Newsletter - Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation Victoria BC

Most of CUC’s 28 Unitarian Ministers and 71 lay chaplains across Canada have performed same-sex commitments ceremonies or weddings.

“We see same-sex marriages as a matter of religious freedom for our clergies,” said Rev. Kiely.
“Unitarians believe that marriage is the legal and religious recognition of the love between two individuals and their commitment to care for and support one another in good times and bad.”

See #1 in the siliver folder for more contacts and more information.

We don’t think of our churches as prisons. Yet, if you’ve been confined to one for a year or more, that is what it becomes. Currently there are refugees “in sanctuary” a five churches across Canada.

See #2 in the silver folder for contacts and more information.

Amnesty International Canada will be holding a member training session on indigenous rights, January 15th and 16th at Musqueam in Vancouver.

To apply to participate in this unique training session, request an application form from Don Wright at dwright@amnesty.ca or call 604-313-4069. There is no cost to attend this workshop and travel subsidies may be available to applicants from outside the GVRD.

See #3 in the silver folder for more information.

UUSC is accepting contributions to provide aid to the victims of the crisis. Since February 2003, more than 50,000 lives have been lost and more than 2 million people have been displaced. 100’s of thousands of refugees have fled to neighboring Chad while others remain internally displaced in Darfur.

See #4 in the silver folder for more information.

While teaching the RE Children’s program, Daylene Marshal realized that Unitarians do not have a holiday-holyday of our own. Please e-mail her (daylenemarshal@shaw.ca) with any ideas to improve Chalica.

See #5 in the silver folder for more information.

From Christine Johnson via Mary Bennett

12th Night as an Unitarian Celebration

Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green.

Are you planning to experience two of our UU Principles this Christmas-Solice-Yuletide Holiday? To be more specific I am wondering if you plan as part of celebrating with our religious community? We sing about it often enough “Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green.”

Wassail comes from both old Norse and Anglo-Saxon and means “be in good health.” It might be done any time during the 12 days of Christmas, but usually the last day, January 6th, or at New Year.

#6 in the Silver Folder.