Exploring common mission: Massachusetts

Members of the joint Task Force for Exploring Common Mission have been meeting regularly via Zoom. Photo courtesy of Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts

What can be done better together than apart?

For the two Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts, a steady increase in collaborations in recent years suggests that the answer could potentially be: Quite a lot.

Both possess a long, rich history of serving God’s people, and have been doing so mostly in parallel over the decades following the founding of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts in 1903 out of what started in 1784 as a single diocese in the Commonwealth.

Lately, however, Episcopalians from both dioceses have been coming together in a variety of meaningful ways: Public actions and advocacy to end gun violence and to act for the care of God’s creation at a time of climate emergency, for instance. Joint retreats and professional development events for clergy, and adult Christian formation and discernment programs for the laity. Youth activities and shared ministry networks around outreach with veterans and growing “Good News Gardens.” And more.

Bishops Alan M. Gates and Gayle E. Harris of the Diocese of Massachusetts and Bishop Douglas J. Fisher of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts began to wonder about the extent of this spirit of collaboration and to discuss the possibility of further exploring current shared engagement, at all levels. What would it be like to get to know one another at a deeper level? How might two vital dioceses partner across difference for the sake of the Gospel? How might experiences of shared engagement be a call to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading? What can we do better together?

With these questions in mind, the bishops, last November, convened the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission, and the group has been meeting regularly in the months since. Their charge from the bishops is to be in dialogue and prayer for a year about what collaborations, and potentially what more formal institutional structures, might warrant more exploration. There are no foregone conclusions, and the task force will share findings with both dioceses for further discernment.

The task force invites everyone’s prayers for their continuing “holy conversations” and for their commitment to walking forward together, Spirit-led.

Four people from each diocese, lay and ordained, comprise the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission.

Serving from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts are the Rev. Nathaniel Anderson, St. John’s Church, Williamstown, Co-Chair; the Rev. Heather Blais, St. James and St. Andrew’s, Greenfield; Trudy Weaver Miller, Christ Church, Sheffield; and Mark Rogers, Church of the Reconciliation, Webster; with the Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary, staff liaison.

Serving from the Diocese of Massachusetts are Claudette Hunt, St. Andrew’s Church, Ayer, Co-Chair; the Rev. Julie Carson, St. Andrew’s Church, Framingham; the Hon. Judith Dilday, St. Cyprian’s Church, Roxbury; and the Rev. Pam Werntz, Emmanuel Church, Boston; with the Rev. Canon William Clay Parnell, Canon to the Ordinary, staff liaison.

Exploring Common Mission Q&A:

From left: Claudette Hunt, St. Andrew's Church, Ayer; Judith Dilday, St. Cyprian's Church, Roxbury; and The Rev. Pam Werntz, Emmanuel Church, Boston Courtesy photos

As the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission continues its conversations about what two neighbor dioceses might do better together than apart, three task force members from the Diocese of Massachusetts recently took time to share their thoughts, via an e-mail exchange, on first fruits of their discernment, why it’s important to do and why now.

As a task force explores opportunities for common mission between the Episcopal dioceses in the Commonwealth, a separate group is beginning work within the Diocese of Massachusetts to take a look at collaborations here—those that are already happening and new ones called for by changed and changing ministry circumstances.

Bishop Alan M. Gates asked for the creation of this Collaborative Ministries Working Group at last November’s Diocesan Convention, noting in his annual address the need for more and new models for collaborative ministry within the diocese given the increasing number of congregations served by part-time clergy and of bi-vocational clergy who work both church and secular jobs.

Collaborative ministry needs and opportunities already have been the topic of conversation for some time among individual congregations, in deaneries, with the regional canons in their work with clergy in transition and congregations, and within diocesan commissions and committees involved with diocesan mission strategy, the ordination process, and clergy compensation and benefits, among others.

“We find ourselves at a crucial moment to seize this energy,” Gates said to the convention, and the Collaborative Ministries Working Group’s task will be “to consolidate these conversations and move them forward in a more structured and coordinated way.”

The group is to report back to the Diocesan Convention this November.

Among the initial core group of organizers are the Rev. Canon Kelly O’Connell, the regional canon for the churches in the diocese’s Southern Region, and the Rev. Megan Holding, Episcopal chaplain at Northeastern University and Boston College and a member of the diocesan Compensation and Benefits Committee.

“It’s almost like the cogs in old machines, all these conversations are happening, here and over there, and—I feel this way a lot in the church—sometimes they touch and push each other forward, and there are times when cogs don’t interact at all,” Holding said in a joint interview with O’Connell.

The first step, Holding said, is to “just try and get our conversations in conversation with each other.”

O’Connell and Holding described the work ahead as both challenging and hopeful.

“As the church moves forward into whatever God is calling us to do and to be, we have to have these conversations and be flexible in how we do things. It calls us to creativity, I think. So I see this work as really transformational in the long term,” O’Connell said.

The bishops of the Episcopal dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts issued on March 23 the following declaration of a climate emergency, with suggested resources and actions. The declaration is available in Spanish here.

Dear People of the Dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts,

With the advent of spring, our thoughts turn with renewed gratitude to the great gift of God’s creation. “For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

Our thoughts turn also to the devastation of that created order which continues to unfold around us. With the prophet we ask, “How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who live in it the animals and the birds are swept away.” (Jeremiah 12:4)

Each year on Ash Wednesday we offer the Litany of Penitence, decrying “our self-indulgent appetites and ways, … our waste and pollution of (God’s) creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us.” (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 268) In our stewardship of God’s creation, we are thus called into the fullness of gratitude, repentance and amendment of our lives.

What follows is a Declaration of Climate Emergency by your bishops. We urge you to read it thoroughly, thoughtfully and prayerfully, receiving it as both challenge and invitation, and responding with commitment, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop Diocesan, Diocese of Western Massachusetts

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop Diocesan, Diocese of Massachusetts

The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Bishop Suffragan, Diocese of Massachusetts

May webinars scheduled for next steps in prayer, learning, action & advocacy: As additional next steps, webinars on four successive Wednesdays in May, each at 7 p.m., will focus on the individual planks of the bishops' declaration:

These interactive webinars, hosted by the Creation Care Justice Network, will include presentations, discussion and suggested actions. Register online here.

“Earth Sunday” sermon for use in congregations and more resources available: Additional resources for Earth Day, Faith Climate Action Week and Rogation Days, as well as a recorded video sermon by creation care advisor Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, are all available here.

For more information, contact the Rev. Lise Hildebrandt, Creation Care Justice Network (lise.hild@posteo.net) or Martha Gardner, Missioner for Networking and Formation (mgardner@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 403).

A mural memorializing George Floyd and other Black victims of police violence is displayed near the site in Minneapolis where Floyd died May 25 while being taken into police custody. Photo courtesy of Paul Lebens-Englund via Episcopal News Service

Episcopal leaders pray for victims of racism as ex-officer found guilty in killing of George Floyd: [Episcopal News Service] The presiding bishop and other Episcopal leaders called for prayer, justice and healing on April 20 as a jury in Minneapolis, Minn., found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts of murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. Chauvin’s bail was revoked while he awaits sentencing.

Much of the trial had centered on the eyewitness video that showed Chauvin, who is white, pressing his knee for more than nine minutes into the neck of Floyd, who was Black. Floyd’s death and the video of the killing sparked widespread national protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

Episcopalians and church leaders have joined in the calls over the past year for a reckoning with the racism embedded in American institutions after the killing of Floyd, 46, and other victims of violence by police and white vigilantes. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in a video message released before the Chauvin verdict, said the struggle for justice will continue.

“There is no celebration. Nothing will bring George Floyd back to his family or his community,” Curry said. “Please pray for the soul of George Floyd, for his family, and for everyone everywhere who has suffered because of the sin of racism and oppression.”

Read more here.

Episcopal Church releases racial audit of leadership, citing nine patterns of racism in church culture: [Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church publicly released a report on April 19 that assesses the racial makeup and perceptions of a broad sampling of the church’s leadership and summarizes how race influences internal church culture. The release of the 72-page report, nearly three years in the making, also sheds light on nine dominant patterns of racism that were identified during interviews with dozens of church leaders.

“This racial audit has attempted to magnify the voices of people of color in the church, while also maintaining a spotlight on the systems and structures created and maintained by the white dominant culture,” the Mission Institute, which conducted the audit, said in unveiling its findings. By putting those findings into their historical context, the institute concluded that “even though we have come far in addressing racism within the church, we still have a long way to go.” Read the full story here.

Find the full report, and information about informational webinars on May 11 and June 1 and 29 covering the audit's findings, here.

Building Bridges ministry brings veterans together for food, camaraderie: [Episcopal News Service] A community ministry of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, Building Bridges hosts regular lunches for veterans in towns around the diocese. The pandemic has shifted meals from sit-down comfort food to grab-and-go bags; it has not impacted the ministry’s planned expansion into the neighboring Diocese of Massachusetts and possibly New Hampshire. With all veterans eligible for the vaccine and a tent at the ready, the first eastern Massachusetts site should launch at Christ Church in Swansea next month.

The Diocese of Massachusetts missioner for networking and formation, Martha Gardner, is planning the debut with the Rev. Alan Hesse, rector, and Christ Church parishioner Dave McCarthy. McCarthy is a Vietnam veteran connected with the eastern Massachusetts veteran community, in part through Vet to Vet. Christ Church will invite veterans and their families to a Saturday morning breakfast prepared by parishioners.

Read the full story here. Find information about the May 1 breakfast in Swansea here.

“Evangelism Matters” online: This year’s churchwide "Evangelism Matters" conference launched April 12 as an audioconference, featuring podcast-style talks on the opportunities and challenges of evangelism today.

Registration has been extended to May 20 to receive the link to the podcast feed and an invitation to Zoom coffee hours in April and May, featuring Evangelism Matters 2021 presenters, including the Rev. Debbie Phillips of Grace Church in Salem, presenting on April 22. Conference planning team member Billy Boyce of Grace Church in New Bedford is among the virtual coffee hour hosts. Find details here.

Theology of Gratitude Scholars Conference calls for proposals: The United Thank Offering, along with the Diocese of Massachusetts and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, will host the second annual Theology of Gratitude Conference Oct. 15-17. The conference seeks to bring together scholars from a variety of fields to foster research on the theology of gratitude. Proposals and papers exploring connections that have not been widely discussed in contemporary scholarship are especially welcome.

Proposals are due by June 1 here. Find details and additional information about the conference at https://unitedthankoffering.com/conference/.

Calling all EYE-ers: The Episcopal Church Office of Youth Ministries is conducting an evaluation of the almost 40-year-old international triennial Episcopal Youth Event and the more recently added Evento de Jóvenes Episcopales. Since EYE2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, the churchwide youth ministries office is taking advantage of the pause to engage in a research project, with the goal of reaching as many former EYE/EJE participants (both youth and adults) to help tell the story and determine the future of this legacy event. Find the participation form, open through April, here.

Bishop Gates announces upcoming sabbatical leave: Bishop Alan M. Gates issued the following announcement on April 20 regarding his sabbatical leave, June 13-Oct. 11.

I am grateful to announce that the Standing Committee has approved plans for me to have an upcoming sabbatical leave. This summer marks seven years since my arrival to serve as bishop. I will be away from June 13 through Oct. 11, representing a three-month sabbatical, together with summer vacation.

Continuing pandemic concerns will likely prevent any ambitious plans for global pilgrimage or study travel, as had originally been imagined last year. Rather, I look forward to a time for deep rest, reading, reflection and re-creation–a sabbatical in the mode of true “sabbath renewal.”

During my absence, full oversight and leadership in the diocese will be taken up by our bishop suffragan, the Rt. Rev. Gayle Harris, who will work with all governing bodies and the staff of the diocese to assure continuity of episcopal guidance. I offer my thanks in advance to Bishop Harris, and to all those who will shoulder extra responsibilities to make my absence possible.

As it happens, the first day of this sabbatical–June 13–marks the beginning of my 35th year in ordained ministry. I am profoundly grateful to the Diocese of Massachusetts for the opportunity to mark this moment with a time for renewal and rededication. I hope that over these months you will hold me in your prayers; you will most surely be in mine.

Faithfully and fondly,

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates

Leadership transition announced at Barbara C. Harris Center: A leadership transition is underway at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, N.H.

The center’s board of directors announced on April 16 that longtime executive director John Koch will be leaving at the end of April to take a position at Bishop’s Ranch, a retreat and conference center in the Diocese of California.

“John has served at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center for more than 11 years with faithful leadership and good humor. We are very grateful for his many gifts that he shared with us and for all the knowledge, guidance and patience he has given to the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in both good times and tougher seasons. He will be greatly missed when he leaves on April 30,” the board's announcement said.

Bishop Alan M. Gates of the Diocese of Massachusetts offered his gratitude for Koch’s ministry of hospitality. “For over a decade we have been richly blessed by John Koch’s dedicated service at the Barbara C. Harris Center. John has provided a precious combination of three dimensions of leadership: keen knowledge and experience in the realm of facility management; deep interpersonal gifts for building a staff team and relating to all those who have been welcomed to both camp and conference center, from the Diocese of Massachusetts and beyond; and his own humble faith and grasp of how to reflect our Episcopal ethos in camp programming and stewardship. We will miss John deeply! We offer our undying gratitude, and our blessing upon his next chapter of service in California.”

Due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, an opportunity to offer appreciation for Koch and his ministry will be planned at a later date.

The center's board also announced that it has invited the Rev. Deacon Helen and Rick Hargreaves to serve jointly as interim directors, arriving before Koch’s departure to ensure a smooth transition. They have experience as executive directors of Camp Mitchell in Arkansas and as interim directors for both Sandscrest Conference and Retreat Center in West Virginia and Cathedral Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in Colorado.

“We are fortunate to have them help us through this time of transition and rebuilding as we begin our re-opening process following the pandemic closure,” the board said in its announcement. “With Helen and Rick in place, we will hold our summer family programs as planned, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center over the coming months.”

Prevented by the pandemic from hosting groups since March 2020, the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center announced in February its plans to re-open June 1 and to offer “Family Camp Weekends,” beginning in July, instead of traditional overnight summer camp this summer. Individual families or “neighborhood pods” will be able to have their own lodging and participate as a group in traditional camp activities. Visit https://bchcenter.org/familycamp for Family Camp Weekends information and registration.

“Healing from Internalized Oppression” retreat coming up April 23-24: The Episcopal Church Office of Black Ministries is offering an online retreat, “Healing from Internalized Oppression,” open to all people of color, clergy and lay, in the Diocese of Massachusetts. It will take place Friday, April 23, 6-9 p.m., and Saturday, April 24,

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The retreat is being offered in collaboration with the seven historically Black churches in the diocese, the diocesan Office of the Canon for Immigration and Multicultural Ministries and the Racial Justice Commission. This virtual training is a healing experience curated for and by Black and Indigenous People of Color to explore, engage and heal from racial traumas perpetuated by and within the community.

Participants will learn about the need to overcome shame and speak bravely and boldly about harm and healing in the pursuit of unity in Christ. Register online here. An event flier to help share word of the retreat is posted here.

For more information, contact the Rev. Canon Dr. Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa, Canon for Immigration and Multicultural Ministries (jbntagengwa@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 400).

Life Together searches for next cohort of fellows to begin in August: The Life Together young adult service corps program in the diocese is currently recruiting for its next cohort of fellows, and, after what has been, for many, a year of isolation, living in intentional community with other people may be exactly what some need.

Life Together fellows and staff came together in October 2020 for their yearly apple picking outing, adding masks this year for protection from COVID-19. Courtesy photo via Facebook

Life Together fellowships give young adults ages 21-32 the opportunity to live together in intentional community and work at site placements to discern vocations in ministry, nonprofit management and education. Due to the pandemic, fellows this past year have spent even more time together than usual, something that ended up being a blessing in many ways, according to the new associate director of training and recruitment for Life Together, Jocelyn Collen.

“In these times, all of our fellows except one have been working from home, and so they spend all their time together and they really have been able to rely on each other for all kinds of things,” Collen said in a recent interview. “It’s not just roommates; they’re building something. They’re living and working together by the pandemic, not by design. They’ve done a great job of supporting each other through some really hard things, and they’ve been so grateful to have company.”

Life Together hopes to have its next cohort of fellows selected and accepted by mid-June, in order to begin the new program year together in mid-August with an orientation. Collen emphasized the hope that the program will be able to return to having more in-person aspects.

“We hope that this next year will be different, but we’re equipped and we can have another full year remotely if we need to,” Collen said. Either way, she said, "we can have a meaningful year, with fellows working with many meaningful organizations.”

In addition to working at their site placements, Life Together fellows engage together in spiritual practices, social justice and leadership training and community building. In recruiting for new fellows, Collen said, the program is looking to form an eclectic community with all kinds of gifts and graces from all different kinds of people--with or without a college degree, Episcopalian or without any faith tradition at all.

“Our fellows pray and worship together, so we are just asking people to be open to spirituality in whatever form that means something to them, and to be open to exploring other forms,” Collen said.

“We don’t have the ideal candidate because we want to be as inclusive as possible geographically, racially, ethnically, sexual orientation. Our community is committed to being queer, trans and non-binary affirming and also to dismantling white supremacy,” Collen said. “So in order to do this really hard work, we need to have people from all over the place with all different stories and all different backgrounds to come together.”

Collen is happy to talk to anyone who has questions about the program or who might be interested to any degree, she said. “I’m excited to see who we find,” Collen said. Read full story here.

Interested applicants can apply to Life Together or one of its sibling Episcopal Service Corps programs across the country here. Life Together applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the August 2021 cohort has been selected. Hear directly from current Life Together fellows in their reflections over the past year here.

"Alive in the Spirit" Morning Retreat: Jesus calls us to fullness of life (John 10:10), yet many of us feel anything but fully alive–we may feel melancholy, distracted, anxious or numb. This June 12 morning retreat via Zoom will explore ways of prayer that make us available to the healing and enlivening power of the Spirit. The first part of the retreat will focus on our inner lives; the second part will focus on how our outer lives can create the conditions for experiencing what Joseph Campbell called “the rapture of being alive.” The time together will include presentations and guided meditation, with options for solitary reflection and small group conversation.

This retreat will be led by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas for the people of both Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts. Register online here.

RIP: Activist and priest Brian Scott Kelley: The Rev. Brian Scott Kelley, an Episcopal priest, poet, civil rights activist and compassionate advocate for the marginalized and vulnerable, died in Concord on April 6. He was 92 years old. In Kelley’s obituary, the Very Rev. Jep Streit, former dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, where Kelley was a member of the clergy and canon for social action, said, “Brian’s central belief was that God calls us out of our pews and into partnerships to respond to the needs of the world.”

After graduating from the Episcopal Divinity School in 1957, Kelley served in the Diocese of Quebec and was ordained there. In 1960, he and his wife, Sara, returned to Massachusetts, where he was rector at St. John’s Church in Charlestown.

While at Episcopal Divinity School, Kelley had become involved with efforts to challenge the conscience of the church with respect to social and racial inequality; upon his return to Massachusetts, he became active in the Civil Rights Movement and joined the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity. Among other actions, in 1962, Kelley traveled to Albany, Ga., to join the “Albany Movement,” marching with protesters and bearing witness in the courtroom during the trial of Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy.

Troubled by the plight of Boston’s ever-increasing population of homeless and disenfranchised individuals, Kelley created Social Action Ministries, an interfaith organization dedicated to serving the needs of the city’s most vulnerable.

“No one did more in Boston in his era to move us all–politicians, state workers, advocates, people of faith, religious institutions–to a wider view of the poorest and our responsibilities to them,” said Philip Mangano, who worked with Kelley at Social Action Ministries, now known the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA). “That long history he had in the Civil Rights Movement, informed by his resilient faith, served him well in his interactions with mayors and public officials, seeking their support on behalf of the most vulnerable. Speeding around Boston on his throwback Raleigh bicycle, meeting with any who asked and working to create impactful initiatives, he was a hero to many, including myself, and—as priest and canon—a symbol of God’s grace to thousands more.” Read more here.

Easter Day 2021: Congregations safely celebrated Easter Day on Sunday, April 4 in a variety of ways and locations including (top, from left): Church of Our Redeemer, Lexington; Grace Church, Medford; Church of the Good Shepherd, Reading; (middle, from left): St. John's Church, Charlestown; St. Stephen's Church, Cohasset; Emmanuel Church, Wakefield; and (bottom, from left): St. Anne's in-the-Fields Church, Lincoln; St. Andrew's Church, Framingham; and Trinity Church, Boston. Photos courtesy of parish newsletters and Facebook

Congregations "go seeking" with Easter boxing activity: Congregations around the diocese are participating in an "Easter boxing" activity featured in a recent diocesan news article. Photos courtesy of Easter boxing website

Inspired by geocaching, congregations that wished to participate were asked to decorate a wooden egg and hide it in an accessible place outside on the church property in a weather-safe box—along with a logbook and other items, such as Easter Scripture, stickers to take and information about the church. Clues were posted on a central website on Easter Day and for the six weeks of the Easter season, participating congregations are maintaining their boxes. Anyone can use the website to visit those churches and search for eggs.

One of the participating congregations is Grace Church in Newton, which saw the activity as a way to safely connect with the rest of the diocesan community, according to Rowan Larson, the minister of Christian formation and parish administrator at Grace Church.

"I wanted to participate in the Easter boxing egg hunt because it's a way to remind our parishioners that there are other churches who are part of our wider Episcopal community in Massachusetts, and this was a low-stakes way to be a part of that wider community," Larson said in an e-mail.

Another congregation participating is Trinity Church in Stoughton, whose clue on the Easter boxing website reads:

Heather Belden's two sons–young members of Trinity Church in Stoughton–find an egg while participating in the Easter boxing activity. Courtesy photo

Heather Belden and her two sons–age four and seven–are members of Trinity Church and have been enjoying the opportunity to get out and about and enjoy some seeking around the diocese.

"In a year that has at times been overshadowed by quarantines and stories of what we can't participate in, what a fun change of pace to be out and about," Belden said in an e-mail. "We love the feeling of excitement when first reading a clue, the anticipation and speculation of what could be as we drive to far-off locations and the rush of joy that comes with finding.

"Thank you for helping us remember that Easter is not one day, and that the experience from start to finish, the journey of seeking, is meaningful. One clue so far was quite tricky and we laughed at how puzzled we were. The finding proved all the more rewarding after our struggles. What a great lesson for my boys," Belden said.

Church of the Messiah, Woods Hole celebrates successful capital campaign: The Church of the Messiah, the oldest Episcopal parish on Cape Cod, has successfully raised more than $2.7 million during its capital campaign to transform its First Church structure, built in 1852, into a new, modern and welcoming Parish and Community Center, the church announced in an April 12 news release.

During the four and a half years of the campaign, 354 individuals, families and foundations contributed money and pledges, providing the funds necessary to renovate the First Church into a community center and the administrative offices for the church. Handicapped-accessible pathways between the new center and the Stone Church will be installed this summer.

"We are deeply grateful to all those individuals, families and foundations that supported the campaign and have made possible this splendid new community and parish resource,” the Rev. Deborah Warner, the rector of the Church of the Messiah, said in the news release. “The outpouring of support from Woods Hole as well as the greater Falmouth community has made clear our valued role as a village church and a resource for many organizations.”

The Fisher House, where the church’s community and administrative center was located for 50 years, was sold to a private homeowner in 2018, with the sale proceeds adding to the Church of the Messiah’s endowment fund.

“Selling Fisher House and replacing it with an energy efficient building has allowed us to reduce operating expenses,” Terry Soares, chair of the Building Committee, said in the release. “The change also made it possible to consolidate the Messiah campus on the same side of Church Street, beneficial as a safety measure and for activities involving both buildings such as weddings and funerals.”

The Parish and Community Center has been closed to public events during the pandemic, but it will be reopened as soon as possible, church leaders have said. The closure did facilitate making some final improvements, especially sound modifications to enhance the acoustics of the Woods Hole Room, the community space on the second floor. “We are excited to welcome again into this wonderful center the many community organizations and events as well as parish activities,” Warner said.

The Church of the Messiah is continuing to live-stream Sunday 10 a.m. services. Further information and a video featuring the new center are available at www.churchofthemessiahwoodshole.org.

Community vegetable garden soon to grow in Saugus: Plans are emerging to create a community vegetable garden on property owned by St. John's Church in Saugus, after the Rev. John Beach, priest-in-charge at St. John’s, met with local resident and agricultural expert, Laura Eisner.

"Inspired by [Eisner's] knowledge and love of the fruits of the earth, we called a small meeting of local residents to attend a Zoom meeting to consider how we might contribute to the reconstruction of our community after COVID," Beach said in a news release. "What emerged was the vision of establishing a community vegetable garden on property owned by St. John’s Episcopal Church."

The church has designated a quarter-acre plot which is well suited for growing, and several members of the Saugus Garden Club have offered their expertise. Local residents have also been contributing financially to the project for the purchase of seeds, mulch, fertilizer and equipment.

"The fruits (pun intended) of the garden is twofold," said Beach in the release. "First, it will provide local fresh produce to those who are financially vulnerable. Second it provides an opportunity for the citizens of the town to become a community again in an outdoor activity which provides for physical distancing."

Old North Church remembers Prince Philip: Upon news of the death on April 9 of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Old North Church in Boston posted photos and coverage from the 1976 visit that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip made to Boston for the bicentennial. They attended a special service at Old North, during which Prince Philip read the Scripture lesson from Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes. Old North posted a photo of the Boston Globe's coverage on Facebook (see below) and posted additional photos here.

Boston Globe: As pandemic fears subside, congregations celebrating Passover and Easter reflect on hope: As the pandemic again prevented most Jewish and Christian communities from observing Passover and Easter in person, joyful celebrations continued, infused with the sense of hope exemplified by both holidays—and by the progress toward ending the pandemic.

Though faith leaders’ Easter and Passover messages largely focused on the pandemic’s end, the coronavirus’s ongoing costs and dangers still permeated the holidays. Currently, state guidelines allow indoor religious services to proceed with up to half of a building’s maximum occupancy, or up to 10 occupants per 1,000 square feet. Many congregations continue to skip in-person services altogether.

COVID-19 also prevented the multigenerational family gatherings that usually mark both holidays, Passover in particular. The holidays reminded many families of loved ones lost to the pandemic—a grief that several religious leaders acknowledged in special services and memorials over the weekend.

Some congregations reflected on other forms of loss that have accumulated in the past year, which for many communities has been marked by sharp rises in unemployment and poverty, heightened racial violence against Asian and Black Americans and political turmoil.

At St. Luke’s-San Lucas Church in Chelsea, Father Edgar Gutiérrez-Duarte’s bilingual and multicultural congregation has long discussed these issues. Easter Sunday will be no different, he said.

“The whole message of the three [Easter holy] days can be resolved in one: love,” he said.

Love right now means adhering to public health guidelines, caring for those who are vulnerable to sickness or in need, and speaking out against hatred and racist scapegoating, Gutiérrez-Duarte said. Read more here.

NBC Boston: On sunny Sunday, outdoor church services a big hit for pandemic Easter across New England: The Easter and Passover holidays were accompanied by more relaxed restrictions on houses of worship and gatherings in New England, along with worries about the spread of COVID-19.

To ensure everyone's safety, outdoor services were a huge hit at churches across the region this Easter Sunday, including at Grace Church in Norwood. The church offered services outside in the parking lot at 10 a.m. -- and it was also streamed live on Facebook. Watch the video here.

BBC World Service "Witness History": When the prisoners ran the prison: The BBC World Service’s “Witness History” program on March 30 featured the Rev. Canon Edward W. Rodman in its segment recalling the three months in 1973 when prisoners took charge at the maximum security prison in Walpole after guards went on strike when outside observers were brought into the prison amidst growing disquiet over dire prison conditions. Rodman was among the organizers of the outside observer effort. Listen here.

Apr 22: Children's Formation Online Gathering, 3:30pm

Apr 23-24: "Healing from Internalized Oppression" Retreat

Apr 24: Diocesan Altar Guild Annual Meeting, livestream from Christ Church, Plymouth, 10:00am

Apr 25: Bishop Gates visits Christ Church in Waltham

Apr 27: Online Finance Forum for Congregational Leaders, 5:30pm

Apr 28: Practical Aspects of Congregational Leadership: Congregational Audits, 9:00am

May 1: Veterans Breakfast, Christ Church, Swansea, 8:30am

May 1: Practical Aspects of Congregational Leadership: Congregational Audits, 9:00am

May 2: Bishop Gates visits St. Andrew's Church in Framingham

May 5: Creation Care Webinar: "Pray," 7:00pm

May 9: Bishop Gates visits St. Stephen's Memorial Church in Lynn

May 12: Creation Care Webinar: "Learn," 7:00pm

May 13: Children's Formation Online Gathering, 3:30pm

May 16: Bishop Harris visits the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Duxbury

May 16: Bishop Gates visits St. Martin's Church in New Bedford

May 16: "Facing Our Racism: Becoming Conscious Partners" Workshop, 12:00pm

May 19: Creation Care Webinar: "Act," 7:00pm

May 20: Diocesan Council Meeting via Zoom, 6:00pm

May 23: Bishop Harris visits St. Paul's Church in Natick

May 23: Bishop Gates visits the Church of Our Saviour in Somerset

May 25: Online Finance Forum for Congregational Leaders, 5:30pm

May 26: Creation Care Webinar: "Advocate," 7:00pm

May 30: Bishop Harris visits St. Barnabas's Church in Falmouth

May 30: Bishop Gates visits St. Christopher's Church in Chatham

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