A Glorious 100+ year old Ginkgo Tree

Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, MO

Photo by Carolyn Sue Cecil

Greetings from

the

House of Laity!

Every 3 months, you will receive a Newsletter from the House of Laity through the Office of Presiding Bishop that features news from our numerous and diverse communities of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion!

We invite you to send us news about events and celebrations from your community that we can share here! Everyone enjoys hearing what others in our ECC Family are doing and it's a joy to get ideas and learn from each other!

Always feel free to email us with your questions, thoughts or ideas!

Claudia Kilby, HOL Chair: claudia.kilby@gmail.com

John Duffy-Burke, HOL Co-Vice Chair: jburkebze08@gmail.com

Erin Duffy-Burke, HOL Co-Vice Chair: erinduffyburke@gmail.com

Holy Angels and Holy Trinity News

Back row: Erik Suarez, Fr. Fransisco (Holy Trinity)

Front row: Meredith Lee, Mo. Tammy Fuqua, Claudia Kilby,

Victoria Greene, Robert Otrembiak (Brother James)

Our area was blessed with representation this year at Synod. Once our reports were delivered to our individual parishes, we came to understand the impact of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion national organization. We are part of a community that goes beyond the local church. No matter how small or large your community, we all belong to a much larger church with common values and spirited worship.

Social Justice Fundraiser

at Holy Angels Church

Rosary Making Class

Most communities have talented members whose talents can be shared with others to serve others. We wanted to share what we are doing to tickle your brain and heart in creative ways.

Rachael Berg-Martinez will be leading the rosary making class. Recommended donation is $20 per rosary which includes all materials and lesson. All proceeds go to our Holy Angels Church, specifically for Social Justice Committee's efforts.

Mother Tammy along with some of our participants had a great time creating their personal rosaries.

Our Social Justice Committee was able to raise $400 from the efforts of Rachael (not pictured) in presenting this opportunity to our members and guests.

Lamp for Haiti is this fall season’s social justice fund raiser at Holy Angels Church. We have a special connection to this foundation through our parish member, Kathy Morgan, whose brother is a founding member of this charitable organization.

The Lamp Foundation, known as Lamp for Haiti, is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, apolitical organization founded in 2006. Our primary activity is the delivery of health care and humanitarian assistance in Cité Soleil, a section of 300,000 residents on the edges of Port-au- Prince. Our community of Bwa Nèf in Cité Soleil is among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

We believe that we are all one human family and that the people of Cité Soleil represent tremendous human potential. Our aim is to empower the community, through our services, to achieve this potential. We believe the hope for a brighter future in Haiti begins with improved health care. Ill health is a barrier to self-reliance and we have the means to overcome this barrier!

https://lampforhaiti.org/giving/

Rocky Mountain Region

ECC Members from Rocky Mountain Region gathered

at the Sunday Liturgy during Synod 2024

Following the conclusion of Synod, delegates from all communities met with their congregations to share insights from their synod experience.

The number of volunteers from our area who shared of their time and talent to help Synod happen was impressive! Standing ovation for all of them!

LIGHT OF CHRIST

DEACON MIKE

Nov 18, 2024

Light of Christ blessed Deacon Mike Weil during Mass on November 18. Deacon Mike will serve at Light of Christ for the next liturgical year as part of his internship for formation to the priesthood.

We welcome Deacon Mike and thank his home ECC community of Church of the Holy Family for this collaboration.

Here is the blessing that the LOC Liturgy Team put together for Deacon Mike:

Advice from the Light of Christ

Shine brightly.

Be friends with the bushel basket. But don’t hide under it.

Look on the bright side of things.

Remember, some lights can only be seen at night.

You can share your light without getting any dimmer.

Be a shining example for others.

You were created in the beginning, on day 1.

And God said, “it is good.”

Jesus is the Light of the World.

God turns the shadows into light.

All things become visible when exposed to the Light.

The Word of God is a Light for our path.

We are Light of Christ. Both Light and Christ are in our name.

That says everything you need to know about us.

Welcome to Light of Christ!

Amen.

Mary of Magdala synod planning sub team members have worked to tie up loose ends from synod.

Reports /feedback were also sent to leadership with the intent of learning what went well and what improvements can be made for the next synod.

If you have not received the links to all of the sessions, you can find them here:

https://conta.cc/4hkiibb

Instructions on Living in a Broken World

posted by Church of the Beloved.

Light of Christ is nested in Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

The picture, Love the Hate Out of the World,

is on our bulletin board.

Many are grieving the results of the election with lots of concerns for the marginalized! We must continue to look for beauty and love in the midst of chaos! (The picture of the mountain is of Longs Peak, in Estes Park was taken by Mary Lu Stenson, from Light of Christ.)

May gratitude fill our hearts this season!

Keep smiling!

Truth & Reconciliation Commission

ECC Anti-Racism Statement

(recorded at YMCA during Synod 2024)

ECC Anti-Racism Statement_ 2024 Holy Synod - 1728797602223.mp4

+ + + +

The ECC Truth & Reconciliation Commission is planning a Communion-wide Pilgrimage in the Spring of 2025 to visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, AL. Our hope is to have at least a couple of representatives attend from each region or diocese of the ECC. If you are interested, please contact us for more information:

B Phelps: bernella_m@hotmail.com

John Phelps: jbillyphelps@gmail.com