News and information

It's a rainy morning at the port of Oshawa, Ont., and burly stevedores swarm around a huge ship from China, hoisting long poles of steel rebar up and out of the hold. But not everyone is there for the cargo. A man in a gold hardhat strides around the machinery, slapping backs and waving hello. Father David Mulholland is here to meet the men on board.

Summer was a time of steady growth for The Community, the Anglican Church of Canada's online conversation space. Web traffic jumped between June and August as both new and returning visitors read more pages and stayed longer on the site. Between July and August, site visits jumped by 48% and people stayed 47% longer. Currently more than 3,000 people are visiting the site each month.

As faith communities around the world commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., an Anglican priest and inter-faith dialogue expert today called for prayers for those who lost their lives and for those "still struggling for peace and harmony" in the world.

This fall, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada will visit the Anglican Church in Japan for the first time, continuing a historic relationship that began with arrival in 1888 of the first Canadian Anglican missionary in Nagoya. 

The 2011-2012 Syrian uprising is an ongoing conflict that has led to an extraordinary time in Syria's history. Many cities throughout Syria have been caught in the crossfire between opposition and government forces. Thousands of Syrians have fled their homes, attempting to escape the violence.   PWRDF is responding to this man-made disaster through the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and their local partners as part of the ACT Alliance.

Over 800 youth from across Canada will converge at TCU Place in Saskatoon, Sask. from August 16-19 to take part in the 2012 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering. Youth from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) will come together to participate in a variety of events, worship, and prayer. 

The Virtual Church School curriculum has now moved to its own website: www.churchschool.info. Launched in February 2008 by the Diocese of Keewatin, the project offers year-round, lectionary-based lessons in English and French and is available for free online.

More than 225 Indigenous Anglicans and friends have arrived at the Wilderness Edge Retreat Centre, Pinawa, Man. for the seventh national Sacred Circle, Aug. 5 to 12. Participants will worship, fellowship, and make important decisions about the ongoing process of self-determination—a priority for Indigenous Ministries across Canada. 

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate, says he feels "great relief" that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency has granted a six-month bridging contract to the Ahli Arab Hospital, an Anglican ministry in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, that serves some 1 million people. On June 1, UNRWA had announced they would no longer fund the hospital after 20 years of partnership.

Hundreds of Indigenous Anglicans are expected to walk to Pinawa, Man. to attend the national Sacred Circle gathering Aug. 5 to 12. The "Walking the Dream" initiative is designed to raise awareness about crises in Indigenous communities as well as the Covenant and Journey of Spiritual Renewal, a call for self-determination and partnership.