On Indigenous Peoples' Day, Monday, Oct. 10, the Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton, Canon to the Ordinary in the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, will join at Christ Church in Plymouth with the bishops of both Massachusetts Episcopal dioceses and Indigenous leaders from the Commonwealth for a symposium of sacred listening and response, lunchtime conversations and a special worship service of lament and commitment. All are welcome; register in advance (required) here. The program begins at 11 a.m.

Bishop Alan M. Gates said the day's planned activities are a potential lead to "greater wholeness."

The Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton

"Growing up, I heard a lot of stories from my grandmother–who was a member of the Mayflower Society, descendants of the Puritans–about the personalities and experiences of those pilgrims in the earliest years of the Plymouth Colony. There is another set of stories that I did not hear–stories of the culture, values and experiences of the Indigenous people who were in this place, and their descendants in the ensuing four centuries throughout this land," Gates said. "I am eager to be part of the event in Plymouth on Oct. 10–to engage in the sacred listening and response, lament and commitment, which can lead us all to greater wholeness. I encourage others to join Bishops Doug Fisher, Gayle Harris, Carol Gallagher and me for this important gathering."

Canon Cornelia Eaton also will be the guest preacher at Old North Church in Boston the previous day, Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. All are welcome; RSVP for the service here.

The Office of Immigration and Multicultural Ministries of the Diocese of Massachusetts is sponsoring these special events, together with the Beloved Community Commission of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, the Racial Justice Commission of the Diocese of Massachusetts and the Indigenous Peoples' Justice Network of both Massachusetts dioceses.

From July 26 to Aug. 8, Diocese of Massachusetts Bishop Suffragan Gayle E. Harris and Bishop Carol J. Gallagher, who serves as a regional canon in the diocese, participated in the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference of some 650 bishops from across the Anglican Communion, convened by the archbishop of Canterbury. (Bishop Alan M. Gates did not attend; read his July 29 statement.) 

In a recent interview, Harris and Gallagher reflected together on their experience at–and exclusion from–Lambeth when it last met in 2008; where and how they found Jesus present at Lambeth this time around; and their side-trip pilgrimages to Gravesend and Turville. 

Online registration is open for Diocesan Convention, to take place Friday-Saturday, Oct. 28-29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Danvers. Convention is open to all in the diocesan community and includes non-business programming on Friday exploring this year's theme, "By This They Will Know You: The Call of Love in Our Time and Place."  

Pre-Convention Forums are coming up in October and are an important opportunity for discussion about the issues and business to come before the Diocesan Convention, including the proposed 2023 diocesan budget and proposed resolutions. Voting members of the convention are encouraged to attend the session for their region, but are welcome to participate on another date if it is more convenient.

Find more details at www.diomass.org/diocesan-convention-2022.

Retreat and resources for Creation Season, now underway:

• “Take heart, it is I” Zoom Retreat for Creation Season, Saturday, Oct. 1, 9:30 a.m.-noon, led by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas. Find retreat details and registration here. This retreat is a time to gather to pray for the courage to meet Christ in rough seas, the serenity to trust in Christ's presence and the boldness to bear public witness to Christ's love. The time will include silence and guided meditation, presentations and small group conversation, and free time for prayer and a contemplative walk outdoors.

• “Season of Creation: An Ecumenical Celebration”: 

A new curated liturgical resource authorized by the bishops for use in 2022, available at www.diomass.org/creation-care. 

The Creation Care Justice Network is a growing group of Episcopalians across Massachusetts engaged in working together to help congregations and individuals pray, learn, act and advocate on behalf of God’s creation. Sign up here to get connected with the group.

New chief financial officer joins diocesan staff: New chief financial officer Debra Thomas joined the diocesan staff on Sept. 1. She comes with more than 25 years of experience in financial operations, information technology, administrative functions and business process redesign.

Thomas will oversee all financial operations of the diocese and play a central role in managing information technology and human resources.

She recently completed a nearly eight-year tenure with the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, where she served as deputy chief financial officer and then as chief financial officer, managing large financial and administrative operations.

Debra Thomas

"Debra Thomas will bring a constellation of skill sets and financial acumen to the diocese," Bishop Alan M. Gates said in announcing the new hire. "Bishop Harris and I found her altogether engaged and ready to be part of the leadership team here, and those with whom she has worked testify not only to her effective work with budgets and accounting, but also to her understanding of the mission served by those financial systems."

Read the full announcement here.

Church youth programs honored with Tripp Awards: The Church Home Society, at its annual meeting in June, awarded two William V. Tripp III Memorial Awards of $10,000 each to the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan and Grace Chapel in Brockton. 

The award is named in memory and recognition of Tripp for his 35-plus years of service to the Church Home Society, and it is awarded annually to an Episcopal-related organization. 

The Church Home Society is an independent philanthropic organization affiliated with the Diocese of Massachusetts and provides grants to nonprofit organizations and churches which support and empower underserved youth. To learn more about Church Home Society and its granting program, visit www.churchhomesociety.org.

Episcopal News Service: Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard takes in migrants flown in by surprise: St. Andrew’s Church in Edgartown was thrust into the national spotlight after taking in 48 migrants who were unexpectedly dropped off on the island on Sept. 14. For almost two days, the small parish provided shelter to the migrants–including some children–who are reported to be mostly from Venezuela. Most spoke little or no English and did not know where they were.

With no warning that the migrants were coming, church leaders and locals leapt into action and “banded together as an island community to really do something miraculous,” St. Andrew’s rector, the Rev. Chip Seadale, told Episcopal News Service. Read more.

WCVB-TV: "Bostonians, Americans line up to sign condolence books for Queen Elizabeth II: A steady stream of Massachusetts residents, Americans and visitors signed condolence books to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who died Sept. 8 at the age of 96.

“I think part of the queen's real magic is this ability to relate to people who had never met her before. So, lots of people feel that they knew her, and so we want to give people the opportunity to say goodbye to somebody that they felt that they knew,” Abbott said. Watch the full story here.

For the Diocese of Massachusetts, memorial activities at Old North Church in Boston were the focus for public expressions of remembrance and worship, and Bishop Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris joined Old North Vicar-in-Charge Matthew P. Cadwell in raising prayers and offering condolences on behalf of the diocese.

Watch the recorded livestream of Old North's Sept. 18 service of remembrance and thanksgiving, followed by bell-tolling, here. Find Washington National Cathedral's Sept. 21 service, with Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry preaching, here.

MIT News: The Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas on ministering to the MIT community: Thea Keith-Lucas served as MIT’s Episcopal chaplain from 2013 to 2020, and was recently promoted to chaplain to the institute and associate dean of the Office of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life (ORSEL), roles that she had been filling on an interim basis since September 2020. She is pictured (center, in red stole) at her Sept. 13 installation ceremony at the MIT Chapel with colleague chaplains. Read the MIT News interview, here, where she talks about the priorities of her office and how the community still surprises her.

Sep 21: TENS Best Practices for Stewardship Webinar, via Zoom, 6:30pm

Sep 21: Creation Care Justice Network, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Sep 21: Online Talk: "Black Women & Children in the Archival Records of Old North Church," 7:00pm

Sep 24: Confirmation, All Deaneries, Christ Church, Swansea, 10:30am

Sep 24: Confirmation, All Deaneries, Trinity Church, Concord, 10:30am

Sep 25: Bishop Gates visits Trinity Church, Bridgewater

Sep 25: Bishop Harris visits All Saints Church of the North Shore in Danvers

Sep 27: Luncheon for Retired Clergy, Spouses, Survivors, St. Peter's Church, Weston, 10:00am

Sep 29: Clergy Day, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 12:30pm

Sep 30: Luncheon for Retired Clergy, Spouses, Survivors, St. David's Church, South Yarmouth, 10:00am

Oct 1: "Way of Love for Second Half of Life" Retreat, Bertram Conference Center / Society of St. Margaret, Duxbury, 9:00am

Oct 1: “Take heart, it is I”: Online Retreat for Creation Season, with the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, 9:30am

Oct 1: Confirmation, All Deaneries, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:30am

Oct 1: Confirmation, All Deaneries, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 1:30pm

Oct 2: Bishop Gates visits Ascension Memorial Church in Ipswich

Oct 5: Pre-Diocesan Convention Forum: Central Region, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Oct 6: Pre-Diocesan Convention Forum: Northern & Western Region, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Oct 7: Pre-Diocesan Convention Forum: All Regions, via Zoom, 2:00pm

Oct 8: Confirmation, All Deaneries, St. Thomas's Church, Taunton, 10:30am

Oct 9: Indigenous Peoples' Day Weekend Guest Preacher Cornelia Eaton, Old North Church, Boston, 10:00am

Oct 9: Bishop Harris visits Epiphany Parish in Walpole

Oct 10: Indigenous Peoples' Day Gathering, Christ Church, Plymouth, 11:00am

Oct 11: Pre-Diocesan Convention Forum: Southern Region, via Zoom, 7:00pm

Oct 12: "Here Lies Darby Vassall" Film Premiere, Christ Church, Cambridge, 6:00pm

Oct 15: World Hunger Day Meal Packing Event, St. Mary's Church, Newton Lower Falls, 3:00pm

Oct 16: Bishop Gates visits St. Peter's Church in Dartmouth

Oct 16: Bishop Harris visits Trinity Church in Wrentham

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

Oct 22: Episcopal City Mission Annual Meeting

Oct 23: Bishop Gates visits Grace Church in Medford

Oct 28-29: 237th Annual Diocesan Convention, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel North Shore in Danvers

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