Pride flags repeatedly stolen from Shawville-area Anglican churches
Pride flags repeatedly stolen from Shawville-area Anglican churches
The Pride flags flying outside two local Anglican churches have been repeatedly stolen over the past few weeks.
About a month ago, the flag was torn off its frame at Holy Trinity Church in Radford (just outside Shawville). In the following weeks, the flag at St. Paul’s Church in Shawville was stolen three times, and in the most recent incident, the entire frame was stolen along with it.
Reverends Susan Lewis and Eric Morin oversee the Anglican Parish of West Quebec and they were both dismayed with the string of thefts but undeterred in showing their support for the local LGBT community.
They explained that that acceptance and support of the LGBT community has been an ongoing conversation within the Anglican Church of Canada for some time and in their parish specifically in recent years. The West Quebec Parish includes three churches with regular services (Shawville, Radford and Danford Lake) as well as numerous other chapels throughout the region with less frequent usage. They fly the Pride flag at their three regularly used churches.
Lewis and Morin said that the decision to display the flags at their churches was a result of a parish vote last year, and see it as a part of their role as advocates of social justice within the community.
Michele Gagnon, a founding member of Fierté Pontiac Pride, commented on the parish’s social media post regarding the flags.
“As a queer person, I appreciate your show of unwavering support. Too bad we can’t install cameras to find out who is doing this and hold them accountable for their hateful actions. People seem to forget continually that Jesus preached LOVE.”
Lewis and Morin said that there has been no other damage to church property, and they have received no negative messages or comments regarding the flags. Morin said that they had reported the incidents to the local Sûreté du Québec detachment and added that “security has been increased”.
The full interview with Reverends Susan Lewis and Eric Morin (6m20) is available here.
