MANITOWANING—A stately procession of Anglican clergy followed the cross borne into St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Manitowaning on the afternoon of Saturday, September 16 for the historic ordination of Catherine Mary Hazlitt to the Sacred Order of Deacons. By all accounts, this was the first ordination to take place in St. Paul’s, the oldest Anglican church in Northern Ontario. The day was made even more special, given that it was taking place on Holy Cross Day.
Archbishop of the Diocese of Algoma, The Most Reverend Anne Germond, followed the procession into the church wearing the full regalia of her office while the congregation, friends and relatives raised a joyous choral processional hymn ‘Lift High the Cross.’ The archbishop greeted the community with the traditional phrase: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all”—followed by the response, “and with thy spirit.” (The Anglican rites tend to an older style of English.)
photo by Kevin Doonan
Archbishop Germond then provided a land acknowledgement: “From across Mnidoo Mnising, Spirit Island, and from places beyond, we come to this house of prayer. We gather at Manidoowaaning, an Odawa word meaning ‘cave of the spirit.’ This is Treaty 94 territory, the traditional land of the Anishnaabeg: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Pottawatomi. We offer our praise and thanksgiving this day, we acknowledge and give thanks for their stewardship of this land, and we pray the Creator will guide us all on the path of truth, justice-seeking, healing and reconciliation.”
The ordinand, Ms. Hazlitt was then formally presented to the archbishop, now seated at the front of the church, by Archdeacon the Venerable Glen Miller and Rev. Canon Diane Hilpert McIlroy and Alison Keenan, who intoned “Reverend Mother in God, I present unto you Catherine Mary Hazlitt to be admitted deacon.”
The archbishop then responded, “Take heed that the person whom ye present unto us be apt and meet, for the learning and godly conversation, to exercise her ministry duly, to the honour of God and the edifying of this church.” To which the archdeacon responded, “I have inquired of her, and also examined her, and think her so to be.”
Archbishop Germond then inquired (much like that of a marriage ban) if there was anyone present who believed Ms. Hazlitt should not be admitted to the order of deacon. There were no objections raised.
The service then continued with the call and response calling for God’s mercy and beseeching the Lord for blessings, grace and assistance in adversities. A reading of 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 preceded a series of questions asked of the ordinand to determine her commitment to the tasks to which she would be assigned in the church, before laying hands upon the kneeling Ms. Hazlitt’s head and saying, “Take thou authority to execute the office of deacon in the church of God committed onto thee; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The licence and directions from the archbishop were then read out before the congregation to applause. Deacon Hazlitt will be serving in St. Paul’s in Manitowaning, St. Francis of Assisi in Mindemoya, Holy Trinity in Little Current, All Saints in Gore Bay and St. John the Evangelist in Kagawong. The office of deacon is a step on the path toward Rev. Hazlitt’s eventual ordination as a priest following her service as deacon.
Deacon Rev. Hazlitt was then installed with her sash of office by her three daughters, Margarete, Rebecca and Elizabeth and presented with a copy of the New Testament with the words “Take thou the authority to read the Gospel in the church of God and to preach the same, if thou be thereinto licenced by the bishop herself.” The deacon then read John 3:13-17.
Deacon Rev. Hazlitt thanked the many friends and family who have supported her in her journey, many of whom had travelled great distances to be with her on this special day.
A sermon was given by Rev. Dr. Ron Kydd, which included a personal story of his interaction with the son of a parishioner who was serving life in prison for murder. He spoke of the more than 25 years he met with the man, a hulking individual with extreme anger and hate issues and the perseverance given to him by God to continue ministering. At the conclusion of his story he revealed that, after those 25 years, he baptised the man. “He came to God,” said Rev. Kydd.
A communion service then was held in celebration.
Following the service, those attending were invited to a reception at Knox United Church in Manitowaning for refreshment and fellowship.
