May 19, 2021
Diocesan staff
Thomas Quijada-Discavage named as canon for Formation and Transitions Ministry

Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor has announced the appointment of the Rev. Thomas D. Quijada-Discavage as diocesan canon for Formation and Transition Ministry, effective immediately.

Quijada-Discavage, who had served in that department since 2016, first as administrative assistant and then as interim missioner following the November 2020 retirement of the Rev. Canon Joanna Satorius, said he is “completely honored and humbled” by the appointment and by the bishop’s vote of confidence.

“I look forward to adding my vision and understanding to that of Bishop Taylor, Bishop Diane M. Jardine Bruce and Canon Melissa McCarthy as I provide oversight of the Office of Formation and Transition Ministry,” he said.

“Bishop Bruce, Canon McCarthy, and I call our weekly meeting with Tom ‘Clergy Corner,’ but it’s really the heart of what we do at the diocese,” Taylor said. “Mediating the work of the Holy Spirit, helping congregations and priests hear God’s invitation, vocational matchmaking for the love of Christ – that’s Tom’s ministry, which he does expertly and joyously. He’s just a treasure.”

“Tom stepped into this role with ease and grace,” Bruce said. “With his pastor’s heart, his ability to be present with search committees as well as candidates for positions, Tom displays a depth of not only knowledge but great care, especially in times of transition. His years working in the department prepared him well for this new responsibility.”

Read more here.
Voices of Justice
Chaplain Sam Pillsbury fosters community, restoration at Twin Towers jail

[The Episcopal News] After a pandemic-forced year’s hiatus, Deacon Sam Pillsbury returned to the Los Angeles Twin Towers Correctional Facility in March, heeding a strong call to let those he serves know, “they are not forgotten, that they are still cared for and count as people.”

Currently housing some 2,500 prisoners, the Twin Towers is the world’s largest jail facility and the world’s largest mental health facility. “We are talking about people suffering with very significant depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and other things,” says Pillsbury, 66, who since 2010 has served there as a volunteer chaplain with Prism, the diocesan restorative justice ministry.

“Almost everyone has a diagnosis and is under mental health supervision. There is a large staff of mental health professionals who supervise their treatment and most of them will tell you that it’s more about maintenance than real treatment. It’s a terrible place for your mental health – everyone acknowledges that.”

Scott Wood, a Loyola Marymount University professor and the founder of the law school’s restorative justice project, recalled joining his colleague for one such visit, during which Pillsbury led worship.

“It’s like you’re looking into a giant fishbowl,” said Wood. “The announcement will be made that there’s going to be Episcopal services in this room. There is an altar and Sam’s facing into the room but only guys who want to attend will come close … and right behind them, guys are walking around, chatting, doing other stuff.

“He does a beautiful job,” Wood said. “Sam really connects with these guys and they’re hungry for that kind of connection.”

Prism co-director Deacon Dennis Gibbs agreed. “Sam is a true deacon in the church,” and was part of a first-ever team allowed to be present while inmates were being booked into the jail, typically “a tender and complex moment.”

Read more here.
One Body & One Spirit Emergency Appeal
Emergency Appeal grants assist congregations, institutions; next application deadline is June 7

To assist congregations and institutions financially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, donors to the diocesan One Body & One Spirit Emergency Appeal have raised a total of $264,000 in 614 gifts to date, with $34,340 in new grants awarded by the Corporation of the Diocese at its most recent monthly meeting.

June 7 is the application deadline for the next round of grants, for which the request guide and application forms may be found on the diocesan website here.

A total of 26 grants have been made since the appeal was launched in March 2020, with the newest to these recipients:

  • Camp Stevens, Julian – $10,000 to help cover health benefits for reduced staff after two months of being completely shut down.
  • All Saints, Highland Park, Los Angeles – $7,500 to address urgent repairs for roof and building to maintain revenue from current tenants to offset significant loss of rent during the pandemic.
  • Christ Church, Ontario – $7,500 to assist in completing development of a vacant portion of campus to improve outdoor space and accommodate new safety protocols.
  •  St. Martin in-the-Fields, Winnetka – $7,500 to perform maintenance of the heating/cooling system in preschool rooms to provide needed filtration and air conditioning.
  •  St. Ambrose, Claremont – $1,840 to aid in providing hybrid worship via online services.

Read more here
Reminders
'A Balm in Gilead' service will remember those lost to COVID-19 in prayer, meditation and song

On Pentecost evening, Sunday, May 23, the Diocese of Los Angeles will host "A Balm in Gilead," a memorial service celebrating the souls throughout the diocesan family who were lost to COVID-19.

The service will include prayers, meditations, and readings shared by various soloists and groups with music drawn from the songs featured in Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s book Songs My Grandma Sang; songs of hope, courage, and inspiration in times of pain and peril. The service will begin at 5 p.m. and will be streamed on the diocesan YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Organizers of the service have created a Facebook group as a place to share photos and remembrances. It will provide photos and names for the "Balm in Gilead" service on May 23 and will also stand alone as an ongoing tribute to those we have lost during this global pandemic. Add contributions here.

Names and photos may also be forwarded via email to the Rev. Canon Susan Russell, diocesan canon for Engagement Across Difference, at [email protected].
Update to begin summer schedule

The Episcopal News Update begins its biweekly summer schedule this week.

The Update will be published on the following dates:

May 30 (publication May 26)
June 6 (publication June 2)
June 20 (publication June 16)
July 4 (publication June 30)
July 18 (publication July 14)
August 1 (publication July 28)
August 15 (publication August 11)

The regular weekly schedule will resume after Aug. 15.

Items for the Update may be emailed to [email protected]. Deadline for each issue is Tuesday at noon.