Dear St. Michael’s Parish family,

You are invited to our Annual General Meeting!

Date: Sunday February 22, 2026

Time: Immediately following the 10:30am service

           *Please bring a bag lunch. Coffee and Tea will be served.

Location:  Littler Hall

To prepare in advance, please read the 2025 Annual Report

We will be reviewing our ministry reports, approving the budget, and electing new leaders. Your voice matters! Come hear about the exciting vision for this coming year.

A printed copy of the 2026 budget will be available for attenddees; however only a limited number of full reports will be printed for those who do not have computers. 

Many of the gospel readings in Lent are from the Gospel of John. Now John doesn’t tell pithy short stories the way Matthew, Mark and Luke do. His plots are more complex and his stories are (much) longer – to the point that it’s hard for some people to stand through them! I’m wondering if there are a few people who would be willing to work with me to “repackage” them – maybe as dramatic readings, or dialogues, or something else? Perhaps you have community theatre experience, or love to read aloud… if so, please speak to me, and we’ll cook something up. - MAT

Shrove Tuesday- Come and join together for Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 17 at 5:00 pm.

We will also hold a raffle of new and gently regifted items. Donations of books, chocolates, napkins, children's toys, sealed food items, candles, etc would all be appreciated. Please drop items off in a marked bag in Littler Hall. 

Contact Terry Willow at tjwillow@telus.net if you have any questions. 

Bringing Back Palm Crosses – Lent is just around the corner, beginning February 18. This means it is time to collect last year’s palm crosses, so they can be burnt for use on Ash Wednesday.

Please bring your crosses and place them in the basket at the back of the church for this purpose.

You are invited into the quiet, to deepen your Lenten experience at our Evening Prayer services beginning Wednesday February 25th.  Services will be from 4.30 - 5.00pm.

We will be using the the Liturgy Pray Without Ceasing, and everyone is warmly invited.

For more information, connect with Helen Love.

Five Wednesdays in Lent: The Church in the Shadow of Empire

– Join us!

It is no surprise that the Church should take notice when “great nations” vie for land, power, and economic self-sufficiency. Jesus himself was born into such an environment (the Roman empire), and his people both suffered and profited by it. (This, of course, is exactly our conundrum: the very systems we decry are not without their benefits.) In part, this is one reason that the theme of “empire” has because so important in biblical and theological discourse. What should the Church’s role be? Should we call out bad behaviour? And if so, how?

A year ago, at the inaugural service for President Donald Trump at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, made brave to address the president directly in her sermon:

“Mr President … In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, wadara and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we were all once strangers in this land...”

Bishop Budde is diminutive presence. She was calm, and in no way strident. Her comments garnered outraged vilification from some, and high praise from others. Mr Trump himself said, “She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.” Social media featured several posts that simply said, superimposed on Bp Budde’s image, “I’m with her.” This range of reaction all by itself suggests that a conversation about the Church and Empire is spot on.

The plan is to meet in the church for Evening Prayer at 4.30 p.m., followed by a light supper (soup & bun), and then about an hour of discussion. We’ll wrap up no later than 7.00 p.m.

The sessions begin Wednesday, February 25 and run till March 25 inclusive.

Each week we provide a new link posted here in the newsletter, so please make sure you watch this space for the latest link to attend the service live.

HERE is the link to tune in this Sunday

And don't worry- If you missed the service last Sunday, you can still catch the recording (scroll down to the section below: "Sunday Services at St Michael's" and click on: "Watch the Service here.").

As part of the University of Victoria's The City Talks lecture series, Anglican priest and author Maggie Helwig (Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community) will be in conversation with Gregor Craigie, host of CBC's On the Island and author of Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada's Housing Crisis. 

This event is being held at United Commons (932 Balmoral Road) on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 7 PM. The event is free and open to the public. 

FIND OUT MORE

Our Sunday 8:30am service is shaped by the 1962 Book of Common Prayer. The lilt and rhythm of old English finds its way into this liturgy, and some beautiful turns of phrase illuminate this service where there is no music. While the service itself is quiet, regular attendees are lively, friendly and very welcoming.

Our Sunday 10:30am service, shaped by the Book of Alternative Services, includes music and more contemporary language and images for understanding God. This service is normally recorded and available for view on Sunday afternoon on the website.

WATCH the Service HERE

During Lent, the days that the Office is open will shift to Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. Closed on Wednesdays Feb 18, 25, Mar 4, 11, 18, & 25. Hours will remain the same. 

The regular office schedule will resume Tuesday March 31st.

Any questions please email admin@stmikevictoria.ca or call 250-479-0540

There are several email addresses setup for your convenience contacting the church.  Please refer to the list below and feel free to reach out when you need to.