The Diocese of Niagara and ANiC have come to a new \u201csharing\u201d agreement for the three ANiC parishes that were taken to court by the diocese in 2008: the diocese gets exclusive use of St. George\u2019s and ANiC gets exclusive use of St. Hilda\u2019s and Good Shepherd until the building ownership is finally settled. And the diocese has to start paying its bills \u2013 finally, maybe\u2026. the cheque\u2019s in the mail.<\/p>\n
<\/em><\/p>\n The court ruling of May 2008 stated that ANiC and the Diocese of Niagara had to share the three buildings; each had a timeslot to conduct a service. The diocese advertised<\/a> healing and rebuilding <\/em>services:<\/em><\/p>\n We are grateful and give thanks that Anglican Church of Canada, Diocese of Niagara, services will resume at the parish churches of St. George\u2019s, Lowville, St. Hilda\u2019s, Oakville, and The Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Catharines.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are services of healing and rebuilding and we hope will be attended by returning and continuing parishioners.\u201d<\/em> We hope that all who wish to worship in an Anglican Church of Canada, Diocese of Niagara service will feel welcome.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There wasn\u2019t much healing or rebuilding since there was no congregation at all at St. Hilda\u2019s, a very small congregation in Good Shepherd \u2013 which was non-viable in the opinion of its priest in charge<\/a> \u2013 and a small congregation in St. George\u2019s.<\/p>\n It seems that the diocese has abandoned the fantasy of rebuilding congregations in Oakville and St. Catherines; unfortunately the diocesan leadership has not abandoned its intention of seizing the buildings<\/a>:<\/p>\n We are now anticipating moving this legal case forward here in Niagara and to have this matter settled so that we may continue in our mission and ministry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If the diocese eventually wins the battle over the ANiC buildings, the mission and ministry <\/em>will primarily involve bulldozers, since the properties will be sold to provide cash to bolster a financially troubled diocese, pay the expensive diocesan lawyers and keep the diocesan leadership employed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Diocese of Niagara and ANiC have come to a new \u201csharing\u201d agreement for the three ANiC parishes that were taken to court by the diocese in 2008: the diocese gets exclusive use of St. George\u2019s and ANiC gets exclusive … Continue reading