Welcome to Good Shepherd St. Catharines online presence. We look forward to having you attend our church in person. Here’s a taste of what you can expect at our in-person Sunday service:
Our weekly Communion Service, Sundays @ 11 am, is a mix of contemporary and traditional; drawing from the traditions of the Book of Common Prayer, and modern and time-honoured music, we are led into God’s presence in a relaxed and reverent way.
In this post pandemic era some changes continue as everyone’s comfort and safety are our top priority at our in-person services. We do not require anyone to wear a mask, we leave it to the comfort level of each individual. Please also dress as you wish; some of our parishioners dress more formally (coats and ties, dresses) and some more casually (jeans and t-shirts). We want people to feel comfortable and authentic to who they are. We’re more concerned with getting to know you than with what you wear to church.
As you enter the Sanctuary, greeters will meet you, answer any questions, and explain seating which allows for social distancing.
As a visitor, or newcomer, you are under no obligation to leave an offering; however, if you wish to do so, the offering plate will be found on a table at the entrance for your convenience (we have ceased passing an offering plate since the pandemic) and offering envelopes can be found on the wall as you come up the stairs. Please fill out your name and address including postal code (so we can send you an income tax receipt), and place the envelope in the offering plate on the table.
The Order of Service will be displayed on the screen at the front so you will not get lost or need to follow along in a printed bulletin or book.
We offer a Sunday School program for children ages 4 – 10; the children leave following the Children’s Time with the Rector, and return just before Communion.
All Baptized Christians are welcome to take Communion; we also offer the option of simply receiving a Blessing from the Priest if you prefer (you do not need to be Baptized for this). We administer Holy Communion with individual cups for the wine, and the Priest will provide specific direction as Communion begins.
At the present time we have coffee/social time following the service just once per month—an announcement will be made when coffee is being offered.
If you have any questions about our services or community that you cannot find the answer to on this website, please feel free to contact us—we’d be happy to chat with you, or even meet for coffee. You can find about more about traditional Anglican services here.
We look forward to meeting you in person!