annual Vestry Meeting will take place on Sunday March 14th at 11:00 a.m. as part of a modified worship service. So long as we are still open for in-person services, the meeting will be in the church with remote participation available using Zoom; otherwise it will be a Zoom meeting.
The Annual Reports Booklet is available at the church -- call the church office (613-476-3303) if you are local and would like a copy dropped off at your home. The electronic version of the reports booklet can be accessed by clicking on the cover image at right.
Preparing for Ash Wednesday
In-person services resume
In person services following careful pandemic-safe protocols resume February 17th. Sunday Services at 9:00 and 11:00.
Our Services Have Moved Back Online
The Province of Ontario is to be largely shutdown as of Boxing Day. Our Anglican Diocese of Ontario has determined that the safest and most prudent course is to begin the shutdown of our churches as of Christmas Eve.
As a result, our Christmas Services and Sunday Services for at least the next 4 weeks will move online. You can find them by following this link to our YouTube Channel.
This is disappointing, but supports our objective of making it through this pandemic as safely as possible. Please contact the church if there is anything we can do to help during this new shutdown.
Back in Church!
We have been back in church for two Sundays at 9 and 11 am. Everyone who has come is glad to be back, and so far we have not come near our limit of 50 for each service, so we expect to be able to accomodate everyone who wants to come to either service.
Of course, not everyone is able to return at this point in the pandemic, especially those at greater risk. So the 11 am service is available via livestream. You can watch it as it happens, or anytime after, and you can watch past services. They are all available at our YouTube Channel, which you can visit by clicking the button below.
Back to Church!
Sunday, September 13th is Back to Church Sunday at St Mary Magdalene! As our diocese permits churches to carefully reopen, we are delighted that more than 90 parishioners plan to return to church this fall. Some of our members will not feel able to return to a group setting, and we will continue to provide online services and distribute printed copies and DVDs on request.
For those who are able to attend services in person, here is what you need to know.
Health and Safety
The diocese has established cautious and detailed guidelines to ensure safety during worship, which your Churchwardens, Preparedness Committee, Altar Guild, Sexton, Musical Director, Greeters and Clergy have fully implemented:
- Everyone planning to come to church must check themselves for any COVID-19 symptoms. Please do not come to church if you have symptoms or have reason to believe you may have been exposed to the virus.
- The church will be carefully cleaned, and all touch points sanitized before every service. There will be a full hour between services to allow for cleaning and to avoid clustering of people.
- A maximum of 50 people can be in the church.
- Pews are roped off, so everyone is seated at least 6 feet away from everyone else. Members of the same household or "social circle" can sit together.
- Service books have been removed.
- Everyone must always wear a mask in the church.
- Greeters will be at the front and back entrances, and the elevator will be available for those who need it.
- On arrival your attendance will be recorded in the (hopefully unlikely) event contact tracing is required. You will be asked to sanitize your hands.
- Collection plates will not be used during the service. Baskets to receive your offering will be available at the entrances.
- Greeters will help ensure people remain physically distanced as you find your seat.
- Congregational singing is not permitted. A soloist is allowed.
- We will exchange a gesture of peace from our places, maintaining physical distance.
- Only the bread will be offered when you receive communion.
- The priest will carefully hand-sanitize, and then bring communion to everyone in the pews, being careful not to touch anyone. If accidental contact occurs, the priest will sanitize before continuing.
- After the priest has put the bread in your hand and moved on, you remove your mask to receive your communion, then put your mask back on.
- At the end of the service we will not gather for fellowship at the back of the church. Greeters will help you exit the church row by row maintaining physical distance. We will have opportunity to chat outside after the service (weather permitting, of course).
Service Times and Format
The first service will be at 9:00 a.m. as before
- The traditional language (BCP) service will be followed.
- Instead of using service books, the liturgy will be displayed using the overhead projectors.
- There is no music for this service.
The second service will be at 11:00 a.m. (a half hour later than before to allow for cleaning)
- The contemporary language (BAS) service will be followed.
- Instead of using service books, the liturgy will be displayed using the overhead projectors.
- There will be organ and other instrumental music, and hopefully a soloist to sing parts of the service, but no group singing.
- This service will be live-streamed and recorded, so you will be able to watch from home at 11:00 on Sundays, or anytime afterwards, if you cannot attend in person.
Which Service to Attend
We are only allowed to admit a total of 50 people, and as some people have switched to the early service, we expect to be able to accommodate everyone who wants to come.
You Raised the Roof!
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is a great pleasure to congratulate the congregation and friends of St. Mary Magdalene for having completely paid for the roof of the Church through their generous donations.
The amazing part of this successful endeavour is that fundraising for the roof began and was completed during the lockdown of Covid-19.
The roof looks absolutely great. We hope you think so too. As has been said, the roof's 50-year written guarantee is a gift from our congregation to future congregations, to relieve them of the periodic financial angst of having to replace the roof every 10 to 15 years or so.
That's not all, there is more for this remarkable congregation to celebrate! As most of us know, Church overhead costs continue even through such trying times as we are experiencing. But, your continued generosity in maintaining your weekly and monthly givings mean that the church has been able to so far, meet our operating obligations.
Thank you to each one of you for helping to keep our Parish healthy as we prepare to return to in-church services. A team is diligently working on the implementation of the guidelines of the Diocesan Amber Stage to safely open St. Mary Magdalene and welcome us back. You'll hear more about this in the coming days.
Thank you all so very much, stay safe and keep your loved ones close.
With respect and admiration,
John Clarke, Herb Stone, Kathy Condie, Janet Howes, Brian Pinkerton,
Churchwardens.
Bible Study moves Online
Our Bible Studies are now online using Zoom. Each Wednesday at 10:30 we review the scripture readings for the coming Sunday and then select one to discuss in detail. The Zoom meeting opens at 10:15, giving us a chance to chat over coffee (sorry, you have to supply your own) before the discussion begins. Join us this Wednesday by clicking on this link.