The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Reminder has previously profiled members of the clergy, including Janice Campbell of the Northminster Memorial United Church, Father Denis Bourbonnais of St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church and Rev. Ina Golaiy of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Now the trend continues with a look at Rev. Raymond Knight and his wife, Judy, of St. Peter and St. James Anglican Church on Church Street. The couple, along with daughter Kaylah, 16, and son Joshua, 11, arrived in Flin Flon last year from Porcupine Plains, Saskatchewan. "I had a peace about me as I walked into this church. Yes, this is where I was meant to be. In coming here, it was answering God's call," says Raymond. Then he smiles. "However, in our interview no one mentioned the black flies." Raymond has an interesting background. His father was a church army captain in the Anglican Church and thus the family traveled frequently during his childhood. Raymond began his theological training at the Anglican Church Army in Toronto, studying later at a theological college in Montreal. He was commissioned as a church army officer in May 1980, ordained Deacon in February 1997 and then ordained into the priesthood a short three weeks later. Once commissioned as a church officer, Raymond's work with the Lord truly began and he was given such ministries as New York City at St. Paul's Street mission in the area known as Hell's Kitchen. He also went on missions to Toronto and, for a short while, Halifax. In addition, Raymond worked at Christian Horizons in Toronto and St. Christopher's House, a home in Laurier run by his parents, that worked with mentally handicapped adults. During this busy time in his life, and while still at the Anglican Church Army training facility, he not only found the love of God, but the love of a woman. He met Judy, who was also studying at the college. The couple were married in 1988 and were first hired for the diocese of Moosonee in Quebec. They tended five other parishes before coming to Flin Flon. Flin Flon's terrain is very similar to Judy's home town of Cochrane, Ontario. Raymond lived in many communities while growing up but spent most of his teenage years in St. Rose du Lac and the Laurier area in southern Manitoba. "Imagine me, an English-speaking Anglican boy, amongst all those French-speaking Catholics," Raymond says with a smile. "We got along just fine." The Knight family has adjusted well to Flin Flon. Judy smiles, "We like the area, the shopping is great, the kids like their schools and it suits us perfectly." When asked what his impression of the local parish was then they first arrived, Raymond replied, "The congregation seemed to need someone to come in and guide them. My biggest challenge was getting everyone's name straight. I didn't want to come into the parish like a drill sergeant, so I asked many questions about how things were done and what the congregation wanted. "Till one day a parishioner said to me, 'Don't you know anything? Why all the questions?' I realized I'd have to be a bit more assertive." Raymond and Judy are trying to be very active in the community, as much as the parish and family obligations will allow. They serve on the board of Norman Community Services, with Judy as vice-president. Judy also works at the Royal Bank in customer service as casual relief. Raymond has been appointed regional Dean for the Anglican church, providing support to the clergy of the area. The responsibility includes traveling throughout the region to places such as Snow Lake, Wabowden, Moose Lake, Lynn Lake, Cranberry Portage, The Pas and Cormorant. There are approximately 275 members in the St. Peter and St. James parish. "I am pleased to see the young people coming back to church and more children in Sunday School," Raymond states. "We have a junior choir in our church now. We feel we have a positive relationship with the parish and the community." When asked how long he and his family will stay, Raymond smiled. "I have heard people say that they came here for one year and thirty years later they are still here," he says. "I will be here as long as there is a need." What a pleasure to meet such a positive and interesting couple. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Dates to Remember Worship services at St. Peter and St. James Anglican Church during the Advent season is as follows: December 4, 11, 18 at 10:30 a.m. Ð Holy Eucharist Service December 18 at 7 p.m. Ð Carol Service and Children's Pageant December 24 at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Ð Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist December 25 at 10:30 a.m. Ð Said Holy Eucharist Service
