Sermon for the school leaving service of King’s School Canterbury The Most Rev. Anne Germond Bishop of Algoma and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario. John 15: 9-17 July 3rd, 2025 There is an old African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child. What a joy and privilege it is for me to meet the village that has raised the young people who are taking their leave of this school and who are looking forward to the bright future that awaits them. Parents and grandparents, benefactors, siblings, and friends, teachers, chaplains, clergy and coaches you have all been part of that village, and today, as much as we celebrate the school leaving class, we honour and give thanks for you. Thank you to Principal Lowson for the warm invitation to be with you all, to Bishop Rose for permission to preach and for the gracious welcome I’ve received over the last couple of days, especially from the Alford family. It's particularly poignant that we’re in Canterbury Cathedral this sacred place of pilgrimage and prayer. A place to which sojourners have come for centuries in search of deeper meaning in their lives and the place from which pilgrims have been sent out, taking with them what they’ve received here as gift, to give back as gift to their own community. This has been true for me. I was one of the new bishops at the course in Canterbury in 2018 which was a transformational experience, changing so much about how I am as a bishop in God’s church. It is true for our school leavers today. You have received much from your school and this place of hospitality, of prayer, tradition, reflection and hope. Canterbury has been your spiritual home for so many years. There is a world out there that is waiting with hope and expectation all you have to offer it. As one of the bishops of the worldwide Anglican Communion let me assure you that if ever you find yourself in need of the kind of fellowship you have experienced here, seek out an Anglican church and you will be welcomed in the same way and find new friends to walk the road of life with you. The value of friendship becomes especially clear on days like today. True friends are the ones who share the late-night study sessions, the laughter between classes and the support during tough times. “Two are better than one,” writes the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes about faithful friends, “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” I know this to be true in my own life and bet you can count the times this has been true for you…helping you walk a difficult path with more courage and inner resolve. And now, as you close this chapter of your lives, the close bonds you have formed can also be lifelong.
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