April 14, 2026

Visit to St. Thomas, Chiliwack

Archbishop John Stephens visited St. Thomas, Chiliwack on Sunday, April 12. During the service, he baptized one person, confirmed 12 people - from both St. Thomas and St. Matthew's, Abbotsford - and he received one person into the Anglican Church. At the end of the service he also blessed altar textiles and quilt in memory of Leslie Anne Roach.

Photos:

Top left - Archbishop Stephens baptizes Lexi
Top right - The archbishop with confirmands from St. Matthew's, Abbotsford
Bottom right - At St. Thomas, the children of the parish take turns ringing the bells. Here, Lexi rings the bell.
Bottom left - One of the confirmands greets the archbishop before she is confirmed.

Middle - Altar linens and a quilt offered in memory of Leslie Anne Roach.

News

Mission Conference 2026: Early Registration Open

Mission Conference 2026 takes place Saturday, May 30. The theme is “Moving in Mission, Guided by Spirit.” Archbishop Michael Curry, former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, is the keynote speaker. Full conference details, including breakout session presenters, are available here.

At this time, early registration is open. Parishes have received emails inviting them to register up to 5 people for the conference by April 17. This conference is free. General registration will open shortly.

Feather Circle - April 15

The next Feather Circle takes place Wednesday, April 15 at the Synod Office, from 11am to 2pm. Tea, coffee & snacks provided.

What is a Feather Circle?

It is a series of gatherings intended for wisdom sharing and mutual support in the ongoing work of reconciliation. The goal is to build relationships and, in doing so, support each other in the work of reconciliation. The time together involves conversation, sharing, and some creative activity to keep our hands busy while we share.

In Elder Rikki’s words, “You are invited. A space has been prepared for you. Embrace the journey.”Learn more HERE.

In April, we will be talking about how to invite, welcome, and honour elders visiting your community. Perhaps we will see you there. To assist with planning, please RSVP to info@sthildegards.ca

Clergy Conference

This year's Clergy Conference takes place May 4 to 6 in White Rock. Ths year part of the conference program happens in partnership with A Rocha Canada.

Full details are available here.

Deadline to Register is April 20.
Register here.

Please note, to access the conference discount at the hotel, you must call the hotel to book the room. To reserve a room (starting at $149) in the hotel block, call 604-542-0102 and use group code 352780

Sing Without Ceasing

Sing Without Ceasing is a Diocesan Choir Festival taking place at Christ Church Cathedral on May 29, 2026 as part of the Mission Conference Weekend.

The evening will bring together singers from across the Diocese to form a Diocesan Mass Choir, alongside congregational singing, readings and other elements of worship.

The festival is being offered in collaboration with Neil Cockbourn, Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral and will include a guest address from Bishop Michael Curry.

ODNW Nominations

A reminder that the deadline for nominations for the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster is April 30, 2026. Each parish may nominate one person to the Order.

The information sheet about the Order and the nomination process, and the nomination form itself, are available here. Scroll to the bottom of the page for and click on the icon for the information sheet and the nomination form.

Please note that this year, nominations are being handled via electronic form only. If you have any questions, please email msousa@vancouver.anglican.ca

Job Opening

Holy Trinity Cathedral is looking for a part-time Music Director.

Full job description and application details are available HERE.

SAVE THE DATE: IMPORTANT DIOCESAN DATES 2026

May 4 to 6 - Clergy Conference. Register HERE by April 20.
May 9: Confirmations. 10:30am At Christ Church Cathedral
May 30: Mission Conference
August 4 - 6: "You are the Salt of the Earth," Diocese of Islands and Inlets Summer Retreat.

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Full event listing available here

April 19 - Evening of Sung Prayers. 7:30pm at St. Dunstan's.

April 19 - Evensong Series. 4pm at Christ Church Cathedral

April 25 - Young Adult Movie Night. 6pm at St. Timothy's, Burnaby.

April 26 - Evensong Series. 4pm at St. Mary's Kerrisdale

May 9 - Blooms & Baking. From 11am at St. Philip's, Dunbar.

July 2-5 - Whitehorse Worship Arts Festival & Contemplative Retreat.

Archbishop's Calendar

April 20 - 24 - National House of Bishops

May 10 - All Saints, Mission

HAVE NEWS OR AN UPCOMING EVENT TO SHARE?

-Want to submit an article for Topic? Contact Alicia with your proposal at least eight weeks before the publication date.

-Have an event to include on the diocesan on-line events calendar? If your parish uses a Tithely website, you can share News and Events directly from your website to ours using the "share" feature. If you don't use a Tithely website, you can submit your event using the form available here. Ideally, aim to submit your event at least three weeks before the event date.

-Something newsworthy coming up in your parish? Contact Alicia with information and we'll find the best way to share it with the diocese.

You can contact Alicia at communications@vancouver.anglican.ca