“Thurible Visitors”: Reflections from John Fraser & Alix Arnett
Greetings, fellow members and friends of our beloved St. Thomas’s!
As you know, Fr. Humphrey is taking some time off to rest and recover from an extraordinarily busy and consequential year in the remarkable history of our parish. Before he left, he put it on several people that we had a “duty” to report to the congregation some notes of interest or importance. Although I agreed, I felt my message would hardly be on the same level as the often amusing and always warmly thoughtful and intelligent comments of Himself, comments he has written diligently every week — or almost every week!
So now here we are: Alix and John. We have had foisted on our names by Fr. Humphrey the not entirely comfortable titles of Honorary Co-chairs of the Cornerstone Campaign. I’m afraid, if truth be told, we feel about as useful and crucial as the “g” in “campaign,” but we knew what was expected of us and we have tried to measure up in our own way to supplement the incredibly hard-working campaign team under co-chairs Michael Rowland, Crystal Sayler, and David Kent. We are both so proud to be associated with this mighty endeavour — well, mighty in the history of St. Thomas’s, and also mighty in the face of realities many mainstream Christian churches deal with these days.
But what we really wanted to do with the privilege of taking over the Rector’s Thurible letter is something he cannot and never would do, which is to remind all of us how fortunate we are to have attracted this remarkable priest to our Christian community. He seems tireless, he is full of innovative ideas, he has a drive which, while seemingly gentle, is nevertheless unshakeable and reveals a gritty determination to get done what must be done. Above all, he is a model of Christian charity in the full sense of that ancient and resonant word.
He is also clearly, and not at all coincidentally, blessed by a remarkable partner who, as we know from his own testimony in his Thurible meanderings, has had to put up with a lot for the sake of the parish, or rather for our sakes! He has kept close enough tabs on all of us to never veer far away from what we all feel is right for St. Thomas’s. Most of all, he has set a pattern of Christian community leadership which any church would be grateful for.
Alix and I both witnessed this in remarkable action when, only marginally daunted, Fr. Humphrey waded into the midst of a recent forbiddingly grand gathering that had come together to remember our late and much-missed fellow parishioner Nigel Wright. To have to follow a titan of the Canadian business community, Nigel’s best friend, and two prime ministers (including the current one) must have felt challenging — but boy, oh boy did Fr. Humphrey measure up. As the speeches began, I was lucky to have been in conversation with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s charming and thoughtful wife, Diana Fox Carney. I told her I thought Fr. Nathan was a tad nervous at the setting and the company he was set amidst, which made her smile, but when he had finished speaking, she simply said: “You are very lucky to have a such good priest at your church.”
And so we are.
John Fraser
Thinking of Fr. Nathan’s inspiring weekly accounts and those of other contributing major players in this newsletter, I am mindful of my status as a standby — that is, an actor not in the regular show but performing in place of another. I dare to add a few paragraphs to the eloquent prose of my honorary co-chair and new friend, John Fraser.
John has expressed beautifully our shared profound gratitude for Fr. Nathan Humphrey’s pastoral calling and spiritually grounded leadership. We do not forget the wisdom and perseverance of the St. Thomas’s Rector Search Committee and Bishop Jenny Andison’s guidance, as they exercised the patience and resolve that brought the Humphrey family to Huron Street!
John has highlighted the good work of the Cornerstone Campaign’s three co-chairs —Michael, Crystal, and David — who, along with Sarah and Martha of M&M International and the other members of the campaign leadership team, have worked so very successfully to meet the first strategic campaign target. Our heartfelt acknowledgement recognizes those on the long list of clergy, lay staff, parishioners, and friends-at-large who have signed on to help make St. Thomas’s Accessibility Atrium a reality.
The parish visits now done, the campaign reaches a waystation on its journey. At this important Cornerstone inflection point, the Campaign Leadership Committee morphs into a smaller Campaign Continuation Committee, with the addition of parishioner Richard Thompson lending his extensive fundraising experience. Richard, Fr. Humphrey, and Michael Rowland are tasked with managing the next step of approaches to the greater universe of philanthropic prospects for financial support. Civic, diocesan, and other practical permissions and contractual elements loom on the horizon, to be settled in due course.
At last Sunday’s Mass celebrating the Feast of St. Thomas, the First Lesson was from the second chapter of the book of the prophet Habakkuk (verses 1-4). The dialogue of the prophet and the Lord resonated with me. It seemed familiar and not so very removed from where we — the people, neighbours, and friends of St. Thomas’s Church — are today. We, too, stand at our watch-posts, stationed on the rampart; we have a vision written plainly so all can understand it, and are living by our faith in the building of an Accessibility Atrium.
Alix Arnett
I will stand at my watch-post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. — Habakkuk 2.1-4