Following Jesus in the Midst of a Pandemic: A Pastoral Letter from our Bishops

We who are living in the midst of the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic (as the World Health Organization now characterizes the coronavirus) are living in uncertain and difficult times, not unlike the experience of the early Christians. We have never been in the situation we now find ourselves. Our world is turned upside down. Fear, insecurity, and anxiety concerning how COVID-19 will affect us, those we love, and our communities -including the church - consume us. Overwhelmed by a plethora of information coming at us on social media, television, radio and newspapers, we seem to be awash, confused, and paralyzed by not knowing what to do.

Yet our faith commends us to do otherwise, to not be consumed by fear, insecurity, and anxiety. As followers of Jesus, we put our trust in God who raised Jesus from the dead and who, in the power of the Holy Spirit, sends us to be about God’s mission of restoration, reconciliation and wholeness in the face of brokenness, alienation, and illness. Now is the time for us to be the Church that God wants us and needs us to be.

Read the full Bishops' Letter

Parochial Reports were due March 1, including the addendum . If your parish has not completed their parochial report, please do so ASAP.

Questions? Contact Karoyln Nicolaides .

ECCT Stories: Loving one another in the time of a pandemic

contributed by Digital Media Coordinator Alli Gannett

Church looks different, caring for one another, being a community looks different when you are advised to practice social distancing. It is a strange thing to write this blog standing in my kitchen with live-streamed church services on my computer, but those services only include a few people. It is strange to know thousands of others are doing something similar on their Sunday morning. Read more

The Secularizing of Church of Our Saviour, Plainville

On Thursday, March 12, about 30 individuals gathered with the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens and Rev. Link Hullar for the secularizing of Church of our Saviour, Plainville. They reflected on the life and witness of the parish from those who worshipped there, prayed, and shared a hymn together led by Father Link.

This past October, Church of our Saviour officially merged with St. John's, Bristol to become Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Plainville and Bristol.

You can watch a video of their experiences on the process of merging here .

All upcoming ECCT events have been either postponed, cancelled, or moved to online Zoom video calls. To view the most updated list, please visit our COVID-19 updates page on our website.

On our March 8 Second Sunday ECCT's Digital Media Coordinator Alli Gannett lead Listening Out Loud – Sharing and Hearing Stories. We followed by Evening Prayer, and  Camp Washington 's almost annual and nearly famous Corned Beef dinner. Read CW's Covid-19 preparedness statement here.

For updates on services at our Cathedral, sign up for notifications and read The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell's latest news bulletins.

Lenten Series week three resources

Camp Washington is the official Camp and Retreat Center of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) and a resource for Christian development and spiritual formation for followers of Jesus. Camp Washington is located on 300 acres in northwestern Connecticut and organizes and/or hosts retreats, conferences, and events throughout the year and offers a full summer camp program. It is a place of “acceptance, joy, and renewal for all God’s people.”

Christ Church Cathedral is the gathering place for the entire Episcopal Church in Connecticut and the seat of its bishops. It is “Connecticut’s Cathedral” as all Episcopalians in CT are members of the Cathedral. From our Cathedral we are called and empowered to participate in God’s mission in our local neighborhoods. In this its centennial year, our Cathedral is opening its doors in new ways to neighbors near and far.

The Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Environmental Grant - accepting applications

The mission of the Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Environmental Grant is to encourage innovation and to empower members of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to educate, witness and invite change in our congregations and communities with the goal of embracing a global vision of climate justice and preserving and celebrating God's creation.

Grant applications are due by April 3rd and grantees will be announced April 22nd.  Learn more about the grant here.

Educational Scholarships from The Episcopal Church

Scholarships for Young People from The Episcopal Church

May we who are merely inconvenienced Remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors Remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home

Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close Remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips Remember those who have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the economic tumult Remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home Remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our economy, Let us choose love.

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.

Post Credit: St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Lincoln, MA

Photo credit: Michelle Sharp Unsplash