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By Pat McCaughan

Since musical artist Larissa Lam directed the award-winning film, Far East Deep South, about her in-laws’ Mississippi roots, she has “made it my mission to help others discover more Asian American Pacific Islander history,” she told those attending the May 7 celebration of AAPI Heritage Month on the rooftop of St. Paul’s Commons.

Hosted by The Gathering – A Space for AAPI Spirituality, a ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles, the May 7 event featured music, art, food, spoken word poetry and prayer, as well as interviews with contributors to The Gathering’s “AAPI Alive!” Eastertide Devotional.

Lam, whose “I Feel Alive,” Eastertide Devotional vocal contribution debuted May 8, said she and her husband, Baldwin Chiu, were surprised when tracing his roots “that we ended up, not in China, but in the deep south of Mississippi.

“We uncovered the kind of unknown history that most people don’t realize; that there was a significant population in the deep south, especially the Mississippi Delta, of Chinese over generations. It was an amazing testimony.”

Chiu was attending a screening of the film in Washington, D.C., she said, adding that celebrating AAPI heritage should occur throughout the year, “because AAPI history, just like Black history, is American history.”

Lam and other interviewees also expressed their struggle for recognition, identity, and authenticity within the nation’s ongoing, often mostly Black-White racial conversation. “As somebody that’s American-born who’s Chinese, I never really felt like I fit into any box,” she said.

“I joke that, when I was growing up, as one of the only Asians in my class in elementary school, I wanted to be blonde-haired and blue-eyed, because all the popular kids looked like that. And then I got older and got into music, and all my favorite artists were Black. I was into R&B and jazz. My own style is more akin to that. And then, I’m Asian. So, where do I fit into this? I wasn’t Black. I wasn’t white.”

The Rev. Peter Huang, a leader of The Gathering, echoed Lam’s sentiment, that AAPI history is American history, and as such should be recognized throughout the year. The heritage celebration, however, represented “a wonderful mix of AAPI’s from all walks of life, age, gender, ethnicity, acculturation level, sexuality, gathered together,” he said. “The true diversity of this group, to be able to come together and to celebrate, is quite phenomenal.”

Read more here.

[The Episcopal News – May 11, 2022] To mark its 70th anniversary, Camp Stevens invites alumni, former staff, friends and the diocesan community to a Restorative Justice Retreat Oct. 28 – 30. The weekend will celebrate the camp's history of impact and growth while looking to the future.

"Together we will learn, listen, love, and start the process of healing across faiths, generations, identities, cultures, and more," says the event announcement. "Participants of all ages can choose from a variety of experiences from workshops and small group conversations to creative activities and personal reflection."

Valarie Kaur – renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, innovator, best-selling author of See No Stranger, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice – will deliver a keynote address at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. More about Kaur is here.

For more information and to register for the retreat, click here.

Camp Stevens also invites past campers, staff members and friends to reflect on the anniversary through the power of storytelling. "Your stories, experiences, and transformations are the best way to capture the power and impact of our work," says the announcement. "We hope you’ll take a minute to share a meaningful story about your connection with camp.

To share a camp story through video, audio, writing, photos and works of art, click here. Click here for tips, tricks and creative ideas for telling a story.

Kathy Wilder, executive director of Camp Stevens, has launched "Beyond the Mine," a podcast that "excavates stories, life lessons, and transformations from the lived experiences of our alumni. We dig deep to explore connections with camp, the successes and struggles of life paths, and how Camp Stevens shows up in daily living." The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and Google. To share a story on Beyond the Mine, contact Wilder at [email protected].

Camp Stevens serves the Episcopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego with summer camps for children ages 8 to 15, wilderness adventures for teens, travel programs for adults, and weekend family camps. It also welcomes retreat groups throughout the year. To learn more about the camp and its offerings, visit its website.

Some 40 parishioners of nine congregations were confirmed and received into The Episcopal Church by Bishop John Harvey Taylor during festive rites on May 7 at St. John’s Cathedral, Los Angeles. Pictured with sponsoring clergy, those confirmed and received represent congregations including St. Mark’s, Altadena; St. Thomas, Hollywood; St. Paul’s, Lancaster; St. James, Los Angeles; Epiphany, Oak Park; St. John Chrysostom, Rancho Santa Margarita; St. Simon’s, San Fernando; St. Paul’s, Tustin; and the cathedral, whose Deans Mark Kowalewski and Dan Ade hosted the Eucharistic liturgy celebrated by the Rev. Kay Sylvester, rector of St. Paul’s, Tustin. Bishop Taylor preached the homily. Video of the service is available on the Facebook pages of the diocese and the cathedral.

The Rev. George Okusi, rector of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Costa Mesa and president of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council, welcomed more than 100 attendees to a National Day of Prayer breakfast May 5 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Newport Beach's Bonita Canyon area.

 Speakers included (below left) U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif. and an Episcopalian) and Rabbi Rick Sternberg of Irvine’s Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot (pictured together) as well as keynoter Framroze Virjee, president of Cal-State University, Fullerton, and Akbar Hussaini, NMIIC executive directory.

Accompanying Okusi were (below, from left) Nina and Tim Marshall and Larry and Sharon Boles (senior warden) of the Parish of St. John the Divine. Newport Beach Mayor Kevin Muldoon led the pledge of allegiance, and music was provided by the All American Boys Chorus.

Additional prayers were offered by A.M.E., Baha’i, Coptic Orthodox, Sikh, and Unitarian Universalist leaders. A prayer written by Ukrainian Orthodox priest Vasile Saucier resonated with participants seated around tables featuring centerpieces and lapel pins displaying the flag of Ukraine.

In other National Day of Prayer observances in Orange County, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Laguna Beach, hosted the Laguna Beach Interfaith Council afternoon service May 5.

— Reporting and photos: Bob Williams

St. John's Cathedral, Los Angeles, will host a service of ordination for five new transitional deacons at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11. Bishop John Harvey Taylor will ordain Timothy Paul Hartley, Ryan Michael Macias, C. Susanne Wright-Nava, Stacey Forte Dupré and Brian Joseph Tucker. The prayers and presence of the diocesan community are invited. For the safety of all, the cathedral deans and staff request that those attending and participating be prepared to show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19.

Is there such a thing as a ‘just war’?

In light of the war in Ukraine, join St. James' Church, Newport Beach, for dinner and a panel discussion with Valerie Morkevičius, Bill Yarchin, and the Rev. Canon Cindy Evans Voorhees on the Just War Theory and the ethics of war in Ukraine, on Friday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall Gallery.

Special guest will be Professor Valerie Morkevičius, an expert on Just War Theory, and associate professor of political science at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. Her work focuses on the intersection between strategy and ethics, and the applicability of traditional just war thinking to contemporary challenges. She is the author of Realist Ethics: Just War Traditions as Power Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Her most recent research explores the ethical implications of disinformation and artificial intelligence. A University of Chicago Ph.D. graduate, Morkevičius was a research fellow at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership during the 2010 academic year. She has given talks on the ethics of war around the world, including at military service academies in Australia and the United States.

William Yarchin, Ph.D., is a professor of biblical studies at Azusa Pacific University, specializing in the intersection of science and religion and the history of biblical interpretation. Cindy Voorhees is vicar of St. James Church.

Reservations are required: seating is limited. For reservations, contact Kayla Brock at [email protected]. Child care will be provided. St. James Church is located at 3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663-3973.

The California Poor People’s Campaign will lead a march and rally in Los Angeles on Monday, May 16 as part of a mobilization tour stop on the way to the mass Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers' Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 18.

The May 16 march will begin at 5 p.m. at Los Angeles City Hall at 200 N. Spring Street.

The Episcopal Church, through a 2018 resolution by its Executive Council, has partnered with the Poor People’s Campaign in advocating for truth-telling and social change within the systems of racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and the war economy.

The half mile march will proceed counterclockwise around Grand Park, passing key government buildings including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office, the Hall of Justice, and local county office buildings.

The program will be live streamed here.

Poor People's Campaign national co-chairs, Bishop William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, will join poor and impacted testifiers from Los Angeles County, the Bay Area, Washington state, Oregon and Arizona, including a Navajo tribal member, an undocumented mother who lost her spouse to COVID-19 and lack of adequate health and who is unable to make rent for herself and her children, and a healthcare professional with SEIU 721 which just this past week authorized a nearly unanimous strike of its 55,000+ membership base of Los Angeles County workers and who will represent a significant contingent at Monday’s march.

More about the march is here.

After a two-year Covid pandemic-imposed hiatus, Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium will be back on Friday, Sept. 23. The home team will play the St. Louis Cardinals, and the game, win or lose, will be followed by fireworks.

Ticket sales will be handled by congregational representatives. Watch here for more information, and save the date.

The Episcopal Church's Safe Church Office has produced three new educational modules – "Pastoral Relationships," "Inclusion," and "Power and Relationships" – as part of its Safe Church, Safe Communities training for the prevention of sexual and other abuse. Completion of the series is mandatory for Episcopal Church clergy and lay leaders, and must be renewed every three years.

Bronwyn Clark Skov is manager of the Safe Church office, which is part of the Faith Formation division of The Episcopal Church. She is also in conversation with leaders of the nine provinces of the church to schedule training for two Safe Church trainers per diocese.

The new training modules bring the total number to nine, all of which can be found on the Praesidium Academy website here.

"Praesidium also includes a link to an especially helpful chart about which persons in your church should take what training," says Canon Serena Beeks, executive director of the Diocese of Los Angeles' Commission on Schools. "The chart does not yet include school and preschool employees, but we have requested that they be added. Please note that there is a Mandated Reporter training module that is specific to California and meets the state’s requirements for licensed Early Childhood facilities. The Diocese of Los Angeles is in the process of updating its policies based upon the model policies provided by The Episcopal Church."

Questions about the curriculum may be directed to Skov at [email protected]. For information about Diocese of Los Angeles requirements, contact Canon Anilin Collado, missioner for Human Resources, at [email protected] or 213.482.2040, ext. 250.

Dana Rubin and the Rev. Richard Rubin will begin a Grief Recovery Workshop at St. James' Church, Newport Beach, beginning on Sunday, May 15, 12 – 2 p.m. The workshop will continue or eight weeks.

The workshop is designed to help those who are mourning the loss of a loved one, the loss of a career, loss of health, or any other loss or grief move beyond those losses.

For more information, contact the Rubins at 909.675.9732 or [email protected]. St. James' Church is located at 3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach 92663.

The Gathering - a space for Asian Pacific American spirituality - invites the diocesan community to an Easter journey celebrating Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices. "AAPI Alive!" is a 50-day devotional guide beginning on Easter Sunday and ending on the Feast of Pentecost, celebrating the Resurrection and this season of new life through the beauty and strength of AAPI voices. The Gathering, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, hopes that these offerings of prose and poetry, photographs, spoken word, visual art, vocals, and musical performance will connect readers to a celebration of the risen Christ and one another.

AAPI Alive! is available here. For ideas on how to use AAPI Alive! in church groups, send an email to [email protected].

"During this pandemic, the AAPI community has suffered a surge of hate and violence because of what we look like each day in the mirror," said the Rev. Peter Huang of The Gathering. "Fear and anxiety have risen and for many of us, historical and personal trauma have brought us to tears and to our knees. Through this devotional guide, we desire to enter into the Resurrection that brings us healing and celebrates who God created us to be – a diverse, vibrant, thriving community.

"We invite you to make space in your day to receive these offerings of insight, joy, and beauty. May they bring healing and hope to you."

The devotional guide is funded by a grant from Becoming Beloved Community – whose mission is to bring racial reconciliation to The Episcopal Church and its community – and from generous supporting churches and individuals.

For the first time since 2019, Bloy House will host its annual graduation ceremony in person. The May 14 service will be the first to be held at the school’s new campus at the ELCA Southwest California Synod headquarters in Glendale. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. in the Trinity Room upstairs and will be followed by luncheon in the courtyard.

Bishop John Harvey Taylor will preach and preside at the Eucharist, which will use the proper honoring Frances Perkins, a ground-breaking Episcopalian who served in the cabinet of President Franklin Roosevelt.

Bloy House welcomes family, friends, and alumni who would like to join the festivities. For graduation and lunch reservations, click here or contact Tim Reed at [email protected].

To register for the "Calling All Servant Leaders" workshop, click here.

By Your Side Vigil Companions, which trains volunteers to be a compassionate presence in the lives of those nearing the end of life, will begin new courses in May and June.

Graduates of the program, which is offered by Episcopal Communities and Services, serve in many ways, according to program coordinator Susan Brown. "The mission of By Your Side since 2011 has been to be supportive of people in palliative care and to be at their bedside at the end of their lives as needed," she said. "The pandemic brought all of us to an acute awareness of life’s fragility, and of the immense value of being companioned. In adapting to the reality of COVID, we redefined being “present” to include presence at the bedside and presence without proximity, realizing that what is most important is connection."

The first new five-week online and hybrid training program will begin on May 19 and continue on Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30 p.m., until June 16. The second class, on Tuesday afternoons, 2 - 4 p.m., will begin on Tuesday, June 21 and conclude on July 19.

There is no obligation to volunteer at the completion of the training.

To enroll, contact Susan Brown at [email protected], or phone 818.822.6044 for more information. Enrollment is limited to 30 people in each class. A fee of $70 (which includes all materials) is due by the second class. Scholarships are available. CE (12 hrs.) for nurses is available for an added $30 under California Board of Registered Nursing Provider Number CEP 16239.

The African American Heritage Club of Laguna Woods will hold its second annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 25 at the Laguna Woods Village Clubhouse 5, 24262 Punta Alta, Laguna Woods 92637, beginning at 4 p.m.

The celebration is sponsored by the African American Heritage Club. Allan Williams, a bishop's committee member and lay leader at St. George's Church, Laguna Hills, is among the organizers of the celebration, which will begin with a meet-and-greet at 4 p.m., and continue with a show, live entertainment, finger food and dancing until 10 p.m. Formal attire is requested. Tickets are $30. For more information and tickets, contact Williams at 845.399.0279 or [email protected].

Juneteenth commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on Jan. 1, 1863 by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, freeing more than three million slaves living in Confederate states. Many enslaved people in Texas didn't get the news until Confederate armies surrendered near the end of May 1865 and Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.

The day on which the slaves learned of their freedom has become an annual celebration throughout the United States. Through the perseverance of Opal Lee, "grandmother" of the movement, President Joe Biden signed a bill in 2021 making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The Diocese of Los Angeles, at its 2021 convention, established the holiday as a diocesan observance.

Launching of the new Fred and Barbara Borsch Writing Workshop will be among highlights of NYA’s 39th annual Scholarship Benefit, a reception set for 5 – 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades.

All are welcome to share in this gathering that will recognize some 25 NYA students who have applied for more than $90,000 in scholarships to be awarded in the coming academic year. Under the theme “Opening Doors to a Bright Future,” the benefit also will salute NYA’s Class of 2022. Its members have so far received multiple acceptances to some 35 universities including UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, USC, Fordham, Loyola Marymount, the University of Connecticut, Williams College, and the Cal-State campuses. Most NYA high school seniors are the first in their families to attend college.

Tickets, priced at $125 each, may be purchased through the NYA website or by check (address above). Benefit guests are asked to note that this year’s event has been planned in the format of a catered reception and abbreviated program recognizing health considerations as the pandemic slows. The program also will be livestreamed via NYA’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.

Read more about the Borsch Writing Workshop here.

Features blog posts, commentary from Bishop John Harvey Taylor: @edlabishop. The blog may also be read here. 

A new series on Twitter (@ladiocese) and Instagram (#episcopaldioceseoflosangeles) – invites audience responses to questions related to Episcopal Church parish life.

Providing insights into issues of policing in local and national contexts, the Bishop’s Commission on Gospel Justice and Community Care invites all in the diocese to follow its Facebook page and engage in daily posts on topics including countering racism and providing mental health-care options for intervention rather than arrest.

Additional diocesan social media feeds to follow and share include the diocesan Facebook page and YouTube channel and The Episcopal News's Facebook page and Twitter (@EpiscoNews_LA).

At the convention, the Diocese of Los Angeles will be represented by its bishop and by four clergy and four lay deputies. In coming months The Episcopal News will include stories about the bishop's and deputies' specific interests, committee assignments and more. During the convention, The News will report daily from Baltimore. Learn more about General Convention here.

[Episcopal News Service – May 11, 2022] The 80th General Convention will proceed in person this July in Baltimore, Maryland, but it likely will be shorter and smaller, with enhanced safety protocols to further minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections, according to an outline of potential changes presented May 11 by The Episcopal Church’s presiding officers.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, discussed their preliminary plan for a modified General Convention at a special meeting of Executive Council held online and livestreamed. They said that neither cancelation nor another postponement of General Convention is a viable option.

“There are essential matters for the governance and good order of the church which must be transacted. We are committed to holding the 80th General Convention in Baltimore this summer,” Curry said in his remarks. “I know how much this commitment to the city of Baltimore and to the Diocese of Maryland matters. But obviously, with the ongoing variation of the COVID pandemic, we are likewise committed to gathering in the safest and healthiest way possible.

That commitment means that this General Convention meeting will not look like past triennial gatherings of the church’s governing body. “As hard as it is to accept, we are not yet able to hold the big family reunion we’ve all been longing for,” Jennings said. Instead of an eight-day meeting July 7-14 attended by thousands of deputies, bishops, staff members, vendors and visitors, Jennings said planners are working toward a “short, focused meeting, to hold elections, approve a budget and address other critical issues and essential legislation that cannot wait until 2024.”

Read more here.

[The Episcopal Church – May 11, 2022] Allow me to share some perspective as both chair of council and presiding bishop and read to you a statement that summarized where I am, where we are, and then President Gay Clark Jennings will share as well.

President Jennings and I, in our capacities as the presiding officers of the two houses of the General Convention, have been meeting together—and have been in consultation with Canon Michael Barlowe in his capacity as the executive officer of the General Convention. Allow me to share the fruit of this work and these conversations.

First, we are not calling for the postponement of the 80th General Convention. Let me say that again: we are not calling for the postponement of the 80th General Convention. There are essential matters for the governance and good order of the church which must be transacted.

We are committed to holding the 80th General Convention in Baltimore this summer. I was blessed to serve as a priest in that remarkable city and diocese. I know how much this commitment to the city of Baltimore and to the Diocese of Maryland matters.

Read more here. A Spanish translation will be posted at the same link.

Legislative committees of General Convention have resumed online meetings. Anyone can register to attend meetings as an observer or to testify. Registration must be submitted at least two days prior to a hearing.

Visit the main General Convention page to find a calendar of upcoming legislative committee meetings and list of committee members. Click “More info” next to a hearing for information on how to register to attend or speak. You will receive login details the day before the hearing. Learn more about the legislative committees here.

The 80th General Convention will be July 7 - 14 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Churches consider alternate Good Friday liturgies, Bible translations over concerns of anti-Jewish interpretations (April 12, 2022)

General Convention to consider endorsing 5-part plan to eliminate threat of nuclear war (April 7, 2022)

Toward GC80: Episcopal Church General Convention daily preachers, presiders announced (April 6, 2022)

Middle East resolutions focus on boycotts, apartheid, antisemitism, ‘Christian Zionism’ (April 4, 2022)

Input sought on $101 million 2023-24 church budget; General Convention also to consider process changes (March 15, 2022)

General Convention committee discusses clergy pension assistance as online hearings get underway (February 18, 2022)

Deputies of Color organize for change in Episcopal Church, society ahead of General Convention (September 24, 2021)

More General Convention-related stories from ENS are here.

[Episcopal Relief & Development – May 10, 2022] Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe to help local congregations throughout Europe provide assistance to Ukrainian refugees.

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, the European presence of The Episcopal Church, has a long history of ministry to refugees dating back to before World War I. Since the late 1980s, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center – based at Saint Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome – has provided direct service to refugees from countless countries, helping them rebuild shattered lives.

Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the Convocation to strengthen and expand the capacity of all Episcopal congregations across Europe to respond to the refugee emergency caused by the violence in Ukraine. The convocation is creating a fund to support local congregations’ refugee response and will pair those grants with training from Nafuma Refugee Center staff. This assistance will vary depending on the needs of the specific refugee groups but will likely include food, shelter, emergency supplies and trauma counseling. Additionally, the center plans to increase its staffing levels, allowing it to provide aid to more people.

Read more here.

[American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem – May 10, 2022] On May 10, 2021, a war began in Gaza. Eleven days later, 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, had been killed by Israeli bombings and 13 Israelis were dead from Hamas rockets. Thousands of buildings were destroyed in Gaza and more than 60,000 Gazans were left homeless.

While the massive bombardment stopped, the pain of loss endures. The people of Gaza remain trapped in a war zone.

Ahli Arab Hospital, the only charitable, the only Christian hospital in Gaza, is owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Ahli Hospital cares for more than 40,000 people each year but since the end of the war last May – with government hospitals closed for all but emergency treatment – the demand for Ahli’s services by desperate families has dramatically increased.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the war, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) is launching a campaign to ask Episcopalians across the church to demonstrate to the remarkable Christian leaders of Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza that they are not forgotten.

Read more here.

Washington National Cathedral held a special prayer service on May 9 to memorialize 1 million recorded deaths from COVID-19 in the United States, including a tolling of the cathedral’s funeral bell.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the cathedral has scheduled a bell tolling every time another 100,000 Americans have died after contracting the coronavirus. At the services, the funeral bell is tolled once for every 1,000. It will sound 1,000 times at the May 9 event, followed by “one additional toll as a reminder of the ongoing dangers presented by the virus,” the cathedral said in a news release.

The cathedral said this will be the final time that the bell is to be tolled to memorialize COVID-19 victims. The service also includes a brief performance by the Cathedral Choristers.

—From Episcopal News Service

[Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury – May 2, 2022] The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologized for the “terrible crime” of the Anglican Church’s involvement in Canada’s residential schools – and for the Church of England’s “grievous sins” against the Indigenous peoples of Canada.

The Archbishop spent this weekend visiting Indigenous Canadian reserves, meeting with Indigenous leaders and Anglicans, and listening to residential school survivors, as part of a five-day visit to Canada.

Addressing survivors and Indigenous elders in Prince Albert on Sunday, the Archbishop said: “I am so sorry that the Church participated in the attempt - the failed attempt, because you rose above it and conquered it - to dehumanize and abuse those we should have embraced as brothers and sisters.”

He added: “I am more than humbled that you are even willing to attempt to listen to this apology, and to let us walk with you on the long journey of renewal and reconciliation.”

The Archbishop is visiting Canada to repent and atone for the Church of England’s legacy of colonialism and the harm done to Indigenous peoples – and to share in the Anglican Church of Canada’s reconciliation work with Indigenous, Inuit and Métis communities.

Read more here.

By Sean Franking

[Anglican Journal – May 6, 2022] When Geronimo Henry stood up to speak at a May 3 meeting between Indigenous community leaders, residential school survivors and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Toronto, he told the story of his 11 years in the Mohawk Institute residential school near Brantford, Ont.

He told those gathered how he and other children had been locked in an empty “play room” for hours at a time, gazing out the single window and wishing to see his mother drive up the laneway to bring him home.

He told them about when the city of Brantford built a dump out behind the school and he and the other boys would sneak out to rifle through it for food to supplement the school’s paltry fare.

And he told them that when Stephen Harper’s government issued an official apology for the residential school system in 2008, he used to take a printed copy with him to speaking engagements at universities so that when someone asked what he thought of the apology, he could take it out and rip it up.

“Why did it take the churches and the government so long to bring out this apology? Don’t they know the schools closed in 1970?” asked Henry. “That’s when they should have come and gathered us all up and said they were sorry. But they never.”

Read more here.

[Global Episcopal Mission Network] Registration is ongoing for the 2022 Global Mission Conference that will be held May 12 – 14 online on the theme of Women in Mission. Sign up now to join with people around the world to celebrate and reflect on the vital role of women’s participation in God’s mission.

Sponsored by the Global Episcopal Mission Network, the conference will meet for 3 hours via Zoom on each of the three days, 1 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Spanish-language translation will be available.

Visit the conference page here for more information. To register, click here. The conference is free and open to the public, and donations are encouraged via PayPal on the GEMN donation page. Attendees will receive the Zoom connection information upon registration.

Conference plenary speakers will highlight the history of women in mission, Mothers Union work in Africa, women missionaries’ work today, and Anglican women’s work at the United Nations. Workshops will feature the mission work of women in Mozambique, Pakistan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, India and Korea. The work of religious orders, Episcopal Relief & Development, Five Talents and the United Thank Offering will be featured, and Mission Spotlights will offer further insight into women’s global work.

A Spanish version of this announcement is here.

More reporting from Episcopal News Service is here.

Rebecca's Garden

Christ Episcopal Church

1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario

Kat Reeves will demonstrate the chitose-bon, a presentation of matcha according to the tradition of the Urasenke (Kyoto) school of Cha No Yu.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

Roger Wilkie, violin; John Walz, cello and Edith Orloff, piano, perform Beethoven's Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, "Ghost" and Smetana's Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15. Ticket required to attend.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

122 South California Avenue, Monrovia 91016

The St. Luke's Choir with guest singers, including cantor Victor Mazzone, will sing Evensong in a setting with an excellent pipe organ (recently renovated) and exceptional acoustics. The Rev. Brian O’Rourke, interim rector during the Rev. Neil Tadken’s sabbatical, will be the officiant. Kent B. Jones will direct the choir in music by Tallis, Stanford, and Vaughan Williams; the anthem "I Have Surely Built Thee an House" by William Boyce will feature soloists Marina Harris, Alex Miller and Victor Mazzone. A wine and cheese reception will follow the service, and there will be a chutney/jam/marmalade sale.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

3290 Loma Vista Road, Ventura

Information here

Join us for a combined Music for Ukraine Benefit Concert followed by a special Compline service focused on prayers for peace in the world. The concert will feature professional musicians from Ventura County. Compline, a short evening prayer service, will be presented by St. Paul's Choir, which will sing a cappella music in ancient and contemporary musical idioms and styles. Donations are encouraged. 100% of funds collected will support UNICEF’s humanitarian response efforts directed toward children and families in Ukraine and neighboring countries offering a safe haven to those displaced.

Rebecca's Garden

Christ Episcopal Church

1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario

Enjoy refreshment and an evening of light country and garden-themed tunes with GiGi Garner and Ron George.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

Featuring the Tesserae Baroque Ensemble. The phrase “The Myth of Venice” is used by historians to describe a kind of “Venetian Exceptionalism”; in this formulation, art, architecture, and (of course) music was used to glorify the Republic. In a concert featuring cornetts, sackbuts, strings, and singers, Tesserae brings to life the grandiose polychoral music from the late Renaissance and the early Baroque – the Golden Age of Venetian music – as well as other non-Venetian works inspired by this rich musical tradition. This program includes Venetian music by Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli and Monteverdi, as well as works in the polychoral style by Diego Ortiz and Hieronymous Praetorius. Tickets: $30, $ 25 seniors and SCEMS, $10 students. Admission free with Music Guild donor season pass.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

Sung by All Saints’ Choir Schola: Missa Ascendens Christus in altum and Ascendens Christus in altum (motet) by Thomas Luis de Victoria

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

1031 Bienveneda Avenue, Pacific Palisades

Information and tickets here or 310.573.7422

St. Matthew’s Music Guild presents The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s under the direction of Dwayne S. Milburn. Igor Stravinsky composed his Concerto in E-flat “Dumbarton Oaks” in 1938 on a commission from Robert and Mildred Bliss and named it for their estate in Washington, D.C. Anthony Constantino was born in 1995 and raised in Tucson. He has been widely praised for music in a variety of styles including chamber music, vocal, and eletro-acoustic. “Awakenings” was commissioned by St. Matthew’s Music Guild in 2019 to celebrate the return to something approaching normalcy following Covid. Little did anyone know at the time the work’s premiere would be delayed until June 2022. Mozart’s Mass in C major (“Credo”), composed in 1776 for Salzburg Cathedral, is scored for four soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra. The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s will be joined by the choir and soloists of St. Matthew’s Parish. “Liner Notes with Tom Neenan” – a pre-concert discussion of the coming program, will begin at 7:10 p.m. in the church and is free and open to the public. Masks are encouraged but not required for all audience members, who must show proof of having been fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccine booster is not required at this time.

Center for Spiritual Development

Meeting via Zoom and/or in person (as allowed by health codes). Register here

Part two of an introduction to desert spirituality through the lives and teachings of the desert fathers and mothers, sponsored by the Orange County-based Center for Spiritual Development. "Little known outside of academic circles, the desert ammas/mothers share spiritual medicine for our anxious, frenzied world: silence, solitude, and stillness. We will meet Amma Syncletica of Alexandria and Amma Mary the Harlot (of Egypt). Their earthy wisdom awakens in us renewed awareness that God’s love has always surrounded us." Led by the Rev. Brad Karelius, who has been a priest in the Diocese of Los Angeles for 50 years. For 45 years he was associate professor of philosophy at Saddleback Community College. He is author of The Spirit in the Desert (2009), Encounters with the World’s Religions (2015) and Desert Spirit Places: The Sacred Southwest (2019). When registering, mark your preference for Zoom or in-person. Cost: $20 per person.

All Saints Episcopal Church

132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101

Information: [email protected]

The Gathering - a Space for Asian Pacific Spirituality and All Saints Church Pasadena, invites all to a worship service celebrating the Feast of Pentecost and featuring Asian American/Pacific Islander music, art, and voices. During this Easter season, The Gathering has been reflecting on Easter through AAPI Alive!, an online devotional guide highlighting AAPI voices. This journey will culminate with a liturgy and reception celebrating the diversity and beauty of our AAPI communities. All are invited to attend and free parking is available in the North Lot and on the street. AAPI Alive! is available online at www.aapialive.org. A flyer is here.

Additional events are listed on the diocesan calendar here. For more about Holy Week and Easter services in the Diocese of Los Angeles, click here.

Donors may save up to 15 minutes by completing pre-donation reading and answering health history questions here, rather than filling out forms on the day of donation.

Reservations are required. All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

St. John's Episcopal Church

Vicenti Hall

4745 Wheeler Avenue, La Verne 91750

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: STJOHNS

Additional date at this location is Sunday, July 24.

St Luke's Episcopal Church

Church Hall

525 E.7th Street, Long Beach 90813

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

(Search by zip code)

St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church

30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: STJOHN (note, no "s")

Questions? Contact Gary and Dena Graves, [email protected] or [email protected]

Additional date at this location is Sunday, Oct. 23.

Will your church host blood drives in coming months? Send the information to [email protected] for inclusion in the calendar. Please include the date, times, location and sponsor code.

Led by the Rev. Grant Holmes, honorary assistant priest at St. George's Church, Paris, France; and former vicar of St. Mary's Church in St. Alban's, U.K. Stops include a tour of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral; St. Alban's Pilgrim Church Trail; Canterbury, including a boat tour; the Cotswolds; Ely Cathedral; Cambridge; York; Edinburgh and St. Andrew's in Scotland. Highlights will include Evensong services, a private tour of Parker Library at Corpus Christi College (not open to the public), and free time for exploration. Package includes 12 nights' accommodation, daily breakfast, six lunches and two dinners; all guides, entrance fees, touring and transportation. Cost: $4,700 for double occupancy. Airfare, incidentals and additional meals not included. A $500 deposit is required; final payment is due June 17. A brochure is here. For information contact Bonnie Waite at 480.899.8006 or [email protected]

Listings may be sent to [email protected]. There is no charge.

BEVERLY HILLS: Controller, All Saints Episcopal Church. The controller is responsible for all facets of financial management and operations, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, cash flow management, insurance, and human resources. The controller is a key member of the senior management staff and reports to the priest-in-charge. The controller also works collaboratively with the vestry, treasurer, volunteer groups, committees, and program staff. A full job description is here.

FILLMORE/VENTURA: Community Engagement and Development Coordinator, The Abundant Table, a non-profit, organic certified farm and BIPOC- and women-led worker collective in Ventura County, California that seeks to transform our food system towards justice, liberation, and increased health for all people, while caring for the land and all who tend the land. Community Engagement and Development Coordinator will be responsible to oversee and coordinate the TAT community engagement and development processes, including management; fundraising; community engagement, coordination and development. 30 hours/week; salary and benefits $32,864.Full job description here.

JULIAN: Camp staff and counselors, Camp Stevens. Working a summer job at Camp Stevens isn't your average position. Our summer team is a collection of adventure creating, critical-thinking, empathy giving, game playing, dishwashing, luggage moving, camper inspiring life-changers. Summer Staff and Counselors complete the summer with experience and training in public speaking, child supervision, time management, scheduling and planning, group and team building, leadership styles, communication, restorative justice, trauma-informed care, diversity, equity and inclusion, anti-racism, feedback, food sanitation and handling, facility maintenance, trail work, outdoor skills, astronomy, health and safety management, and collaboration. Positions are open for Summer 2022. Counselors must be at least 16; staff must be at least 18. Compensation varies. Apply for Counselor Training here. Apply for staff positions here.

LOS ANGELES (ECHO PARK): Credit Union CEO/Manager, Episcopal Community Federal Credit Union. To provide strategic, vision, leadership, and management in all functional areas. Plan, direct and control credit union activities in accordance with credit union plans, policies, directives and activities as established by the Board of Directors. Responsible for ensuring financial stability and member satisfaction commensurate with the best interest of members, staff and credit union. A full job description is here. For more information and to apply, click here.

LOS ANGELES: Executive Director, IRIS (Interfaith Refugee & Immigration Service). The Diocese of Los Angeles is seeking a person who has deep experience in program strategy, development, and expansion that s/he will leverage to strengthen our existing programs and launch new, sustainable programs to better serve the needs of our clients. You will be successful in this role if you can create a multi-year program strategy, evaluate new service opportunities, build and implement programming, inspire and lead the IRIS program team, and take steps to grow the IRIS site with high quality, cost-efficient, and sustainable programming. The Executive Director will manage programs and monitor progress and compliance with the Bureau of Population, Migration, and Refugees, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, California Department of Social Services, Episcopal Migration Ministries and other funders to ensure standards and provision of timely and quality services to refugees and migrants are met. This position is a department head within the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and ensures strong communication and coordination with central office leaders including the Commissioner for Human Resources, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff and the Bishop Diocesan. A full job description with application information is here. Application deadline: May 20, 2022.

LOS ANGELES: Executive Director, Commission on Schools. The Diocese of Los Angeles and the Commission on Schools are seeking a lay or ordained person with school, preschool, and/or parish leadership experience to be a part of the diocesan staff beginning Summer 2022. Being an Episcopalian is not required but is preferable, and a non-Episcopalian must be willing to fully understand, articulate, and support the ministries of Episcopal schools and preschools. The position is 1000 hours per year, benefits eligible, with the work schedule to be determined by the needs of the position with respect to the school year and diocesan considerations. Please send a cover letter, resume, and a reference list to Canon Anilin Collado via email at [email protected] or by postal mail at 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026 no later than April 30. A job description is here.

LOS ANGELES: Seminary Dean and President, Bloy House. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is recruiting an individual to serve as dean and president of Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School of Los Angeles. Over its 50-year history, Bloy House has trained generations of lay leaders, priests, and deacons, moving flexibly with the needs of the diocese and the changing realities of academic seminaries. Our vision is that Bloy House will now put greater emphasis on lay formation and will provide an integrating hub for the many excellent existing, but disparate, formation programs in the diocese, as well as visioning new initiatives and expanded constituencies. A full job description is here.

LOS ANGELES: Preschool Director, St. James' Episcopal School. The preschool director oversees the Grammercy Place Preschool and is the supervisor for the St. Andrew’s Place preschool site director. The preschool director is responsible for curriculum, evaluation, professional development and parent and family engagement and communications for both preschool campuses. Website is here. Full job description here.

PACIFIC PALISADES: Live Stream Manager. St. Matthew's Parish is an inspiring house of worship situated in beautiful Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. The Director of Program Ministry seeks a part-time Live Stream Manager who is an experienced audio/visual consultant to partner with our ministry team to broadcast our live Sunday morning worship service and special services. A full job description is here. Please email your resume to [email protected]. Learn more about St. Matthew's here.

PACIFIC PALISADES: General Maintenance Worker, St. Matthew's Church and School. St. Matthew's is a vibrant community that includes both a Church and a School situated in beautiful Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. The Director of Facilities and Operations seeks a full time maintenance staff member with maintenance experience. This is a "hands-on" position and the ideal candidate will have repair maintenance and event setup experience, great people skills and a history of providing the highest level of customer service. A full job description is here. Please email resume to [email protected].

PASADENA: Facilities/Office Manager, All Saints Church. The Facilities/Office Manager’s primary responsibilities include oversight of all infrastructure operations of the church: facilities management; Building and Grounds (“B&G”) staff; the security company; and all office equipment. In addition, this person will collaborate closely with Human Resources and with the administrative assistant team. The primary objective of the person in this position is to ensure that these operations run smoothly so that the church staff and parishioners have the information, support and resources necessary to carry out the mission of the church in its pastoral, outreach and community building ministries. The Facilities/Office Manager must be flexible, responsive, and nimble in dealing with unexpected issues. See the entire job description here.

PASADENA: Bookkeeper, All Saints Church. See the entire job description here.

PASADENA: Giving Data Specialist, All Saints Church. The purpose of this position is to provide excellent stewardship of All Saints’ donors and to ensure accurate and timely processing of all income. This position reports to the Director of Giving & Stewardship. See the entire job description here.

THOUSAND OAKS: Assistant Principal, St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School. Duties include helping with admissions, development, parent relations, student supervision, and program development. Candidate must have a college degree, a teaching credential, and a minimum of five years working in a school. Administrative experience is desirable. If interested, please send resume to [email protected].

WOODLAND HILLS: Receiving Supervisor, West Valley Food Pantry. The Receiving Supervisor is responsible for coordinating the daily staging and oversight of a drive-through food delivery operation. Empathy and kindness to the clients should be part of this individual’s makeup. The Receiving Supervisor is the Food Pantry’s liaison with donating markets, and should cultivate excellent communication with the market's managers. Relationships with our volunteers is paramount, and a positive demeanor is a necessity. The Receiving Supervisor is responsible for accepting, tracking and inventory of all incoming deliveries and donations, in cooperation with the Warehouse Assistant. Full job description here.

The Episcopal News Update is published on Wednesday afternoons. News items, job listings, calendar items, questions and comments may be sent to [email protected]. Weekly deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m. Photos are welcome: please include them as attachments (rather than embedded in a document). To subscribe, click here.

— Janet Kawamoto, editor