February 2025

"More seats at the table":

Massachusetts UBE chapter lifts up legacy of Absalom Jones

UBE Chapter Secretary Leslie Gore leads the final procession. View more photos here.

The Bishop John M. Burgess Massachusetts Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, together with the diocesan Office of Immigration and Multicultural Ministries, offered on Saturday, Feb. 15 a festival service for the diocesan community at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston that celebrated the life and ministry of the Rev. Absalom Jones–the Episcopal Church's first African American priest.

In his sermon, the Rev. Will Mebane, the rector of St. Barnabas's Church in Falmouth, urged advocacy "for more seats at the table"–in the church, by raising up and supporting more African Americans in all orders of ordained ministry, and beyond.

"The legacy of Absalom Jones," he said, "is one of civic and political activism grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ." It's the role of the church, he said, "to advocate for the common good and to ensure governments care for the common wealth, the public welfare, of its residents and citizens." Listen to an audio recording of the sermon here.

The offering collected during the service was designated for the two Episcopal Church-affiliated HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities): Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, N.C., and Voorhees University in Denmark, S.C. Learn more about the Absalom Jones Fund for Episcopal HBCUs here.

Recipients of the UBE chapter's annual Frederick Douglass Isaac Jr. Lay Leader Awards (pictured with the Rev. James Hairston, Bishop Julia Whitworth and the Rev. Will Mebane at center) were: (front row from left) Joy Howell of St. Bartholomew's Church in Cambridge; Yvonne Clarke of St. Cyprian's Church in Boston; Regine Elien of St. John St. James Church in Roxbury; Carolyn Turk of the Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin in Boston; Jocelind Gant of St. Mark's Church in Dorchester; Kwame Ofori-Asante of St. Paul's Church in Lynnfield; Beatrice Green of Grace Church in Vineyard Haven; (back row) Edith Ndagire Mayanja of St. Peter's Anglican Church in Waltham; the Rev. Tamra Tucker, receiving on behalf of Patrick Kimm of St. Mary's Church in Dorchester; the Rev. Hall Kirkham, receiving on behalf of Hyacinth James of St. Michael's Church in Milton; and the Rev. Harry Jean-Jacques, receiving on behalf of Louise Gant of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan. Photos: David M. Rider

Absalom Jones, born into enslavement in 1746 in Delaware, became the Episcopal Church's first African American priest when he was ordained in 1802. 

He was a co-founder, in 1787, of the Free African Society in Philadelphia, the first mutual aid organization of its kind for and by Black people, and a founding leader of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, admitted in the Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1794. [Read more biography here.]

Jones is commemorated in the Calendar of the Church Year (Lesser Feasts and Fasts) on Feb. 13, the day of his death in 1818. [1810 portrait by Raphaelle Peale/Delaware Art Museum]

His commemoration follows that of sister Philadelphian Barbara C. Harris, the first woman to become a bishop in the global Anglican Communion. Harris's historic Feb. 11, 1989, consecration, as bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Massachusetts, was added by General Convention to the church calendar for trial use in 2022 and finally authorized for permanent inclusion in 2024.

[Portrait in oil, 2002, by Simmie Knox/Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts]

Diocese-wide vision discernment:

Listening sessions in March invite participation

Bishop Julia E. Whitworth is eager to hear from clergy and lay leaders in the worshiping communities around the diocese as part of a process toward articulating a vision for our collective work together as a diocese. 

In partnership with Ministry Architects, a week of listening sessions will be hosted in March in locations throughout the diocese, as well as via Zoom, to begin this process together. Clergy and lay leaders in the diocese's worshiping communities are encouraged to consider participating in one of these small focus groups for vision discernment.

In-person sessions will be held the week of March 15-20, with Zoom sessions scheduled March 24-26.

Evangelism Working Group offers "New Models of Episcopal Evangelism" series: The Evangelism Working Group of Diocesan Council is hosting a new series of monthly presentations via Zoom that celebrate creative examples of evangelism happening in the congregations and worshiping communities of the Diocese of Massachusetts.

The featured ministries are being described as “real, not ideal,” and are being shared to inspire, encourage and connect the people of God in the collaborative work of evangelism.  

Upcoming sessions are "New Wine, New Wineskins" on Monday, Feb. 24, exploring collaborative ministry partnerships between St. Peter's Church in Dartmouth with the Episcopal Campus Ministry at UMass-Dartmouth and the parish counseling center, The Bridge (register here); and "Small Church as a Laboratory for Experimentation" on Wednesday, March 26, featuring the Church of Our Saviour in Arlington and its small-size-enabled experiment to custom-tailor a service for families with toddlers that has grown into a youth group supporting tweens and teens (register here). Both online sessions run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and all are welcome.

Members of St. Paul’s Young Adult Scuba Team during their certification training last fall. Now certified, members of the team are traveling to the island of Bonaire this month to study the current state of our oceans. Courtesy photo

Lynnfield parish sends young-adult diving team to Bonaire for underwater "creation care pilgrimage": A group of young adult divers from St. Paul’s Church in Lynnfield departed on Feb. 17 for a five-day "creation care pilgrimage" to the island of Bonaire, off the coast of Venezuela, to study the current state of our oceans, with the goal of engaging in long-term service work to help keep them healthy for generations to come.

Their leader is St. Paul’s rector, the Rev. Rob Bacon, a former U.S. Navy diver who logged over 1,000 hours under water during his time in the Navy, and who has remained an avid recreational, technical and wreck diver since leaving the Navy to enter ordained ministry. Also on the trip are Dr. Bob Sluka, lead scientist for A Rocha’s International Marine Conservation Program, and Avery Davis Lamb, the executive director of Creation Justice Ministries.

Together, the three leaders will invite the diving team of young adults, all in their mid-20s, to “witness God’s majestic and awe-inspiring handiwork beneath the surface of our oceans as they simultaneously discern their specific call to become stewards of our oceans,” Bacon said in a church news release.

During his recent sabbatical, Bacon said, he studied the present state of our oceans with experts from a variety of agencies and organizations around the country. Upon his return to St. Paul’s, he invited the Young Adult Ministry group to become certified in scuba so that he could take them diving and show them what he had learned.  

The group’s three-stage open water diving training took place last fall and comprised an online learning component, dive sessions in a local pool, then instructed ocean dives. Their first post-certification dive trip was to Key Largo, Fla., this past November. Their trip to Bonaire will be their second trip.  

“The goal is for these young adults to become the new wave of leadership in the Church’s creation care ministries as they take on specific tasks with clear goals,” Bacon said. The project has been made possible by a generous donor who is not a member of the church.

Old North Church joins commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution: The Old North Church in Boston will offer a traditional Lantern Service on Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in honor of the 250th anniversary of the famous "one if by land, two if by sea" signal from the church's steeple and ride of Paul Revere. Author and historian Heather Cox Richardson will deliver the keynote address. The service is organized by the church's clergy and congregation as an offering to the wider community. 

Modeled on the service attended by President Gerald Ford 50 years ago at the start of the nation's bicentennial celebrations, the Lantern Service will include inspirational music; a reading from Paul Revere’s own recollection of his historic ride and Old North’s signal lights; Heather Cox Richardson’s keynote; and reflections by Old North's vicar, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Cadwell, with prayers for the nation and a blessing to be offered by Bishop Julia E. Whitworth. The evening culminates with the lighting of the steeple lanterns.

Find more information and get tickets here.

Former Diocese of MA priest debuts first novel: The Land of the Living, a first novel by the Rev. Timothy Crellin, debuts this month.

Crellin, who was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusetts, founded St. Stephen's Youth Programs while serving, from 1999 to 2022, as the vicar of St. Stephen's Church in Boston's South End. He currently serves as the rector of St. Paul's Church in Gardner, in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

The Land of the Living is a historical novel that explores themes of immigration and assimilation, war and its impact on families, the role of race and class in forging identity, and what it means to find home.

The Rev. Timothy Crellin

Courtesy photo

“This is just a story that had been in my mind that I had wanted to tell, and it finally came together at the crossroads of two obsessions of mine–my family’s Sicilian heritage and the dynamics that led to World War I, World War II and Vietnam, and the effect those world events had on real people and families,” Crellin told The Gardner News.

All are welcome at the upcoming book launch party on Saturday, March 1, 4-6 p.m., at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. Find event details here.

Episcopal Church, interfaith partners challenge Trump's ICE enforcement actions in court: [Episcopal News Service] More than two dozen Christian and Jewish organizations, including The Episcopal Church, sued the Trump administration on Feb. 11 for allowing immigration officers to target churches and other “sensitive” places for arrests as part of the president’s promised crackdown on legal and illegal immigration.

The Episcopal Church and its fellow plaintiffs, represented by the nonpartisan Georgetown University Law Center, argue that by allowing arrests without first obtaining judicial warrants the Trump administration is violating First Amendment protections of both freedom of religion and freedom of association, because of the burden created by the “looming threat of immigration enforcement action at their places of worship and during their religious ceremonies.”

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe Episcopal Church Photo

The lawsuit notes that many congregations serving immigrant communities have already seen decreases in worship attendance and participation in social service ministries since the Trump administration’s new policies took effect.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, in a church news release about the lawsuit, echoed his recent sermon at Washington National Cathedral by saying that immigrants and refugees are not at the edges of God’s kingdom but at its center.

“We believe their struggles reveal the heart of God, and we cannot worship freely if some among us live in fear,” Rowe said. “We are seeking the ability to fully gather and follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.” Read the full story.

Find immigration and advocacy resources on the diocesan website here.

Episcopal Church Lenten resources available online: Episcopal Church Lenten resources are being compiled online here for use by congregations, groups and individuals, at no cost. They include explainer videos, lesson plans, bulletin inserts, and various devotionals and study series, including “Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent”; “Preparing to Become the Beloved Community”; “40 Days of Welcome and Gratitude” from the United Thank Offering and Episcopal Migration Ministries; “Living the Way of Love: A 40-Day Devotional” from Church Publishing; Lent Madness from Forward Movement; Episcopal Relief & Development Lenten Meditations; and more.

Interdiocesan devotional offered as a Lenten companion again this year: Communities for Spiritual Vitality, a ministry for interparish formation born from a collaboration between the dioceses of Vermont and Massachusetts, is compiling, for a second year, an interdiocesan Lent-Easter devotional.

This year’s devotional focuses on the prophet Isaiah and will feature daily prayers and readings alongside individual reflections from members of all seven Episcopal dioceses in New England, as well as artwork from Christian artists.

Not yet live online, the devotional will be available by early March here. Print copies are also available by request here (at cost).

"It's a really lovely collection of voices, lay and ordained, from a wide range of our worship contexts," the Rev. adwoa Wilson said, in an interview, of this year's devotional and its approximately 55 contributors. Wilson is the director of the Communities for Spiritual Vitality and serves as the vicar of the Vermont Green Mountain Online Abbey. 

"You can think of the devotional itself as a companion for the Lenten journey that also has companions nested within it–those who have written the daily reflections," Wilson said.

The devotional spans Ash Wednesday through the second Sunday of Easter but can be used in future years or at other seasons. Wilson hopes it will benefit individuals as well as congregations seeking a resource around which to ground their seasonal practice or adult formation, and that it might also help mitigate isolation that many feel in their personal or ministry contexts. 

"The overarching message of this project is: We are together, look how beautiful we are and how God is working through us together," Wilson said.  

For those who would like to "continue and deepen the companionship with others," Wilson said, the Communities for Spiritual Vitality will host nine weekly gatherings via Zoom to reflect on the devotional and the spiritual journey through Lent and in Easter. 

An introductory session will take place on Thursday, March 6, with subsequent gatherings on Wednesday evenings, March 12 through April 30, 6-7:45 p.m. The sessions will take place via the Vermont Green Mountain Online Abbey, and participants are welcome to join the online service of Compline that follows at 8 p.m. E-mail communities@diovermont.org to register for the series. 

Also upcoming in the Episcopal dioceses of New England: The Province I Becoming Beloved Community Network next meets on Sunday, Feb. 23, 3-5 p.m. over Zoom. This is a meeting for Episcopalians and allies to share the work being done at congregational, diocesan, regional and churchwide levels involving racial justice, reconciliation and reparations. There will be opportunities at the meeting for sharing updates and leadership opportunities from each diocese, and to collect action items and next steps. Find the registration link at province1.org/beloved. Questions about the network can be directed to James McKim at jtmckim@gmail.com.

The book discussion group hosted by the Province I Indigenous Peoples' Justice Network continues on Wednesday, March 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. The group will be discussing the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, a writer of Laguna Pueblo descent. All are welcome to participate. Register to receive the Zoom link here. Questions may be directed to the Rev. Vicki Ix at communications@diocesewma.org.

Dwelling Place: CRECHE embodies intentional community living as uncommon expression of Gospel life: An interview with the Rev. Isaac Everett, Executive Director of CRECHE, the Charles River Episcopal Co-Housing Endeavor, was recently featured on "Dwelling Place," a UK-based podcast series that explores aspects of intentional Christian community living. The interview covers the mission, vision and evolution of CRECHE throughout its nine-year history. Listen to the interview here.

Diakoneo Magazine: What is a retired deacon?: "Retirement from my two very diaconal paid jobs didn’t mean retired from being a deacon. My diaconate wasn’t something I did; it was something I was. And since I was still a deacon there was a huge part of me being unexpressed." Deacon Lori Mills-Curran reflects, in this personal essay, on finding renewed vocational purpose–and some unexpected "grandchildren"–in retirement. Read the essay (page 5 of the magazine).

Lowell Sun: More housing, historic preservation for Lowell: The Community Preservation Act approved by Lowell voters in 2019 continues to drive citywide investments and improvements, as well as grow the city’s housing stock. The Community Preservation Committee, made up of volunteer representatives from many boards and city staff, approved on Jan. 23 almost $1.4 million in recommended funding for a variety of historic preservation and affordable housing projects, including $256,000 for slate roof and masonry repairs at St. Anne's Church. Read the article.

Bay State Banner: Historic MLK breakfast going strong after 55 years: In 1970, the pastors of Boston’s St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church and Union United Methodist Church came together to create the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast. This year, the annual tradition celebrated its 55th year. A highlight of this year’s breakfast was the keynote speaker, Angela Davis, known for her work in the Black Liberation and feminist movements. Breakfast co-chair James Dilday suggested this year’s theme, “Freedom isn’t free,” to remind people of King’s legacy and that there is still work left to do. “It’s important for us to understand that nothing is given to us,” he said. Read the article.

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

Feb 23: Bishop Whitworth visits Grace Church in New Bedford

Feb 23: "St. Anne’s and the Underground Railroad" Presentation, St. Anne's Church, Lowell, 2:00pm



Feb 23: Province I Becoming Beloved Community Network, via Zoom, 3:00pm

Feb 24: New Models of Episcopal Evangelism Series: New Wine, New Wineskins--A New Model for Collaborative Ministry Partnerships, via Zoom, 5:30pm

Feb 27: Clergy Professional Development Day, St. Peter's Church, Weston

Mar 1: Province I Acolyte Festival, Christ Church, Needham, 10:00am

Mar 1: Colloquium: The Camino de Santiago, Church of the Advent, Boston, 10:00am

Mar 2: Bishop Whitworth visits St. John's Church in Sandwich, with Celebration of New Ministry: The Rev. Alan Hesse, 9:30am

Mar 7: Celebration of New Ministry: The Rev. Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff, Church of the Advent, Boston, 6:30pm

Mar 9: Bishop Whitworth visits St. John's Church in Holbrook

Mar 15: Workshop for Wardens and Vestry Members, via Zoom, 9:30am

Mar 16: "The Composer's Muse" Organ Concert, St. Michael's Church, Marblehead, 5:00pm

Mar 15-20: Visioning 2025: Diocese-wide Listening Sessions, In-person at various locations

Mar 20: Diocesan Council Meeting, St. Peter's Church, Weston

Mar 24-26: Visioning 2025: Diocese-wide Listening Sessions, via Zoom

Mar 25: Clergy Professional Development Day, St. Andrew's Church, Marblehead

Mar 26: New Models of Episcopal Evangelism Series: Small Church as a Laboratory for Experimentation, via Zoom, 5:30pm

Mar 29: Rhythms of Grace Workshop: Worship and Faith-Formation for People with Neurodivergence, Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester, 10:00am

Mar 30: Bishop Whitworth visits St. Michael's Church in Marblehead