[At all services on Sunday, July 13, 2008, Ritchard Taylor, chair of the Parochial Committee, read the following letter from the Bishop, to the applause of members of the congregation!]
Dear Clergy and People of the Parish Church of St. Luke,
I am pleased to announce that the Reverend Canon Stuart Pike has accepted the offer to be Rector of St.Luke’s Church, effective September 15.
Canon Pike is currently the Rector of St.Andrew’s Church in Grimsby, a position he has held for ten years. Stuart is a graduate of Queen’s University, Kingston, and Huron College, London. Prior to his ministry in Grimsby, Canon Pike was Rector of the Greater Parish of Gaspe, and Archdeacon of Gaspe. He has been actively involved in several committees, both at the diocesan and national levels. He has a wide experience with many cultures --- he was born in France, and has lived in Canada, England, the United States and South America. Canon Pike has had opportunities to visit East Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Philippines, Ireland, Europe, Israel, and the Caribbean. As you can witness, he has a passion to travel and to meet people from different cultures. In addition to English, he speaks French and Spanish. Stuart is married to Katherine and they have one daughter, Louisa, who is 12 years of age.
I know you will gather together and plan a special welcome for your new rector. He is excited at the prospect of ministry at St.Luke’s.
I commend your parochial team for their care during this time of transition, and thank them for working so faithfully and diligently together. A special thanks to Canon Terry DeForest for his ministry with you over the past number of months, as well as to your Vicar, Curate and the team at St.Luke’s.
Please continue to keep Stuart Pike and family in your thoughts and prayers.
Faithfully
Bishop of Niagara
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Many thanks to the Parochial Committee for their dedication to the important task of making a recommendation to the Bishop of a candidate for the office of Rector. We look forward to welcoming Canon Stuart Pike, his wife Katherine and their daughter Louisa, at services on Sunday, September 21, 2008!