St. James Anglican Church and St. Patrick

Thanks to the wonderful welcoming work of Father Mark Greenaway Robbins, St. James Anglican Church is a church for people. In the downtown eastside, it’s congregation comes from all over Vancouver including those who live in the immediate area. These include a staunch old group of people who have come to the church for decades long before the DTES became more associated with the troubles that also weekly bring lost souls into the church out of their despair and loneliness.
There’s always coffee and cookies after so I’ve met many fellow parishioners old and young. Being older, I especially like the young families who bring new life to the church.  The children like Gilbert my cockapoo who loves St. James.
Today I captured of a picture of my young friends Kevin and AJ with their three little ones.  I do hope our mutual friends Phil and Elizabeth doing Medical Teaching and Research in Saudi see these pictures. It’s taken just outside St. James.
Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland’s day is March 17.  I love the St. Patrick Breastplate prayer. This week is Celtic Week in Vancouver.  I started the weekend off with Connor MacPherson, The Seafarer at Pacific Theatre.
I got out the Hay Clan Kilt but in honour of St. Patrick wore my green blazer.  We’re Scottish on Dad’s side and Irish on Mom’s and all celtic between.  The Hay name has been in Canada and the US since early days, my tendency to walk about coming from a long line of adventurers.
Church was all we made today.  They called Gilbert, MacGilbert.  Having had this spiritual time followed by socialization with friends, Gilbert and I headed home to change.
We’ve just come in from a short walk between downpours.  It always rains here on St. Patrick’s Day here. That’s Gods way of showing he loves the green.