Volume 27, Number 6

June 12, 2025

Celebration of New Ministry for Ben Cooke and Emmanuel Lutheran Episcopal in Augusta

You are invited to share words of encouragement and care with Christians living in the Holy Land. 

During these challenging times, tangible reminders of peace, prayer, and concern can be a comfort and connection between people living across the globe. At the invitation of the presiding bishop, Director of Faith Formation Emily Keniston will travel to Amman, Jordan, later this month as part of her work with global mission in the wider church. She will carry with her cards and notes from folks across the diocese of Maine. You can make cards/notes in English, try your hand at Arabic, or draw. 

Cards can be mailed to Emily at PO Box 4036, Portland, ME 04101, dropped off at Loring House (143 State Street) or handed to her if you see her. Cards must be collected no later than Saturday, June 21.

Portland Pride Parade

Saturday, June 21, 1 p.m.

Pride Month is an opportunity for all of God’s children to come together and celebrate the holy diversity that is expressed through God’s creation of humanity. It's time to celebrate! Our youth in Maine have established a tradition of leading the way in celebrations and parades across the state, with a focus on the largest parade, in Portland. You are invited to join the celebration in your own community, with the youth in Portland, or both!

Episcopal Maine marches in the Portland Pride parade each year to affirm the goodness

of God’s creation of a diverse humanity, and to share public witness of our loving God.

Sign up to join us at Portland Pride using this link!

Find more information and details of the day on our website.

Bangor Pride Parade

Saturday, June 28

St. John's Episcopal Church (Bangor), St. Patrick's Episcopal Church (Brewer), and St. James' Episcopal Church (Old Town) will be joining together to march in the Bangor Pride parade this year. We will also set up a joint table for visitors to stop by and ask questions, learn more about the Episcopal Church, and receive a prayer or blessing from a deacon, clergy member, or church leader. For more information and details on Bangor Pride visit their website.

Pride Month IS Here: KEEP Sharing Your Plans and Projects With Us!

We would be proud to promote what your church or diocesan organization is planning for Pride Month in June! Please send details about events as they are scheduled so that they can be shared in diocesan communications and on social media. These can be emailed to Digital Communications Specialist Amy Redfern. After the fact, we'd love to see your photos, too!

Here are some offerings from The Episcopal Church to help honor the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month:

• A recording of the June 1 blessing by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe for all Episcopal Pride events and participants is available in English on The Episcopal Church’s Facebook page, and YouTube channel, and in Spanish, on Vimeo.

• Find special resources, including a downloadable Pride shield (pictured above), customizable 30- and 60-second videos highlighting the church’s LGBTQ+ advocacy and support, social media graphics, and more. Check listings for available languages.

Diocese wins Polly Bond Awards at Episcopal Communicators Conference

Congratulations are in order for our Director of Communications, Susan Axelrod. She was the recipient of multiple Polly Bond Awards at the Episcopal Communicators Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma last month. She received two Awards of Excellence for newsletters: Best Email/Digital Newsletter/Magazine for a Diocese or Organization for the Dio Log; and together with Director of Engagement Teresa Pinney, for the MEPPN Election Engagement newsletter. She also received two Honorable Mentions: for the Clergy and Lay Leaders newsletter; and for Feature Writing, Peter Jenks: A Legacy of Showing Up.

The Polly Bond Awards were established in the mid-1970s by Episcopal Communicators to acknowledge excellence and achievement in the ministry of church communications. They are named in honor of Polly Bond (1914-1979), one-time director of communications in the Diocese of Ohio. Bond was a skilled writer and a pioneer in the use of electronic media in the church. To read more about the awards or to see more about the winning entries, click here.

Bishop Visits St. John, Bangor

The Bishop's visitation at St. John's in Bangor was filled with the Holy Spirit on the 5th Sunday of Easter. Baptisms, confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations--32 total. Glory to God!

The Rev. James Nutter blesses a baby in baptism (left) and Bishop Brown presides over the congregation.

St. Columba's Mother's Day Youth Service

St. Columba's Boothbay Harbor Youth Ministry Presents Mother's Day Eucharist

The Youth Ministry group at St. Columba's in Boothbay Harbor hosted a touching, music-filled Eucharist service to honor Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11. Led by high school senior, Sophia Scott, the children presented songs including an original composition written by her and several readings. Priest-in-charge, the Rev. Dr. Susan Kraus led the eucharist service.

Above, from left, Peter Rosasco, Leigh Sherrill, the Rev. Dr. Susan Kraus, and the Director of Communications for the diocese, Susan Sherrill Axelrod. Above right: Scout Martin and Sophia Scott sing to the congregation. Left: Lilly Martin and Agatha Harris offer a reading. Right: The Youth Ministry performs a song, led by Sophia Scott.

Photos courtesy of Cherie Scott and Medea Harris

Episcopal Clergy and Lay People Fight Anti-Trans Legislation at the State House: An excerpt from a Statement by John Hennessy, Director of the Maine Episcopal Public Policy Network

The Episcopal Church has taken an unequivocal position in support of trans, non-binary, and two-spirit people. The Diocese of Maine is on record opposing eight of the bills in the legislature. On the day of the public hearing, May 8, 2025, many clergy and people of faith from our churches were on hand to offer their support for the transgender community in Maine, including high school student Oliver Nolt, from St. Albans, in Cape Elizabeth, who gave moving testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee.

In these challenging and perilous times, we recognize that the church must not shy away from discussing uncomfortable topics, as too much is at stake. Our awareness and recognition of transgender issues have grown exponentially in the past several years. We believe that our churches must understand that their role in the public square is to fulfill our baptismal covenant.

There are many reasons for trans people to blend into the background unnoticed, trying to shield who they are. We want them to realize they will be loved and celebrated in our churches, where they can stand before God as the person God created them to be.

Above left (l to r): the Rev. Lauren Kay, the Rev. Gwen Fry, and the Rev. Amanda Gerken-Nelson.

Above right: Oliver Nolt with Senate President Matty Daughtry

Photos Courtesy of John Hennessy

Read John Hennessy's entire statement.

Turning 50: Blue Hill Church Reaches Milestone on June 15

St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church, located at 330 Hinckley Ridge Road in Blue Hill, Maine, will celebrate its anniversary on Sunday, June 15, with a weekend-long celebration. The church, the youngest denominational congregation in Blue Hill at fifty years old, held its first service in the loft of the Blue Hill Library on June 15, 1975.

The fledgling congregation, which started with just eighteen members by the end of that first summer in 1975, now includes well over two hundred, comprising both year-round and seasonal parishioners. The church also welcomes many visitors throughout the year, as evidenced by its guest book, which contains entries from visitors as far away as Europe. The average Sunday attendance for 2024 was seventy-three, and it is expected to exceed that post-pandemic high this year—defying the declining trend faced by many churches in Maine.

Today, St. Francis by the Sea is known for its inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, reaching out to all individuals regardless of their background or identity. It serves as a vibrant regional church in the Episcopal tradition, respected for its uplifting music and worship, inclusivity, faith formation groups for all ages, and a community outreach ministry that impacts both local and global communities.

The community is invited to celebrate with St. Francis at a Service of Choral Evensong on Saturday, June 14, at 5:00 PM, and the Anniversary Holy Eucharist on Sunday, June 15, at 10:00 AM, presided over by The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown, the Tenth Bishop of Maine. The parish is led by its fifth rector, The Rev. Douglas A. Beck. For more information about St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church, please visit their website.

St. Elizabeth's Essentials Pantry Diaper Drive a Success

Back in April, members of the ecumenical Youth Service Corps, developed a video calling for support of St. Elizabeth Essentials Pantry's Diaper Drive. The promotion was a tremendous success. St. Mary's Falmouth collected over 3,500 diapers just in their parish alone. St. Elizabeth's Essential Pantry co-chair said, "St Elizabeth’s has exceeded our Diaper Drive Goal and brought in more than $20,000 specific to the diaper drive. Not included in this number are "in kind" donations which are difficult to track because they flowed in by the armloads, truck loads and trunk loads from individuals, the Youth Group, community organizations and parishes." Thank you to all who participated and supported the effort.

Eucharistic Prayer for Maine Updated

The Rev. Victoria R. Sirota, member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, has composed a text setting for the Eucharistic Prayer for Maine by the Rev. Martin L. Smith. Our congregations are welcome to use it judiciously on Sunday mornings; please acknowledge both that it’s authorized in the diocese of Maine as well as the copyright credits.

It would be helpful to practice ahead of time this new text with the congregational responses.

The prayer is available on the diocesan website as a pdf with the new music.

Green Teams Gathering

Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (with optional offerings before and after)

Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Freeport

As storms rage around us—both literal and metaphorical—we know that the key to surviving and even thriving lies in the strength of our communities. Resilience is built through networks of people who are deeply connected both to one another and to their local watersheds—networks which can be nimble in bringing care and creativity where it is most needed in times of crisis and beyond. In order to help to nurture these robust local communities, the BTS Center is offering its second annual Green Teams Gathering, an in-person assembly of members and friends of congregational Green Teams, Earth Care Teams, and Climate Action Teams from around Southern Maine and beyond. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Katie Mears, senior technical specialist, US Disaster and Climate Risk at Episcopal Relief & Development. Register and learn more here.

Walking Together for World Refugee Sunday 

June 22, 4 - 5:30 p.m. 

St. Mary's, Falmouth 

St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Falmouth invites all "Walking Together" parishes and parishioners to join a gathering in celebration and recognition of World Refugee Sunday in the St. Mary's Auditorium. 

Speakers from Catholic Charities, Portland, and In Her Presence will provide an update on recent changes in regulations and management of immigrant resettlement in Maine, discussing the impact of these changes on both their organizations and the people they serve. There will be ample time for questions and conversation following their presentations. Light refreshments will be offered. This event is free of charge. 

The Greater Portland Community is invited to this event, and we hope that our time together will serve to clarify, address misinformation and misunderstandings, and offer at least a snapshot of the real-life consequences of these changes for our neighbors in Maine.

We welcome the participation of our partner "Walking Together" churches. We would love you to spread the word in your parishes and attend! For more information, contact Jennifer Gregg.

Summer Science Series

Grace Episcopal Church

1100 Washington St., Bath

10:45 a.m.

June 29: Our Coasts and Oceans

Beyond rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and pollutants such as microplastics, what threats are on the horizon? Nancy Kinner, Professor of Civil Environmental Engineering at UNH, offers insights on proposed replacements for traditional fossil fuels, impacts of opening the Arctic to shipping and nurdles.

July 13: Addiction and Spirituality

Multiple studies support the role spirituality plats in addiction treatment. In this interactive discussion, we will explore the neurobiology of addiction – why addiction occurs – and the role of spirituality in addiction recovery. For more information, visit the Grace Church website.

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church and Faith Lutheran Church in Windham are receiving applications for the position of full-time rector/pastor. Find out more information about St. Ann's on their website and Faith Lutheran Church on their website. Application instructions to apply can be found in the Ministry Portfolios:

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church Ministry Portfolio

Faith Lutheran Church Ministry Portfolio

St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church in Falmouth is receiving applications from priests for the position of full-time rector. Find out more information about St. Mary's on their website. Find out more information and application instructions in the Ministry Portfolio.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Castine is receiving applications for the position of part-time priest in charge. Find more information about Trinity Episcopal Church on their website. Find more information and application instructions in the Ministry Portfolio.

Is your church hiring? Would you like us to share the job description? If so, let us know.

See the full events calendar here.

See the bishop's visitation schedule here. 

June 14-15 St. Francis by the Sea Blue Hill 50th Anniversary

June 19 Juneteenth observed, diocesan offices closed

June 21 Portland Pride Parade led by diocesan youth

June 22 Anniversary of Bishop Brown's Consecration

June 22 Walking Together for Refugee Sunday, St. Mary's, Falmouth, 4 - 5:30 p.m.

June 28 Ordination of Jonathan Lockhart Radtke to the priesthood, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 10 a.m.

June 29 Deacon's Day

July 4 Independence Day, diocesan offices closed

Sept. 26 - 28 Summer Finale at Camp Bishopswood

Oct. 25 206th Diocesan Convention, Bangor

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