Support for Marc's preparation towards ordination

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I have joined the Ordination Preparation group in Toronto. And over the next five months, my fellow Ordinands and I will be working towards becoming Celebrants of the Christ at the Altars of the Christian Community. For more information, please see www.christiancommunityseminary.ca

The goal of this fundraiser is twofold: to help me with living expenses for the next five months and to help me finance my Seminary studies.

The Seminary of the Christian Community in North America is a non-profit organization and does not charge a tuition fee to the students. Ideally, all the expenses for the school are covered by donations. This makes it possible for students to apply to the seminary whether they have the financial means or not.

With a feeling of responsibility for the future and well-being of the Seminary, I am asking you to help me support its good work and continued economic needs with a financial contribution.

When I first started at the Seminary in September 2019, it was made possible by generous donations from friends in the communities of Toronto, Durham, Ottawa, Montreal, Nova Scotia, Calgary, Vancouver and Duncan. I wish to express my deepest gratitude for all the support, encouragement and financial help that made it possible for me to complete four and a half years of study, including a ten-month internship.

Here is a breakdown of the expenses that this fundraiser will be covering:

. Rent: 5 months x $700 CAD for the total of $3500

. Tuition: $9000

. Ordination Preparation expenses: $800

. Travel: $2000

Total: $15,300.00

You can make donations in three ways;

Directly to this GoFundMe platform (you will not receive a tax receipt)

By cheque written to: The Seminary of the Christian Community in North America

(A tax receipt will be made available)

Mailed to:

901 Rutherford Rd.

Vaughan, Ontario, L6A 1S2, Canada

Directly to the Seminary page, Link below (A tax receipt will be made available).

https://www.christiancommunityseminary.ca/donations

I will update this page to reflect all streams of donations for this fundraiser.

Now, a little bit about my life.

If you are wondering who Marc Fortin is… here are some windows into my life.

One thing is for sure: I am not a hockey player! I can barely skate… but yes, I was born in Canada, I am learning to live with that paradox ; ) I was born in Toronto, the year that the CN Tower was nearing completion. I was raised by two hardworking and family-loving parents in a French Catholic community surrounded by Irish/ Italian/ Portuguese neighbors, and my best friend happened to be Guyanese.

And here is a little bit about friendship.

My Guyanese friend and I couldn't have been more different. He was short and muscular, and I was tall and thin. He got good grades; I was happy to make the grade. He went outward on stage and became school president, while I went inward behind the scenes and was the school photographer. However, when we were together, those differences disappeared, and our true soul nature found its reflection in each other. We were both striving to find meaning and answers to the riddles of life. Thirty-five years later, we are still meaningfully in touch, and are still very different from each other. Dan and his family live in a busy city near Toronto. He has become a successful entrepreneur in the computer world. My family lives in the quiet countryside, and success for us is seeing a porcupine while driving and not running it over.

And here is a little bit about my family.

Marie-Eve and I met in 1995, when we were young, and we instantly fell in love (a story I'm happy to share if ever you ask). We traveled, we worked, got married, and, in 2003, Hana was born. Our purpose in life was now very real and very cute. We found a vibrant community two hours northwest of Toronto and used up our savings to buy three acres of land. There, we built a small house close to a Waldorf school and biodynamic farms. Satya was born at home and joined our trio in 2008. A rich community life and connection with nature continues to grace us. Marie-Eve works online for an environmental company, and I am a massage therapist. Now, the two girls have become women and are turning their eyes towards the world beyond home… seeing that it is something to explore. Hana is completing her schooling to become a massage therapist. And Satya is literally joining the circus… At least, the circus school. Yes, it is a real school!

And here is a little bit about community.

The vibrant communities around the Waldorf School were the main reasons we chose to live in the Durham area, and this is where I met The Christian Community.

Fritz Stutzki was a retired engineer living near the school with his wife Hilda, and, one day, he invited me to a service called the Act of Consecration of Man. I could not refuse his earnest invitation with his solid handshake and his joyful blue eyes – I had to say “yes”! Fritz passed away in February 2017, a year before I knew I was entering the Seminary. He was my first shepherd into the Christian Community. He encouraged me to become a Server. I wonder if he ever imagined that it would lead me to this path. Now, he helps me from across the threshold. When I pray and think of him, I imagine his earnestness and joy for serving Christ.

And here is a little bit about prayer.

Prayer has become the most important activity I have learned to do during my time at the Seminary. Prayer, in its essence, is a form of communication, and it has helped me build a relationship with my helping guide, the fruits of which are humbling.

And here is a little bit about being humbled in Christ.

His love for us is all-embracing, he warms my fears and cools my pride. My journey in understanding His Being is in constant renewal. As I learn the physical/spiritual aspects of standing at the threshold of the Altar, the reality of its significance for the world deepens and comes alive. There is a long way to go, my friends – a lifetime won't be enough. And we can take comfort in Christ Jesus's words at the end of Matthew's Gospel.

”And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Please dear friends, I ask that you keep all students, directors, teachers, administration and board members at the seminary in your prayers, as we continue our growing towards the Ordination of priests in The Christian Community.

With deep gratitude,

Marc