Bishop Barbara C. Harris remembered at memorial service |
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Hymn singing and reminiscences marked the late afternoon memorial service for the Rt. Rev. Barbara Clementine Harris at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston on June 12, which would have been her 92nd birthday.
About 1,000 viewers watched the service via livestream, and churches in Brockton, Cambridge, Salem and Weston also hosted gatherings simultaneously as a way to extend participation in the service.
Harris died on March 13, 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Initial plans for a churchwide memorial service at Washington National Cathedral were paused and have not advanced.
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The Rev. Canon Edward W. Rodman offered and invited remembrances of Harris. He is pictured with cathedral dean emeritus Jep Streit (at left).
Photo: Julianne Ture
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However, the recent local easing of public gathering restrictions made possible the diocesan liturgy to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Harris.
Harris had a long career as a corporate public relations executive and an active lay ministry in The Episcopal Church before answering the call to ordination in her 50s. As a Black woman, she faced down racism and sexism in her rise over the decades and weathered considerable opposition when the Diocese of Massachusetts elected her in 1988 to become the first female bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion. By virtue of that iconic role, she belonged to the whole church, yet was also claimed as Massachusetts' own, having served as its bishop suffragan until her retirement in 2002.
She was a sought-after preacher and throughout her ministry remained steadfast and straight-talking in her advocacy on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized.
"We gather, finally, two years and three months after her passing, and after so much time, we gather knowing in fact what we predicted in advance: that we would miss her terribly and that she would remain a reality in our lives, in our memories, in our conversation, in our laughter, in our conscience, in our faith and, by God's grace, in our courageous action," Bishop Alan M. Gates said in his opening remarks.
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CRECHE ministry grows to four houses with New Roots |
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CRECHE held its annual Pentecost picnic at Emmanuel House in Boston's Allston neighborhood, where garden beds in the yard create a community-accessible oasis in its otherwise heavily paved neighborhood. Plans for a fourth CRECHE household were announced, to be launched next year as Jubilee House in partnership with New Roots AME Church in Dorchester. Courtesy photo
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The Rev. Isaac Everett, CRECHE's executive director, announced plans for the new house at the organization's annual Pentecost gathering for friends and supporters on June 5 in the yard of CRECHE's Emmanuel House in Allston.
After renovations, Everett said, Jubilee House--just a stone's throw from CRECHE's St. Mary's House--will be "an eight-bedroom intentional community in Upham's Corner, a place of prayer, hospitality and justice with a community garden and food forest in the vacant lot next door, renovated to be as green as we can possible make it."
It will be the second property that CRECHE owns outright, its second partnership with a Black-led congregation and its first outside of The Episcopal Church.
"We're just really excited about the possibility of creating something affordable in a neighborhood where so many people are being displaced, but also to be together in the kind of community we think is needed at this moment more now than ever," the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, the founding pastor of New Roots, told the gathering.
The relevance of CRECHE's mission has been sharpened in the current housing market, Everett said in a recent interview, with its high demand and scarce supply; zoning laws that enable NIMBY-ism and prevent new affordable housing builds; and the soaring prices that financially incentivize homeowners to perpetuate the current housing crisis in Greater Boston and beyond.
CRECHE's stated mission is to provide a faith-rooted, community-focused alternative to the for-profit housing market by securing co-housing for people who feel called to live together like families, sharing meals, household care and rhythms of spiritual practice--at below-market rates.
The Diocese of Massachusetts, he said, "has without a doubt been our best and most faithful ally in getting this ministry launched," Everett said.
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Presiding bishop calls Episcopalians to "A Season of Prayer for Revival" ahead of July General Convention:
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry issued an invitation on June 8 to Episcopalians everywhere to mark the season after Pentecost with 30 days of prayer leading up to and encompassing the 80th General Convention in Baltimore, Md., taking place July 8-11.
“A Season of Prayer for Revival” through July 11 will feature daily prayers drawn from The Book of Common Prayer. People can sign up online to receive the prayers and inspirational messages via e-mail. The prayers will also be posted daily on social media accounts for The Episcopal Church and Forward Movement.
“As we move toward and adapt to a shorter, smaller General Convention, I invite every Episcopalian—whether you’re in Baltimore or Alaska or Honduras, whether you’re a deputy, a bishop or a new member sitting in the pews—I invite all of us to pause each day just for a moment to pray for the expansive, reviving power of the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds,” Curry said. “We are people of common prayer; may we embrace this season as an opportunity for us all to become a church that truly lives, looks and loves like Jesus.”
Find Episcopal News Service's General Convention coverage here, and visit the General Convention website, here, for additional information and updates.
Although over a quarter of deputies have resigned amidst COVID concerns, according to this House of Deputies News story, the Diocese of Massachusetts at this time plans to send its full deputation.
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Gratitude and prayers go with Diocese of Massachusetts deputies and bishops as they travel to Baltimore in July for the 80th Episcopal Church General Convention.
Pictured above are lay deputies (top row, from left) Byron Rushing, Betsy Ridge Madsen, William C. Boyce and Brian Litzenberger (with lay alternate pending at press time); and clerical deputies (bottom row, from left) Edwin Johnson, H. Mark Smith, Chris Wendell, Karen Coleman and clerical alternate Isaac Martinez.
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Bishops urge support for DACA legislation: At the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the bishops of the dioceses of Western Massachusetts and Massachusetts are urging support for legislation in support of neighbors who dream of citizenship, and commend the policy statement and resources for taking action provided by the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations and its Episcopal Public Policy Network.
"Continued legislative activity will determine the future of those in our nation who have been protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. As we approach the 10th anniversary of DACA, we, the Episcopal bishops of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, support this statement from the Episcopal Public Policy Network. We believe that Americans across the political spectrum support providing Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship. We urge you to read the statement and take action to support our neighbors who dream of citizenship."
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The Rev. Jeffrey Mello
Courtesy photo
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Brookline priest elected bishop in Connecticut: The Rev. Jeffrey Mello, the rector of St. Paul’s Church in Brookline, was elected on May 21 as the 16th bishop of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Mello was elected on the sixth ballot from a slate of five nominees. Pending the required consents from a majority of Episcopal Church bishops with jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees , Mello will succeed Bishop Ian T. Douglas, who announced his retirement just over a year ago. Mello's consecration is scheduled to take place on Oct. 15 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
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"The Episcopal Church in Connecticut has elected a priest with uncommon devotion, passion, and wit," Bishop Alan M. Gates of Massachusetts said of the election. "Jeff Mello brings the skillful boundaries of his background in social work, the collegial dedication of his service as a regional dean and the compassionate heart of a longtime parish priest. We are sorry to see him leave the Diocese of Massachusetts, but our neighbors will be richly blessed!" Read the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's announcement here.
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Congratulations to new deacons and transitional deacons: Bishop Alan M. Gates ordained two deacons and eight transitional deacons on Saturday, June 4 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Pictured above, they are (from left): The Rev. Curtis Coppersmith (sponsored by St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church, Lincoln), The Rev. Adwoa Lewis-Wilson ( Christ Church, Cambridge), The Rev. Hal Edmonson ( St. Paul’s Church, Brookline), The Rev. Clifford Goodridge (deacon, sponsored by Trinity Church, Randolph), The Rev. Dorothy Goehring ( The Crossing, Boston), Bishop Gates, The Rev. Isabel Geller ( St. Andrew’s Church, Ayer), The Rev. Elizabeth Marshall ( St. Chrysostom’s Church, Quincy), The Rev. Dawn Tesorero (deacon, sponsored by St. John’s Church, Jamaica Plain), The Rev. Atem Yak ( Grace Church, Everett) and The Rev. Joseph Kimmel ( St. James’s Church, Cambridge). |
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Summer celebrations for Juneteenth, World Refugee Day, Pan-African Conference coming up: The diocesan Office of Immigration and Multicultural Ministries, together with the bishops, invites all to take part in one or more of these special upcoming events:
Gather with Bishop Gayle E. Harris and special guest speaker the Rev. Canon Sandye Wilson, Interim Dean of the Cathedral Church of All Saints in the Virgin Islands, for a virtual Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday, June 19 at 3 p.m., commemorating the ending of slavery in the U.S. and marking the Feast of Bernard Mizeki. Find more details and register for the Zoom link here.
World Refugee Day on June 20 is an international designation by the United Nations. The Diocese of Massachusetts will celebrate online on Friday, June 24 at 3 p.m., focusing on "Everyone has the right to seek safety." Bishop Alan M. Gates will give the reflection. Find details and register for the Zoom link here.
A one-day Pan-African Conference of the people of African descent in the diocese, in conjunction with the African Clergy Caucus, is scheduled for Saturday, July 2, beginning with a service at 10:30 a.m., at St. Peter’s Church (at Christ Church, 750 Main Street) in Waltham, with lunch, music and entertainment to follow. Bishop Gayle E. Harris will be the celebrant and preacher. All are welcome, including children, family and friends. More details are posted here. |
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Summer camp is on and registration is still open: Family Camp weekends are for families of any and all configurations. Enjoy a weekend away, building community and exploring faith, alongside activities like arts and crafts, hikes, swimming, boating, small group conversation, worship, music and more. Youth Camps are for all campers completing 4th to 12th grade. Whether climbing the ropes course or paddle boarding on Otter Lake, there's something for everyone. With swimming and games, campfires and dancing and skits, campers are sure to create new friendships and renew old ones year after year.
July 1-4: Family Camp Session 1
July 10-15: Youth Camp Session 1
July 17-22: Youth Camp Session 2
July 24-29: Youth Camp Session 3
July 31-Aug. 5: Youth Camp Session 4
Aug. 5-7: Family Camp Session 2
Find more information, registration and campership information here.
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SSJE re-elects Brother James Koester as superior: The brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) have re-elected Brother James Koester as their superior for a third three-year term. A service of installation took place shortly after the election, at Emery House in West Newbury, the society’s rural monastery and retreat center, according to a May 28 announcement.
Brother James has been a member of the society since 1989, serving the community in a number of capacities, including as guest brother, treasurer and deputy superior at the monastery in Cambridge.
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Brother James Koester, SSJE
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He has also served as guest brother and senior brother at Emery House where, according to the election announcement, he discovered his "inner farmer," creating a large kitchen garden and raising chickens, ducks, geese and pigs, as well as maintaining a number of beehives. He currently also serves as community archivist and librarian.
A native of Canada, Brother James was ordained in the Diocese of British Columbia (Vancouver Island) in 1984 and served there in parish ministry for five years before entering the monastery. Since coming to the community he has preached and led retreats, quiet days and pilgrimages across Canada and the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, South Africa and the Holy Land. Read the full election announcement and learn more about the SSJE brothers' ministry here.
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Development staffing transition underway: Bliss Austin Spooner, who served as director of development for four years, departed from the diocesan staff on June 14, having accepted a position with Hearth, Inc., a Boston nonprofit organization dedicated to ending elderly and older adult homelessness through the creation and management of affordable supportive housing.
Austin Spooner oversaw the diocesan Annual Fund and major gift appeals, as well as the conclusion of the Together Now campaign, the 2020 COVID-19 emergency grant appeal and the initiation of new development software.
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Bliss Austin Spooner
Courtesy photo
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Going forward, as the approach to development models is being reviewed, the diocese is contracting for now with Cornerstone Fundraising to guide development efforts. The Rev. Brian Raiche is the president and senior principal of Cornerstone, and has led numerous capital campaigns, annual appeals, major donor solicitations and endowment campaigns in more than 50 churches and institutions. He also serves as the rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Reading. |
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Summer scheduling note:
E-news takes a summer break, and returns in September with fall news.
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Jun 15: Creation Care Justice Network, via Zoom, 7:00pm
Jun 16: Children's Formation Colleagues Online Gathering, via Zoom, 3:30pm
Jun 16: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm
Jun 19: Bishop Gates visits St. Andrew's Chapel in Hyannis Port
Jun 19: Juneteenth Celebration, via Zoom, 3:00pm
Jun 21: "Rooted and Rising in Love" Summer Solstice Retreat, Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center, North Andover, 9:30am
Jun 24: World Refugee Day Celebration, via Zoom, 3:00pm
Jun 26: Bishop Gates visits Trinity Church in Rockland
Jun 26: Bishop Harris visits St. James's Church in Amesbury
Jun 26: Lay Worship Leader Training, via Zoom, 4:00pm
Jul 1-4: Family Camp, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Jul 2: Pan-African Conference, St. Peter's Church, Waltham, 10:30am
Jul 8-11: 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Md.
Jul 10-15: Youth Camp Session 1, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Jul 17-22: Youth Camp Session 2, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Jul 24-29: Youth Camp Session 3, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Jul 31-Aug 5: Youth Camp Session 4, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Aug 5-7: Family Camp, Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H.
Aug 11: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm
Sep 2: Diocesan Convention Submission Deadline for Nominations, Resolutions, Reports
Sep 7: Installation of The Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma at Christ Church, Waltham, 6:00pm
Sep 9: Clergy Professional Development Day: Workshop on Microaggression, via Zoom, 9:00am
Sep 9: Clergy Professional Development Day: Safe Church Review, via Zoom, 1:00pm
Sep 11: Bishop Gates visits St. Peter's Church in Osterville
Sep 11: Bishop Harris visits St. Peter's-San Pedro Church in Salem
Sep 17: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
Sep 18: Bishop Gates visits St. Stephen's Church in Cohasset
Sep 18: Bishop Harris visits Christ Church in Medway
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