It was during the summer recruitment drive of 1916, the army seeking soldiers for the First World War effort, that a newly ordained Roman Catholic priest in the Miramichi got caught up in the excitement.

“He got carried away and said yes,” said the Rev. Canon Dr. Ross Hebb. “And it was in the paper the next day.”

The fact that one of his new priests had, without permission, just joined the war effort as a military chaplain did not sit well with the bishop over breakfast the next morning. 

Oct. 18-19   Church of the Ascension ACW in Apohaqui is once again selling apple pies and crisps — ready to bake or pop in the freezer. Price is $10 each. They will be available to pick up at the Apohaqui Recreation Centre at Jones Park. If you're interested, contact Mary Anne Mitton (506-432-5198 or 506-435-3400); Nicole Bent (506-434-2420); Phyllis Price (506-639-1049); Bev Floyd (bbfloyd@xplornet.ca) or Barb Brown (506-433-2546 or 506-433-5020). Deadline for orders is TODAY — Oct. 15. Thanks for your support!

Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  Winter Clothing Giveaway, Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd, 8772 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol. Free coffee and muffins. For more information, contact Sherry (506-391-5219) or Wilma (506-278-3229).

Saturday, Oct. 19, 4:30-6 p.m.  Fall supper and silent auction at Kingston Parish Hall. Menu: ham, potato scallop, baked beans, carrots, rolls and apple crisp. Tickets are $15 per person. Call 506-763-3183.

Friday, Oct. 25  St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Petitcodiac presents Hallowe’en Dance for grades K to 2 (6-7 p.m.) and grades 3-5 (7:30-8:45). Admission is $2, canteen is available, prizes to be won. All kids must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian. Questions? Email chris.hayes@anglican.nb.ca . Find us on Facebook: St. Andrews Children’s Dances.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 4-6 p.m.   The Anglican Parish of Gagetown will hold its annual fall supper at Camp Medley.  Turkey and all the trimmings are on the menu and take-outs will also be available.  Tickets at the door: $15 for adults, children aged 6-12 are $10, and children 5 and under are free.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Bake and rummage sale at Covert Hall, North Head, Grand Manan.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m.  Cemetery service remembering and honouring those we have laid to rest. Join us at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 486 Kennebecasis River Road in Hampton.

Saturday, Oct. 26   Holy Trinity Church 2 Hammond River Rd., Quispamsis will hold a delicious fall take-out meal, with a choice of homemade Boston baked beans and sausage or chili. Meal includes brown bread and apple crisp. Cost $12 per take out. Call Mark & Kathy by Oct. 22 to pre-order at 506-832-3759. Pick up times are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church.  Treat yourself to a lovely fall meal. Proceeds will help support local food banks.

Sunday, Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m.  16th annual Sounds For Sigowet benefit concert and silent auction at St. Paul’s in Rothesay. Concert will feature the Buckley Ensemble. Tickets are $25, and $10 for students. Call 506-847-1812 or 506-849-2414 to purchase. A reception will follow the concert, which will benefit orphans going to secondary school in Kenya.

Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Christmas Bazaar at Christ Church (Parish) Church, 245 Westmorland St., Fredericton.  Please join us for our sale of Christmas cooking, crafts and new-to-you items. Our Church Closet will be open, featuring clothing and books. Christmas café on site. Cash only.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month! Show your pastor some love! It’s appropriate that  it and Thanksgiving fall in the same month (for Canadians anyway). Thanksgiving is a time when we give thanks and express gratitude for God’s gifts. Showing gratitude and appreciation to God is a spiritual discipline – it takes practice. One way to practice this spiritual discipline is to show appreciation to your spiritual leader.

Need some tips? Here are a few:

1. Ask your spiritual leader – Did you get your Sabbath/days off this week?
   
   
2. Encourage your spiritual leader to take care of physical health by exercising and going for walks.
   
   
3. Expect and encourage your spiritual leader to take his/her full allotment of vacation time each year and to not return from vacation to perform funerals, etc. whenever possible. Help him or her arrange for pastoral care coverage while he/she is on vacation.
   
   
4. Encourage your spiritual leader in their self-care and soul-care. 
   
   
5. Avoid scheduling church meetings or activities requiring your spiritual leader's presence more than two nights a week.
   
   
6. Your pastor is a spiritual leader and needs time to be with God.
   
   
7. Remember important milestones and dates in the life of your spiritual leader and family.
   
   
8. Remembering that the way we treat our spiritual leaders reflects on our love and obedience to God.
   
   
9. Celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month – Pick a Sunday in October and thank them publicly!

From the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada

What Canadian Church Leaders Should Know about Mental Health & Illness in their Congregation, is a FREE webinar open to anyone on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. (AST). 

Dr. Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology, presents data-based on recent findings from a national survey with nearly 1,000 church leaders and congregants on the topic of mental health and illness in Canadian Christian congregations. The 30-minute webinar is interactive: 15-minute research presentation and 15-minute Q/A (optional 15-minutes after for networking).

Joel is Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, Calgary, AB. The organization offers Canadian Data for Canadian Church Leaders. 

Register by clicking here. 

Eco-anxiety and Practices of Christian Hope in a Climate-changing World

Lecture 1: Oct.  29 | 7 p.m.
Eco-anxiety and Climate Trauma: Theological musings and a call to Faithfulness

Lecture 2: Oct. 30 | 7 p.m.
Practicing Hope amid Climate Crisis
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Free and open to all - No registration required
Supported by Pine Hill Divinity Hall
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Both lectures take place in person in AST’s St. Columba Chapel, 634 Francklyn Street, Halifax

An online option will also be available. Details will be posted on our website as they become available. Click here to access. 

Lucy's Sewing Group, founded long ago by Lucy McNeill, produces church linens (purificators, lavabo towels, corporals, altar cloths, and so on) for sale to parishes, thus raising money for the Church's good causes. This group of talented ladies make beautiful items!

Archdeaconry Greater Chapter meetings

Chatham - October 26 @ 10:00 am, St. Andrew's (Newcastle), Miramichi
Fredericton - October 16 @ 6:30 pm, Christ Church (Parish), Fredericton
Kingston and the Kenn. - October 21 @ 7:00 pm, St. Paul's, Hampton
Moncton - October 24 @ 7:00 pm, St. John the Baptist, Riverview
Saint John - October 17 @ 6:30 pm, St. Luke's, Main St.
St. Andrews - October 18 @ 6:30 pm, St. Margaret's, Lepreau
Woodstock - October 23 @ 7:00 pm,  Good Shepherd, Florenceville-Bristol

Join friends from across the diocese and beyond for a 24-hour Advent breakaway. Our Advent Retreat is open to anyone (Anglican or not) looking for a moment to pause and reflect on the season's true meaning.

Our retreat leader (teacher) is Bishop Sandra Fyfe. Bishop Sandra is the 17th diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, having been elected and consecrated to that role in 2020. Before that, she served as rector of the Parish of Horton (Wolfville NS). She is a gifted retreat leader and has led a variety of retreats across the Atlantic provinces.

All are welcome - pre-registration is required.

Costs - Overnight: $140 | Couples: $215 | Commuter: $95 (meals included) 

Registration deadline is December 4, 2024; spaces are limited. (Some bursary funding is available.)

For more information, contact Shawn C. Branch: 506-459-1801 ext 1008.

When the store manager returned from lunch, he noticed his clerk's hand was bandaged, but before he could ask about the bandage, the clerk had some very good news for him.

"Guess what, sir?" the clerk said.  "I finally sold that terrible, ugly suit we've had so long!"

"Do you mean that repulsive pink-and-blue double-breasted thing?!" the manager asked.

"That's the one!"

"That's great!" the manager cried, "I thought we'd never get rid of that monstrosity!  That had to be the ugliest suit we've ever had!  But tell me, why is your hand bandaged?"

"Oh," the clerk replied, "after I sold the guy that suit, his seeing-eye dog bit me."