By

Terry Fleurie


June 25, 2024

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Eganville – A member of the Parish of the Valley of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa who has called St. John’s Anglican Church home for the past two years bid farewell to the congregation Sunday as she returns to her military career as a chaplain at Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston.

Rev. Claire Bramma arrived in Eganville in July 2022 and served as a Deacon until her ordination in November of that year.

“I’m telling people, ‘See you later, as opposed to good-bye’,” she told the Leader prior to her departure after Sunday’s ceremony that included a visit by Bishop Shane Parker and a farewell gathering in the church hall.

Rev. Bramma said she knew a little bit about Eganville before her arrival, having passed through on trips to cottages.

“But it was a new thing to me to find out what the town was about,” she said, adding she didn’t know much about the parish before arriving.

“The parish is a new model of ministry having a team of clergy working together to serve more than just a multi-point, but an area parish,” she explained. “I had to learn a little about that because I’ve never been part of church, where you’re actually joined with 10 congregations.

“Our parish is growing and maturing in terms of knowing one another as congregations, and also as a group of priests working together, because Anglican models of ministry is usually one priest on their own,” she added. “So, it’s been a huge blessing to learn from other ministers, their strengths and their giftings. And also, for the simple thing of backing one another up.”

She said being on call all can have its downfalls, so being part of that collaborative team and having the opportunity to learn from one another, was a gift.    

Rev. Bramma said it’s been a learning process for the congregations, noting like any faith family, they meet regularly, see each other and help each other out as neighbours.

“As trust is being built with all the different ministers, that no matter who is leading worship on Sunday, there is a growing knowledge and trust with all the ministers. That’s been my experiences solidly twice a month in the Killaloe-Eganville rotation, and then I’m elsewhere.

“And there’s been some parish-wide services that bring everybody together,” she added.

 The parish stretches from Cobden to Clontarf to Petawawa, Whitney and Beachburg.  

Her posting to Eganville was her first official duties after graduating from the seminary at Trinity College at the University of Toronto in the spring of 2022. She was ordained a deacon prior to her arrival allowing her to fulfill a range of ministries on her own with morning and evening prayer, home visits, sharing the Blessed Sacrament with the sick and shut-ins, and doing community outreach.

“One of the roles of a deacon is to feed the needs of the world and interpret them or tell them to the church,” she explained.

After being ordained a priest it allowed her extended authority to the sacraments, to officiate at Holy Communion on Sunday, and at weddings and funerals.

Her ordination was a very significant event in her ministerial life, she said.

“The presiding of the sacrament and the administering of the sacraments was one of the things God worked through to call me to ministry,” she shared. “Serving around the altar as a lay minster, helping with serving the chalice, and also to be humbly part of God’s grace at work in the sacraments.”

She is proud to have been part of the Eganville Ministerial Association and experience the great collaboration between the various ministers as well as enjoying the connections made with parishioners from the various churches involved.

“I feel like we’re getting to a point where it’s anticipated that we’re getting together in January for the World Day of Prayer for Peace and then in March, for the World Day of Prayer. They’re anticipating coming together on a regular basis as opposed to not looking forward to it.

“The ministerial (association) is one of the accomplishments where I’ve been privileged to be participating in that, as the chairperson,” she added. 

One of her final roles in Eganville was with the association for the Indigenous People’s Day Prayer Service in Centennial Park on Friday. She said her role with the association transfers very well with the military chaplaincy.

“Because it is also ecumenical, multi-faith, and the focus is on being able to see eye-to-eye on what matters most, loving God and loving one another, and to respect differences and not let them divide us.”       

She is also proud of the outreach work done here.

“As we are growing as a parish family looking at Renfrew County as part of our mission field, and looking at how things like the Warming Shelter happening in Pembroke, to come alongside other partners.”

She said connections have been made with local food banks, noting the congregation in Killaloe is the main force behind the soup and sandwich lunches distributed on days when the food bank is open.

“On a personal note, I’ve experienced an affirmation of call to the church. I think that is an accomplishment that is not out of the course of God’s doing, but is out of that mutual support from the parishioners and my colleagues in ministry.”

Rev. Claire Bramma, third from right, was joined by other clergy from the Parish of the Valley, as well as Rt. Rev. Dr. Shane Parker, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, for her final service in Eganville. From left, Associate Incumbent, Rev. Jillian Hoyer, Incumbent Rev. Matthew Brown, Bishop Parker, Associate Curate, Rev. Bramma, Associate Incumbent, Rev. Nicholas Forte, and retired clergy, Rev. Allan Studd.

 Community Involvement

Rev. Bramma was active in the community as a member of the Eganville-based Bonnechere Cycling Group and as a volunteer coach with the Junior Girls volleyball team at Opeongo High School.

“We meet together to ride our bikes for about an hour-and-a-half or so, and then a bit of social time afterwards,” she said. “That was a wonderful way to make relationships.”

She learned quickly that by knowing a few people, who knew others, broadened her network quickly.          

“I’m grateful to that welcome environment that helped me to just . . . I’m always Claire, no matter what, so to be Claire on a bicycle as well as Claire in a church . . .”

She played a lot of volleyball at RMC that included participation in international competitions for the military similar to the Olympics and world championships.   

She also enjoys running and playing tennis, and since arriving in the Valley has developed a passion for canoeing and kayaking too. 

Rev. Bramma has also been a guest speaker at the Remembrance Day service in Killaloe.

“One of the affirmations for my call to ministry was the public ritual and ceremony around Remembrance Day,” she shared. “Being a military member and leaning into the history of our world wars, we need to keep doing those rituals to keep on remembering and honouring.”

She was deployed to Afghanistan on two occasions and in Haiti following the earthquake in 2010. She said the deployment was really a paradigm shift for her generation of the military and the navy and the air force who supported the missions.

She said it was interesting as a fourth-year cadet at RMC graduating knowing they were all going to have an opportunity to deploy in a combat situation. She was a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Canadian Engineers who deployed initially as an Engineer Troop Commander that provided mobility support to the battle group.

“That really entails bomb disposal, UXO (Unexploded Explosive Ordnance) clearance, and heavy equipment operations to improve roads, mostly to support our observation posts,” she explained.        

On her second deployment, she was in a specialized capacity for mapping and cartography in support of NATO headquarters to ensure all NATO partners had the same maps. 

She was asked how often she had to rely on her religious beliefs to support her while deployed and she quickly replied, “Daily”.

“My theology is God shows up everywhere, and it’s also what is special about the religious communities and church’s convictions to create a sacred, holy place in the middle of the dessert was wonderful.”

One of the most beautiful Christmas Eve services she ever was a part of was held there during her first deployment.   

Rt. Rev. Dr. Shane Parker, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, assists Rev. Claire Bramma with the cutting of the cake following her final service on Sunday.

Mixed Emotions

As she prepared for her final service on Sunday, she dealt with mixed emotions. When she arrived, she knew her posting was for two years as she had plans to return to RMC.

“It’s tears of Thanksgiving,” she said as she struggled with the emotions of the moment. “Knowing that as much as you love the people, you have been loved as well, is so special.

“It’s exciting to be getting into the middle of what God put in my heart really since 2010.”

Congregations Express Appreciation

During a farewell luncheon following Sunday’s service, the wardens of the parish thanked Rev. Bramma for her contributions.

“Claire, you hit the ground running and embraced your role as our curate, travelling our parish, meeting our congregants, and with your characteristic generosity invested yourself with each one of us, in the love of Christ, in every way,” they said. “Please know that we are all better people, more of a reflection of Jesus and enabled in the understanding of ourselves in Christ because of your action and answer to our Creator’s work in you.

“We, in the Parish of the Valley, wanted to express our love for you by sending you on your way with a few gifts to help you remember your first ministry work, and of course, us,” they added.

People’s Warden, Karen Mann, left, helped deliver a farewell address to Rev. Claire Bramma after her final service on Sunday. Rev. Bramma is headed to RMC at Kingston where she will serve as chaplain.