April 2023

Worship at St. Francis Church in Cardenas, Cuba. Click to read more.

Stories From Our Congregations

L to R: The Rev. JoHanna ‘Jo’ Barrett, Joann Bond, Julia Stackpole, DoK Chapter President, Sandy Thomas, Pam Tuler, and Mary Cullinan

StJB’s Daughters — NH’s only DoK Chapter — Celebrates 30 Years

On Sunday, December 11, 2022, The Episcopal Church of St John the Baptist in Sanbornville honored and celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Fr. Douglas MacDonald chapter of The Daughters of the King (DoK).

Thirty years ago, five visionary women of St. John's -- Marjorie Walkden, Emily Pearce, Stella Leydon, Terry Kennington, and Bridget Daniels -- signed St John’s charter DoK application on December 13, 1992.

Parish lunch at St. Francis Church in Cardenas, Cuba.

Cuba in 2023: The Same and Different

Traveling to Cuba is always an uplifting and heart-rending experience. The flight from Miami is barely thirty minutes in the air. As a traveler clears customs and exits the airport, it is as if one is transported decades back in time: horse-drawn carriages are a main mean of transportation and not a tourist prop, and the few cars on the road are large American models from the 1950’s

and Russian Lada’s being held together by the mastery of Cuban mechanics and spare parts from around the world.

Church Warming Center in Berlin, NH

The Rev. Dr. Betsy Hess shares this update from St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Berlin:

"Last year we got a Reconciliation grant to assist people who were just over the cutoff to receive fuel assistance. This summer I was thinking about applying for that again. Then I realized almost everyone in our whole area will be really challenged this winter for heat, given the rate hikes for fuel oil and electricity. Needless to say, paying for fuel at the church is also a stretch for us. It occurred to me that it would be more effective to get funds for a central location where everyone could come to enjoy 70-degree heat, instead of huddling under blankets at home...

Read more about this story here.

View the sermon Rev. Dr. Hess preached about this by clicking on the video link to the left.

Ender Receives Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

The Rev. Fr. Sinclair "Skippy" Ender p/HoSM, Lieutenant, Chaplain Corps, U. S. Navy, recently received the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (MOVSM). The MOVSM recognizes exceptional community support over time and not a single act or achievement, and is awarded to service members who perform outstanding volunteer community service of a sustained, direct and consequential nature.

"I feel very honored to be receiving it, yet more honored still to get to support the faithful in this diocese and to serve our Lord through caring for others. Deo gloria!", said Ender.

He is very humble about such honor. "For this award in particular, it's just doing what the Lord commands of us: feed the hungry, care for the sick, pray for the church. It is a great thing that the Navy also has allowed me the liberty to lean into these passions of mine. Again, and in all things, to God alone be the glory!"

In The News

'Ashes to go' hits the streets of Concord to bring the church to the masses

Rev. Denis Brunelle of St. Paul’s Church stood among the legislators as they busily walked and talked across Eagle Square during lunch hour, not paying much attention to him holding a small can with his purple vestments over his street clothes. After not getting much reaction, Brunell finally called out “Ashes for free!”

Local church delivers medical supplies to Cuba

Christ Church Episcopal, led by its Rector the Rev. Mark Pendleton, and four members of the parish, will travel to Cardenas, Cuba on March 13 to deliver much-needed over-the-counter medicines and spare parts and filters for various water systems throughout the diocese. The Diocese of Cuba reunited with The Episcopal Church in 2019.

Hear from Bishop Rob

The Latest messages from Bishop Rob

Bishop Rob’s Easter Message

Bishop Rob’s Spring Convocation Address to St. Paul’s School

Upcoming Events

Pilgrimage in the Holy Land- An Invitation

The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont is sponsoring a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and invites those from the Episcopal Dioceses of New Hampshire and Maine to join them! The pilgrimage is to take place November 25 – December 5, 2023 and will be led by The Rev. Dr. Frederick P. Moser and The Rev. Kim Hardy, a priest couple, with local guides, Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri.

Fred and Kim are experienced pilgrimage leaders and have dreamt of taking a group to the Holy Land since experiencing their journey there on sabbatical in 2009. It opened their hearts to seeing the spiritual life as a pilgrimage and offered deep insights into Biblical stories from the Hebrew Scriptures and Gospels.

For full itinerary and details, click here. For questions and more information, reach out to the Rev. Kim Hardy! for more information.