California bishops' statement supports governor's moratorium on the death penalty
Bishops of the six Episcopal dioceses in California, in cooperation with the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN-CA) have issued a statement in support of Governor Gavin Newsom's moratorium on the death penalty in the state. The bishops affirm the Episcopal Church's longstanding opposition to the death penalty, and acknowledge efforts by people of many faiths and no faith who have advocated for its abolition. The full text of the statement follows.
Grace and peace to you, in the Name of Jesus Christ. We are the bishops of the six dioceses of the Episcopal Church in California. On March 13, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty in the state, calling it “ineffective, irreversible and immoral.” We are grateful to Governor Newsom for taking the bold and courageous step to institute a moratorium on executions in the state of California.
While we acknowledge that this may be an issue on which reasonable people of good faith might disagree, we want to reaffirm emphatically our Church’s opposition to the death penalty, a position first officially stated by our General Convention in 1958. Then, and in subsequent statements, the Episcopal Church has based its opposition to the death penalty in our understanding of God’s justice, our regard for the sacredness of human life, our commitment to respect the dignity of every human being, our desire to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and our mission to continue Christ’s work of reconciliation in this world.
It is from this position of faith that our Church has repeatedly called upon all its members “to work actively to abolish the death penalty in their states.” In 2012 and 2016, when a proposition was put before California voters for the repeal of the death penalty, the Episcopal bishops issued this same call. We commend the Governor for placing the moratorium on the death penalty, effectively restricting its use for the next four years in California.
We also wish to acknowledge with grateful hearts all our fellow citizens, people of many different religious commitments, or of no religion, who are working to abolish the death penalty. We pray that our combined efforts will at long last result in the end of the death penalty in California, and we pray God’s blessing upon all.
The Bishops in the State of California:
The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop, Diocese of California
The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner, Bishop, Diocese of Northern California
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, Bishop, Diocese of Los Angeles
The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce, Bishop Suffragan, Diocese of Los Angeles
The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, Bishop, Diocese of El Camino Real
The Rt. Rev. David Rice, Bishop, Diocese of San Joaquin
The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Assisting, Diocese of San Diego
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Deacon Samuel Pillsbury's new book,
Imagining a Greater Justice,
to be featured at Loyola Law School event
Loyola Law School & the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy will sponsor a celebration of justice work in California, featuring
Imagining a Greater Justice: Criminal Violence, Punishment and Relational Justice, a newly published book by the Rev. Samuel H. Pillsbury (pictured), professor of law and Frederick J. Lower Fellow at Loyola, and a deacon of the Diocese of Los Angeles, on Thursday, April 25, 6 - 8 p.m. To register, and for location information click
here.
Acknowledging that public fear and anger about criminal violence drive the punitive impulse that created the mass incarceration of today, Pillsbury's book challenges many deep-rooted assumptions about wrongdoing, as well as ideas about freedom and individuality and the obligations owed to strangers. Imagining a Greater Justice offers a well-informed look at violence, race, and restorative justice, including often-ignored moral and ethical issues. It posits important policy implications that are essential reading for students of law and criminal justice, as well as all persons affected by violent crime and the administration of justice.
Pillsbury teaches criminal law, American legal history, criminal procedure, criminal practice and public speaking for lawyers. He was a newspaper reporter before attending law school; after graduation he was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge William Matthew Byrne Jr. He has also been a assistant U.S. attorney, criminal division, in Los Angeles. He joined the Loyola faculty in 1986. He has published many articles as well as three novels. He is a volunteer chaplain at Men's Central Jail and in state prisons.
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Pilgrimage to Manzanar will remember WWII Japanese-American internment
All Saints Church Pasadena, in conjunction with The Gathering - a Space for Asian American Spirituality, will sponsor a one-day pilgrimage to the Manzanar National Monument to coincide with the 50th annual remembrance of the incarceration of Japanese Americans at Manzanar during World War II. The pilgrimage will include tours, speakers, and an interfaith service. Participants will learn about the impact of rounding up over 110,000 Americans of Japanese descent and placing them in internment camps, the relevance of this injustice for the world today, and ways to keep it from happening again. It is also a meaningful opportunity to learn about an important aspect of Japanese American culture. A chartered bus will leave from All Saints, Pasadena at 6:30 a.m. and return by 6:30 p.m. The cost of $70 per person includes transportation, box lunch, snacks and water. Registration and payment are required by April 12. The bus trip may be canceled if there are not enough participants. Additional information and materials regarding the pilgrimage will be available for attendees. To register, contact Ada Ramirez at
[email protected]. For additional information, contact Doni Heyn-Lamb (
[email protected]) or Peter Huang (
[email protected]). More information can be found on the Manzanar Committee website
here.
Above left: The Japanese inscription on the monument at Manzanar reads ireitõ
, meaning "Monument to console the souls of the dead." Photo: Daniel Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
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April 27 scholarship dinner to benefit Neighborhood Youth Association
All are welcome for the 36
th
Annual Scholarship and Community Awards Dinner supporting 100-percent college placement for students of the Neighborhood Youth Association, a diocesan institution since 1906. Set for April 27, the festive event will open with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. in the Sprague Center on the campus of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Parish and School, Pacific Palisades. Benefit chairperson is NYA trustee Sarah Mann Newman, longtime St. Matthew’s parishioner and retired school teacher. Tickets are priced at $125 per person, with sponsorship opportunities available at $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 or above. Tickets may be purchased online at
www.nyayouth.org.
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Immigration advocacy training to be offered at statewide event
Episcopal Public Policy Network - California will sponsor "Rooted in Faith: Immigration Advocacy, the Church and You," a two-day training in faith-rooted community organizing with an amphasis on immigration advocacy and racial reconciliation, May 4 - 5 at St. Martin's Church in Davis, California. The presentations and training will be led by the Rev.
Alexia Salvatierra, Lutheran pastor, justice activist, and former executive director of CLUE-CA (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice in California); and the Rev. Paula Nesbitt, Ph.D., associate priest at All Souls Episcopal Church, Berkeley, sociology teacher at UC Berkeley, and a scholar of religion, ethics, spirituality, social justice and congregational studies. Racial Reconciliation Training certification is available (attendance both days is required). The training will prepare for the Immigrant Day of Action, to be held at the California state capitol in Sacramento May 20. Registration fee is $10 by April 19. To register for the training, click
here. For information, email to
[email protected] or call 530.756.0444. For more about Immigrant Day of Action events, click
here. St. Martin's church is located at 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis, CA 95616
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Santa Ynez Valley News
March 25, 2019
Randall Day: Pastor opens arms, St. Mark's facilities to serve community
Santa Ynez Valley's Man of the Year, Rev. Randall Day, immediately deflects any congratulations, special recognition or hint of public honor. To this pastor of St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, who serves on a variety of boards and foundations, the award represents the people who, for generations, have positioned the Valley for the success it enjoys today. Read more
here.
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June 1 stewardship conference will follow 'Way of Love' to abundance
"The Way of Love - Living Into God's Abundance" will be the title of a stewardship conference to be held on Saturday, June 1 at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul. Keyed to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's "
Way of Love" initiative, the conference will feature a keynote address by Bishop John Harvey Taylor, and workshops led by stewardship experts from around the diocese. Each congregation is invited to send a stewardship team to the meeting, or participate through livestream video. Read more
here.
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Schedule for deanery pre-convention meetings
Convention is Friday - Saturday, Nov. 15 - 16 at Riverside Convention Center
As Diocesan Convention approaches each year, meetings are held in the deaneries of the diocese for clergy, convention delegates and all interested Episcopalians. Dates have been established: some locations and times are still to be determined. Schedule is
here.
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'Called to the Wall' annual pilgrimage is April 13
“Called to the Wall,” the diocese’s annual pilgrimage to the U.S. – Mexico border in support of immigrant rights, has been scheduled for Saturday, April 13 – the day before Palm Sunday. Read more
here.
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Collaborative Leadership and Ministry training coming to L.A.
Strong lay-clergy leadership teams are the heart of any congregations.The Episcopal Church's Office of Black Ministries will bring Episcopal Church Foundation' Basics of Collaborative Leadership and Ministry curriculum to the Diocese of Los Angeles in a two-day workshop on
Friday - Saturday, April 26 - 27. The training will be led by the Rev. Ronald Byrd, who is missioner for Black Ministries on Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s staff. Read more
here.
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Clergy spouses and partners invited to weekend retreat
Canon Kathy O'Connor and Canon Steve Bruce invite spouses and partners of diocesan clergy to "We Are Better Together," a weekend retreat
April 26 - 28 at the retreat center at Mt. Calvary Monastery in Santa Barbara. Presenters for the gatherings include Lori Kizzia, Steve Bruce, Kathy O’Connor, and Brother Adam McCoy. For more information, click
here.
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DOK Annual Assembly will be May 4
"Spring Renewal," the 2019 Daughters of the King (DOK) Spring Assembly, will be hosted at St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church in San Juan Capistrano on
Saturday, May 4. Featured speaker will be the Rev.
Judith Favor, a United Church of Christ minister, teacher at Claremont School of Theology and contemplative event leader with Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality. For registration and information, visit the ECW
website.
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Camp Stevens 5K run/walk/hike will raise campership funds
Camp Stevens will hold a 5K run (or walk or hike) on
Sunday, May 5 to raise funds for summer camperships. The route will be a running/walking tour of favorite spots at camp – Upper Meadow, the Chapel, the hills, and more. For more information an to register online, visit
campstevens.org; select Programs, then Special Events.
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Seeds of Hope's Friday Night Farming will return May 10
Friday Night Farming, an opportunity for service, learning and fellowship, will be held by Seeds of Hope on one Friday evening each month, 6 - 10 p.m., beginning on
May 10 at the Edendale Grove garden next to the Cathedral Center, 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles. For more information about Seeds of Hope and Friday Night Farming, click
here.
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Bloy House to visit New York Street (in Studio City) for 60th anniversary gala
Bloy House (The Episcopal Theological School at Claremont) will move to New York - or a reasonable facsimile thereof - to celebrate its 60th anniversary with a gala dinner on
Friday, May 31, 6 - 10 p.m. The event will be held on the New York Street studio set at CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave, Studio City, 91604. A silent auction will include some items donated by CBS; additional donations of auction items are welcome. For information, call 909.621.2419 or email to
[email protected].
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UBE conference will come to Los Angeles in July
The church-wide Union of Black Episcopalians will hold its 51st annual Business Meeting and Conference
July 22- 26 in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Grande Hotel. Conference theme is: “Preparing the way for such a time as this: many people, one Lord!” Speakers will include Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; Archbishop Julio Murray of the Anglican Province of Central America; Bishop-elect Phoebe Roaf of the Diocese of West Tennessee; the Rev. Sandye A. Wilson, COO of St. Augustine's University and longtime leader in the Episcopal Church; and the Rev. Lester Mackenzie, rector of St. Mary's Church, Laguna Hills. For information, including a draft schedule, and to register, click
here.
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Stillpoint offers 'Spiritual Journey' retreat at Ghost Ranch
Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality, an institution of the Diocese of Los Angeles, will offer "The Spiritual Journey," a week-long retreat to be held
July 29 - Aug. 5 at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico. For more information and to register, click
here.
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Camp Stevens summer camp registration is open
Registration for 2019 summer sessions offered by Camp Stevens, the camp and conference center serving the dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego, is now open. For more about camps for children, teens and adults, visit the camp website
here.
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Reminders from the wider church
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Episcopal Church invites all to ‘Take the Pledge’ and care for God’s creation
Episcopalians and friends concerned about all of God’s creation are invited to join Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in pledging to take action to protect and renew God’s world and all who call it home. The goal is to gather at least 1,000 pledges with concrete, personal commitments by Earth Day, April 22. Read more
here.
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Episcopal and Lutheran recovery ministries to offer 'Addiction & Faith Conference' in Minnesota
The second annual Addiction & Faith Conference, hosted by the Fellowship of Recovering Lutheran Clergy (FRLC) and Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church (RMEC), will be held
September 20 - 22 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Keynote speakers will be lecturer and author the Rev. Brian McLaren and psychiatry professor and author George E. Vaillant. For more about the conference schedule, costs and scholarships, click
here.
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Episcopal Youth Event 2020 Planning Team opens applications for youth representatives
Applications for youth interested in serving on the Planning Team for the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE20) are now being accepted. To be eligible for the Planning Team, youth applicants must be currently enrolled in grades 9 – 11 and be communicants in good standing in an Episcopal Church congregation. Read more
here.
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Sacred Ground: New dialogue series explores race and faith
Sacred Ground, a film- and reading-based dialogue series on race and faith produced by The Episcopal Church, introduced by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, will be available Feb. 22. Participants will walk together through America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in the threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. Read more
here.
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Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent and Easter
The Episcopal Church has announced several new Lent and Easter resources for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Way of Love initiative. Available in Spanish and English. For more information click
here.
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Traveling the Way of Love: Episcopal Church launches new video series
Join host Chris Sikkema, manager for special projects, The Episcopal Church Office of Communication, as he journeys across The Episcopal Church in search of stories of the ways its people are engaged in the seven practices that encompass the Way of Love. Information is
here.
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This week around the diocese
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FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 6:30 p.m.
Middle East Issues Panel
St. James Church
1325 Monterey Road,
South Pasadena 91030
In response to suggestions made during the 2018 meeting of Diocesan Convention, Bishop John H. Taylor has announced presentations on Middle East issues to be held at three locations across the diocese during March. Sponsored by the Middle East Committee of the Program Group on Global Partnership and the Order of the Jerusalem Cross, they are part of a national tour by Churches for Middle East Peace. Each presentation will begin with a reception and then continue with a panel discussion. Panelists will include Suzann Mollner, Obada Shtaya, Sara Burback, and Alison Glick. Bishop Taylor will host the first presentation.
FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 29 - 30
30 Hour Fast for Youth
All Saints Episcopal Church
144 S. C. Street,
Oxnard 93030
Registration/Information
here
The Program Group on Youth & Young Adult Ministries invites junior and senior high school students to "a wonderful experience that gives students a glimpse into what it feels like for a person experiencing hunger," according to the event announcement. "Along the way through this experience, students will learn and engage in different activities to illustrate some of these struggles. Also we get an opportunity to serve various organizations that are working to end hunger and food insecurity." Cost is $25 per person; after expenses, proceeds will benefit The Abundant Table food ministry, which will host some of the weekend activities.
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Workshop: Lions, Devils and Theologians: C.S. Lewis & Karl Barth
Emmaus Spiritual Ministries
434 S. Batavia Street,
Orange
Information/Registration
here
James Prothero, Ph.D, director of the Southern California C..S. Lewis Society, will lead the discussion of Lewis' gifts and his differences with his contemporary Karl Barth. According to Prothero, "C.S. Lewis’ approach was unique: first, though a brilliant scholar, he spoke in the language of everyday people; second, he didn’t boldly assert Christianity like a contemporary, Karl Barth, but instead started out where people really were with their doubts and misunderstandings. Today scholars still read Barth. However, everybody reads Lewis, young and old, educated or not." Prothero, a scholar, writer and lecturer, is co-author of Gaining a Face: the Romanticism of C.S. Lewis. He teaches at Santa Ana College and Vanguard University and is a professional watercolor painter. Emmaus Spiritual Ministries is a program of the Roman Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Stephen Bruce, a spiritual director and husband of Bishop Suffragan Diane Bruce, serves on the Emmaus board and is coordinator for this event.
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 9:30 a.m.
Middle East Issues Panel
St. Andrew's Church
4400 Barranca Parkway,
Irvine 92604
See listing above.
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 6:30 p.m.
Middle East Issues Panel
Trinity Church
1500 State Street,
Santa Barbara 93101
See listing above.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Abundant Table Open Farm
McGrath Family Farm
1012 West Ventura Boulevard,
Camarillo 93010
The Abundant Table's Open Farm 1st Saturdays are a way for the wider community to connect deeply with the farm and its mission. Come learn and explore. Volunteer your time and labor. Learn more about our ecological justice, environmental stewardship and farm education programs for youth and their families. Each month, we will explore a different aspect of sustainable farming (from soil science to organic pest control), creating a rich and immersive experience. Enjoy a farm-fresh salad after the work time. A $5 donation is requested to help cover operational costs. Bring sun protection, gardening gloves and plenty of drinking water. Children (with parents) are welcome. Reservations are requested.
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This week in liturgy, art & music
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FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 8 p.m.
Pianist Robert Thies In Recital
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
1031 Bienveneda Avenue,
Pacific Palisades
Renowned pianist Robert Thies will perform works by Schumann, Chopin, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. Thies first captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he won the gold medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia; the only American pianist to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn’s famous triumph in Moscow in 1958.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 7:30 p.m.
Tesserae & Colburn Early Music Ensemble
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210
Elicia Silversteen conducts a program of violin music with full orchestra, featuring music of Corelli, Uccellini, Balletto, La Follia, Ragazzi, Valentini and Vivaldi. Tickets are $30; senior and student tickets are $25. Admission is free with Music Guild donor season pass.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 5 p.m.
Missa Mystica for Lent
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive,
Beverly Hills 90210
Choral Eucharist with the All Saints’ Choir Schola, featuring works by Orlando de Lassus.
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Pilgrimage to the South of France: A Journey of Healing
May 16 - 31, 2019
Please join us for a contemplative, thirteen-day journey through one of the most beautiful regions of the world: the South of France and the heart of Provence. The itinerary includes stays in Racamadour, the medieval city that has served as a Christian pilgrimage place for more than a thousand years; Lourdes, the ancient Christian healing place, and Avignon, in the heart of Provence with special emphasis on the healing journey of Vincent Van Gogh and Cezanne; there will also be side visits to Arles, Ax-En Provence and St. Remy, plus some of the most beautiful gardens in France. Our theme is inner healing, and the journey will allow time for rest, free time to explore and spiritual reflection. The pilgrimage will be led by Christopher McCauley, spiritual director and teacher and host of international pilgrimages and Frank Ramirez, veteran co-host of pilgrimages throughout the world. For more information, including a detailed itinerary, fees, and registration, please go to
www.christophermccauley.org.
Early registration by December 10 is strongly recommended; call 626.798.8944 or email
[email protected].
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Pilgrimage to England and Scotland: Tracing the Roots of the Episcopal Church
November 11 - 21, 2019
An 11-day pilgrimage exploring historic events that helped shape the Episcopal Church. Stops will include a visit to St. Andrew's Cathedral in Aberdeen, Scotland; a luncheon at the Eagle and Child in Oxford, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolien met with the "Inklings"; exploration of the Scottish and English countryside, shopping, pub visits afternoon tea and more. Cost is $3,749, which covers roundtrip flight from L.A., four-star hotels, most meals, all ground transportation, guides and drivers, and entrances to everything listed in the itinerary. Led by the Rev. Steve DeMuth, rector of Holy Trinity Church, Covina. A full brochure is
here.
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Central Europe: Oberammergau Passion Play
September 2 - 14, 2020
Join Bishop Guy Erwin of the ELCA and Canon Jim Newman of the Episcopal Church for a 13-day journey across central Europe to Oberammergau, Germany. The day-long Oberammergau Passion Play is produced every decade and is a four-century “thank you” to God for saving the people of this picturesque Bavarian Alpine village. Experience this spiritual event and look at the culture and religion of Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz and Czestochowa), Hungary (Budapest), Czech Republic (Bratislava), Austria (Vienna & the Salzkammergut) and Germany (Oberammergau & Munich). Cost is $4,899 from Los Angeles including $450 taxes/airline surcharges.) Information: Jim Newman, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; 310.391.5522 or 888.802.6722;
[email protected]. A full itinerary is
here.
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EMPLOYMENT
ALTADENA: Sexton, Saint Mark's Episcopal Church. Sunday morning/early afternoon and occasional special events. Set up tables, chairs, and supplies for coffee hour; clean up kitchen and hall after, including taking down chairs and tables; empty trash; lock buildings and gates. Contact: The Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon at
[email protected]
LOS ANGELES (PALMS): Organist or organist/choir director at St. Mary's Church
. Sunday services, with an hour's choir rehearsal beforehand, plus evening services for major feast days. Small, but fairly good pipe organ. The congregation can provide either modest lodgings and a small stipend, or no lodgings and a somewhat more generous stipend. Contact: Debora Shuger at
[email protected].
MALIBU: Minister of Music. St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church. Part time. Responsible for providing music in the Episcopal/Anglican and contemporary traditions. Keyboard and organ performance for Sunday and special services; choir training and development; supervision of full music program, including choral scholars (vocal music students from Pepperdine University); additional services. Full job description/contact information
here.
PASADENA: Director of Development, All Saints Church. The Director of Development & Giving reports to the Rector and fulfills a critical leadership position, creating and sustaining a culture of giving at All Saints, providing strategic direction, and managing all fund development efforts for All Saints Church. Full job description
here. Contact: Christina Honchell, parish administrator:
[email protected].
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA: Organist/Choirmaster, St. John Chrysostom Church
. Part time (15 hours per week). To provide organ and other keyboard accompaniment, lead the choir and plan the music program. Classical and contemporary music proficiency required. For a full job description and application instructions (updated 2-12-19), click
here
.
SIMI VALLEY: Music Minister, St Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church. Part time, to accompany, direct and lead the choir for Sunday services. To apply,contact the church office at 805.526.5141 or email to
[email protected].
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