The scaffolding has gone up, and the process that we have been waiting for has begun!

Here is a lovely story and progress report from the project leader, Dino LeBlanc, which was shared on our new facebook page:

"On the first day of the project we had a very special visit from a couple that were married in this church 25 years ago on May 4th! They stopped by for their 25th anniversary. As fate would have it, we happened to have the church open during their visit. I love how the universe works, a completely random visit when the church is normally locked up, but happened to be open for another reason entirely, moments after they arrived! Making their visit extra special, being able to physically enter the church they had been married in all those years ago

As many will know, St Michael’s was one of five parishes in our diocese whose cemeteries have been prohibited from functioning over the past year and a half or so. Apparently, the government changed the regulation concerning how frequently a licence to operate needed to be renewed – but without sufficient fanfare to have caught everyone’s attention. Our licence to

operate therefore lapsed, and we were forbidden either to sell new plots, or to perform burials. We have been working closely with the diocesan cemeteries manager (a position created on account of such issues) and the Consumer Protection Agency towards reinstatement. Just two weeks ago, we received notice that we are “back in business.” Our grateful thanks must go to Lanny Hubbard, who was our liaison with the diocese, and to the many families who patiently – and above all, graciously – awaited the opportunity to commit their loved ones’ remains to their final resting place. – MAT

Over the past three meetings or so, Council has been considering factors which have historically been the measure of an “authentic” church. Most recently, we delved into the “Five Marks of Mission,” which have captured the imagination of the worldwide Anglican Communion for about 40 years. In a “quick and dirty” exercise, Council ranked St Michael’s on each of the five marks. Out of a total possible score of 48, here is where we landed:

Mark Score

Mark 1: to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom 30

Mark 2: to teach, baptize and nurture new believers 22

Mark 3: to respond to human need by loving service 34

Mark 4: to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation 27

Mark 5: to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth 33

The interesting question now before us is whether we decide to focus and build on our strengths, or whether we decide to address our weaknesses. There are two schools of thought on this, and we get to choose!

A new form for recording prayer concerns

One reason the church gathers on Sunday is to share with others the situations we have encountered that could benefit by prayer. Here at St Michael’s, there is a sheet at the back of the church for recording prayer concerns. These are then incorporated into the Intercessions or “Prayers of the People.”

We have recently added several headings to this form, in order to enlarge the scope of our prayer. We naturally think of friends and family who are in need, or who have died. The new form encourages us to think as well of the whole wide world that “God so loved” – the Church here and everywhere; the world (meaning, the created order and all peoples), and our local community and our local needs. We could pray, for example, for our Canadian House of Bishops, or for church leaders who bravely speak truth to power; we could pray for the people of Sudan, or for those negotiating a new trade agreement for our country; we could pray for those in our own community struggling to deal with the cost of groceries. And so on.

Being deliberate about our prayer concerns is one way we “grow” our hearts and outward awareness. The new prayer sheet is at the back of the church, near the Sunday leaflets: please do add to it. – MAT

Christ Church Cathedral is pleased to present a conference on homelessness in Victoria. All events are free to attend and open to all. 

7:00pm Thursday May 21 - A Framing Lecture

"A Theology of Home in a Time of Homelessness" presented by Dr. Siobhan Garrigan

Diocesan Summer Retreat - Tuesday, August 4 to Thursday, August 6, 2026 - Salt Spring Island

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.").

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 most recent service HERE

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.