Naomi Racz, Author at Faith Tides

Building a safe haven for queer asylum seekers

Naomi Racz — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:00:41 +0000

St. John the Divine in Victoria has a long history of social justice work. For 30 years the church had an active refugee sponsorship committee, but when Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada introduced new administrative requirements for refugee sponsorship in 2022, it became clear that the parish could no longer sustain this already difficult and […]

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Churches get creative to raise funds for new keys

Naomi Racz — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:10:08 +0000

Music is an important aspect of Anglican worship and for many, services wouldn’t feel complete without the accompaniment of a pipe organ or piano. That’s why a number of our parishes are currently fundraising to buy or pay for new pipe organs and pianos — and finding creative ways to raise funds. Pianos new and […]

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Lenten challenge enters its tenth year

Naomi Racz — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:09:55 +0000

Lent 2026 will see the tenth installment of the Metchosin Challenge, a Lenten challenge set up and run by St. Mary, Metchosin parishioner and long-time parish council member Sharleen Thompson. Sharleen was inspired to start the challenge because she saw a need to reach out to the wider community and to show the community that […]

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Diocese to host a summer retreat on Salt Spring Island

Naomi Racz — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:07:03 +0000

Bishop Anna and Christine Conkin, incumbent at St. George, Cadboro Bay, will be hosting a diocesan retreat this summer on beautiful Salt Spring Island. The retreat will take place from Aug. 4 to Aug. 6, 2026 and all in the diocese are invited to attend. The theme of the retreat is “We are the Salt […]

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Churches open their doors to feed the lonely on Christmas Day

Naomi Racz — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:13:14 +0000

A ministry of belonging In 2023, faced with the prospect of spending Christmas Day alone, without her family, Sister Ingrid Andersen, Franciscan and incumbent at Church of the Advent, Colwood, was inspired to start a “Home Alone” Christmas lunch. Ingrid thought there had to be others out there who would be spending Christmas Day alone […]

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Using video to bring the local community in

Naomi Racz — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:08:31 +0000

Before coming to Victoria and starting his incumbency at St. Philip Anglican Church in Oak Bay, Allen Doerksen was the incumbent at St. Matthew’s in Abbottsford. St. Matthew’s was one of the parishes that left the Diocese of New Westminster in 2002 when then-Bishop Michael Ingham consented to allowing churches to conduct same-sex blessings. After the congregation vacated […]

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Order of the diocese investiture honours faithful service

Naomi Racz — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:18:36 +0000

On Saturday, Oct. 25, the investiture service for the Order of the Diocese of British Columbia was held at a packed Christ Church Cathedral. This was the fourth investiture service since the Order was established by Bishop Logan in 2018 to honour laity in the diocese who have shown faithful service over an extended period. […]

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Crafty St. Philip’s parishioners make quilts for women in recovery

Naomi Racz — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:17:33 +0000

St. Philip’s Anglican Church in Cedar is home to the Angel Sewers and Crafters, a group of around eight parishioners who meet once a week to quilt, crochet, knit and sew. The group started out in 2021, when St. Philip’s parishioner Susan Dobson heard through Facebook about a group of women who were making […]

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St. Dunstan’s holds final service at church in Gordon Head

Naomi Racz — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:32:50 +0000

For decades, St. Dunstan’s Anglican Church provided a venue for worship and community service in the Greater Victoria neighbourhood of Gordon Head — pursuing its motto to be “a family of Christ walking with our community.” That legacy was remembered and celebrated at a final service earlier this year. On February 6, 1966, the parish […]

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106th Archbishop of Canterbury announced

Naomi Racz — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:29:58 +0000

On Oct. 3, 2025, the British government announced that King Charles III had approved the nomination of Sarah Mullaly as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. She will be the first woman to hold this office. Bishop Sarah is no stranger to firsts. Before being ordained, she worked as a nurse for the NHS, eventually working her way up to the role […]

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