From Rev. Dana’s Desk

August 23, 2026

Siblings in Christ, 

This morning at the end of the service, I announced that I have been appointed as the Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Bobcaygeon, Dunsford and Burnt River, effective October 15. My final Sunday at Trinity Bradford will be October 11, Thanksgiving Sunday. Knowing that many of us, including myself, have other commitments that day because it is Thanksgiving, I have recommended to the wardens that we have a celebration of our ministry together and a farewell lunch on the previous Sunday, October 4. 

I am very thankful for these 9 ½ years of ministry with you. Together we celebrated some wonderful moments, weathered some very trying times, welcomed many and said good-bye to others. Our time together has shaped us individually and as a community. I take with me all that I have learned from serving you and alongside you as I embark on this new ministry. In some ways this move is a going home for me, closer to where I grew up, closer to Stewart’s mom, but also to a parish where I was the summer student 25 years ago, so they helped shape me for you, you have helped shape me for them, but in a far more significant way. You represent nearly half of my ordained ministry, so you have been a significant part of my formation personally, spiritually and as a leader. Thank you. 

While I know there will be sadness at this parting for all of us, I want to focus the next seven weeks on celebrating the last 9 years, our lives together and all the wonderful, funny, even challenging moments we have shared. I recently saw a post “What the caterpillar sees as an ending, the butterfly sees as a new beginning.”  We are in a transition that is both an ending and a new beginning, for all of us. As Ecclesiastes says, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,” (Ecclesiastes 3:4), let us weep and laugh together, and maybe a little dancing, as we mark an ending that is a new beginning for all of us. 

I expect there will be questions and concerns about what is next, and while we the leadership team do not have all the answers right now, the wardens will be reaching out to you shortly. You are blessed to have a dedicated and caring leadership team who will help to guide you in what comes next. I encourage you to help them in whatever ways you can, as together you move into the next stage of who and what God is calling you to be and do. 

I will be praying for you, as I have done since I first accepted this call, and I ask you to pray for Stewart and me as we move into what God has called us to next. 

Rev. Dana 

August 27, 2026

I suspect by now most people have heard that I will be leaving Trinity after Thanksgiving. As I said in my email to the parish this is a bittersweet move. I do not want the next six weeks to be filled with sadness but an opportunity to celebrate all we have done together and who we are together. 

Over the last few years, in various conferences and meetings I have been asked numerous times to say something about my context, the congregation which I serve. One of the first things I often say is the congregation’s willingness and openness to trying new things, to exploring new ideas, while also respecting the traditions and what has come before. Before I even officially started, I found Trinity to be a willing partner in trying new things and exploring new ideas. This is not always true. There is always the temptation, especially in times of uncertainty and transitions, to hold tighter to what is and even revert to what was. The more unsteady the ground is, the more we crave stability and normalcy. The willingness to embrace new experience with openness and wonder, shows adaptability, which is essential in our ever-changing world. It takes courage to step out and do new things, and you have done that over and over again. It is a trait that helped us weather the pandemic together. This was not the case of all congregations, some of whom just wanted things to stay the same, including in person gathering when it was not reasonable or safe. Some have credited Stewart and me with transitioning the parish to streaming, but without your willingness to try this new thing, it would never have worked. We could have broadcast, and no one watched, no one participated. Distanced worship and streaming might not have been our preferred option, but it became a lifeline for many and remains a vital way that we connect as a parish and with the wider world. 

When we look at scripture we read so many stories of people with an adventurous spirit, who were willing to venture forth without really knowing where it would lead. People who adapted to their circumstances, making course corrections as needed. From Abraham to Moses and Israelites in the wilderness, to the prophets called away from the lives they had planned, to the exiles in Babylon, to Mary and Joseph and the Wise men from the East and in the early Church. Scripture highlights the importance of adaptability as you respond to God’s call and direction for you. Imagine for a moment if any of these people had not adapted, imagine how differently any of their stories might have turned out. 

I thank God for your willingness to do the hard things when it comes to adapting and pivoting as needed. This will be essential as you adapt to whatever is next, because the way I did it or the way we did it together may not be the way you do it in the future. As soon as we start thinking there is only one way, we limit our possibilities, with a likelihood of decline and even death. Adaptation is a gift you have demonstrated, it is one you have shown over and over again. May you continue to embrace change with wonder and curiosity, with a willingness to see how it goes. I rejoice at the joy and laughter we have shared, may you continue to laugh and play, to become like little children filled with wonder and awe. 

September 1, 2026

As I am writing this, today September 1, is the first day of the Season of Creation which runs from September 1 to
October 4. The end date is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi who was known for his connection to creation. The
Season of Creation is not like other seasons in the Church like Advent or Lent, but rather it is an intentional time
of prayer and reflection on creation. As well, at General Synod last summer a resolution was passed to recognize
the Feast of the Creator on September 1 or a Sunday during the Season of Creation. The Feast of the Creator
draws our attention to God as the Creator. As a friend who was part of the General Synod last year said, whereas
most feast days focus on Jesus and events in his life, death and resurrection, Pentecost focuses on the Holy Spirit
and Trinity Sunday on all three. This is a feast day solely dedicated to God the Creator, the first member or person
of the Trinity.
I must admit that in all of the chaos of the last few weeks and the fact that the Feast of the Creator had not yet
made it onto the Church calendar, I missed it until colleagues started talking about it. So rather this year we will
be using some of the resources from the Feast of the Creator on Sunday September 6, for the prayers like the
collect, prayer over the gifts and prayer after communion, as well as creation centric Eucharistic Prayer, but not
the readings. As well though, on September 27 when we mark National Truth and Reconciliation we will use a
Eucharistic Prayer that was included in the resources because it comes from Indigenous Anglicans in British
Columbia, that focuses on our connection to the land and all creation.
For Anglicans the Season of Creation is a fairly new focus, but it has deep roots in the Orthodox tradition and
been adopted more ecumenically through the World Council of Churches as we become more aware of the
importance of creation, our connection to creation and lack of responsible stewardship at times especially in the
past. As we read scripture, we see numerous references to the deep connection that is supposed to exist
between humanity and the rest of the created order. God continually calls us into faithful stewardship and care of
all creation. But more than that, God reminds us that our existence is tangibly linked to the rest of creation. When
we neglect or exploit creation, we are harming ourselves and when we care for creation, we are enhancing our
lives. As we confess in our Litany of Penitence on Ash Wednesday (and often the 1 st Sunday in Lent), our waste
and pollution of [God’s] creation and our lack of concern for those who come after us. We recognize the harm we
have done and there is a movement to not only stop what we have been doing, but to reverse some of the
damage we as humanity have done to the earth and all creation.
The Season of Creation takes on added importance in the face of greater climate crisis denial. There have always
been people who have said it was not a climate crisis but the cyclical nature of weather patterns. I remember
years ago a political candidate who said it wasn’t climate change but part of God’s plan, who would never let the
earth be destroyed. We are seeing a resurgence of climate crisis denial, as more people, including international
leaders, express doubts about climate change, questioning ecological policies and initiatives that have been put in
place. There are those who have called for or even reversed these policies because they see them too financially
restrictive, a luxury for better economic times. But climate change is also financially costly, as severe
environmental related disasters cost people their homes, livelihoods and even their lives. Whether it is
hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flash floods or wildfires, there is irrefutable evidence that they have been
made more extreme by climate change. While some would say it is too hard or costly to make the substantial
changes required, we are also hearing good news stories about the financial benefits of sustainable energy. Spain,
The United Kingdom and Ireland all saw electricity prices drop with increased renewable energy sources like wind
and solar. So not only are they reducing their ecological impact, but it is financially beneficial as well.
As we begin the Season of Creation, let us give thanks to God our creator, who calls us into relationship with God
and with all creation, by recommitting ourselves to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain
and renew the life of the Earth, as we promise in baptism. Let us seek ways to minimize our environmental
footprint and to encourage international leaders to do the same.