About 200 synod members, observers, volunteers and diocesan staff gathered April 18 at Christ Church Cathedral with one aim in mind: ponder the future of the cathedral that is in need of upwards of $18 million in repairs and a $5 million endowment fund.

The special session of synod, the 140th, was called as the Cathedral’s Bishop and Chapter and the congregation debate options for the nearly 175-year-old church building.

The Holy Land pilgrimage, which was set for this fall, has been delayed until May, 2027. 

From Canon Vicars Hodge, leader: 
We plan to depart Toronto on Wednesday, May 5, flying to Tel Aviv. From there we will transfer to the Golan Hotel in Tiberias and begin our pilgrimage in the Galilee. Our time there will include Mount Tabor, Cana, the Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Nazareth, Caesarea Philippi, and a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

We will then travel south to Jerusalem, staying at the Golden Walls Hotel, and from there visit many of the most significant biblical places, including Caesarea Maritima, Emmaus, Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, the Judean Desert, Jericho, Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea, the Mount of Temptation, the Jordan River, and, in Jerusalem itself, the Pool of Bethesda, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Mount Zion and the Upper Room, and the Temple Mount.

This will be a full pilgrimage, including virtually everything except airfare, personal items, and beverages: all meals, tips, porterage, guides, drivers, and entrance fees are included.

At this stage, I am simply asking you to save the dates and let me know whether this pilgrimage may be of interest to you. I am looking for expressions of interest and helpful feedback. I do not expect to ask for firmer commitments until September.

Carole and I will be leading this pilgrimage together with Archbishop David Edwards of Fredericton and his wife, Debbie. This will be my seventh pilgrimage tour. While I continue to learn each time, I now have a well-tested sense of how best to shape a journey like this: which sites matter most, how to pace our days well, and how to work with excellent local guides and hosts.

You are welcome to contact me by email at hodge.v@trinitytour.org or by phone at 519-466-6870.

We are anticipating a group of approximately 25–30 pilgrims from across Canada, and perhaps a few from the United States. 

Layreaders Day: Exploring Personal Prayer Practices

Join us on May 2 for a day of reflection, learning, and prayer designed especially for our Layreaders. Those considering becoming a layreader or other parish members interested in this faith formation opportunity are also welcome.

This gathering will offer an opportunity to explore a variety of personal prayer practices that can nurture and sustain your spiritual life and ministry. Whether you are discovering these practices for the first time or hoping to deepen rhythms you already use, the day will create space to learn, reflect, and pray together.

Kurt Schmidt, Diocesan Missioner for Christian Formation, will guide participants through several approaches to prayer, offering both teaching and time to experience these practices firsthand.

Come ready to pause, pray, and reconnect with the practices that help form and sustain us in ministry.

Schedule:
Coffee & refreshments at 9:30 AM
Program begins at 10:00 AM
Lunch will be provided
We will conclude by 3:30 PM

RSVP is required. Please register in advance to help us plan for the day.

For more information or questions, contact Shawn C. Branch.

One day only

No banquet; cold plate lunch instead

Theme: Unity in Christ

Watch the April edition of Launching Out for more information and the registration form.

Christ Church Cathedral is thrilled to announce that the featured speaker for the 2026 Palmer Memorial Lecture on May 6th is celebrated author and church historian Diana Butler Bass!

The Palmer Memorial Lecture Series comprises an annual talk on matters of current religious significance and spiritually formative impact, hosted in honour and at the bequest of the late Harry and Sandra Palmer, long-time devoted members of the Christ Church Cathedral community in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Palmer Memorial Lecture is delivered each year by a prominent and engaging figure in the world of spirituality -- someone who is contributing and often leading important conversations about how we can deepen and live out our Christian faith in today's world.

Our 2026 lecturer, Diana Butler Bass, is a popular speaker, an inspiring preacher, and an award-winning author of eleven books. She is trained as a church historian, holding a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University, with special emphasis in American ecclesiastical history. Diana is one of America's most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality, especially where faith intersects with politics and culture. You might know her from her twice-weekly e-newsletter, The Cottage, in which she expresses her courageous and prophetic voice to an increasingly broad audience. Diana's passion is sharing great ideas to change lives -- helping listeners and readers to see themselves, their place in history, and God, differently.

The event will be held on the evening of Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 150 Church Street, Fredericton, NB.

Tickets are: $30 (in-person) or $10 (online).

For more information, contact the Cathedral Office.

Facilitator Angela King holds a MTS, ARCT(Pedagogy), and is a dementia care and education specialist, consultant and spiritual care practitioner.

For information on the first dementia workshop, held in February, click here. 

www.campmedley.ca