Perhaps it is just me, but the words “Justice Camp” evoke thoughts of an Orwellian oligarchical collectivist nightmare-utopia, replete with mind control, the Ministry of Truth, Big Brother and the dreaded room 101.
Either that or something that the Diocese of Niagara enjoys holding. As Archdeacon Michael Patterson points out, Justice Camp is part of the Vision and combating poverty is vitally important to the Diocese of Niagara:
Our cathedral, for instance, is located in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the entire country. Poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment are epidemic. If we were to be preoccupied with internal matters of survival, we would, in effect, risk closing our doors to these pronounced needs in our communities and at our doorsteps.
It may not have occurred to Michael Patterson, but if the diocese would simply close the cathedral, those driven to mental instability by its mere presence would soon heal and there would be much less poverty, drug abuse and homelessness; and the proceeds of the sale could go to assisting in their speedy recovery. Too obvious, I suppose.
Anglican Samizdat 
I must have missed it. Who knew that the Cathedral had become a mecca for the poor and dispossessed? Until Patterson enlightened me, I thought Hamilton’s North End could care less about the edifice on James North.
Peace,
Jim
Comment by Jim Muirhead — February 2, 2010 @ 9:11 am
If you must know the little Anglo-Catholic church (St Luke’s Hamilton) that is really the Anglican presence in the North End was up to last year the mecca for the poor and disposed. They hosted the Breakfast Club which fed slews of kids. They never charged for use of their hall to all sort of groups that would have never survived with the cost of renting space and they had a monthly Spaghetti Dinner and Salsa Dance for which they charged $5 or nothing. So much happened there it is too much to list.
Nevertheless Bird in his wisdom chucked out the rector and his family, had a death of a member of Parish Council in the church after the announcement of this evil deed the next Sunday and which never stopped his disgrace from having a meeting of the parish that afternoon.
The parish has been decimated and is limping along and may not survive. Which is all to the good if you are promoting the cathedral as an out-reach church and therefore something necessary to the diocese besides being a terrible nuisance to go to for confirmations. (Which are another ploy to make said cathedral look valuable to the diocese.)
Comment by Gawk — February 2, 2010 @ 5:13 pm
Gawk,
For those not up on Hamilton, don’t forget their ties with Mission to Seamen.
St. Luke’s does what the Cathedral should be doing but is too effete to get its hands dirty.
Peace,
Jim
Comment by Jim Muirhead — February 2, 2010 @ 10:09 pm