The Parish is so pleased that Lolla’s faithfulness and commitment was recognized when on October 25^th she was invested to the “Order of the Diocese of British Columbia”.  Click here for more about this honour.

Her formal citation is as follows:

Lolla has been an integral part in the Parish of Salt Spring Island since her arrival in 1984.  She was deeply involved in the building of All Saints by-the-Sea in 1994.  She is a founding member of Music Makers, an outreach group that promotes musical performances, and of the Star of the Sea Centre for Spiritual Living and Practice.  Lolla offers liturgical dance, leads poetry, movement, and dance workshops, and has written service music with the Music Director, David Storm.

As a Parish we recognized Lolla more informally following the Sunday October 26^th service where Judy Tyson carefully assembled the following:

“Lolla’s to-do and has-done list”

At St. Mark's:

Server
Altar Guild
Choir
Reader

At All Saints by-the-Sea:

Server
Flower Guild
Secretary of the Choir Library files
Choir Member
Reader
Intercessor
Greeter
Music and Munch team leader
Music Makers – Tea à Tempo team leader
Garden Team Leader
Narthex Plant Caregiver
Decoration for Festivals
Decoration for Bazaar
Parish Council Member
Committee Member
Dance Coordinator for special events
Theatre Team co-leader and actor for Plays long ago
Poet and Author of Musical Pieces
Caregiver of Flower Planters
Teacher and mentor
Friend to all
Reminder to those of us who need reminding
Team member and caregiver of the outside Creche
Team member of the light up at Christmas
Mover and shaker of everything she involves herself in
Caregiver of the memorial trees down on the road
Pruner of the bushes that reach out to grab us
Keeper of the compost piles
Architect of the Grotto

Lolla is: Spiritual, Sincere, Caring, Funny, Musical, Talented and a truly amazing and much-loved gift to us all.  Our Parish has been blessed with her presence for 41+ years.  For that we give thanks.

The regular monthly meeting of the Parish Outreach Committee decided to again provide Country Grocer Gift Cards to students at the 3 elementary schools and high school to help make their Christmas merrier. The Parish has supported this iniative for a number of years.  Gift cards for the students are tucked into Christmas Cards from the Parish.  This program works under the guidance of Principals and Counsellors at the various schools.  The schools really appreciate this program.

Once again Outreach is supporting the Angel Tree with Dovene Steele in charge. One or two families from Family Place will be contacted and asked about their wants/wishes for Christmas.  These items are put on cards on a Christmas tree and Parishioners choose what they want to buy for the family.  This has been a very popular project in the past.

Outreach also supports the weekly soup lunch at Family Place.  Volunteers are needed for this worthy project.  They will be compensated by Outreach for their expenses in providing a monthly soup lunch for up to 30 people. Interested volunteers can contact Ruth Pepin (250-538-1939) for further information.

Outreach also supports the Friday Community Meal  held at the United Church weekly. Persons wanting food and companionship  drop by between 12-1pm.  Community Services prepares the food and volunteers from the churches help serve it.  Call Bridget Metzger (250-221-0722) for more information or to volunteer.

The Outreach Committee itself could use a few more members.  We generally meet once a month, 8 times a year.  The meetings are generally 1 hour in length.  For further information please contact Lynda Turner (250-931-1214).

THE NEXT MEETING IS FRIDAY, NOV 21st at 1PM - IN THE CHURCH LIBRARY
THANK YOU
Lynda Turner, Chair

The Living Compass theme for the 2025 Advent season is Practicing Generosity with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind.

As a Parish, we have been using these discussion guides for several years to guide weekly group meetings or simply as a personal daily devotional guide helping us to prepare for the coming of Christmas.

Claire Pickering has ordered a number of printed copies of the guide – if you are interested in receiving one, please let her know or sign-up on the sheet after Sunday services.  We hope to have these available before the first Sunday of Advent - November 30th.

And Debbi Toole will be facilitating in-person discussions during Advent weekly on Mondays from 10 to 11am in the church library starting Monday December 1st.

The guide is also available as a free pdf download – please click the button below.  Alternatively, if you have an e-reader, you can download the kindle edition for a cost of $1.37 (US$0.99) by clicking here.

Organist Ed Norman returns to All Saints to raise the roof with his improvised organ accompaniment to the 1925 silent horror film movie - The Phantom of the Opera.

Tickets:  $25 at the door with the doors opening at 7 pm - cash, please!

Concert begins at 7:30pm.

If I rest awhile
my heart will beat
to the rhythm of the clock
in the sanctuary.
No rush,
no pounding urgent drumbeat –
a simple slow dance of time.

Sleek and slender
as a winding river,
the seconds move
unaware of all that is past
and all that is to come.

So, my heartbeat is alive,
Now, Now, Now, Now,
pushing all aside
but this moment,
pulsing prayers 
to the One who knows.

Lolla Devindisch
April 3rd, 2023