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March 2023
Presiding Bishop Curry to help mark Old North Church's 300th year at two celebratory services in April
Old North Church, together with the Diocese of Massachusetts, will welcome Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry to Boston in April to commemorate the church's 300th anniversary.

There will be two celebratory events on Sunday, April 16 to mark Old North's founding in 1723 and its role in American history: Curry will preach at an 11 a.m. Festival Choral Eucharist. All are invited to join the Old North Congregation for this service. A coffee hour follows. (Register to attend the morning service here.)

Then, at 6 p.m., Curry will be the honored guest speaker at a ticketed Lantern Service that promises to be an inspirational evening of song and rededication, culminating in the lighting of Old North's steeple lanterns in honor of the events of April 18, 1775, on the eve of the American Revolution, and as a renewed commitment to be a shining beacon of light, justice and love to the city and nation. Lantern Service proceeds will go to support the mission and ministry of the Old North congregation. (Purchase tickets to the church's Lantern Service here).
Spread the word! Click image to view and download the poster.
Of the upcoming celebration, Bishop Alan M. Gates says: “Old North Church holds a unique place in our diocesan life, not only for its historic connection to our nation’s history, but also for the ways in which it wrestles with vital issues of race, culture and patriotism, and the intersection of each with Christian faith and theology. We are so grateful for Presiding Bishop Curry’s recognition of this milestone, and hope members of the diocese will join in the celebration.”
Calling our diocese's youth and young adults:
Presiding Bishop Curry looks forward to gathering with you
Young people of the Diocese of Massachusetts will have their own in-person face time with Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry during two special events coming up in April--a rare opportunity for conversation, worship, celebration and some fun with the Episcopal Church's dynamic chief pastor.

While in Boston to celebrate Old North Church's 300th anniversary, the presiding bishop has set aside Saturday, April 15 for two events under the theme "Meditations of the Heart": one for middle and high school youth (and their adult mentors) from 9 to 11 a.m. at St. Cyprian's Church in Roxbury, and another for young adults (over 18) from 2 to 4 p.m. at Boston University's Barristers Hall.
The Rev. Yolanda Rolle, the diocese's missioner for youth and young adults, wants all young people to know the invitation to spend time with the presiding bishop is extended to each and every one of them, and now that registration is open, she urges everyone to get registered right away so that no one misses out on these inspirational and formational encounters.

"Presiding Bishop Curry is excited about celebrating with all Diocese of Massachusetts youth," Rolle said. "During this time, we will listen to one another, we will learn from one another and we will bless one another. Young people will leave our time together at St. Cyprian’s feeling seen by their church, knowing that they are loved by God and ready to be a continued force of good in their community. We want to see all of you at this magnificent celebration!" 

The same goes for the afternoon event with young adults. "Still energized and encouraged by his last visit in the spring of 2019 with this diocese's young adults in their 20s and 30s, Presiding Bishop Michael is looking forward to spending time with us," Rolle said. "The event will encourage thoughtful inquiry, heart-stirring reflections and powerful fellowship."

Both events will include optional time for a hands-on service project.

Find more details and registration for these events at www.diomass.org/PB-2023-Youth-Young-Adults.
NewsNotes
Cathedral's Lenten preaching series lifts up women's testimony: The "A Woman's Testimony" preaching series at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston continues on Tuesdays in Lent at 5:15 p.m.--in person and livestreamed. As this year marks the 100th anniversary of the first sermon by a woman at the cathedral church, the Lenten preaching series is featuring female-identifying preachers opening up the story of the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus in John 4.
March 21 offers a special opportunity, as the Massachusetts Poor People's Campaign Episcopal Network hosts a 7 p.m. dinner and conversation with the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis following her preaching as part of the cathedral's "A Woman's Testimony" series. Theoharis is the national co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and the director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice.

This is a chance for Episcopalians in Massachusetts to learn about the Poor People's Campaign and ways to engage and support it, as last year's Diocesan Convention resolved to do. Register for the dinner program here. Questions are welcome to the Massachusetts Poor People's Campaign Episcopal Network at MAPPCEN@gmail.com.
MA dioceses join to sponsor Lenten online retreat: There's still time to sign up for the "Healing Judgment" online Lenten retreat on Saturday, March 18, 9:30 a.m.-noon, focused on creating a space in which to grow in self-awareness, self-acceptance and compassion for self, one another and our wounded, magnificent world. The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, who serves as creation care advisor to the diocese, will lead this retreat, co-sponsored by the Episcopal dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts and the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ. Find details and registration here.
Pre-Confirmation Retreat is still on, via Zoom: This two-hour online retreat on Saturday, March 25 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) will gather youth who are preparing for Confirmation for a time of reflection on the Confirmation process, a time to plan a service project and a time to meet others in the process. Find registration here. Questions are welcome to the Rev. Yolanda Rolle, Missioner for Youth and Young Adults, at yrolle@diomass.org.
Everyone invited to "Answering the Provocative Call: To Desire, Love and Enfold Our Differences": The Racial Justice Commission invites all to come together 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.

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.
Author and formation minister
Debie Thomas will lead "Answering the Provocative Call" Refreshment Day open to all on April 29. Courtesy photo
Thomas, a columnist and contributing editor of The Christian Century and previously a staff writer for Journey with Jesus, currently serves as minister of lifelong formation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, Calif. Born in Kerala, South India, and raised in Boston, she writes: “...I grew up juggling a complicated and often confusing mix of identities: South Asian, New England suburban, evangelical and feminist. In the murky 'in-betweenness' of those identities, I learned life is far more varied and messy than it is neat and certain, and that faith is not about finding once-and-for-all answers, but about delving deeper and deeper into mystery."
The Racial Justice Commission's BIPOC Support Subcommittee is organizing this event and emphasizes that the day is for the entire diocesan community and open to everyone 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."

Advance registration is required at www.diomass.org/event/Debie-Thomas. The $10 fee includes lunch; scholarships are available.
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.
ChurchWide
The Rt. Rev.
Frank Tracy Griswold III
Photo: Anglican World/Anne Wetzel
Frank T. Griswold III, 25th presiding bishop, dies at 85: [Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Frank Tracy Griswold III, the 25th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, died on March 5 in Philadelphia, Penn.

Griswold, 85, was bishop of the Diocese of Chicago when he was elected at the 72nd General Convention in Philadelphia in July 1997 to succeed Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning. He officially took office on Jan. 10, 1998, and served until Nov. 1, 2006, when he was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.

“Please join me in prayer for Bishop Griswold’s family and for all of us who give thanks for a remarkable and faithful servant of God who served among us as the 25th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. May the soul of Bishop Griswold, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercies of God, rest in peace and rise in glory,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in a statement. Read more.
Filmmakers release "The Philadelphia Eleven" documentary trailer: [Episcopal News Service] The producers of a documentary on the 11 women who broke down barriers in The Episcopal Church to become its first female priests have released a trailer for the film, as they work to raise the remaining money needed to complete it in time for the 50th anniversary of the church milestone next year.
Hundreds signed up for an online sneak peek of “The Philadelphia Eleven” in June 2022, and the official trailer for the full-length documentary was first revealed March 10 in Jacksonville, Fla., at the annual conference of the Episcopal Parish Network. It now can be viewed on Time Travel Productions’ Vimeo channel.

Margo Guernsey is director and producer of the documentary, with co-producer Nikki Bramley. Six of the Philadelphia Eleven are still living, and Guernsey and Bramley interviewed each of those six for the documentary, as well as the Rev. Betty Bone Schiess before she died in 2017, and the Rev. Alison Cheek, who died in 2019.

The late Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, who served as the crucifer at the historic ordination service in Philadelphia, also was interviewed and features in the film trailer.

Guernsey and Bramley launched a new fundraising campaign timed to Women’s History Month. Much of the remaining fundraising is needed to cover the costs of licensing the archival footage that will appear in the final cut of the documentary. Read more here.
Parish Circuit
"Hats Off" project deemed "huge success": One hundred hats. One hundred warm heads. The “Hats Off” outreach project at Grace Church in Salem recently exceeded that goal, and Salem’s school children will now be a little warmer for the rest of the winter.

At the same time, Grace Church enhanced its own feeling of community and raised nearly $1,300 for the parish, according to a news release from Grace Church.

“If ever there was a win-win-win idea, this was it,” the Rev. Deborah Phillips, Grace Church's rector, said in the release.

The parishioners of Grace Church presented 130 hand-knitted hats to Joanne Scott, the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, which hosts an afterschool program at the church. She helped the first group of 18 attendees choose their headwear, then collected the rest for distribution to Boys & Girls Club sites around the city.

Children who attend the program have experienced love and warmth from parishioners there each day, according to Scott. The program moved to Grace Church in January after previously being housed at St. Peter’s in Salem.

Children were allowed to choose their own hats and try them on at the mirror. For Sebastian, 7, and Josiah, 8, that was “the best part.” Others, like Izzy (pictured above), 7, were simply delighted to have a hat in their favorite color--hers being purple.

Hats Off was the brainchild of parishioner Melissa Barnes and had multiple benefits for the community. “It’s a really nice group,” she said. “The fellowship part has been wonderful. It’s been not just about knitting but connecting.”

Barnes credits her mother, Jane Garland, a former parishioner who now lives in South Carolina, for the idea. Garland has been knitting hats and sending them to Barnes.

Volunteers donated their skills knitting hats, many completed during Tuesday evening gatherings in January, and early February, and asked parishioners to sponsor their wares for $10 a hat. Parishioners who were unable to attend the Tuesday evening knitting circle made hats at home and donated them to the project.

“We are grateful for this joyous collaboration and shared mission of helping children in our community," Scott said.

“I love to see the way things work at Grace Church,” Phillips added.
"A joyful reunion" on the South Shore: On Feb. 19, the South Shore Deanery had its first in-person assembly since before the onset of the COVID pandemic, and it was "a joyful reunion," according to the Rev. Sarah Brockmann, South Shore dean and the rector of Trinity Church in Rockland. The assembly began with Evening Prayer in a festively decorated church, led by the Rev. Christopher Capaldo of St. Chrysostom's Church in Quincy, and included special music provided by Brockmann, Andrew Butz, Tom O'Neil and Trudy Harney. Following worship, the community gathered in the parish hall for a potluck supper and parish check-in, as well as advance notice of the next South Shore assembly in May. Most of the congregations in the deanery were represented, as well as members of the Society of St. Margaret in Duxbury. "It was good to be together again, and fun to incorporate the Mardi Gras theme into this gathering," Brockmann said by e-mail. Courtesy photos/Sister Sarah Randall, SSM.
St. James's, Cambridge screens "Voices of Reentry":
St. James's Church in Cambridge will host a screening of the documentary "Voices of Reentry" on Sunday, March 19 at 4 p.m. It discusses the challenges and injustices that formerly incarcerated people face in society. Two formerly incarcerated individuals will be present and share more of their story in person after the film. All are welcome. Registration is encouraged at this link.
Learn about Locally Haiti at Epiphany, Winchester: On Saturday, March 25 at 4 p.m., the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester will host a reception to introduce Locally Haiti and its executive director, Wynn Walent, and learn about this Episcopal-affiliated and Haitian-led organization. Locally Haiti focuses on community health, education, agriculture and girls’ empowerment building in the community of Petit Trou de Nippes. Epiphany member Linda Davidson, who serves on Locally Haiti's board of directors, said by e-mail that she hopes "any folks with new or longstanding devotion to partnership with our Haitian siblings will attend."
Dorchester Community Resource Fair in the works for April 29:
St. Mark’s Church in Dorchester and the Life Together fellows are hosting their first annual collaborative event, the Dorchester Community Resource Fair, on Saturday, April 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., on the front lawn of the church, located at 73 Columbia Road in Dorchester. All are welcome.

With live music and delicious food promised, the Community Resource Fair will bring together a variety of local organizations to provide information and services to the entire neighborhood.
An August 2022 Life Together celebration at St. Mark's Church in Dorchester, whose rectory houses Life Together fellows. Courtesy photo
Collaborators include the Stop & Shop Nutrition Partners, which offer free one-on-one nutritional education to support healthy eating, as well as The Family Van, a longstanding partner of Life Together, which will provide free health screenings at the event. Representatives from Citizens Bank and Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp will also be on hand with informational resources on financial empowerment and housing.

The afternoon will also include live gospel music performances by members of both the St. Mark’s congregation and the Life Together community. "We look forward to the ways this collaboration will deepen partnerships in the diocese and beyond," Life Together organizers say. "Mark your calendars for April 29! We would love to see you at the Resource Fair." For more information, contact Kelsey Rice Bogdan, Life Together Executive Director, at kelsey@diomassintern.org.
In the News
Dartmouth Week: St. Peter's nonprofit helps bring hope and healing to underserved part of state: "When [the] Rev. Scott Ciosek started 'The Bridge: A Center for Hope and Healing,' a nonprofit based out of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in 2015, he hoped to expand mental health into a region he found had 'less access' compared to other areas of the commonwealth.

“'So many people in this community are in need of support,' he said. 'Nobody should ever have to walk that life journey alone-- hope and healing are always possible.'

"The Bridge offers grief support groups, weekly meditation and mental health counseling.
In light of this work, the center was recognized by Massachusetts General Hospital this past January for its work in the region, one the hospital said is 'underserved.'”
Coming Up 
Mar 16: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Mar 18: "Healing Judgment" Lenten Online Retreat with The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, via Zoom, 9:30am

Mar 19: Bishop Gallagher visits Church of the Good Shepherd in Acton

Mar 19: Bishop Gates visits Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan

Mar 19: "Voices of Reentry" Film Screening, St. James's Church, Cambridge, 4:00pm

Mar 21: "A Woman's Testimony" Lenten Preaching Series, The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis preaching, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:15pm

Mar 21: Race, Church, and Healing Affinity Groups, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Mar 21: MA Poor People's Campaign Episcopal Network Dinner with The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 7:00pm

Mar 22: Online Gathering for Lay Preachers, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Mar 24: Installation of The Rev. Patrick Ward at Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, 6:00pm

Mar 25: Pre-Confirmation Retreat, via Zoom, 11:00am

Mar 25: Locally Haiti Reception, Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester, 4:00pm

Mar 25: A Spring Carol Embrace, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 4:00pm

Mar 26: Bishop Gallagher visits St. Michael's Church in Milton

Mar 26: Bishop Gates visits Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham

Mar 28: "A Woman's Testimony" Lenten Preaching Series, Ylisse Bess preaching, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:15pm

Mar 28: Race, Church, and Healing Workshop Session 3, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Mar 29: Lay Worship Leader Training, via Zoom, 6:30pm

Apr 1: Multicultural Palm Sunday Eve Celebration of the Human Journey Toward New Life in Freedom, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Apr 2: Bishop Gates visits St. Peter's Church in Beverly

Apr 8: Cathedral Easter Vigil with Confirmations, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 7:00pm

Apr 9: Easter Day at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, Bishop Carol J. Gallagher preaching, 10:00am

Apr 11: Race, Church, and Healing Affinity Groups, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Apr 15: "Meditations of the Heart" Middle and High School Youth Gathering with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, St. Cyprian's Church, Roxbury, 9:00am

Apr 15: "Meditations of the Heart" Young Adult Gathering with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Barristers Hall, Boston University, 2:00pm

Apr 16: Festival Choral Eucharist, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preaching, Old North Church, Boston, 11:00am

April 16: Old North Church Lantern Service with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, 6:00pm

Apr 18: Race, Church, and Healing Workshop Session 4, via Zoom, 6:00pm

Apr 19: Clergy Professional Development Day: Safe Church Review, via Zoom, 5:30pm

Apr 20: Clergy Professional Development Day: Workshop with The Samaritans, via Zoom, 5:30pm

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

Apr 23: Bishop Gallagher visits Emmanuel Church in Wakefield

Apr 23: Bishop Gates visits St. Andrew's Church in Ayer

Apr 29: "Answering the Provocative Call" Day of Reflection & Renewal with Debie Thomas, Church of Our Saviour, Brookline, 9:30am

Apr 29: Confirmation Service, All Saints' Church, Chelmsford, 10:30am

Apr 29: Dorchester Community Resource Fair, St. Mark's Church, Dorchester, 1:00pm
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