Suddenly, on March 21, 2024, Heather Olive Bernhardt moved into God’s nearer presence.

Heather was born on March 6, 1961, in Melita, MB, to Alvin and Mae Nield. She was the youngest of five children. She moved to Winnipeg as a young child and then eventually to an acreage near Deacon’s Corner, MB. Heather was active in many things including drama and art, but her real love was music. She sang with the Winnipeg Girls Choir and was asked to solo at her high school graduation. At the age of seventeen, Heather decided to do something new and different. She joined the Canadian Forces reserve as a member of the 17th Service Battalion’s Military Police platoon. It was there that she met her future husband, Don Bernhardt.

After two years, Heather left the reserves and enrolled at the University of Manitoba but decided that a career in nursing was what her true vocation was. She enrolled in the Red River College’s Registered Nursing program, graduating in 1982. By then she had married Don and the couple settled in Brandon, MB. Heather quickly found employment in nursing, working first at a private nursing home and later as one of the first cadre of nurses at the newly opened Dinsdale Home. After some ten years of nursing, she was forced to leave a job she loved due to injury.

In 1994, Heather became what she was truly called to be, a mother, when they received their son, Joshua. Four years later, daughter Jennifer entered their lives. In 2006, the family moved to Virden, MB when Don took a position as the rector of St. Mary’s Anglican Church. Heather joined in many activities at the church and always made sure that everyone felt welcome. She was a woman of a deep yet quiet faith and was always ready to reach out and serve where and how she could. She tried her hand at banking, but nursing pulled her back in. She worked at one of the local nursing homes for a brief time, but eventually became a public health nurse at Birdtail and Sioux Valley Dakota Nations.

After leaving that profession, Heather focused on another love, cooking and baking, with a dream of one day having her own restaurant. While that never came to pass, Heather was able to feed many family and friends, and feed them well. After returning to Brandon in 2016, her health began to suffer, and mobility became an issue. Nevertheless, she was fiercely protective of her family and we never for a second doubted her love and determination. She was an amazing wife, mother, sister and friend and we will hold her close in our memories and hearts until that day when we can see her again.

Heather was predeceased by her mother and father. She is survived by her husband, Don, her children Joshua and Jennifer and her siblings Tom, Laura, Ross and Melody, along with many nieces, nephews, and a grandnephew.

A memorial service was held at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, 403 13th Street, Brandon, MB on Thursday, April 4, 2024.

Nancy Crawford (1936-2024)

Nancy was born in Toronto to her parents Marjorie Robinson Publow Seed and William Arnold Seed. She attended Oriole Park School in Toronto, Point Grey Middle School, and Prince of Wales High School in Vancouver. She earned a degree in Education at the University of British Columbia in 1958. While at UBC she was President of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority and a member of St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church. After graduation, Nancy moved back to Toronto to teach kindergarten at Brown School.

Nancy met her husband Tom shortly after he emigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland in 1959. Nancy and Tom were married on July 8, 1964, in Toronto and settled together in St. Catharines where Tom was the rector of St. Columba Anglican Church. Tom’s career would take them to many wonderful parishes and communities over the years. Nancy and Tom moved to St. James, Port Colborne in 1969 with a 4 year old, 2 year old and 3 week old in tow. Busy days! The next move came in 1973 to St. Christopher’s, Burlington, which became the family home for 11 years. In 1984 they moved to St. James, Dundas followed by a move to St. Matthew’s Anglican Cathedral in Brandon, Manitoba in 1987. The last church move was to All Saints, Collingwood in 1992, where Nancy and Tom ultimately decided to retire in 1996.

Nancy is survived by her sister Sandra (Don), her children Kathleen (John), Patrick and Kevin (Keri), her grandchildren Anthony, Kyle (Janessa), Jack, Devin, Austin and Maya and her great-granddaughter Esmeralda. Nancy was proceeded in death by her loving husband Tom (2020) and her newborn daughter Angela.

+ + + Rest eternal grant unto Heather and Nancy, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. + + +

The post In Memoriam appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

June 8, 2024 from 10am – 4pm
St. John the Divine, Kelwood, Manitoba

Registration Cost: $25/person, includes snacks and lunch

Deadline to Register: May 15, 2024

For more information, contact Joan Nadolny at joanebbe48@gmail.com or via phone at 204-638-6531.

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Junior Camp (AGES 8-10): Saturday, June 29 – Friday, July 5
Intermediate Camp (AGES 10-12): Sunday, July 7 – Saturday, July 13
Family Camp: Tuesday, July 16 – Thursday, July 18
Teen Camp (GRADES 7 & UP): Sunday, July 21 – Saturday, July 27

2024 Camping Season: Registration Deadlines

Early Bird Date: May 31, 2024 (fees: $300)
Cut-off Date: June 17, 2024 (fees: $350)

2024 Camping Season: We’re Hiring!

We are looking for enthusiastic and inspiring people for the following volunteer positions:

Camp leaders, chaplains, health officers, counsellors

2024 Camping Season: Camp Clean-up

Camp Clean-up is May 18, 2024. We will need some help to clean up the camp for the upcoming summer!

For more information, check out their website at https://www.anglicanmemorialcamp.com.

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The post Photos from the Consecration appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

​Over the past month, I have been learning how to be a Bishop.  How does one learn to be a Bishop, you might ask.  Well, it is a lot of trial and error.  Much repetition.  Tons of laughter.  It involves a lot of prayer.  It helps if you know how to wield a mop when the basement of the Cathedral floods.  A good GPS for the car is an asset too.  Essentially, it seems that learning how to be a bishop is a lot like learning anything new.  You have to be willing to ask questions, observe, try, fail, try again.  There’s no “right” way but there are some “wrong” ways.  Through it all, the learning Bishop needs to have trust and encouragement – from God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and from the people gathered around them.

​One of the things that I will have the privilege of doing as a bishop will be confirmations.  I have the privilege of meeting people – young and older – who are intentionally discerning how God is leading them to grow in faith.  When they make that decision to affirm their Baptismal Vows for themselves in Confirmation, they are taking that next step in becoming all God is calling them to become.

​Confirmation is not simply that fancy church service when the Bishop lays hands upon someone’s head and “presto” spiritual magic happens.  It’s more like the consecration of a bishop: hands are laid upon your head and prayers for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you in new ways and along a new path are shared.  And then the hard work begins – the learning of a new thing.

​I don’t know about you but way back when we still travelled by horse and carriage and I was confirmed, there was a bit of a joke that confirmation was graduation from church.  For me, that was a prophetic statement.  At almost 14 years old I was confirmed in a fancy dress with important people at the service.  We had a cake, and photos were taken with the Bishop of Niagara, and I was off … to hockey on Sunday mornings, lazy-sleep-in days, no more Sunday School unless I was roped into teaching with my mom.  I was confirmed and that meant I was a Christian grown-up.

​And then one day, a few years later, I realized that God didn’t stop speaking into my heart just because I thought I had “graduated” from church.  Apparently I was called to be a lifelong learner.  And the education of being a Christian – or becoming a Christian – got good!  Possibilities, dreams, and adventures came fast and furious.  Once I realized that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit were real “people” in my life, everything became more interesting.  Life didn’t get easier.  As a matter of fact, some things got harder as I realized that the “easy” decision isn’t always the “right” decision.  The Trinity became my partners in life.  I didn’t always listen to their advice, even though I should have.  Sometimes I wandered off and tried to leave them behind … and yet whenever I stopped and recognized how much I needed them, there they were – Companions on my Journey!  

​That journey with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, has led me through times of discerning who God was calling me to be.  Was I called to be a nun?  Nope – thank heavens.  (And yes, we do have Anglican nuns.)  Was I called to be a teacher?  In a way, but not how I thought.  I was called to be a deacon … and a priest … and a bishop.  But that is just my path.  

​Your journey will be as unique as you are.  Have you already been confirmed?  How are you walking in your Confirmation Vows and discerning where the Trinity is leading you?  If you haven’t yet been confirmed, what are you waiting for?  Put me to work!  I am your bishop and I want to share with you in that beautiful sacrament.  However, make sure you put your priest, or deacon, or lay reader to work as well.  Discerning confirmation is a commitment of the whole community!  Like becoming a bishop, you have to have trust and encouragement – from God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and from the people gathered around you.

​When you’re ready, let me know!  I really do want to share in the sacraments with you!  Any and all of them, as you are so called.  May God bless you on your Journey of Discernment.

The post A Word from the Bishop – May 2024 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

KW: Welcome to the Diocese of Brandon. We know you’re not from Manitoba, so please, tell us first a little bit about where you grew up.

+RP: I was born in Lindsay, Ontario, but we moved around a lot through southwestern Ontario, so I don’t think of a specific place, but the area. We ended up in London, Ontario, which is where I went to university. Now I think of home as being where I am with my husband, Rob. If he’s there, it’s home. Between his postings with the Canadian Forces and mine in various dioceses, we’ve moved around a fair bit, so I don’t think of home as being a place so much as I think it’s a relationship.

KW: Where have you worked previously in the Anglican Church?

+RP: I started in the Diocese of Huron, because I graduated from Huron Theological College. That was the first nine years. Then, I worked in Halifax (in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) for seven years. It’s where I really began to understand what it means to be a priest. I enjoyed it tremendously and I learned a lot. I also worked part-time in the Diocese of Ottawa for a little more than a year. This was when Rob was posted to Petawawa, which is at the northwest end of the diocese. I did a lot of supply work for the Parish of the Valley. Then, we ended up in Alberta. With the best of fortunes, both of us were posted and I took over the Dayspring Ministries, based in Wainwright, east of Edmonton. I realize looking back that it was God’s calling that I learn about how different Canada can be from one place to another. Whenever I drive, regardless of where it is, I find it’s beautiful.

KW: How did you decide you were called to be a bishop?

+RP: I don’t know if I’d put it that way. It started in Edmonton, where I was nominated to be bishop there. I thought long and hard about it, prayed about the question of who I was and where I was going in this life. I’d never discerned anything in me previously that thought I would become a bishop. It was a series of steps. What would I do if I weren’t elected? Obviously, I’d stay where I was in the Dayspring Ministries. And I was happy with that. I liked what I was doing. With regard to Brandon, there was also the question of what would we do if Rob didn’t get posted? We decided we’d work that out later, and at that point, I felt an incredible sense of calm. The electoral synod was wonderful. We got to meet people, got to hang out with Cody, and really began to appreciate the gifts Brandon has. Rob kept giving me his “when are you going to freak out?” look.

KW: And now?

+RP: And now I am working as hard as I can to learn about the people and culture of this diocese. I have always been mindful of it, kept it in my prayers because I knew Bishop Bill from Huron, but every day I find I have learned something new. It’s wonderful. I’m grateful it’s easy to get around. I’m really not a city person and this city is big enough for me. I’ve been warned that I’ll have a lot of driving in my future, but I’m looking forward to it. I really want to see the north, so see places like The Pas and Churchill. And yes, I know I can’t drive to Churchill, but you can be sure I’ll go.

KW: What are you hoping you accomplish?

+RP: All I want to do is serve Christ. I don’t need much more than that. If I can serve Christ, I’m good to go. I don’t need any feathers in my cap.

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