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e-Pistle
LOVING + LIBERATING + LIFE-GIVING
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At the end of 2023, I sent out a letter asking for your help for the Evangelization Work of 2024 in four of our congregations. They are Emmanuel, Placerville, Grace, Glenns Ferry, Epiphany, Arco, and St. Paul’s, in Blackfoot. These churches are small in numbers but huge in their impact on ministry in their local context. I am so glad to tell you we received generous contributions and support from around the diocese for this effort.
When I sent out this request to the diocese, I also sent out a plea to the wider church asking for their support of our ministry in our mission land.
It is with great joy I share with you that we were granted $8000 towards our evangelism efforts by the Evangelism Committee of the Episcopal Church. Yay… Praise God! That makes the support of the evangelism work in four of our congregations in 2024 $16,000. This is in addition to the $5000 ROSE grant we promised to each deanery available to each of our congregations.
I am grateful to each of you who contributed to this worthy cause by sending in checks and paying online. If this is the first time you have heard about it, please consider helping by scanning the QR code above to contribute and be part of this exciting ministry of the diocese. You know where your money is going and what it is going to do to vitalize the Episcopal Church in Idaho.
Your brother in Christ
+Jos
The Rt. Rev. Jos Tharakan
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This short video from the Church of England explains well what Ash Wednesday is. Take a couple of minutes to watch this video! |
Hiring Parish Administrator | St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley, a friendly, vibrant church is seeking a personable, professional, and efficient Administrator to make our parish life run smoothly. This is a full-time (40 hrs/week), year-round position with benefits. Duties range from basic office management and financial oversight to facilitating volunteer groups and programs. More detailed information is available. See the full |
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God of love, this is a season of change. We have traveled through Advent to Christmas to Epiphany and now move towards Lent all in a matter of two months. Teach us to be graceful when we move fast through life that is unpredictable and uncertain. May we celebrate light as we move through Epiphany and experience transformative changes within us in this season of Lent. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. |
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry continues to recuperate at home following his Jan. 18 procedure to address reoccurring subdural hematomas. His medical team will continue monitoring him to thoroughly assess his progress.
For the time being, Bishop Curry will be keeping a modified work schedule of light-duty tasks, and he will not be traveling. To ensure the continued dispatch of his duties, Bishop Curry has authorized Vice President of the House of Bishops Mary Gray-Reeves to carry out a number of his ecclesiastical duties—including matters involving the House of Bishops, General Convention, consecrations, and Title IV—until he is able to resume his full work schedule.
Please continue to hold Bishop Curry, his family, and his medical team in your prayers.
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Diocesan Website
Diocesan Website has many resources that you might benefit from. Under Mission & Ministries you have lots of useful information links and resources. If you do not find what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to call the office.
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Schedules, Meetings, Events & Calendar | | |
- February 4 - Holy Trinity, Buhl
- February 8 & 9 - Idaho Falls, Fort Hall, & Pocatello
- February 10 - Paradise Point Dinner, Meridian
- February 11 - St. David's, Calwell
- February 18 - St. Luke's, Weiser
- February 23-24 - Deacons Retreat, Payette
- February 27-March 5: House of Bishops, Houston
- March 8-10 - HDSM Retreat
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Upcoming Meetings & Events |
- February 9-10 - Preaching Practicum
- February 10 - Paradise Point Donor Dinner
- February 11 - Paradise Point Sunday
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Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving! |
- February 14 - Ash Wednesday. Church parish calendar for events
- March 10 - Laetare Sunday
- March 24 - Palm Sunday
- March 24 - 30 - Holy Week
- March 31 - Easter
Ember Days 2024
- February 21, 23, 24, 2024. Lenten /Spring Ember Days – the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday, to give thanks for the rebirth of nature and for the gift of light (usually flowers are offered at this time).
- May 22, 24, 25, 2024. Summer Ember Days – Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost, to give thanks for the wheat crop
- September 18, 20, 21, 2024. Fall Ember Days: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Holy Cross (September 14), to give thanks for the grape harvest.
- December 18, 20, 21, 2024. Advent Ember Days: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13), during the third week of Advent, to give thanks for the olive crop.
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Submit News & Other Information | | |
Paradise Point Announcements | | |
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Camp registration for all camps is open now!
Staff Applications: Seasonal Staff applications open December 1. Do you know someone that would be a great camp team member? Seeking compassionate, enthusiastic staff for a summer of faith, fellowship, and fun! Information and applications are online at ParadisePointCamp.org under the "work with us" section.
Kegs 4 Kause: Join Paradise Point Camp for another Kegs 4 Kause! March 11th at Payette Brewing in Boise, 6-10 pm. Staff will lead camp games in the outdoor courtyard for the young and young at heart. More details to come!
Camp Seeks Ski-Boat: Do you have an in-board motor ski-boat that needs a home on the Payette Lake June-July? Seeking a safety-minded owner to drive (or have qualified camp staff drive) a ski boat to take campers tubing 1-2 weekdays. The boat can be docked at Paradise Point and accessed whenever you need it. Help us keep costs down and continue a favorite camp activity. Let's chat! Megan Kittridge, CampDirector@EpiscopalIdaho.org.
Paradise Point Camp Sunday is February 11. Wear your camp gear and share your love for Paradise Point Camp with your parish, friends, and family.
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Appointments & Transitions | | |
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The Rev. Dorota Wright-Pruski
Canon For Parish Life At St. Michael's Cathedral
Welcome to The Rev. Dorota Wright-Pruski and her family. Rev. Dorota moved to the Diocese of Idaho from the East, The Diocese of Virginia. We are delighted that she has joined a diocese with enormous potential and amazing opportunities. She is the Canon for Parish Life at St. Michael's Cathedral. Welcome and thank you for taking this call in our diocese.
Rev. Dorota graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2013. She is originally from Poland but was raised in Iowa. Her family includes her husband Colin, two-year-old son Charlie, one-year-old daughter Kamila, and their beloved pit bull, Tofu.
Her hobbies encompass running, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and dreaming about house projects and vacations. What brought Rev. Dorota to Idaho was a desire to prioritize family and embrace a more reasonable pace of life. She and her family absolutely love it here - the people are kind and generous, the area is stunningly beautiful, and the Cathedral community is joyful and welcoming.
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The Rev. Kathleen Bean
Chair of Commission on Ministry
Bishop has appointed The Rev. Kathleen Bean to chair the Commission On Ministry. The Commission on Ministry (COM) assists the bishop in developing, recruiting, forming, and assessing those called to ministry in the church. Their work encompasses those called to lay or ordained ministry.
Rev. Kathleen is the associate rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley. As Associate Rector, Kathleen works in partnership with the Rector as a priest, pastor, preacher, and teacher. Kathleen particularly supports lay pastoral and worship ministries and offers a variety of programming drawing on Christian mystical and contemplative traditions.
“I believe I am called to accompany people on their spiritual journeys, creating a safe and sacred space in which they may encounter the Divine whether through worship, learning, or service, and being a tangible witness of Christ’s love during life’s challenges.”
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The Rev. Jennifer Anttonen
Priest-in-Residence | Holy Nativity
The Rev. Jennifer Anttonen is a long-time member of the Episcopal Church in Idaho serving in many roles. After she retired from active ministry in churches she and her husband John served as chaplains to the retired clergy until she was called out of her retirement to help Holy Nativity through a transition in 2022.
Her dedicated ministry and care for the community and its well-being have led to the call of a priest-in-charge. We celebrate the dedicated ministry, and amazing pastoral gifts while we also ask God's blessings upon them as they take rest for now!
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The Rev. Shibu Pananchikkal
Priest-in-Charge | Holy Nativity
Fr. Shibu Reginold Pananchikkal is a priest ordained in the Anglican Church of South India. After earning a bachelor's degree with a major in Commerce, he joined the Walayar CSI Church as an Evangelist (in training) in the CSI North Kerala Diocese [Church of South India, Anglican] in 2002. In 2003, he commenced studies at the Kerala United Theological Seminary, Trivandrum, Kerala, pursuing a Bachelor of Divinity Degree (M. Div), which he successfully completed in 2007. He married Amritha in 2009, and they are blessed with a 13-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl.
God has blessed him with extensive pastoral experiences gained through ministries in various churches within his Diocese. He was ordained as a presbyter in the Diocese on October 1, 2008. Following his ordination, he served as the Diocesan Christian Education General Secretary until May 2014. In 2019, he obtained a Master of Theology from the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, and is currently pursuing Ph.D. studies in Missiology. From 2019 to 2022, he worked in a congregation affiliated with the Church of South India in Miami.
Apart from his pastoral duties, music is one of his main passions, focusing on honing his singing talent in his native language Malayalam. In 2022, he completed his Chaplain internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Tampa, Florida, and was involved in the chaplain residency program at Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, Florida, before relocating to Idaho in January 2024.
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Parish Events, Retreats and More | | |
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Centering Prayer Retreat - March 23
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church | McCall
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian Contemplative Prayer, to center your awareness on the presence of God. This modern movement in Christianity was initiated by three Trappist Monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts in the 1970s. Our Bishop is an Internationally commissioned Centering Prayer facilitator. He will lead this one-day retreat at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on March 23rd, Saturday. Call the church to register. (208) 634-2796
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Bible Study Workshop
St. Luke's Episcopal Church | Weiser
In-person or on Zoom
Adult Education - The Book of James, a challenge for the followers of Jesus, not to just "talk the talk" but to "walk the walk." While our faith walk requires a knowledge of the Word, St. James exhorts us not to stop there. To join and learn more please send an email to
saintlukesweiser@gmail.com
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Blue Plate Banquet
St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Blackfoot
St. Michael's Cathedral | Boise
Registration for the annual Blue Plate Banquet will open on Friday, February 16th. This year we have two locations for the dinner! St. Paul's in Blackfoot will host on April 6th and St. Michael's in Boise will host on August 17th. Seats are limited and we will offer an early bird discount of $10 off your registration if you are registered and paid one month before the event! Last year we loved experiencing the Bishop's cooking and the variety of foods from his homeland. We hope to see you at one of these exciting events! Register for Blackfoot or Boise by clicking the city starting 2/16/24.
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