Presiding Bishop Curry joins Old North Church for 300th anniversary celebration shining new light on old history |
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry greets Lexington Minutemen re-enactors following the Lantern Service celebrating the 300th anniversary of Old North Church in Boston.
Photo: Matthew Cavanaugh
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Amidst the Patriots' Day holiday weekend in full swing in a city crowding up with tens of thousands of visitors on the eve of the Boston Marathon, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry came to Boston to celebrate Old North Church's 300th year. He preached rousing "God is love!" messages at two April 16 services that were as much about reckoning and recommitment as they were remembrance, and which sought to shine new light on the ideals of liberty and justice for all.
Old North--established in 1723 as Christ Church and whose colloquial name comes from its location in Boston's North End--is the city's oldest standing church building and famous for its role in the start of the American Revolution.
On the night of April 18, 1775, Old North's sexton, Robert Newman, and vestry member Captain John Pulling Jr. shined the "two-if-by-sea" lanterns from the church's steeple as the signal from Paul Revere that the British army was advancing by the Charles River toward Lexington and Concord, where opening battles of the American Revolution erupted the following day.
Old North is now a national historic landmark that receives some 500,000 visitors a year as well as an active Episcopal congregation.
"Good morning, Christ Church, good morning, Old North Church! And not only good morning, but happy birthday! Rumor has it you're 300 years old, but you don't look a day over 16," Presiding Bishop Curry quipped at the Sunday morning service, where, from Old North's distinctive raised pulpit, he preached from John 20 about what belief means when it's understood to be about "beloving" and giving one's heart.
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Curry was also the keynote speaker at the evening's Lantern Service, during which he received the Third Lantern Award, given each year in recognition of "illuminating leadership."
Old North's Lantern Service has been an annual tradition since 1875. This year, readings highlighting significant moments in Old North's history were broadened to include reflection on lesser-known and less-recited revelations about slavery and the experiences of Black and Indigenous people, enslaved and free, at Old North.
In an impassioned keynote address about transformational possibility through love of God and neighbor, Curry thanked the Old North community for showing "the courage to face the pain, the courage to face the wrong and the courage to lift up the good--to tell the whole story." The truth will set you free, he said, "so thank you, Old North, for being a model of what we can be in church, in country and world, until the truth sets all of God's children free."
"Even in this time we are very often the seeds that God is seeking to plant that may one day grow into something greater than we ever envisioned," Curry said.
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Old North vestry members Anne Sheetz and Nyasha Toyloy carry lanterns to the steeple tower for the symbolic re-lighting of the signal lamps. Photo: Matthew Cavanaugh
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"Meditations of the Heart" with Presiding Bishop Curry
While in Boston for Old North's 300th anniversary celebration, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry also visited the Epiphany School in Dorchester, which is celebrating its 25th year; spent a Saturday morning with youth from across the diocese gathered at St. Cyprian's Church ( where he also blessed a newly refurbished panorama of stained glass windows depicting a host of important figures from Black history); and met on Saturday afternoon with young adults in their 20s and 30s for a Q&A session at Boston University.
Click on the accompanying images to view photo galleries from the diocesan youth and young adult events.
Photos: Bethany Versoy
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All children are sacred at Epiphany School in Dorchester, celebrating its 25th year |
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Pictured from left: Anaya, Asante, Jordan and Ezikiel learn about God’s creatures with their teacher, Camila, an Epiphany School graduate from 2005.
Epiphany School courtesy photo via Episcopal News Service
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[Episcopal News Service]: In 1998, a group of educators, activists and philanthropists came together and set what the Rev. John H. Finley IV called an “audacious goal” to create an independent Episcopal school that would put the needs of disadvantaged children first. Together, they founded the Epiphany School, where its guiding belief would be that “every child is sacred,” said Finley.
Finley has served as Epiphany’s head of school since its beginning with a scattering of classrooms housed in several churches of the diocese until enough money was raised for its own building in 2001. Today, Epiphany has a campus in Dorchester that welcomes some 60 early learners, 90 middle school students and dozens of graduates every day in its graduate support center.
“The school has thrived because it represents not only the provision of good education, but an affirmation, nurturing and equipping of the whole person to grow into their God-given potential as a child of God,” Diocese of Massachusetts Bishop Alan M. Gates said of Epiphany’s quarter-century transformation.
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Diocesan community invited to May 27 new ministry celebration with new assistant bishop: A celebration of the new ministry of Bishop Carol J. Gallagher as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Massachusetts is being planned for Saturday, May 27 at 3 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan. All are invited to join the celebration! Save the date and watch for more details soon.
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Bishop Gallagher, above right with Bishop Gates, preached the sermon at the annual Renewal of Ordination Vows and Blessing of Holy Oil Service on Holy Tuesday at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston--her first in her new role as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Photo: Tracy J. Sukraw
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27th annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace aims to raise $600,000 to "cultivate cycles of peace in our communities": Episcopal churches and the Diocese of Massachusetts, through the B-PEACE campaign of past years, have had a strong presence at this annual pledge walk since 2013, in support of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
This year's walk, under the theme "Cultivating Cycles of Peace," takes place on Sunday, May 14, with an 8 a.m. opening ceremony at Town Field Park in Dorchester. Bishop Alan M. Gates will be on hand to greet walkers as they step off for the 4.3-mile walk, whose route loops back to the park for a 10 a.m. closing rally.
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Registration is open for summer camp season at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, N.H.: Families of all configurations can enjoy an extra-long weekend of activities, worship and family-oriented fellowship during the June 30-July 5 Family Camp session. The summer schedule also includes four week-long youth Overnight Camp sessions, running from July 9 through Aug. 4, for those completing 3rd through 12th grades.
Part of the mission at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center is that no child or family be unable to participate in camp due to financial need; camperships are available for those who need them. For details and registration, visit bchcenter.org/bchcamp. |
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Life Together young adult service corps program invites community connections this spring: Know a young adult who cares about social justice, longs to explore spiritual life and wants to live in community with other young adults? Fellowships are still available with Life Together, providing housing in Boston, a cost-of-living stipend and a monthly transportation pass, among other benefits. If Life Together isn’t the right fit, the Episcopal Service Corps offers nine affiliated programs across the country.
Two occasions to connect with the Life Together community are coming up, and all are welcome.
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An August 2022 Life Together celebration at St. Mark's Church in Dorchester, whose rectory houses Life Together fellows. Courtesy photo
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The Dorchester Community Resource Fair, co-hosted by St. Mark's Church in Dorchester and Life Together, will be held on April 29, 1-4 p.m., on the front lawn of the church, at 73 Columbia Road in Dorchester. Promising live music and delicious food, the Community Resource Fair will bring together a variety of local organizations to provide information and services to the entire neighborhood. Information is available from Life Together fellows Margaret Walker and Sandra Soto at st.marks_lt@diomassintern.org.
Life Together's annual "Walking in the Light" fundraiser on May 19, 5-7 p.m., at Christ Church in Cambridge brings together fellows, staff, alumni and supporters for a festive evening of inspirational stories, music, a silent auction and more. The event is the culmination of Life Together's efforts this spring to raise $30,000 in individual and parish gifts to support prayerful and prophetic young leaders. For details and tickets, visit www.lifetogethercommunity.org/contribute. |
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Debie Thomas
Courtesy photo
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"Answering the Provocative Call: To Desire, Love and Enfold Our Differences": Sign up by April 21 for this day of reflection and renewal on Saturday, April 29, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., hosted at the Church of Our Saviour in Brookline and offered for all by the diocesan Racial Justice Commission.
Everyone is welcome to come be inspired in community, with reflections led by Debie Thomas, author of Into the Mess and Other Jesus Stories. There will also be time for silence, shared reflections, prayer and a meal together.
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The Racial Justice Commission's BIPOC Support Subcommittee is organizing this event and emphasizes that the day is for the entire diocesan community as an opportunity to "nourish your imagination and hope for living into the provocative call to love" and "to be renewed for the journey toward justice and joy this Easter." |
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VT's Canon Brownridge to speak at Pan-African Conference in May: The diocesan Office of Immigration and Multicultural Ministries and African Clergy Caucus will hold their second Pan-African Conference on Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan. All are welcome; no advance registration is required.
The guest speaker will be the Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation in the Diocese of Vermont.
Questions may be directed to the Rev. Canon Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa, Canon for Immigration and Multicultural Ministries, at jbntagengwa@diomass.org. |
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Barbara C. Harris Hymn Sing in the works for June 11: The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston invites all to mark their calendars and share the invitation for the first hoped-to-be-annual Barbara C. Harris Hymn Sing on Sunday, June 11 at 4 p.m. (the eve of her birthday).
The event will bring together musicians and choristers from around the diocese, celebrate the legacy of this beloved bishop and raise funds for the cathedral. More details are promised soon.
Pictured: Bishop Barbara C. Harris's 2018 memoir, Hallelujah, Anyhow!
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Churchwide "It's All About Love" festival set for July in Baltimore: An Episcopal Church “It’s All About Love” festival of worship, learning, community and action is being organized for Sunday, July 9 through Wednesday, July 12 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Three festival “tents”—devoted to evangelism, creation care and racial reconciliation—will each offer an evening revival worship service and major plenary speaker, plus dozens of daytime workshops, panels, practice opportunities and other ways to engage. Participants can stick with one tent or explore across the tents, following the themes of worship and liturgy, formation, justice and advocacy, leadership, preaching, stewardship, youth and children. Find festival information at www.episcopalchurch.org/ its-all-about-love. Registration by May 8 qualifies for an early-bird rate. |
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New statue honoring Good Shepherd, Dedham's William Gould to be unveiled May 28: Nearly two years ago, Dedham renamed a public park after William B. Gould, and now, a bronze statue of him is to be unveiled there this Memorial Day weekend, marking the 100th anniversary of his death.
"By any standard, William B. Gould lived an extraordinary life," according to a parish account. "Born into slavery in 1837, he escaped by rowing a small boat 28 nautical miles down the Cape Fear River in the middle of the night. Once reaching the Atlantic Ocean, he was rescued by the USS Cambridge. A few days later, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for the rest of the war on several ships, chasing the Confederate Navy across the Atlantic and taking part in the capture of their ships.
"After the war, William settled in Dedham where he raised a family of eight children, including six sons who served in later wars" and where he "quickly became a respected civic and business leader.
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Great-grandson William B. Gould IV (left), pictured at the 2021 park renaming with former Good Shepherd rector, the Rev. Noble Scheepers. Courtesy photo
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"At a time when there was only two Black families in town, he won important commissions as a tradesman, was elected by his brothers-in-arms as the commander of the local veterans association and was a founder of the Church of the Good Shepherd. A pew in the church is dedicated to William and his wife, Cornelia, who was purchased out of slavery a few years before his daring escape."
Good Shepherd's current rector, the Rev. Chitral De Mel, will be on hand to bless the new statue, which will be unveiled by Gould's great-great-great grandchildren. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony, which takes place on Sunday, May 28 at 1 p.m. at Gould Park, 34 Milton Street, in East Dedham.
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On Wednesday, May 3, walkers are invited to arrive at the church anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. and use the labyrinth to focus on one's interconnectedness with the earth and all of God's creation, and as an exercise for releasing despair about the climate crisis. Goodwill donations will benefit the church's Creation Care Ministry.
Then, on Saturday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., local chef and culinary innovator Andrew Wilkinson will give a presentation on the virtues of nutrient-rich kelp and serve a three-course tasting menu featuring "Seaweed-ish 'Meatballs'"; a sea veggie burger with kelp chips; and "flexitarian" salmon kelp cake over pimento cheese slaw. Register by April 28 at https://adventmedfield.org/kelp. |
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Episcopal News Service: Massachusetts churches have housed Afghan families for over a year as city unites in supporting new neighbors: Several churches in Newburyport have opened their doors since 2021 to welcome and house some of the more than 70,000 Afghans who fled to the United States from their home country after the Taliban took control there. At least five Afghan families now call Newburyport home, and three of those families have lived more than a year in makeshift housing created for them at two churches, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Though the goal has been to find more suitable permanent accommodations for those families, their temporary homes in the church facilities have lasted much longer than expected because of a shortage of housing options in and around Newburyport, a coastal community of about 18,000 near the New Hampshire state line. Housing large families has been a particularly difficult challenge. Read more.
Boston Faith & Justice Network "Let's Talk Faith & Justice" podcast: Boston Faith & Justice Network's March 22 podcast talks with CRECHE, the Charles River Episcopal Co-Housing Endeavor, about housing justice and ways that congregations can get involved in addressing housing scarcity, gentrification and community displacement. CRECHE creates and supports a network of mixed-income, intergenerational co-housing communities. Listen here.
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Apr 20: Clergy Professional Development Day: Workshop with The Samaritans, via Zoom, 5:30pm
Apr 20: Diocesan Council Meeting, All Saints' Church, Attleboro, 6:00pm
Apr 23: Bishop Gallagher visits Emmanuel Church in Wakefield
Apr 23: Bishop Gates visits St. Andrew's Church in Ayer
Apr 26: Installation of The Rev. Michael Bousquet at St. John’s Church, Westwood, 6:00pm
Apr 29: "Answering the Provocative Call" Day of Reflection & Renewal with Author Debie Thomas, Church of Our Saviour, Brookline, 9:30am
Apr 29: Confirmation Service at All Saints' Church, Chelmsford, 10:30am
Apr 29: Dorchester Community Resource Fair, St. Mark's Church, Dorchester, 1:00pm
Apr 30: Bishop Gallagher visits St. Mark's Church in Foxborough
Apr 30: 40th Anniversary Celebration of Music Ministry of Pat Michaels, St. James's Church, Cambridge, 10:30am
Apr 30: "Reparations in the Episcopal Province of New England," via Zoom, 3:00pm
May 1-2: Annual Diocesan Clergy Conference, Devens Common Center, Devens
May 2: Race, Church, and Healing Affinity Groups, via Zoom, 6:00pm
May 5: "Invented Before You Were Born" Film Screening, Christ Church, Cambridge, 7:00pm
May 6: Confirmation Service, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:30am
May 6: Diocesan Altar Guild Annual Meeting, St. John's Church, Westwood, 11:00am
May 7: Bishop Gates visits Trinity Church in Marshfield
May 9: Race, Church, and Healing Workshop Session 5, via Zoom, 6:00pm
May 11: TENS Stewardship Training Webinar, 6:30pm
May 14: Bishop Gallagher visits St. Paul's Church in Lynnfield
May 14: Mother's Day Walk for Peace, Town Field Park, Dorchester, 8:00am
May 15: Lay Preachers Gathering, via Zoom, 7:00pm
May 16: Race, Church, and Healing Affinity Groups, via Zoom, 6:00pm
May 16: Education for Ministry Graduates Gathering, via Zoom, 7:00pm
May 18: Clergy Professional Development Day: Workshop with The Samaritans, St. Andrew's Church, Marblehead, 9:00am
May 18: Clergy Professional Development Day: Safe Church Review, St. Andrew's Church, Marblehead, 1:00pm
May 18: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm
May 19: Life Together "Walking in the Light" Celebration, Christ Church, Cambridge, 5:00pm
May 20: Pan-African Conference, Church of the Holy Spirit, Mattapan, 10:00am
May 20: Confirmation Service at Church of the Good Shepherd, Wareham, 10:30am
May 21: Bishop Gallagher visits Trinity Church in Stoughton
May 21: Bishop Gates visits Grace Church in Vineyard Haven
May 23: Race, Church, and Healing Workshop Session 6, via Zoom, 6:00pm
May 27: Confirmation Service at Christ Church, Quincy, 10:30am
May 27: Celebration of New Ministry of Assistant Bishop Carol J. Gallagher, Church of the Holy Spirit, Mattapan, 3:00pm
May 28: Bishop Gates visits St. Mary's Church in Rockport
May 30-Jun 2: "The Enneagram and Your Spiritual Journey," Adelynrood Retreat and Conference Center, Byfield
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