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On this day, October 1, 2006, I begin my 10th year as your Priest in Charge.  This is a day I never expected to see when I first worshiped here on June 2nd , 1996.  I had just retired after 12 years as Assistant Priest at the Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury in Leaside, and I simply wanted to become a member of the congregation in my parish church. 
            Later on, when I agreed to the request by the Wardens, Bert Bacchus and Fran McInroy, to fill in for Bill Linley following his retirement, Bill made the following announcement to the congregation:
                        Effective October 1, 1997, the Rev. Schuyler Brown will be
                        responsible for the parish until the end of the year or for a
                        shorter period, should a new priest be appointed. 
Nine years later, I am still here!
            These nine years have not only been totally unexpected; they have also been a very happy time for me.  For 27 years my priestly ministry was devoted to the work of theological education in Roman Catholic and Anglican institutions.  Never did I expect to have charge of a parish, and this experience is one for which I thank God.  I am also grateful to all of you. 
            So much for what lies behind.  What lies ahead?  Well, if Hazel McCallion, at the age of 85, can stand for another term as mayor of Mississauga, I am prepared to stand for another term as Priest in Charge of the Church of the Good Shepherd. 
            Good Shepherd and the Mount Dennis community in which it has existed since 1911 are both at a turning point.  Earlier this year Mayor David Miller stated that our neighborhood was “at risk,” but on August 28 Mayor Miller was present for the unveiling of the work of emerging young artists and poets who, in explaining what they had created, all sounded the theme of hope. 
            The organization which is turning things around in our neighborhood is the Mount Dennis Community Association, which took over in 2004 from an older group of residents.  In just two years they have launched an impressive number of projects designed to improve our neighborhood. 
            Two of the things they organized have directly involved our church.  On July 9, 2005 there was a public blessing of the Mount Dennis community from the front steps of our church, and today there will be a Blessing of the Animals for all in the community who wish to participate. 
            Our strong visibility here on the corner of Eglinton Avenue and Weston Road make us a focal point, and our partnership with the Mount Dennis Community Association promises not only to bring our neighborhood back from the brink but, at the same time, to rebuild our own depleted congregation. 
            Following decades of demographic change, Mount Dennis is now a prime example of the diversity which we celebrated this year at Pentecost, and our congregation reflects this diversity. 
            I welcome our partnership with the Mount Dennis Community Association, and I hope that you will do the same.  With the approval of Advisory Board, I have invited the Association to hold their monthly meetings in our auditorium.  However, their next meeting, on October 4, is outdoors: it will be a Corn Roast, to which you are all invited.  I urge you to come and establish a connection with the Association which holds so much promise for our neighborhood and for us. 
            If we step up to the plate and become part of the action, then we can take comfort in our Lord’s words to his disciples:
                        Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure
                        to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

October 1, 2006

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