 |
|
Stay connected with our diocesan community:
|
|
|
|
|
"On this eternal morn":
A Christmas message from Bishop Alan M. Gates
Photo: Walter Chavez on Unsplash
In a blessed stable a picture is seen.
Parents, Jesus there.
An ass looking on, an ox beaming
at the best hay of the year. ...
Yet in this joy is sensed a shadow,
an intimation of loss.
A ghostly fear of a dark tomorrow
with thorns and a heavy cross.
But now the heav'ns spin fast around,
it's jubilation day.
Infinity's ears are whipped by sound,
would this day so stay.
Hodie Christus natus est.
The holy child is born.
In his love [our] hope does rest
On this eternal morn.
~ Robert Tear, 1939-2011
Among all the Christmas hymnody and verse, I often find most affecting that poetry which recognizes a link between Jesus' birth and his Passion.
That link was there from the earliest moments, of course. At the presentation of the infant child Jesus in the temple, as Simeon sings his song of rejoicing and blesses the holy family, he utters also that foreboding word to Mary: "A sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:35)
We are apt, however, to think of the Nativity and the Passion as wholly separate events, preferring to keep our Christmas purely in the realm of light and good cheer. Even John the Baptist, whose challenging presence and prophetic words are so prominent in Advent, is thoroughly banished from our holiday mindset, finding no pride of place in Christmas card or tree.
Still, these two foundational feasts of our faith are inextricably linked. At Christmas the ordeal of a dispossessed couple and the stunned fear of hillside shepherds gives way to unimagined joy: a quiet birth is declared to be of cosmic significance. At Easter the anguish of grieving friends and the stunned fear of the disciples gives way to unimaginable hope: the spark of a quiet rebirth is declared yet again to be of eternal weight and glory.
I am richly blessed by our Christmas observance--by joyous carol services, by the warmth of family gathering and by the message of Emmanuel: God with us. I am the more blessed in knowing that this newborn child has come not only to take on life, but to conquer death. Love Incarnate will do that. When, three years ago, my father died on Christmas Eve, the message of that night could not have been more certain.
'Hodie Christus natus est.' The holy child is born. In his love our hope does rest on this eternal morn.
The achingly joyous moments of our lives are part of the same journey that includes our deepest fears and sorrows. God has joined heaven and earth by this Child, and so are we promised God's abiding presence, from birth to death, and beyond.
Christmas blessings to you and yours.
|
|
Cathedral's MANNA ministry contributes to city's efforts to end homelessness
|
|
|
|
BACHome working at Boston City Hall.
Courtesy photo.
|
|
Every other Wednesday, a council made up of 13 people who are either currently homeless, or have been homeless in the past, meets at Boston City Hall. The group congregates in the lobby and, with plentiful amounts of pizza, salad, pastries and coffee, heads upstairs to gather with representatives from different city departments, as well as other guests, to discuss issues faced by people experiencing homelessness and to find possible ways to help end homelessness in Boston.
This unique group is called BACHome, which stands for Boston Advisory Council on Ending Homelessness. This official council exists because of the MANNA (Many Angels Needed Now and Always) ministry of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Led by the Rev. Canon Cristina Rathbone and the homeless community with which she works, MANNA has existed for eight out of the 10 years that Rathbone has served at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.
The MANNA program has many different ministries within it, such as the Monday Lunch Program, Monday Eucharist, the Black Seed Writers Group and the MANNA Singers, as well as the Sunday morning "CoffeeKlatsch" meeting out of which the BACHome group was formed. The CoffeeKlatsch is known as the "political wing" of the MANNA community, according to the cathedral's website, and brings people together to discuss and find ways to advocate on behalf of the wider homeless community.
As part of this advocacy, a few years ago the group wrote to the mayor, and he sent Boston's chief of housing, Sheila Dillon, to come to a meeting. After attending meetings for some time, Dillon brought along her colleague Laila Bernstein who serves as advisor to Mayor Walsh for the Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness in the City of Boston. Dillon and Bernstein began regularly attending these CoffeeKlatsch meetings and bringing their colleagues to hear directly from people experiencing homelessness.
After two years of attending the meetings, Bernstein asked Rathbone if she would be willing to build and facilitate a formal Advisory Council on Ending Homelessness. Rathbone agreed and BACHome was born.
In a letter of gratitude written to Bishop Alan M. Gates, Bernstein wrote: "As a result of attending these [CoffeeKlatsch] meetings, my colleagues and I have gained a deeper perspective and renewed focus on meaningful ways to reform Boston's complex homeless response system. The MANNA Community at St. Paul's has created something no other faith group in Boston has achieved: a community that actively invites people experiencing homelessness to fully belong and create social justice by virtue of their communion."
|
|
Postulant for ordination seeks to bring light to those in darkness through military chaplaincy
|
|
|
Anna Page (center) with her MIT Army ROTC Wellesley peers during the invocation at their commissioning ceremony in May 2017.
Courtesy photo.
|
Anna Page is in her second year of postulancy for ordination in the Diocese of Massachusetts and her second year of seminary at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. Unlike most of her peers, however, Page is also a commissioned officer in the United States Army, serving in the Reserves while going through the ordination process, with plans to eventually serve on active duty as a military chaplain and an ordained Episcopal priest.
Page said, in an interview, that her initial and immediate understanding of her call to this ministry is "being a light for people in dark places and helping them become their best selves within that, wrestling with the reality of suffering, the reality of evil, but then also helping
them come into
the joy and the warmth that can be felt by living into a God of love."
Growing up in a faith tradition in which women were not permitted to hold ordained positions, Page left the church as a teenager in high school and then came back as an undergraduate at Wellesley College when she felt like something was missing in her life. She discovered the Episcopal Church.
|
|
Parish "Giving Trees" inspire generosity
Giving Trees (from left) at: Christ Church, Plymouth; St. Gabriel's Church, Marion; Emmanuel Church, Wakefield; St. James's Church, Amesbury; St. Anne's Church, Billerica; and Church of the Good Shepherd, Reading.
Courtesy photos.
In many parish halls and entryways this time of year sit decorated trees that serve as reminders to give to others this Christmas season and to keep in mind those less fortunate. Some are draped in socks, mittens, hats and scarves, looking like a festive coat rack. Others are hung with gift tags or ornaments that disappear on a Sunday morning only to be returned in the following weeks with an accompanying gift or two for someone in need.
Emmanuel Church in Wakefield donated a total of $2,163.50 worth of gifts this year to an organization in Malden called Housing Families, Inc. which works to end family homelessness in Massachusetts. Emmanuel Church's junior warden Lynn Peterson said in an e-mail "Activities like sponsoring a Giving Tree give us pause in our holiday preparations to reflect on the fact that there are children who do not have a place to call home."
|
|
NewsNotes
Light through the ages:
Central Reform Temple hosted its annual Chanukah celebration at Emmanuel Church in Boston on Sunday, Dec. 2 and invited leaders of local churches to light the candles on the menorah, including Dean Amy McCreath of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (center), pictured with the Rev. Tamra Tucker (left) and the Rev. Bob Greiner (right).
Courtesy photo via Facebook.
|
Ministry Discernment Conference: The annual Ministry Discernment Conference offered by the bishops and the Commission on Ministry will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (138 Tremont Street) in Boston. (The snow date is Feb. 9. Please check www.diomass.org for announcement.) The conference provides an in-depth look at the 2019 Ministry Discernment Handbook, and gives potential inquirers an opportunity to learn about the ordination process in the Diocese of Massachusetts and to explore whether their call is to ordained ministry or committed lay ministry. Online registration is required and is open through Jan. 21, here. For more information, contact the Rev. Canon Edie Dolnikowski, Canon for Ordained Vocations (617-482-4826, ext. 514 or
edie@diomass.org).
|
|
|
|
Chelsea Smith. Courtesy photo. |
New assistant for governance and administration to join diocesan staff: Chelsea Smith has been hired as assistant for governance and administration and will begin in her new position on the diocesan staff on Jan. 7. She succeeds Laura Simons, who has just begun as executive assistant to Bishop Alan M. Gates after having been the administrator of Diocesan Convention and Council for five and a half years.
In her new role as assistant for governance and administration, Chelsea Smith will provide administrative support to the canon to the ordinary and manage the work of diocesan governing bodies, including Diocesan Convention, Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee, and their various committees. Read more here.
|
Life Together is recruiting fellows:
Know someone who might be a good fit for Life Together or another Episcopal Service Corps program? The Episcopal Service Corps online application opened Dec. 1 and is available at
www.EpiscopalServiceCorps.org. Additionally, an online discernment tool is available,
here.
Life Together is a 10-month fellowship program based in Boston and surrounding areas, focused on cultivating the next generation of prayerful and prophetic leaders, through spiritual practice, social justice, leadership training and community building. Fellows range in age from 21 to 32 and come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Housing and utilities, health insurance and a modest living stipend are provided. Learn more about Life Together on Instagram and Facebook, or by e-mailing apply@diomassintern.org.
|
Calling all quilters:
Registration is still open for the 2019 Quilting Retreat, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24 at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, N.H. This second annual Quilting Retreat aims to be a fun weekend filled with new friends and creativity. Quilters of all abilities are welcome. The retreat is intended to give participants the free time needed to begin, work on or finish a project without any formal instruction. Packages start at $180 per person, with the option to stay for free by donating a handmade twin or double-sized quilt. Visit www.bchcenter.org/programs for more information.
Is your group planning a retreat? The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center still has limited calendar openings for 2019 retreat dates. Questions about space availability can be directed to Jennifer Boyd at
jennifer@bchcenter.org or 603-547-3400.
|
|
ChurchWide
Presiding Bishop Curry named religious newsmaker of the year:
The Episcopal Church has heard Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry herald the message of God's unconditional love ever since he was elected in July 2015. In May, his message went global and viral when he preached at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and now it has earned him the title of "religious newsmaker of the year."
The Religion News Association said that Curry's sermon had "raised his profile as a progressive religious voice."
"I was surprised by all the attention after the royal wedding," Curry recently told "The Today Show's" Voices series, reflecting on what the show called "his viral moment and newfound celebrity."
"I really didn't expect that. But what I've been more surprised by has been that what resonated was the message of love. It wasn't me. I mean, I delivered it. But it was actually the message of love. That's what people have stopped me on the street or at the airport to talk about--after we take the selfie, of course." Read more from Episcopal News Service
here.
'Love came down at Christmas': Video and text of Bishop Curry's 2018 Christmas message are available
here.
|
|
|
|
Photo: NASA
|
Remembering Apollo 8's Christmas Eve message from heaven to Earth: The Apollo 8 mission that went aloft 50 years ago this month was a first in all of human exploration, not just that of space.
Humans left Earth's orbit for the first time and headed to the moon nearly a quarter-million miles away. Just shy of three days later, on Christmas Eve 1968, William A. Anders, Frank Borman and James A. Lovell Jr. put their spacecraft into lunar orbit and became the first people to see the far side of the moon. Later that day, they became the first to see the Earth rise over the lunar horizon.
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise," Anders said in what was then the most-watched TV broadcast. "And, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 have a message that we would like to send to you." The crew then began to read the biblical story of creation from Genesis.
"And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close, with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth," Borman concluded the broadcast. It lasted just more than three minutes and was heard by an estimated 1 billion people around the world. Listen to it
here.
Read Episcopal News Service's coverage,
here, of "The Spirit of Apollo" commemorative event held on Dec. 11 at Washington National Cathedral.
|
Episcopal Church eyes investing in gun manufacturers to press for greater gun safety:
Shareholder advocacy is nothing new for the Episcopal Church. With an investment portfolio worth about $400 million, the church has long used some of those investments to influence companies based on Christian principles and General Convention resolutions that set church policies and priorities.
What's new is one of the investment tactics the church plans to implement in the new year to address gun violence.
General Convention passed a resolution in July that calls on Executive Council's Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility to research investing in gun manufacturers to give the church a new voice in how those companies do business. The goal: "to minimize lethal and criminal uses of their products."
In January, Bishop Douglas J. Fisher of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts takes over as chair of the committee. Read the Episcopal News Service story here.
|
|
ParishCircuit
|
|
|
| Emmanuel Church, Newbury Street, in Boston. Courtesy photo. |
|
Historic preservation at Emmanuel Church:
On a typical week, Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street in Boston
has more than 1,500 people come through its doors for a variety of services, both religious and secular. Constructed in 1861, Emmanuel Church is a historic building with historic preservation needs.
To meet some of these needs, Emmanuel applied earlier this year for a grant from the Community Preservation Fund collected through the Community Preservation Act for historic preservation, green space and affordable housing in Boston, and in June, received a grant of $307,000 to restore portions of the building's 200-foot long Newbury Street façade.
This project is the latest in a series of preservation projects undertaken by Emmanuel since the 1990s, according to Peter Johnson, longtime parishioner and vestry member at Emmanuel, as well as project manager for the repairs. Johnson is also a member of Emmanuel's Building Commission which meets weekly to address building issues and needs that arise.
|
"Pastoral assistant" Piccola is popular with children when she accompanies Bishop Gayle E. Harris
on weekly parish visitations. They are pictured here at recent visits to
Christ Church
in Hamilton
(left) a
nd St. Paul's Church in Brookline (right). Courtesy photos.
Reportedly overheard during Harris's visitation
to Trinity Church in Concord earlier this fall:
Child A: "Would you rather have a cat or a dog?"
Child B: "A cat!"
Child A: "What if the dog was the bishop's dog?"
Child B: "A dog!"
|
Team Puerto Rico:
Students and adults from Christ Church in Plymouth will spend their Christmas vacation helping the local residents
of
Bayamon, Puerto Rico,
recover from Hurricane Maria.
The team, a group of eight high school students and four adults, will embark on the trip to Puerto Rico from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4. They will stay with members of Iglesia Cristiana Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer Church) as the team works to help rebuild Bayamon, which was 97-percent leveled by the hurricane.
Back row (from left): Elijah Langille, Matthew Mello, Madeline Emmetts, Maria Mello, Mia Galvam, Amy Galvam and William Finn. Front row (from left): Kari Fillian, Steven Cervantes, Antonia Mello, David Tripp and Katelyn Cervantes.
Courtesy photo.
|
|
|
|
Courtesy photo.
|
All Saints parade:
To celebrate All Saints Day at the Church of the Holy Nativity in South
Weymouth, the Sunday school presented a parade of saints for the congregation, using puppets they crafted themselves with the help of Sunday School Director Maryann Gurney.
Gurney at first thought of borrowing puppets, then came up with an idea for making their own, with used clothes and crowns that were on hand for pageants. They purchased the balloons, and made the bodies of PVC pipe and plastic hangers.
|
Tree lighting:
St. Peter's Church in Weston had a d
inner and tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 2 with more than 70 parishioners and friends gathering to sing carols by candlelight on the steps of the church and watch as the large tree outside was illuminated with Christmas lights.
Photo via Facebook.
|
|
NewsLinks
South End News: Church, school partnership builds a library:
St. Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP) and the Blackstone Elementary School in Boston kicked off their ninth year of a formal partnership and readers of all ages celebrated their love of books. One of the signature projects of SSYP is the school library, which the school was without for almost a decade before the partnership.
The Blackstone Library is open to students and teachers five days a week.
Library volunteers, who are neighborhood residents and members of suburban Episcopal churches, welcome two-thirds of the school's classrooms (23 of 35) for weekly visits to the library for read-alouds and book-borrowing. Adults work hard to get to know each young person in grades K0 to 5, helping students find the "just-right" book to read independently.
|
|
Wicked Local Newton: Newton houses of worship reach out to youth to grow numbers:
With dwindling attendance at religious services among young adults in the U.S., according to data from the Pew Research Center, the topic of church revitalization remains a concern at many houses of worship. Data from the Pew Research Center's "Religious Landscape Study," indicates nationally, attendance among young adults in their 20s and 30s is low. In addition, according to the same study, Massachusetts and New Hampshire are tied as the least devout states in the U.S.
The Rev. Gretchen Grimshaw of the Parish of St. Paul said via e-mail that although "Sunday attendance is generally waning in mainline churches across the country and especially New England, ... the folks who choose to change the world through church are totally committed and not here just out of duty or convenience. And that is a serious silver lining!"
|
|
Boston Globe: Outer beauty, inner strength: Fashion show boosts self-esteem for women overcoming hardship:
Fashion models are often viewed as anorexic creatures who seem more like human coat hangers than strong women. Yet for a group of women in Haverhill this month, taking part in a fashion show became an act of empowerment.
The "Belle Americana" fashion show featured women who have faced adversities ranging from escaping abusive relationships to living on the edge of homelessness. It was sponsored by the nonprofit Merrimack Valley Music & Arts and Dinah's House, a drop-in community center that aims to foster strength and hope through sisterhood.
[Dinah's House got its start as a ministry of Trinity Church in Haverhill and was a recipient of start-up support through diocesan Mission Hub and other grant funding.]
|
|
Chelsea Record: Chelsea Collaborative holds Thanksgiving dinner and launch of Immigration Justice Bond Fund:
The Chelsea Collaborative hosted its annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 15 at its headquarters at 318 Broadway. Collaborative president Gladys Vega and her staff welcomed members of the community, who enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and desserts. There was also a cotton candy station for children.
But this year the celebration was a little different as the collaborative announced the launch of the Immigrant Justice Bond Fund, in conjunction with EECO organization and the Episcopal City Mission that includes St. Luke's Church, Chelsea. The fund is being set up to assist family members with people in detention centers to pay bonds established by immigration judges, with the purpose of reuniting them with their loved ones.
|
|
Boston Globe: Boston's transgender community gathers to remember Rita Hester:
The day after Thanksgiving in 1998, Rita Hester was murdered in Allston--just two days before her 35th birthday. Hester was--by all accounts--glamorous, brilliant and driven. She was also a transgender woman. Her murder has yet to be solved.
Twenty years later, roughly 300 people gathered inside the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Downtown Crossing for the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. The event started in Boston after Hester's death, spread to San Francisco, and is now observed around the world. The program followed a march from Dewey Square to Boston Common, despite the dropping temperatures outside. The attendees wore name tags noting their gender preference, and greeted each other inside the church with hugs and warm smiles.
Tamra Tucker, the pastor in charge, welcomed the group to the church and stressed that everyone is welcome at St. Paul's, which is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
"There is no real God that does not love you," Tucker said.
|
Coming Up
|
Dec 19: Evening Contemplative Eucharist, Bethany House of Prayer, Arlington, 7:00pm
Dec 24: Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, Music at 6:45pm, Holy Eucharist at 7:30pm, Bishop Gayle E. Harris presiding and Dean Amy McCreath preaching
Jan 5: Priesthood Ordination: Gregory Johnston, St. Anne's-in-the-Fields Church, Lincoln, 10:30am
Jan 6: Bishop Gates visits St. Augustine and St. Martin in Boston, 9:00am
Jan 6: Bishop Harris visits Trinity Church in Woburn, 9:00am
Jan 6: Epiphany Lessons and Carols, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:00am
Jan 12: Massachusetts Indaba 2019 Kick-Off, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:00am
Jan 12: Priesthood Ordination: Jennifer Vath, Christ Church, Andover, 10:00am
Jan 13: Bishop Gates visits St. Bartholomew's Church in Cambridge, 9:00am
Jan 13: Bishop Harris visits St. Paul's Church in Bedford, 9:00am
Jan 16: Evening Contemplative Eucharist, Bethany House of Prayer, Arlington, 7:00pm
Jan 18-19: Diocesan Council Meeting, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Jan 20: Priesthood Ordination: Jennifer McCracken, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 4:00pm
Jan 26: Episcopal Relief & Development Disaster Preparedness Training, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 9:00am
Jan 26: Confirmation -- All Deaneries, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:30am
Jan 27: Bishop Harris visits St. Thomas's Church in Taunton, 9:00am
Jan 27: Bishop Gates visits St. Paul's Church in Dedham, 9:00am
Jan 27: Reflection, Remembrance and Response to Addiction Program with Youth, Trinity Church, Bridgewater, 3:00pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
