The Multi-Parish Retreat Committee met and decided we would once again hold our yard sale. The yard sale will be held on the front lawn of Church of Our Saviour on Saturday, June 3th from 9AM to 3PM.

This is our largest retreat fundraiser, and all profits will go directly toward reducing the cost of our 2023 Multi-Parish Retreat to be held October 20-22 at the beautiful Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center in Greenfield, NH. We are participating in this multi parish event.

Committee chairperson, Joan Hoy, along with Jenn Paiva, will be advertising and coordinating the volunteers for the yard sale. If you would like to volunteer to support this wonderful adventure, please contact the Christ Church office. These are Christ Church contact persons and advertising points of contact:

Retreat POC: Fr. Alan Hesse [email protected] 

Yard Sale POC: [email protected] 

Advertising: Cynthia Poyant [email protected]

Advertising: Gayle Velozo [email protected]

To drop-off your items for the sale, please do so at Church of Our Saviour on Sunday Mornings or call the Christ Church office to schedule another time. Sorry, we are unable to accept large furniture, air conditioners, large appliances, mattresses, or microwaves. The storage pod is in the COOS parking lot at 2112 County St. Somerset. This is a multi parish event. Please donate items, volunteer time, and drop-by June 3rd it will help keep the cost for our retreat manageable for everyone to enjoy!

Church School's last day will be Sunday, June 4th. Come and show your support for our Church School youth. You may also want to give a special thanks to their teachers that day. We are so blessed by this powerful ministry and the light shining upon us by these wonderful youth and their dedicated teachers!!

At our Diocese of Massachusetts

Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

Bishop Gates calls for election of his successor

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates

Bishop Alan M. Gates has announced his call for the election of his successor to take place in 2024. Gates has served since 2014 as the 16th bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts and plans to retire at the end of next year at age 66.

"It has been and remains my profound honor to serve as your bishop," Gates said in a May 10 letter to the diocese posted on the diocesan website. "Our life together is full of both joys and challenges as we strive to deepen our Christian community with one another and act as agents of God’s mission in the world. To do so with such faithful colleagues as you–clergy and lay people alike–is a privilege beyond the telling." [Full text of letter appears below.]

He noted in his letter that by the end of 2024 he will be marking over a decade as bishop and 37 years of ordained ministry. "That will be the right time for me to turn my sights toward personal and family pursuits, and to make way for new episcopal leadership. It has been nearly 40 years since our diocese has had an episcopal transition unmarked by significant tragedy or grief," he said, referencing the untimely deaths of the diocese's 14th and 15th bishops–Bishop David E. Johnson's by suicide in 1995, and that of Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE from brain cancer in 2014. "It is my earnest desire that we effect a smooth and joyful transition, from a place of gratitude and eagerness," Gates said.

"Meanwhile, I remain your bishop, and we have plenty to do in our corner of the vineyard!" he said. "Discerning priorities for mission; re-imagining congregational life in response to a changing world; promoting deeper collaborations; engaging broadly with anti-racism; serving as more faithful stewards of creation; all of this demands our best efforts, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and will not be put on hold." 

Bishop Carol J. Gallagher, who has been serving as assistant bishop since February of this year, will continue in her appointed role through Gates's tenure. "We are blessed by Bishop Gallagher’s experience, joy and devotion," Gates said in his letter.

The diocesan Standing Committee is responsible for oversight of the election and consecration of a new bishop–a process that takes, on average, about 18 months. The Standing Committee will meet later this week with Bishop Todd Ousley from the Office of Pastoral Development of the House of Bishops to begin setting a timetable and next steps.

Sweet Tooth It’s Time

Sue Carvalho

           Recently I have been watching a show on Netflix called Sweet Tooth. It is a story about survival in a post-apocalyptic world. The survivors have survived a great virus that killed most of mankind. Some beings have adapted and are called hybrids. They are part human and part animal. The main character is a deer boy(who has a sweet tooth). What is so entertaining about the story is the fact of how different groups are trying to kill the hybrids and some want to capture them, and others just want to understand and love them. Some of the characters (the humans) who don’t understand, come to love the hybrids even though they don’t understand.

Why do I mention this story? I believe we are currently living in a world where there are people we don’t understand. We want to stop them from being who they want to be and have them be who we think they should be.

The other night we went out to eat and while waiting for my meal I ordered a Bud Light w/ Lime. Who would have thought that ordering a beer would be such a controversy. I refer to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer who now stars in a Bud Light commercial. Some famous celebrities have now pulled away from Bud as their sponsors. Really?

My best friend's son identifies as a transgender male. I may not understand but I support my girlfriend and her son. Whenever someone snickers or makes a transgender joke, I always try politely, to give my opinion and help them to understand. Sometimes it is easier for people to joke about what they don’t understand. Who cares what bathroom you use. If you choose to identify as a gender you weren’t born with, Hooray for being your true authentic self! I applaud you and hope you have the support of family and friends.

I also write this in hopes we have more conversation and ask more questions about transgender. Recently I realized a friend on Facebook has a transgender daughter. They had two sons and recently they were only posting about one son. Knowing they are proud parents I thought maybe they had “lost” one of their sons . I realize now that one of the sons now identifies as a woman. While I am sure they mourn the “death” of their son, my hope is they are understanding of the daughter they have gained. My girlfriend and I have had many conversations about the emotions parents go through in the time of transition.

When we stop and think about the conversation, what truly makes a man and what truly makes a woman. I don't really believe it is just the genitalia we are born with but a complicated feeling deep inside us. How we identify whether it be he/she/ or they, is a journey. For some the journey is easy, we know who we are. For others the journey is a metamorphosis into the person we were meant to be. I will continue to watch the story of the deer boy and I will continue to order Bud Light. Let’s continue to love with an open heart and keep the conversation going!

Vestry Members

Jennifer Valiente, Co-Warden [email protected]

David McCarthy, Co-Warden [email protected]

Sue Sheppard, Treasurer [email protected]

Susan McMullen, Clerk [email protected]

Julie Baker [email protected]

Judi DeMello[email protected]

Joan Padrenoss [email protected]

Leslie Burrell [email protected]

Jennifer Braga [email protected]

Rick Kirkpatrick [email protected]

Convention Delegate Julie Sanders