IN CELEBRATION OF THE CORONATION OF HIS MAJESTY, CHARLES III, KING OF CANADA, AND HER MAJESTY QUEEN CAMILLA, SATURDAY MAY 6TH, ANNO DOMINI 2023

At this Anglican Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, Saturday, 6 May 2023. Public registration is now closed as we have reached our maximum safe capacity. Thank you for your interest; the Service will be streamed live on the Cathedral YouTube page here and on the Manitoba Government website here, beginning at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday.

The Bishop, the Dean, and the congregation, along with The Friends of Historic St. John’s Cathedral and Cemetery, welcome you to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist of the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land. This parish has been alive and active since 1820, the original Anglican parish in Western Canada. The Cemetery is the oldest non-Indigenous burial ground in the West. The first interment here was Hector McLean, a Selkirk Settler, who died and was buried in 1813, two hundred and ten years ago. As the Diocese of Rupert’s Land and this Cathedral, we are fully committed to the good way of healing and reconciliation, and are a proud supporter of our neighbour across Anderson Avenue, Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest. This land grant was made by Lord Selkirk in 1817, only after his signing of the Treaty with Chief Peguis, and four other chiefs. Thus, we have been treaty people here since 1817.

We begin every Sunday worship service with this acknowledgement, posted in our Order of Service, and read aloud by the Lay Reader of the Day: “We worship and live gratefully on Treaty One land, the traditional territory of the Ininew, the Anishinaabe, and the Dakota, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. We are all treaty people.

The Canadian Coronation Emblem:

The Canadian emblem for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III was created to mark the first crowning of a Canadian monarch in 7 decades, a historic occasion.

The Royal Monogram (CIIIR) in the centre of the Emblem and the Royal Crown at the top are personal symbols of The King.

The ring of triangular shapes evokes the image of a string of pennants displayed for a celebration. These 13 shapes allude to Canada’s provinces and territories, and their circular arrangement conveys the idea of inclusion for all Canadians. The circle is also an important concept for many Indigenous Peoples, symbolizing not only equity but also the cycles of the natural world. The green colour of the shapes is associated with the environment, which has long been an important cause for His Majesty, and it symbolizes hope and growth.

Inclusion and togetherness are also represented by the white spaces between the green shapes, which resemble paths leading to a central meeting place. The entire white space can be seen as a sunburst, symbolizing innovation and new ideas.

The Emblem was designed and painted by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

Joining us for the service will be the Lt. Governor, Her Honour the Honourable Anita Neville, and the Premier, the Honourable Heather Stefanson, along with many others. The Cathedral will be full for this historic day and our local Service of Thanksgiving.

Contributing will be The Brass Quintet from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and the Indigenous Drum Group from the Rifles. Our own very gifted musician, Helen Suh, will play the organ, including the prelude of ‘Zadok the Priest’, accompanied by trumpet. We will sing the National Anthem at the beginning of the service, the Royal Anthem at the end, we will sing two hymns, we will hear Scripture in English, French, Hebrew, and Cree. Prayers will be offered in English, Hebrew, and Ukrainian. A Smudge will be offered outside before the service, by Elder Amanda Wallin. The Dean will offer a reflection for the day.

We are not Westminster Abbey, but we are pleased to offer this service to our own community on the occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty Charles III, King of Canada.