Bishop Doug sends his greetings from The Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota where he has spent the last several days attending the Niobrara Convocation. Watch his video above.

I wanted to inform you and the parishes in the diocese of some information I have received regarding Business Tangible Personal Property Tax Form 103 Short, 104, and From 136. These are all government forms that were required to be filed yearly until 2023. Currently, you must file Form 103 Short and 104 are filed only if there are changes that were made in the previous year. The new requirements for filing Form 136 are: If you purchase or build a new building on your property you are required to update and file Form 136. If you have any questions, you should call your county assessor's office to ask or confirm.

Ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests

Date: July 1, 2023

Where: The Cathedral of Saint James

By the Grace of God, The Right Reverend Dr. Douglas E. Sparks, VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, will ordain Sister Debra Susannah Mary Rhodes, CMMR to the Sacred Order of Priests. Your prayers and presence are requested.

Congratulations to The Rev. Jen Fulton

The College of Saint Benedict has awarded The Rev. Jen Fulton its Benedictine Service Award!

"Those who knew her at the College of Saint Benedict might never have thought Jennifer Coe Fulton ’93 would one day become a priest. By the time she was 19, she had rejected faith, God and the Catholic Church. She was the rabble rouser in theology class who would challenge the professor."

“I was always asking questions,” Fulton said recently from her office at the St. John of the Cross Episcopal Church in Bristol, Indiana, where she was installed in 2014. “So, the thought that I would be wearing this collar would have been laughable for me in college.”

"Those who know her now, probably couldn’t reconcile that background with the encouraging, selfless spiritual leader she has become; someone honored at this year’s Saint Ben’s reunion with the Benedictine Award for service to others."

Read the full article here.

Save the Dates

2023 Fall Clergy Retreat

Date: October 9-11, 2023

Where: Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center

2024 Spring Clergy Retreat

Date: May 13-15, 2024

Where: Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center

2024 Fall Clergy Retreat

Date: October 14-16, 2024

Where: Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center

Please keep the Compañeros en Cristo team in your prayers as they participate in our summer mission trip to Honduras July 6-18. They will once again be working with the parish of San José de la Montaña in San Pedro Sula.

Episcopal Youth Camp

Thank you to all of the campers and staff who participated in the 2023 Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana Summer Youth Camp on June 11-17! Below are photos of some highlights from their week spent Uncovering the Mystery of Christ.

Episcopal Youth Event

Please keep our sr. high students, adult mentors, and Bishop Doug in your prayers as they attend EYE23 on July 4-8 at the University of Maryland. EYE, the second largest event in The Episcopal Church, is a gathering of youth ages 15-19 from around the world who assemble on a college campus to learn, laugh, and worship together. Since this event is held once every three years, for many #EYE23 will be their only chance to attend.

Save the Dates

Sr. High Mission Week

Date: There is no Sr. High Mission Week in 2023 due to EYE23.

Camp New Happenings

Date: July 23-29, 2023

Where: Camp Alexander Mack

Jr./Sr. High Summer Retreat

Date: August 2023

Where: Episcopal Wawasee Retreat Center

EDNIN at South Bend Pride Festival

Thank you to all who volunteered in our diocesan booth at the South Bend Pride Festival. This year was the largest ever Pride event in the area! We were able to share God's love through conversation, distributing stickers, and providing information on LGBTQ+ welcoming faith communities. We also gave attendees the opportunity to write a prayer request on a card which we then used to create a prayer wall around the booth.

God Outside: Northern Indiana 

Date: Saturday, September 9

Time: 10/9 a.m. (ET/CT)

Where: Oubache State Park (Bluffton)

Action Alerts

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations (OGR) identifies opportunities for Episcopalians to participate in our democracy. Click this link to find an action alert that you are passionate about and send a message to your members of Congress.

Episco-pols

Episcopalians and others interested in demonstrating their faith through civic engagement and advocacy are invited to subscribe to a new podcast—dubbed “Episco-pols”—from The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations.

Designed to inform and inspire, “Episco-pols” launched in mid-March and can be subscribed to via any podcast platform. In the pilot season, church advisors for international, domestic, and environmental policy will tackle frequently asked questions about church engagement with the government and offer action steps.