Ecumenical service in an Anglican cathedral: Gregorian chant in Esperanto, a new translation of a hymn and more!

During the 107th Universal Congress of Esperanto this year there will be a traditional ecumenical service, following the strong tradition of the Universal Congresses – Zamenhof himself attended ecumenical services! This time the service will take place in the Anglican cathedral (Christ Church Cathedral). Note that the cathedral will be decorated with rainbow flags and ribbons for Pride Week, which takes place in Montreal before and during the congress. During the ecumenical service, Father Hans Becklin (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) will preach and Father Joel Amis (Anglican Church of Canada) will preside.

After the ecumenical service, there will be a Lutheran-Anglican mass. Father Amis will preside at the eucharist, assisted by Father Becklin. Everyone is welcome to stay for the second part of the service – in other words, you *do not* have to be Anglican or Lutheran to attend. Absolutely everyone is welcome! The director of the musical program and the organist/pianist is Andrew Sly (board member of the Canadian Esperanto Association). He will be helped and co-led in singing by Jenja Amis (also a board member of the Canadian Esperanto Association and the secretary of the Local Organizing Committee). The team has prepared a rich musical content for you: with the Esperanto versions of well-known hymns and one new translation: Garnu vin, animo kara of Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (translation by Hans Becklin, musical arrangement by Andrew Sly). Two Gregorian chants will also await you, one of them adapted by Andrew Sly and one choral piece. We will also sing the same hymn that was sung during the Sixth International Congress in Washington (Our Father, we have arrived) by Clarence Bicknell.

The non-Esperanto guests are very welcome, but the service will be held in Esperanto. Welcome to this unforgettable experience!

Where: 635 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B8 (10 min from the convention center on foot)

When: Sunday, August 7, 3:30 pm.