At 7:30pm on Monday, June 12, clergy and laity gathered for a special Ecumenical service of Evening Prayer at All Saints Lutheran-Anglican Church in Guelph.
The service was organised by the Lutheran-Anglican- Roman Catholic Dialogue committee (LARC) which includes the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Anglican Dioceses of Huron and Niagara and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton.
During the liturgy people brought water from Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, The Conestogo, Credit, Grand, Nith and Speed rivers and the Marden creek. The waters were poured into the font and blessed. The water was then used by the bishops, who were present, to water four nannyberry saplings (Viburnum lentago) to be planted somewhere in each diocese. This is to be symbolic of nurturing new growth and relationships between the respective churches.
Rev. Paul Sherwood (LARC)
Photo (left to right): Bishop Michael Pryse (ELCIC), Bisgop Susan Bell (Diocese of Niagara), Bishop Douglas Crosby (RC Diocese of Hamilton)