Mike Deed is Rector of Saint James Anglican Church, Dundas. His topic is entitled: ‘Finding Francis’ - A 12th Century Saint in 21st Century Dundas.
Mike Deed was born in Chatham, Kent (pronounced “Cham” there) and from an early age became passionate about Doctor Who, eating, reading and religion. After studying theology at university, Mike’s first job was as a youth worker, primarily engaged with supporting young people on the street in Hounslow. Mike was ordained as a priest at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK and served two parishes in West London before moving to Canada in 2007 where he served churches in Burlington and Hamilton Mountain before being appointed as Rector of Saint James Church, Dundas in July 2019. Mike and his husband live in Hamilton and are owned by three cats. Mike is an associate of the Society of Saint Francis (Province of the Americas), a founder of the Doctor Who Society of Canada, Diocesan Liturgical Officer for the Diocese of Niagara and an honourary Canon of Christ’s Church Cathedral.
Mike Deed was born in Chatham, Kent (pronounced “Cham” there) and from an early age became passionate about Doctor Who, eating, reading and religion. After studying theology at university, Mike’s first job was as a youth worker, primarily engaged with supporting young people on the street in Hounslow. Mike was ordained as a priest at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK and served two parishes in West London before moving to Canada in 2007 where he served churches in Burlington and Hamilton Mountain before being appointed as Rector of Saint James Church, Dundas in July 2019. Mike and his husband live in Hamilton and are owned by three cats. Mike is an associate of the Society of Saint Francis (Province of the Americas), a founder of the Doctor Who Society of Canada, Diocesan Liturgical Officer for the Diocese of Niagara and an honourary Canon of Christ’s Church Cathedral.
The theme of Mike’s talk was how we could use the teachings and experiences of St. Francis of Assissi here in Dundas. A good write-up on St. Francis is available in this Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi.
Mike told the story of St. Francis meeting the leper https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/st-francis-meets-the-leper. He used it as a way that we can deal with the disaffected in Dundas as we come out of the pandemic: “There are many ways today that we can assist those whom society rejects—those with mental illness or those who just don’t fit in because of lifestyle, orientation, or religion. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, we can kiss and wash their wounds. We can offer them comfort or compassion. Or we can add to this list people who are seriously ill at home or in a hospital.”
The story of how Saint Francis of Assisi tamed the Wolf of Gubbio https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/saint-francis-and-the-taming-of-the-wolf is one of the great legends linked with the life of the saint. Mike used the story of the wolf to talk about peace, harmony and reconciliation. “In part, what the story of Francis and the wolf reveals to us is that Saint Francis—as a follower of Christ, the Messiah foretold by Isaiah—is helping to bring about the same peace and reconciliation in this world. This peace, harmony and reconciliation is not only meant to exist between God and humans, but also between God and the whole family of creation! We, too, can be instruments of this peace.
Mike noted that St. Francis became known for inclusion and empowerment of people. One day out in the countryside to meditate he heard a voice say, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins! Afterwards Saint Francis took action to physically repair the structure of the San Damiano church, although he eventually realized that God's message to him was to restore the entire Catholic Church as a whole body rather than literally repair one stone structure. Mike suggested that St. Francis wanted to live in harmony with nature and that was his hope for us in Dundas.
Finally, Mike noted that Dundas has become a place where an older generation has come to spend its final years yet, because of the pandemic, we have not been able to grieve. He feels like, as we come out of the pandemic, Dundas is well placed to be a community to be able to celebrate a good life and a holy death.
Pax et Bonum – Peace and all that its good.
The story of how Saint Francis of Assisi tamed the Wolf of Gubbio https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/saint-francis-and-the-taming-of-the-wolf is one of the great legends linked with the life of the saint. Mike used the story of the wolf to talk about peace, harmony and reconciliation. “In part, what the story of Francis and the wolf reveals to us is that Saint Francis—as a follower of Christ, the Messiah foretold by Isaiah—is helping to bring about the same peace and reconciliation in this world. This peace, harmony and reconciliation is not only meant to exist between God and humans, but also between God and the whole family of creation! We, too, can be instruments of this peace.
Mike noted that St. Francis became known for inclusion and empowerment of people. One day out in the countryside to meditate he heard a voice say, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins! Afterwards Saint Francis took action to physically repair the structure of the San Damiano church, although he eventually realized that God's message to him was to restore the entire Catholic Church as a whole body rather than literally repair one stone structure. Mike suggested that St. Francis wanted to live in harmony with nature and that was his hope for us in Dundas.
Finally, Mike noted that Dundas has become a place where an older generation has come to spend its final years yet, because of the pandemic, we have not been able to grieve. He feels like, as we come out of the pandemic, Dundas is well placed to be a community to be able to celebrate a good life and a holy death.
Pax et Bonum – Peace and all that its good.