Volume 26, Number 3

March 22, 2024

The Bishop visits St. Columba, Boothbay Harbor

Youth Service Corps visits St. Elizabeth’s Jubilee Center

On the first Sunday of Lent, youth and adult leaders from Trinity Church Portland, St. Peter’s Portland, St. Alban’s Cape Elizabeth, and Hope Gateway shopped for toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo and other personal care items to help fill shelves at St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center. After a team-building activity and pizza lunch, the kids assembled bags of “essentials” to be given out to the 300+ neighbors expected to visit St. Elizabeth's the following Tuesday. Thank you, Youth Service Corps, for being Christ’s hands and feet in our small corner of the world!

St. James Old Town Resumes Community Meals

For more than 25 years St. James, Old Town, provided a Community Supper in the undercroft on the fourth Friday of each month. They continued this for the opening months of the pandemic using bagged meals, but discontinued the program temporarily because it seemed that participants missed the social/communal aspect of the meal time.

In 2023, under the leadership of Deacon Jared Talbot and parishioner Anne-Marie Miller, St. James once again began to offer a sit-down Community Meal, this time a lunch on the third Saturday of the month. Many members of the parish make contributions to preparing and serving the meals. Attendance is thriving, with new people arriving each month. The community is nourished through more than the food shared—guests arrive well before the meal is served and linger long afterwards to socialize.

Registration open for GC81

Online registration is open for all planning to attend General Convention. Onsite registration will also be available starting June 21. Visitor registration fees for the entire convention are $150 in advance, or $180 at the site. Learn more here.

Legislative committee hearings: The church’s legislative committees have begun work for General Convention, with many online meetings already scheduled into June. All are welcome to register online to observe meetings or testify at open hearings. Those wishing to speak should register at least two business days prior to a hearing. Learn more here.

Children's program: Discounted registration for a children’s day camp during GC81 runs through April 15. The cost is $45 daily for the first child; $35 daily for each sibling. Applications are also open for junior counselors and adult volunteers. Learn more here.

Celebrating in Song

Bishop Brown is among those joining in song with the newly elected tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, the Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White, last month.

Digital Museum Coming Soon!

The diocesan archives is a rich collection of historical documents, images, publications, artifacts, and more. Until now, these materials have only been accessible at Loring House during business hours, however thanks to a new partnership with HistoryIT, a portion of the archives have been digitally preserved and will soon be available—and searchable—online. Look for the launch of our Digital Museum and more details about the project in the coming weeks.

Spirit Chats - Evangelism Task Force

Have you ever experienced a “God-incident” in your life and wanted to share it but weren’t sure where or with whom? Perhaps this has so spilled over into your daily life, you want to talk about it with others, but find it difficult at coffee hour.



If you feel God has been moving in your life, and you want to hear from others how God is moving in theirs, the Evangelism Task Force—a joint project of the dioceses of Maine and New Hampshire—has an opportunity and an invitation for you to share your story during Spirit Chats. For more information, email the Rev. Tim Higgins, with Spirit Chats in the subject line.

Job Opening

The Episcopal Diocese of Maine seeks a Canon to the Ordinary, who serves as the senior advisor to the bishop for mission strategy, governance, congregational development, and as the chief of the diocesan staff. Lay professionals as well as ordained are encouraged to apply for this position. Learn more here.

See opening for clergy and other positions on the employment page of our website.

Call for Musicians for Clergy Retreat

Musicians who would like to share their talents to enhance worship at the April Clergy Retreat are ask to reach out to Andree Appel, Deacon at St Paul's in Brunswick.

Save the Date for "The Philadelphia Eleven"

Tuesday, May 14

The diocese will host a free, in-person screening of the compelling new documentary "The Philadelphia Eleven," which tells the story of the dramatic breakthrough of the so-called stained-glass ceiling in 1974 that gave hope to Christian women everywhere. At a church in Philadelphia, a group of 11 women were ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in violation of the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church—which at the time stated that only men were eligible for ordination. We hope you'll join us on Tuesday, May 14 at the Nickelodeon 6 theater in Portland for the screening, which will be followed by a panel discussion. More details coming soon!

Good Friday Offering - Now More Important Than Ever

Since 1922, the Good Friday offering has been an effective way for Episcopalians to express their support for the ministries of the three dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. When Presiding Bishop Michael Curry met with the Rev. Canon Faiz Basheer Jerjes of St. George’s Anglican Episcopal Church in Baghdad—the only Anglican church in Iraq, last spring, Fr. Faiz asked one thing of our church: “Please don’t forget us.”

This year, our support is more vital than ever. "I assured him that we would not forget—and I need your help to honor that pledge, not only to him, but to the whole Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, which we have supported through the Good Friday Offering for over a century, through conflict, pandemic, and humanitarian disasters," writes Curry. Read the rest of his letter, learn about places impacted by our donations—such as Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City—and find resources for congregations to promote the importance of the Good Friday offering, here.

Please pray for Hannah Hill, spouse of Josh Hill (rector at St. Alban’s in Cape Elizabeth) whose step-father died last month. 

Please pray for Peter Jenks (rector at St John Baptist in Thomaston) whose father, Bruce, died last month.