The Cathedral’s St. Catherine’s Anglican Church Women Group

WHO WE ARE . . . THE ST. CATHERINE’S GROUP is a collective of women (18 in 2021/2022) engaged in faithful service within and beyond the Cathedral. Through a ministry of care and concern, outreach, education, fundraising, and fellowship, we welcome all women of the Cathedral to join us. Contact Judi (jjsmacdonald@hotmail.com).

WHEN WE BEGAN . . . THE ST. CATHERINE’S GROUP . . .

• Started in 1985/86 (Austin Munroe was Dean and former Primate Fred Hiltz was Priest Assistant), having grown out of the Cathedral’s Mothers ‘n’ Tots Group, with the initial name, the Young Women’s Group.
• Required a name change (not having found the Fountain of Youth!), so with the guidance of then Priest Assistant, Dawn Davis, the window in the Cathedral nave featuring St. Catherine of Alexandria, a virtuous and learned young woman, provided the inspiration for the new name.

WHAT OUR MINISTRY ENCOMPASSES . . . THE ST. CATHERINE’S GROUP . . .

• Reaches out to Cathedral members with the phone ministry, St. Catherine’s Connects, the gifting of Hope Bear for the newly baptized, and an Easter basket ministry to shut-ins.
• Supports a range of outreach projects to benefit the local community (Ward 5 Neighbourhood Centre & Phoenix Youth Centre Snack Program).
• Contributes financially to the Cathedral’s Outreach Ministry, the Annual Project and Anniversary Bursary of the Anglican Church Women Diocesan Board, the Anglican Foundation and the Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund for the Anglican Church of Canada.
• Promotes awareness of gender-based violence at the Cathedral by providing white ribbons, with the pledge: Never to commit, condone, or remain silent about all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination on White Ribbon Sunday, the Sunday before the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (Nov. 25 – Dec. 10).
• Invites guest speakers to meetings to learn more about our church and community.
• Raises funds in a variety of enterprises to support its ministries.
• Enjoys the company of one another (in non- Covid times) at in-person events and regular meetings (usually the 4th Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, Sept. to May, at the Cathedral). All women are welcome.

HOW WE HAVE IMPACT . . . THE ST. CATHERINE’S GROUP, with great Cathedral support, does its small part to exemplify several of the vision outcomes for the Cathedral Church of All Saints (attentive nurturing of common life; abundant hospitality; enriched opportunities for intelligent inquiry and dialogue; compassionate service, advocacy and justice building in our community and beyond; and a ministry of presence). Living into our Cathedral mission of being a holy and spiritual place where we love and care for one another, and where strangers can become friends, we invite your engagement in the St. Catherine’s ministry at whatever level of commitment works for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PATRON SAINT . . . SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA
 
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr, was a noted scholar in the early 4th century. The Orthodox Churches venerate her as a "great martyr" and she is the patron saint for the Greek Orthodox counterpart of Anglican Church Women. In addition to the Orthodox and Catholic communions, Catherine is venerated in the Anglican Comunion and is featured in a nave window of our Cathedral with her traditonal symbol of the wheel. Her feast day is celebrated on November 25th by most Christian churches.

The most popular legend regarding St. Catherine, reputed to be the daughter of Costus, governor of Alexandria, is her alleged announcement to her parents that she would only marry someone who surpassed her in everything, such that "His beauty was more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches were spread throughout all the world." With this description, Catherine was seeing herself as the bride of Christ, as it would be he alone who fit the requirements! Catherine remained a virtuous woman, unmarried, and continues to be venerated both for her chasity and her erudition.

While many of the stories of St. Catherine have limited historical basis, it is believed that she succeeded in converting to Christianity the wife of the Roman Emperor Maximus (285-305), but was not successful with the emperor himself. Rather, he ordered her to be put in prison, and, when the pagan wise men who visited her converted to Christianity, she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel, an instrument of torture. According to legend, the wheel itself broke when she touched it, so, in her teens, she was beheaded instead. St. Catherine’s principal symbol, therefore, is the spiked wheel, which has become known as St. Catherine’s Wheel.

For more information about St. Catherine of Alexandria click on the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Alexandria