Rev Lisa of St James the Less writes:

Friends in Christ —

I am so excited to announce even amid the COVID19 that St James the Less Vestry is developing a more robust relationship with the Diocese of Toliara in Madagascar. A global pandemic will not stop the church from being the church!

As you will learn in the wonderful YouTube video, our parish has long financially supported the ministries of Bishop Todd and The Rev. Patsy McGregor, who began as missionaries in the slums of Toliara many years ago. Making many relationships with Malagasy people, they formed the diocese of Toliara to organize and grow the Anglican form of Christianity while improving life for the poor, using this philosophy “Go where you are most needed.”

Over the years, our parish’s relationship with the diocese in Madagascar has grown. When I visited last August, I found that our little parish is widely known across the diocese because of Sue and Simon Babbs and Betsy and Glen Tracy, who visited before me. Their ministries supported by SJTL have made a lasting impact. During my visit I was approached to consider a parish link.

Linking with a parish in Madagascar may be best described as a friendship, a spiritual friendship between our church and the churches in Madagascar. Do not think of this as outreach, instead this is a friendship among equals. The link will foster getting to know one another, praying for each other, growing in faith and hope and love of Christ our Lord together.

For example, I became friends with the Rev. Gaston who is the transitional deacon charged with the care of the Parish of Amboasary. He is humble, faithful, eager, smart, and loving. During the course of several conversations we prayed, we shared our challenges in parish leadership and we encouraged each other. Because we live and serve in such vastly different environments and yet are united in One Lord, One Faith, One Love, he remains a very special colleague to me.

In the same way, a parish link with the people of Amboasary will enrich our lives. Think of our children sharing videos with children in Madagascar about what we are doing in Sunday School, or communicating our differing interpretations of a gospel passage with each other, or knowing we are remembered in prayer by people worshipping half way around the world from us! No doubt, we will be enriched and that is why I am excited for this parish link. Watch the video and learn more about Madagascar, Rev. Gaston and the Church in Amboasary.

With you on the journey,
Lisa+

Over the summer, the Church of the Annunciation of our Lady in Gurnee, Illinois collected toothbrushes, toothpastes and dental floss for the people of the Diocese of  Toliara.  A team from the Diocese of Florida carried them out this month.  Here are some being distributed in Mahabo.  Rev Victor made sure the children knew how to use these dental supplies.

St Patrick’s Cathedral, Toliara  and
Walmer Parish Churches, Deal, Kent, England
Link on July 19, 2017 

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12.12

For over a decade now, Walmer Parish Churches has had an informal link with Toliara in Madagascar.  The link began when Walmer hosted the newly appointed bishop of Toliara the Rt Rev. Todd McGregor, in 2006

Walmer is a small coastal community on the east coast of Kent, in the Canterbury diocese of the Church of England. It has a population of about 8000 and is best known for its Tudor castle, which is the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.  Walmer formerly hosted a large contingent of the Royal Marines including the Band School.

The parish has 3 church buildings, the oldest of which is the original mediaeval church dating from about 1120, with a membership of about 250.  The Rev. Canon Seth Cooper, vicar of Walmer, is assisted by a team of lay ministers and retired clergy with a strong pastoral and discipleship ministry.

Walmer Parish Churches and the Downs Church of England school have supported the mission in Toliara in a number of ways over the years, not least by raising funds to buy mosquito nets;  supporting a coffee storage facility; and general expenditure.  Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy have visited Walmer, helping with worship, preaching, and visiting the school.

In recent years Bishop Todd has been seeking to ‘formalize’ many of the links the diocese has with overseas partners and asked Walmer if it would make a link with St Patrick’s Cathedral.

To that end Walmer PCC agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (see summary below) at its recent meeting and hopes that the link can be built upon in years to come.

1. The key objectives of the Parish Link are
   • to pray for one another
   • to get to know people & places in the link parish
   • to support each other in mission & ministry
2. Both parishes recognise they are blessed with a variety of complementary gifts for equipping the Church
3. Both parishes recognize that they will be equal partners in Christ’s mission.
4. Each parish will appoint someone to be the main ‘link’ –
5. The key leaders (usually clergy) of both parishes will communicate at least twice a year
6. Parishes to list the other as their Link parish on their website or bulletins
7. If possible and when appropriate, to arrange visits to each other’s parish, to offer hospitality and welcome, and to work alongside each other in mission.

In autumn next year Walmer’s churchwarden, Jerry Swallow will visit Toliara to continue strengthening our link.

Please pray that God will bless this partnership; that the Holy Spirit will make it a channel of grace and peace; and that St Patrick’s Cathedral and Walmer Parish Churches will be more effective in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Seth

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between
Trinite Masina (Holy Trinity), Sakaraha & Trinity Church, Potsdam, NY on
27 November 2016