“The loss of any human life is tragic, but there was deep racial hatred driving this shooting, and we have got to turn from the deadly path our nation has walked for much too long,” said our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his May 16 pastoral statement. He called on us “to uphold and protect the dignity of every human child of God, and to actively uproot the white supremacy and racism deep in the heart of our shared life.” Likewise, Bishop Sean Rowe of the Diocese of Western New York–which includes Buffalo–urged prayer, “not as a substitute for taking action, but to prepare to do so. In the coming weeks, we will need to gather our resolve and raise our voices again against racism and hatred, and commit ourselves to freeing our nation from this epidemic of gun violence.” (Read Bishop Rowe's statements here and here.)

Find liturgical resources from Bishops United Against Gun Violence here.

The Rt. Rev.

Barbara C. Harris

June 1930-March 2020

Visit www.diomass.org/event/

barbara-c-harris-memorial for details and updates.

 Reception following

The service will be livestreamed via www.stpaulboston.org and YouTube.

For members of the diocesan community attending in person, advance online registration is required. 

Additional gatherings for participation on June 12: Plans are in the works for several churches to host simultaneous gatherings on June 12 at 5 p.m. for those who are not able to be at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul but who would like to gather with others to participate in the service via livestream, on-site celebration of Holy Eucharist and fellowship.

Additional details will be posted here as plans progress.

"All systems go" for summer camp:

The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, N.H. Courtesy photo

The Rev. Spencer Hatcher, the new executive director of the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, N.H., arrived on the job in February after four years working at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif. She is just the third executive director to serve the Barbara C. Harris Center in its nearly 20 years as the Diocese of Massachusetts' camp and conference ministry. 

The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center is hiring summer staff (18+ years old) to provide a fun, enriching and supportive experience for campers, June 24-Aug. 8: lifeguards (can be 16+), canoers and kayakers, ropes course facilitators, music leads and general counselors. The summer salary range is $2,100-$2,500 (depending on training and certifications), with on-site room and board and WiFi. Find the application here.

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 high on 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. 

Find more information, registration and campership information here. 

Washington National Cathedral

National Cathedral tolls funeral bell to mark 1 million COVID deaths: [Episcopal News Service]: Washington National Cathedral held a special prayer service on May 9 to memorialize the 1 million recorded deaths from COVID-19 in the United States, including 1,000 tolls of the cathedral's funeral bell–one for every 1,000 Americans who have died after contracting the coronavirus. Read more and watch the recording of the service and bell tolling here.

Church's position on women's reproductive health care reaffirmed: Following the leak to news media earlier this month of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court may soon strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations reaffirmed, in a May 3 statement, the church's commitment to "equitable access to women’s health care, including women’s reproductive health care,” viewed by the church as “an integral part of a woman’s struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being.” The Office of Government Relations will continue to advocate at the federal level to protect reproductive rights, the statement said. Find an overview of The Episcopal Church's positions on abortion and women's reproductive health here.

Design group recommends shorter, smaller General Convention in July: [Episcopal News Service]: The 80th General Convention will now be held July 8-11 in Baltimore, Md., shortened from eight to four days under a recommendation from the design group charged with planning a “shorter, smaller, safer” gathering, according to a letter to the church sent May 17 by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, the president of the House of Deputies.

“Like many of you, we continue to grieve our inability to gather as a whole church this summer,” Curry and Jennings wrote, acknowledging they endorsed the design group’s recommendations. “But even since last week, when we first made the decision to reduce the scale of the meeting, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States have continued to rise steeply. Although we regret that need to make this decision, we are confident that we have chosen the right path.” Read the full story.

New England Episcopal dioceses to gather for annual conference June 7-8: The annual conference of the seven Episcopal dioceses of New England (Province I) is coming up, and will be held online over two evenings this year. The opening session, on June 7, 6-8:30 p.m., will include a discussion with members of diocesan deputations to the Episcopal Church's General Convention, coming up in July in Baltimore. A business session follows on June 8, 7-8:30 p.m. The conference is open to all New England Episcopalians. Find more information and registration here.

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont bishops to assist each other's dioceses: [Episcopal News Service]: The bishops of the dioceses of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont announced on May 14 that they will serve as assisting bishops in each other’s dioceses as part of an effort to increase collaboration in the region.

Maine Bishop Thomas J. Brown, New Hampshire Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld and Vermont Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown (pictured above from left) will continue to serve as diocesan bishops in their respective dioceses. Starting in September, each will be able to “preach and teach and provide sacramental rites” in the other dioceses. Read the full story.

Diocesan photos via Episcopal News Service

Two more chances to take part in Reparations Listening Gatherings: The series of nine regional online Reparations Listening Gatherings, hosted by the Racial Justice Commission's Subcommittee on Reparations, wraps up with two final sessions on May 18 and 21. Anyone who missed one of the previous sessions and still wants a chance for their voice to be heard is welcome. Find the schedule and Zoom registration here.

Last November’s Diocesan Convention adopted a resolution that 2022 be a year of study and discernment “in the name of repentance, reconciliation and accountability to the descendants of enslaved Africans and their communities.”

Nominating Committee seeks to broaden leadership diversity: The recently reconstituted Nominating Committee, a committee of Diocesan Council, is seeking to “broaden the diversity of leadership for all diocesan project teams and governing bodies”–one of the aims of the diocesan mission strategy.

“Our experience has been that there is so much untapped talent, particularly of our lay siblings, that we can bring to bear on the challenges and opportunities facing us as a diocese," the Nominating Committee notes. "So, we want to do our part to change that. The responses to this brief form will be a living repository of the amazing breadth of the deep faith, acquired skills, lived experiences and hard-earned wisdom of lay Episcopalians in eastern Massachusetts. If you are lay person, you can complete it right now. If you are a priest or deacon, please share it with your congregations and ministries. Please pass the

link around widely so that as many people as possible know their voice is needed and welcomed in the shared governance of our church.”

New deacons and transitional deacons to be ordained: The diocesan community’s prayers and presence are invited for the ordination of deacons and transitional deacons on Saturday, June 4, 10:30 a.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. A livestream will be available via www.stpaulboston.org.

Congratulations and prayers are with the Rev. Adam Dawkins, ordained a transitional deacon on April 25 by Bishop James Tengatenga at All Saints’ Chapel at the University of the South, Sewanee. Dawkins was sponsored for ordination by Trinity Church in Stoughton.

Those to be ordained deacons on June 4 are: Clifford Goodridge (sponsored by Trinity Church, Randolph) and Dawn Tesorero (St. John’s Church, Jamaica Plain).

Those to be ordained transitional deacons are: Curtis Coppersmith (St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church, Lincoln), Hal Edmonson (St. Paul’s Church, Brookline), Isabel Geller (St. Andrew’s Church, Ayer), Dorothy Goehring (The Crossing, Boston), Joseph Kimmel (St. James’s Church, Cambridge), Adwoa Lewis-Wilson (Christ Church, Cambridge), Elizabeth Marshall (St. Chrysostom’s Church, Quincy) and Atem Aruei Yak (Grace Church, Everett).

New assistant for congregations and grants administration to join diocesan staff: Margaret Lias has been hired as assistant for congregations and grants administration, a new full-time position on the diocesan staff, and will begin on May 31.

Lias is currently a candidate for ordination to the diaconate, sponsored by Emmanuel Church in Boston. She has worked as an administrator for several parishes in the diocese, most recently at St. Paul's Church in Dedham.  Read the full announcement.

"Rooted and rising in love: A summer solstice retreat":  June 21, the beginning of summer and the Northern Hemisphere's longest day of the year, is an opportunity to reflect with one another on sources of courage and hope. In the face of converging social and ecological crises, what spiritual practices and perspectives can sustain us? As we struggle to protect the web of life and to create a more just society, where do we turn for meaning and strength?

This in-person retreat day will be offered on Tuesday, June 21, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center in North Andover (with overnight option available). The day will include a mix of presentations, small group conversations, individual reflection and free time for contemplative wandering and prayer. Together participants will explore a framework for the heart for becoming compassionate, prophetic leaders who can take up the mantle of moral leadership that this decisive moment in history requires.

The retreat will be led by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, who serves as creation care advisor for the Diocese of Massachusetts and as missioner for creation care for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ.  

Find event details and registration here. Cost is $80 per person, with financial assistance available. Registration is open until June 10.

Associated Press: Woman named sexton of historic Boston church for first time: Chelsea Millsap is the first woman named sexton in Old North Church's nearly 300-year history. “The sexton is an incredibly important role at Old North, serving both the church and historic site and connecting a nearly 300-year lineage of caretakers,” Nikki Stewart, the executive director of the Old North Foundation, told the AP. Read more.

Provincetown Independent: Priest's home in Provincetown may house summer workers: Amid a massive workforce housing crisis that threatens the survival of local businesses, the members of the vestry of St. Mary of the Harbor, the Episcopal church at 517 Commercial Street, Provincetown, are working out final details with restaurant owners Joachim Sandbichler and Mark Ferrari to house six to eight of their summer J-1 student visa workers in the church’s vacant rectory. Read more.

WickedLocal.com/Scituate Mariner: St. Luke's to again welcome flocks of pink flamingos for fundraiser: The flock of plastic pink flamingos that was seen around Scituate last year will be heading back for a return visit next month. The flamingos are part of a fundraising campaign for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and will be landing on the front lawn of the church, located at 465 First Parish Road, in mid-May. The “Flamingo Flocking” is a silly and fun way to spread some joy across the town, and raise some money for the church’s ministry, said the Rev. Natasha Stewart. Read more.

CapeNews.net/The Enterprise: Rector of Woods Hole church retiring: "Imagine" was the theme of the Rev. Deborah M. Warner’s final sermon at Church of the Messiah in Woods Hole on April 24, as she reflected upon her long tenure as rector of the oldest Episcopal church on Cape Cod and prepares to retire. “Dear friends,” Warner said in her sermon, “Over the past months and especially the past few weeks, it has been very easy to find myself caught up—and held—by memories of the past 16-plus years of our shared ministry.” Read more.

May 18: Listening Session on Reparations: Northern & Western Region, via Zoom, 6:00pm

May 18: Installation of The Rev. Donna Foughty at Christ Church, Harwich Port, 7:00pm

May 19: Children's Formation Colleagues Online Gathering, via Zoom, 3:30pm

May 21: Practical Aspects of Congregational Leadership Seminar: Vital Documents, via Zoom, 9:00am

May 21: Listening Session on Reparations: Northern & Western Region, via Zoom, 10:00am

May 21: Confirmation, All Deaneries, Wyman Memorial Church of St. Andrew, Marblehead, 10:30am

May 21: Confirmation, All Deaneries, St. Anne's Church, Lowell, 10:30am

May 22: Bishop Gates visits Emmanuel Church in Braintree

May 22: Bishop Harris visits Christ Church in Harwich Port

May 25: "Faith as a Verb: Peace and Justice and Asians in the Church" Presentation by The Rev. James Kodera, via Zoom, 7:00pm

May 29: Bishop Gates visits St. Mark's Church, Westford

Jun 1: Installation of The Rev. Natasha Stewart at St. Luke's Church, Scituate, 6:00pm

Jun 1: Dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts Poor People's Campaign Network Meeting, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Jun 2: Children's Formation Colleagues Online Gathering, via Zoom, 10:00am

Jun 4: Ordination of Deacons, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:30am

Jun 4: Volvemos Encendidas y Encendidos: Una Fiesta Pan-Latina Episcopal, Piers Park, East Boston, 1:00pm

Jun 4: Multicultural Celebration of Pentecost, 3:00pm

Jun 5: Bishop Gates visits Grace Church in Salem

Jun 5: Bishop Harris visits St. John's Church in Franklin

Jun 6: Dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts Indigenous Peoples' Justice Network, via Zoom, 4:00pm

Jun 7 & 8: Province I Conference, via Zoom

Jun 11: Confirmation, All Deaneries, St. Barnabas's Church, Falmouth, 10:30am

Jun 11: Confirmation, All Deaneries, St. Paul's Church, Bedford, 10:30am

Jun 11: Confirmation, All Deaneries, St. Paul's Church, Bedford, 1:00pm

Jun 12: Diaconate Sunday

Jun 12: Bishop Harris visits St. Barnabas's Church in Falmouth

Jun 12: Bishop Gates visits St. Peter's Church in Buzzards Bay

Jun 12: Diocesan Memorial Service Celebrating Life of Bishop Barbara C. Harris, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston and Regional Sites, 5:00pm

Jun 14: Clergy Professional Development Day: Workshop on Microaggression, Emmanuel Church, Boston, 9:30am

Jun 14: Clergy Professional Development Day: Safe Church Review, Emmanuel Church, Boston, 1:00pm

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, 3:00pm

Jun 21: "Rooted and Rising in Love: Summer Solstice Retreat," Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center, North Andover, 9:30am

Jun 24: Refugee Day Celebration, 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

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