December 2024

One of the 16 colonial-era angel paintings being revealed at Old North Church–overpainted and hidden for more than a century. Photo courtesy of Old North Church

Heavenly host of colonial-era angels revealed at Old North Church, just in time for Christmas

Through a painstaking and possibly once-in-a-lifetime paint restoration project underway at Old North Church in Boston, a host of colonial-era angels is coming into view, one by one, for the first time in over a century, and just in time for Christmas.

"The revelations thus far have been really amazing," lead conservator Gianfranco Pocobene said during an online talk on Dec. 11 sponsored by Old North Illuminated, the independent nonprofit that oversees the church's historic preservation and visitor education operations. "I've been doing this work for something like 40 years now, and it's one of the most amazing projects I've been involved in," Pocobene said. 

The 16 cherubic depictions were painted by Old North Church member John Gibbs, beginning in 1727, and are positioned high up against the nave's barrel-vault ceiling, in the arch spandrels above the second-floor galleries.  

They are believed to be among the earliest art of their kind that survives from colonial Boston.

Old North's gallery angels, along with accompanying festoons depicting foliage and fruit, were part of an apparently colorful and elaborate original decor that was completely painted over in a 1912 renovation that resulted in the mostly white interior that has prevailed until now.

Records show that Gibbs also decorated an altar panel and the church's original organ case with painted angels, according to Old North's vicar, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Cadwell.

"Everywhere you looked in the church, you would have seen angels," he said. "It conveys, I think, a sense of God's presence in our midst, suggesting, to some degree, that you are entering the courts of heaven when you step into the church. It would have been so different from any Puritan church that you would have stepped foot in."

It was at first thought that the hidden angels would be of the same pattern, so the initial plan was to uncover four of them, along with two of the festoons, and then make and install replicas in the remaining overpainted spaces.

The exposure of the second angel changed everything.

"What's fantastic," Cadwell said, "is that we had no idea until Gianfranco started his work that they're all different. They each have different expressions, different hairdos, different wing positions, and they all have a different story to tell in a way."

"How is God Calling Me?": 2025 Ministry Discernment Conference to offer resources for vocations of all kinds

The annual diocesan Ministry Discernment Conference is widening its embrace in 2025 to include anyone looking for resources for discerning God's call in their life. 

The conference, jointly hosted in past years by the diocesan Commission on Ministry and bishops, has always been open to all, but has focused primarily on discernment toward ordained ministry and has been a requirement for those considering application to the ordination process that year.

In 2025, all who are interested in discerning calls to ministry in the church and in the world, both lay and ordained, are warmly invited.

And, as always, those who want to learn about the ordination process in the Diocese of Massachusetts are especially encouraged to attend, along with their sponsoring clergy, potential parish discernment committee members and family members. 

The 2025 Ministry Discernment Conference takes place at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston on Saturday, Feb. 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration is open, here, until Jan. 29.

"This has been something that's been on our heart at the Commission on Ministry for several years, and we're just delighted to be able to expand the focus of this conversation to discernment of all kinds," Commission on Ministry co-chair Graeme Mills, a parishioner at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill, said during a recent conversation with commission members via Zoom. 

"Our hope is that this is one step in a much longer process," added the Rev. Richard Burden of All Saints Parish in Brookline. "This is something we hope to iterate over the course of the next several years as we figure out ways that work best for everyone to do discernment towards vocation, whatever that vocation is."

For 2025, the commission is teaming up with the St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer to enhance the conference's offerings for those interested in exploring lay vocations.

The St. Paul Center is a recently established partnership between the diocese and Cathedral Church of St. Paul to "make disciples" by equipping local congregations for faith formation, prayer life, teaching and learning. It is "housed" at the cathedral church, with regional centers at St. Paul's Church in Newburyport and St. Thomas's Church in Taunton, alongside its online presence. 

"I am often in conversation with lay people who want their work, community life and worship all to cohere and be rooted in their Christian faith and values, and who have questions about how to do that," the Very Rev. Amy McCreath, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, said. "We live in a time when there is so much need, and just as urgent is the need for people to be supported and resourced to discern how and where they can latch hold and find ways to offer themselves and their gifts. We hope the conversations, stories and resources shared will help those present at the conference begin to be on that journey."

The conference will feature Bishop Julia E. Whitworth’s reflections on discernment, a panel discussion with people serving in a variety of Christian vocations and an introduction to resources for individual reflection, communal discernment in congregations and churchwide discernment programs. Participants will also have time to gather in small groups to learn more about the programs that most interest them. 

"Our hope and prayer is that the people who come receive affirmation in their discernment and leave feeling well-fed with resources to continue that discernment work knowing who is available to help be a part of that process alongside them," Canon for Ordained Vocations Edie Dolnikowski said. "They'll have the opportunity to hear from people who are currently exercising all kinds of Christian vocations and reflect on where God may be calling them to be."

Retirement celebration honors Bishop Carol Gallagher

St. Elizabeth's Church in Sudbury hosted the diocesan community for a full-house celebration on Dec. 15 in honor of Assistant Bishop Carol J.W.T. Gallagher as she prepares to retire.

It was a joyful evening, bountiful with food, music and tributes from family, friends and colleagues, culminating in the presentation of a "Cherokee Treasure" blanket designed by Cherokee artist Bryan Waytula. "May it always remind you that you are beloved and treasured by our Creator and all of us," the Rev. Canon Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa said during the presentation (pictured above, assisted by Alison Peaceful Deer Miller and Jocelyn Collen, with Bishop Gallagher at right).

After six years of service in the Diocese of Massachusetts–two as assistant bishop and four prior to that as a regional canon–Bishop Gallagher will complete her work in the diocese as of Dec. 31 and then take sabbatical time ahead of her official retirement date in March.

Donations in Bishop Gallagher's honor are invited, here, and will be designated, at her preference, for the Bishop Alan M. Gates African Anglican-Episcopal Mission Center in Everett and the Episcopal Church in Navajoland. A gift of travel funds also will be made for Bishop Gallagher and her husband, Mark, to enjoy in retirement.

Clockwise from left: Bishop Julia Whitworth and retired Bishop Alan Gates each offered words of appreciation for Bishop Gallagher's ministry and friendship; Bishop Gallagher's daughter Emily and son-in-law Robbie Pollock performed a song tribute; the African Clergy Caucus led the gathering in joyful singing, with the Rev. Zachary Kinyua on guitar. Photos: Tracy J. Sukraw

Q&A: Bishop Gallagher looks back on 35 years of service across the church

[Episcopal News Service]: Compiling a concise biography for Bishop Carol Gallagher can be a daunting task. She has been active in ordained ministry for so long–35 years–and served in so many dioceses and in so many capacities that the highlights make up no short list.

Gallagher, who turns 69 on Christmas Eve, spoke recently with Episcopal News Service by Zoom to look back on her long and eventful years of service in the church.

Read the full interview here. 

Panelists sharing their experiences with "Fostering a Future with Leaders of Color" participants, from left: Marsha Adell from the Diocese of Connecticut; the Rev. Deacon Ema Rosero-Nordalm and Leon Brathwaite II from the Diocese of Massachusetts; and Bishop Suffragan Allen Shin from the Diocese of New York. Photos: Julia Slayton

"Fostering a Future with Leaders of Color in the Episcopal Church in New England": This first-time gathering drew about 50 participants from across New England to Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington on Dec. 14 for a day focused on working collaboratively within the province to increase opportunities for community building, networking, recruitment and support for Episcopal leaders of color--lay or ordained, emerging or already active.

The day was enhanced by keynote speaker the Rev. Canon Robert Two Bulls (see more below), along with panelists, small group conversation, a shared meal and worship.

The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Support Subcommittee of the Racial Justice Commission in the Diocese of Massachusetts initiated and sponsored the event, with support from the diocesan Commission on Ministry, planning committee members representing each of the seven Episcopal dioceses of New England and additional funding from individual dioceses as well as a Province I grant.

"In my introduction, I said that God's work is collaborative work, and strengthening this collaborative work was one of the purposes of this event," the Rev. Diane Wong said. "There was a sense of connectedness and community. It felt really good," she said. Wong formerly co-chaired the BIPOC Support Subcommittee, is a Commission on Ministry member and serves as the rector of St. John's Church in Arlington.

"For me personally, I learned a lot from the experiences of the panelists, which were enlightening and inspiring and also in some cases highlighted obstacles and challenges. One of the reasons it's necessary to have events like this is so that people have a safe space to say what they need to say," she said. "I heard a desire to do this again, to continue the connections we have made, and not to wait a whole year to do that."

"Fostering a Future with Leaders of Color" welcomed as its keynote speaker the Rev. Canon Robert Two Bulls.

He is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Oyate, and serves as the missioner for the Department of Indian Work and Multicultural Ministries for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. He is also the vicar of All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission in Minneapolis, which hosts the First Nations Kitchen food ministry that he co-founded.

Following the "Fostering a Future" gathering in Arlington, he traveled to Cape Cod to be with the people of St. David's Church in South Yarmouth as their Sunday guest preacher. He is pictured above with St. David's rector, the Rev. Andi Taylor.

Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm

Courtesy photo

The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer invites all to take part in “Creatio ex Amore and the Mission of the Church Now”—an online seminar with the moderator of the World Council of Churches, Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Saturday, Jan. 11, 9-11 a.m.

In this time of climate crisis, what difference does faith make? How does our understanding of God, and the meaning of God's creating work, ground and equip us to pray, serve and act in this time? 

This seminar aims to deepen capacity to preach and teach that “God creates out of love,” and enliven participants for working with their faith communities for God’s purposes. Find details and registration here.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast takes place on Monday, Jan. 20, 9-11 a.m., at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. Professor, author and activist Angela Davis will be the keynote speaker. Details and ticket information are online here.

For 55 years, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church and Union United Methodist Church have collaborated to present this memorial breakfast in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The partnership is an incorporated nonprofit organization, which also recognizes extraordinary contributions to diversity and inclusion efforts through service and scholarships.

Winter Dinner for BIPOC Episcopal Community: The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Support Committee of the diocesan Racial Justice Commission invites all BIPOC Episcopal clergy and lay people to come together for dinner and fellowship with one another on Sunday, Jan. 26, 5-7 p.m., at the Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin in Boston. Find details and RSVP online here by Jan. 22.

Congregational Consultants honor "Consultant of the Year": At their year-end meeting on Dec. 17, the diocesan Congregational Consultants honored Bill Mills-Curran of St. Andrew's Church in Framingham (pictured at left with Bishop Julia Whitworth) with the annual Jack Doran Congregational Consultant of the Year Award. The late Jack Doran, for whom the award is named, was a founding coordinator of the Congregational Consultants.

"Since joining the Congregational Consultants, Bill has taken on both financial reviews and audits. On the diocesan level, he is an advocate on the Compensation and Benefits Committee. As a former parish treasurer, his experience has been helpful to the parishes we serve. His analyses are a valuable addition to the consultant discourse and provide the group with helpful insights," the award citation noted.

The diocese's Congregational Consultants this year mark 20 years of service to congregations, during which they've offered countless hours of guidance on everything from annual budgeting and audits, property matters and financial planning, to leading vestry retreats, conflict mediation and mutual ministry reviews to assess how lay and ordained leaders are working together to accomplish goals.

The group began in 2004 as a team of business professionals recruited from parishes around the diocese to foster sound business practices in congregations. They eventually merged with the diocese's team of congregational coaches, which had come into being around the same time as the business consultants group and whose members were trained to work with congregations to promote their health and vitality.

Current coordinators of the consultants are Edward Rewolinski and Betsy Blagdon, who can be reached by e-mail at dioconsultants@diomass.org. Photo: Bill Boyce

Falmouth Enterprise: St. Barnabas's Church offers "A Place At The Table": The holiday season is often a time full of camaraderie, volunteering and caring for one another. As the weather gets cold, it can become harder for those who are homeless or less fortunate to find enough to eat or stay warm.

St. Barnabas’s Episcopal Church is one of many organizations in town working to help year-round, but especially during the holiday season. “A Place At The Table” is a two-year-old program that provides lunch, live music, goods and health services to more that 60 people each Tuesday and Thursday, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The Rev. W. (Will) H. Mebane Jr., who has been with St. Barnabas's since 2018 and has overseen the program, said it has become an important piece of helping others in the community. He said the program has grown larger than expected. Read more.

Dec 18: Messiah Sing, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:15pm

Dec 19: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Dec 20-22: Retreat: "You Are Not Alone: Responding to Grief and Trauma by Building Relationships", Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.

Dec 20: Blue Christmas Service, Church of Our Saviour, Middleborough, 7:00pm

Dec 21: Longest Night Service, Emmanuel Church, Boston, 6:00pm

Dec 22: Bishop Whitworth visits St. Mark's Church in Dorchester

Dec 22: Bishop Gallagher visits Christ Church in Andover

Dec 24: Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston

Jan 11: The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer Online Seminar: "Creatio ex Amore and the Mission of the Church Now," 9:00am

Jan 11: Ordination to the Priesthood: The Rev. Molly Minnerath, St. Paul's Church, Bedford, 10:30am

Jan 12: Bishop Whitworth visits St. Mary's Church in Dorchester

Jan 20: 55th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast, Omni Boston Hotel, Ensemble Ballroom, 9:00am

Jan 21: Celebration of New Ministry: The Rev. Sarah Mato at St. Andrew's Church in Framingham, 6:00pm

Jan 25: Diocesan Council Retreat, Church of St. John the Evangelist, Duxbury, 10:00am

Jan 26: Bishop Whitworth visits St. Michael's Church in Holliston, with Celebration of New Ministry of The Rev. Christa Moore-Levesque, 10:00am

Jan 26: Winter Dinner for BIPOC Episcopal Community of the Diocese, Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin, Boston, 5:00pm

Jan 27-30: Province I Faith Formation Network/Forma Conference, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.