In-person worship services have resumed throughout the Parish of the Valley. A full listing of our services can be found by clicking here. If you are considering worshiping at a church in our parish that you do not typically attend we recommend that you call ahead and speak to the member of the clergy team assigned to the church in question to determine if attendance space is still available given social distancing. As of last week additional spaces for worshippers were still available at our churches in Micksburg, Cobden, Eganville, Whitney and Pembroke. Those wishing to attend at Holy Trinity Pembroke are asked to please register in advance.

During the Amber Stage of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa's "In This Together" COVID-19 Plan all other in-person activities in our church buildings, apart from worship and essential tasks, remain suspended. Please note that the Sunday 8am and Wednesday 10am services at Holy Trinity Pembroke will not take place during the Amber Stage. The Holy Trinity Church Office also remains closed to the public. Please call the office in advance and make an appointment should you have business to conduct at Holy Trinity: 613-732-4658.

This week's online worship service was recorded last Sunday morning at Holy Trinity Pembroke, with a sermon by Rev. Matthew. Beginning next Sunday the clergy team hopes to rotate our weekly online service location around the parish, so that you can continue to see some of the beautiful interiors of our many sanctuaries. Copies of the order of service and The Valley Bulletin are available online so you can pray along with us at home. Please note that a new service will be published on our YouTube channel beginning Sundays at midnight. Click "Click to Pray" below to link to this week's online service.

News this week of the temporary closure of Fellowes High School in Pembroke due to an outbreak of COVID-19 has provoked a great deal of anxiety within our local community. It's not every week that the Ottawa Valley makes the national news, and we all wish it was under different circumstances. As we continue to await further updates from the Renfrew County and District Health Unit we would like to offer you the prayer above from one of our full communion colleagues in ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. May everyone who is connected to our local school communities: students, teachers, parents, administrators, support staff, bus drivers and more, know that you are being upheld in prayer by the Parish of the Valley. 

Bishop Michael writes:

"On Saturday of this past week I officiated at an outdoor wedding at the former St. Leonard’s Anglican Church in the village of Rockingham, just outside of Combermere.  Having been deconsecrated many years ago, it is now called 'The Rockingham Church.'   

"The Rev. A.W. MacKay arrived in early 1882 to become the first Anglican priest to be assigned to this region and the Church Warden’s Accounts for the same year recorded that they were undertaking a campaign to raise the sum of $391.14 to improve the church with the addition of a porch, communion rail, and organ, to complete the building for use as an Anglican mission.  It wasn’t until three years later in 1885 that a stove was installed to provide them with heat for the gatherings, and in 1891 a belfry and bell were added.

"I have visited that church a number of times over the years and a picture similar to this one hung by my desk in the bishop’s office in Hamilton.  I often thought about Rev. MacKay who would have travelled all over this region on horseback with very few roads. I was also reminded of the example of the men and women who built and supported that church in those early days. It always offered me a feeling of tremendous inspiration for their faithfulness and their love of the church and God’s mission in the world in those deeply challenging days over 135 years ago.    

"These last two Sundays I witnessed an incredible display of love and commitment for our church and ministry as we reopened the doors of many of our church buildings in the midst of one of the greatest challenges we have faced as a community in a very long time. Once again, I was filled with admiration and inspiration as I listened to our clergy team describe how our lay leaders rose to the occasion so wonderfully with all the preparations that were required and how the members of our congregations came to our churches with a real spirit of support and cooperation.  Dear friends, on behalf of all our parish clergy, I want to thank you so very much for the profound love and dedication you have shown for our common life together here in the Parish of the Valley, particularly over these past many months.  May God continue to bless all our efforts in the days ahead." 

The next issue of our parish newsletter, Revelations, will publish on Sunday October 4th. Have a local story idea or message like the one above from Bishop Michael?  Please send submissions to Jean Ostrom, Editor, at Ostrom@nrtco.net by next Friday September 25th. Our thanks to Jean, Naomi de Repentigny and Alexis Anderson for their faithful ministry as our editorial team. You can read the summer issue of Revelations by clicking the button below. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances the Cemetery Annual General Meeting previously scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd at the home of Dale and Yvonne Twa has been postponed. A new date has yet to be selected, but agenda items can still be submitted by email to Rob Hanson, Cemetery Board Chair. Thanks for your patience!

Parishioners at Holy Trinity Pembroke are asked to please register your seat in advance for all in-person services. You can register to attend in one of two ways: by clicking "Register for Worship at Holy Trinity" below and registering your seat online, or by calling the church office before Thursdays at 12pm: (613)-732-4658. Forty spaces are available each week, with ten additional seats reserved for staff and essential volunteers. Please be considerate of others and limit yourself to registering for only one or two services at a time, so that everyone who hopes to attend may have an opportunity.

Members of Holy Trinity who are unable to attend on a given week are invited to consider attending one of our other beautiful churches in the Parish of the Valley! We're all one big parish, so let's share the love and worship with each other. Click here to find a list of service times.

During COVID-19 the vast majority of our church expenses continue. All members of the Parish of the Valley are encouraged to make regular offerings to their home churches by mail, online or through pre-authorized remittances to support our parish's ministries. Members of Holy Trinity Pembroke, St. John's Eganville, and Ascension Killaloe/St. John's Tramore can give to their churches online using credit card or PayPal through the website Canada Helps.

Every donation matters, so please click "Support Your Church" below to find out more about how you can contribute. Thank you for your faithful support!

Don't forget to download and read The Valley Bulletin from the Latest News section of our parish website. Click "Read The Valley Bulletin" below to access this week's issue, including our parish prayer list.