To view colour picture, click here
Shown here are, viewing from left:
Msgr. Maurice Comeault, Pastor of Blessed John XXIII,   His Grace, Most Rev. V. James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg,
Bishop Don Phillips of the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land,  Rev. Gordon Shields, Rector of St. Chad’s Anglican Church.

On Friday, November 7, St Chad Anglican and Blessed John XXIII Roman Catholic parishes held a Service of Thanksgiving
to celebrate 35 years of ecumenical life at the Assiniboia Christian Centre. The service was presided over by His Grace,
Most Reverend James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg and the Right Reverend Donald Phillips, Bishop of Rupert’s Land.
Music for the evening complemented this ecumenical celebration with a wonderful blend of contemporary, traditional and
renaissance pieces provided by Lawrence Ryner & Chris Ellis, the 1:00 P.M. Mass Group from Blessed John XXIII,
and the combined choir of the parishes of St.Chad and John XXIII under the direction of Marvin Johnson.

Why celebrate the 35th anniversary when other parishes are celebrating such milestones as 100 years?
Pamela Bann, in her welcoming address as Chair of the Assiniboia Christian Centre Board, quoted from the
first Board of Directors in September, 1968. “Much has been done by the world’s clergy to develop various ecumenical
undertakings, but the significance of the Winnipeg Manitoba venture is a testimony to the courage and charity of a
large group of people who decided together, to give witness to the world, that Christ’s commandment is a living charge
to be expressed by more than lip service…..this special new way of living together in a community will have many
stresses and problems that cannot be predicted, but the will of the people is to walk together, talk together, live together,
and behold each other in the eyes of Christian Brotherhood”.
The parishes of St. Chad and Blessed John XXII felt they have passed the tests that have come their way over the past
35 years and it was time for celebration of their accomplishments.

A special “thank you” goes out to the individuals for all the hard work which brought about the world’s first truly
lay inspired and planned ecumenical undertaking back in 1968 and to the 35th Celebration Committee that put on this event!
The committee consisted of Lynn Gould, Ruth Hallonquist, Joan McCallum and Mary Starodub.

To view colour picture, click here
Back row, viewing from left:
Msgr. Stan Jaworski,  Rev. Gordon Shields,  Archbishop Weisgerber,  Bishop Don Phillips,  Msgr. Norman Chartrand and,
front row, viewing from left:
Deacon Gary McCallum,  Msgr. Maurice Comeault,  Rev. Eric Cox and  Rev. Canon Tony Harwood-Jones