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From Bishop Stephen Lane
Dear Siblings in Christ,
On May 14, the people of Buffalo marked the anniversary of the TOPS massacre. My thanks to the Rev. Steve Lane and the people of St Philip’s for their part in organizing that day of remembrance. It is supremely important that we remember what happens when the evil power of racism holds sway. Racism is the original sin of our country, and repentance and transformation are the constant requirements of our life together.
We Episcopalians, as heirs of the Anglican tradition, are blessed by our theology of incarnation and by our regular gathering at a common table. Ever since Elizabeth I set aside the theological differences between Catholics and Reformers and enforced the use of a common prayerbook, we Anglicans have been asking ourselves, “Who belongs at the table?” The answer, often arrived at painfully and after much delay, has always been EVERYONE. There is no human barrier of race or class or sex or human origin that bars one from the eucharistic fellowship. That is what Paul proclaimed when he opined there is “no Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free” in Christ. All are one in Christ. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry often tells the story about how his family became Episcopalian after his Mom and Dad received communion in The Episcopal Church in the deep South in the 1950s. In our time, we have seen the table opened fully to women, to LGBTQ+ people, to divorced persons, and to children. As the BCP 1979 makes clear, baptism is “full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body…” All of us are made in the image and likeness of God and, by baptism, are full members of the Church.
Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of South Africa, who helped bring an end to apartheid, and who was a leader in the Truth and Reconciliation process, famously asked, “What is it about ALL that you do not understand?” ALL of us belong. ALL of us are siblings in Christ. ALL of us suffer when any one suffers. ALL of us are called to reach out in love and compassion to our neighbors. The remembrance of the Buffalo massacre is a symbol of what ALL means.
The Church has never found this easy. We are creatures of our cultures, and we share the biases and preferences of those cultures. To be a member of the Body of Christ means to choose a new understanding of belonging, a new understanding of neighbor. It is to deliberately choose ALL. This is not about agreement, political or otherwise. This is not about approving of everything everyone does. It is rather about recognizing our fundamental identity and our unity in Christ. It is about seeking and serving Christ in all people and respecting the dignity of every human being.
Divisions abound in our world, and they will no doubt continue. Our Church is meant to be a place of unity across difference, where difference isn’t the most important thing, where we are free to bring ourselves as we are, and in love and forbearance, join other selves at our common table.
Easter Blessings,
+Steve
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Renewal of Ministry
Bishop Steve will be welcoming the Rev. Laurence Wainwright-Maks to St. John's-Grace in Buffalo on June 6 at 11am with a Renewal of Ministry service.
All are invited to attend with a reception to follow.
Clergy attending may vest in White or Festive.
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Dignity Book Study Recordings
I’m delighted so many of you have been part of the study of Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict, by Donna Hicks, PhD.
If you missed a session, they were recorded, and viewing links are available below for a couple of weeks:
Week One: April 28 Recording
Week Two: May 5 Recording
Week Three: May 12 Recording
Week Four: May 19 Recording
There are still books available. If you would like one, please be in touch with Shawn Slother. Please let Shawn know the email address of each participant so we may send them the zoom registration link.
Bishop Steve
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May 14 Remembrance Ceremony
On May 14 at the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue, the Rev. Stephen Lane, Rector of St Philip's, Buffalo and Buffalo Police Chaplain, gave the following opening prayer for the 5/14 Ceremony.
Holy and ever-present God,
We gather on this ground marked by grief and made sacred by memory.
We honor the lives stolen on May 14, 2022...
neighbors, elders, friends, family...lives that mattered then, and matter still.
We come in prayer and reflection...but we refuse to come only to remember.
Be near to those who carry deep loss. Be present to this community still bearing trauma. Hold us in our sorrow, even as You stir us to something more.
Because this moment demands more than silence. It demands truth. It demands courage. It demands change.
Let this be a clarion call.
Wake us up, God... to the truth that racism is not somewhere else, but here...in this city, on these streets, among us. Wake us up to the inequities that still harm and the systems that still divide. Disturb any peace that lets us look away.
And then send us...not just to speak, but to act. To confront injustice wherever it lives...in our institutions, our neighborhoods, and in ourselves.
Today we stand together in solidarity... and our presence is a commitment: to dignity, to compassion, to justice that does not fade.
May the memory of those we honor today
rise within us not only as grief, but as fire...a fire that will not let us return to what was.
Until this city is changed. Until justice is real.
Until every life is valued and safe.
Let this be more than remembrance.
Let this be resolve.
Amen.
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2026 Diocesan Convention
Our annual Diocesan Convention will be held in Celeron, NY at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on October 23 & 24.
We will soon be requesting resolutions and nominations for open office, but for now, SAVE the DATE.
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CDRD Virtual Workshop Series with the Rev. Isaiah "Shaneequa" Brokenleg
Even if you missed the first presentation, join us for the May 28th zoom session with the Rev. Isaiah "Shaneequa" Brokenleg, Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation and the Interim Indigenous Missioner at the Episcopal Church.
Explore the foundations of your own beliefs in Developing Your Personal Theology: What Is at the Core of Who You Are? This session invites participants to reflect deeply on the heart of their identity and spirituality. Using tools like the “tree of life” exercise and guided theological reflection, we’ll explore ways to understand and articulate your personal theology. The presentation will also highlight the theology of relationships and wolakota as one approach to living in connection with others. Whether you are just beginning to consider your spiritual framework or seeking to deepen an existing practice, this session offers space for reflection, insight, and growth.
The WNY & NWPA Commission to Dismantle Racism & Discrimination invites you to join us May 28 from 7pm-8:30pm to explore these questions and more.
For more information, CLICK HERE
To register for the Virtual Workshop Series and receive a Zoom link, REGISTER HERE
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Buffalo Bisons Star Wars Night
Join us on Saturday, June 13 at 6pm for Star Wars Night at Sahlen Field as the Buffalo Bisons take on the Syracuse Mets. The Diocese has reserved a block of tickets and would love for you to join us!
Tickets are $15 and can be reserved through Wendy Schumacher, Missioner for Children and Youth. Email Wendy or call (716) 830-5443. Tickets will be mailed out the first week in June.
In addition, we have a Diocesan Star Wars T-Shirt to wear that evening. If you are interested in one for $20, please email Wendy.
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Iconography Retreat
Bellwether Farm invites participants to join an upcoming Iconography Retreat to “write” their own icon of Our Lady of Tenderness. No artistic experience is required, only a willingness to slow down, pay attention, and let the work of your hands become the work of your spirit.
The retreat will be held December 8-15. Guests will be immersed in a rhythm of prayer, creativity, and rest, from daily Eucharist and unhurried studio time to nourishing farm-to-table meals and restorative moments in the winter landscape. Set on a working farm dedicated to spiritual and physical wellness, the experience is designed to foster reflection, connection, and renewal.
You will be guided step-by-step through the traditional iconographic process by Catherine Harrison, a skilled iconographer, and the Rev. Meghan Carlson of St. James Episcopal Church in Wooster, OH. You will leave carrying home a completed icon, written by your own hands, a permanent expression of this season's quiet and holy longing.
Early Bird Registration ends July 1.
For full retreat details, as well as leader information...CLICK HERE
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Bats in the Belfry? Not Quite…
First it was the fox — who found a mate, moved on, and has apparently started a family — and now we have birds in the bathroom.
Last weekend, Canon Cathy was in the office when she heard birds chirping. After extensive investigation — and not a small amount of fear (ask her sometime about her terror of barn swallow wings!) — Cathy deduced that birds had nested in the heating vent in the second-floor staff bathroom.
Further sleuthing by Maria revealed that an outdoor vent cover was missing, giving the birds a convenient highway straight into the heating vent. Chicks have now hatched, and the cacophony when the parent birds leave the nest is, well… truly cacophonous!
Never fear: we are in contact with an animal removal specialist who will humanely remove the nest and cap the vent once the chicks have fledged.
For more “wild kingdom” stories, stay tuned…
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Episcopal News Service
Stay informed on everything in the wider Church by visiting and/or subscribing to the Episcopal News Service (ENS).
ENS WEBSITE
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Prayer for the Bishop Search
Gracious God, we give thanks for your loving care for the people of the Diocese of WNY and the members of the Bishop’s Search and Transition Committees. Give us wisdom and understanding as we discern your will. We
ask for the gifts of honesty, to speak the truth in love; openness to the gifts and ideas of others and to the Holy Spirit; and willingness, to see your Light shining among us and on the path ahead. Prepare for our Diocese a bishop who will be a faithful pastor, and equip us for the ministries to which we are
called in these changing times. Help us to love and serve your world and one another in the Spirit of Christ, trusting in you to be our steadfast helper and guide; let us pray to the Lord. AMEN.
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Ordination Anniversaries
The Rev. Bonnie Morris: May 21
The Rev. Joe Kozlowski: May 26
The Rev. Jorge Budez: May 26
We give you thanks, almighty and gracious God, that you have blessed us with their ministry, and we pray that they may continue to exemplify in word and deed the Gospel of your Son. Amen
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May YUM Schedule UPDATED
The May 31 YUM Event has been rescheduled to 1-5pm at Trinity, Lancaster
For details and to participate in Youth United in Ministry (YUM), please contact:
Wendy Schumacher
Missioner for Youth & Children
EMAIL or 716-830-5443
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Sleep Away Camp 2026
Summer Camp is a long-standing tradition in the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, and we are delighted to share that planning is underway for this year’s camp.
Sleep Away Camp will be held August 9–12 at the Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center in Bemus Point. Camp is open to all youth currently in 2nd through 12th grade, and campers will be divided into three groups based on grade level to ensure age-appropriate programming and activities.
Registration
To register a camper, REGISTER HERE
Camp Staff Opportunities
We may be in need of additional staff this summer. If you are 18 or older and feel called to serve at diocesan camp, please reach out to Youth Missioner, Wendy Schumacher, to explore whether this ministry might be a good fit.
For more information, CLICK HERE
| | | | Do You know??
A periodic article about things you may not know… | |
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The Diocesan Seal
Do you know the symbolism of our Diocese Seal?
The mitre symbolizes the bishop as the head of the diocese.
The three roundels, heraldic symbols for water, represent Lake Erie, Niagara Falls, & Lake Ontario.
The crossed swords serve a dual meaning: They symbolize the arms of the Diocese of London, of which our diocese was once a part, and are also emblematic of St. Paul, patron saint of our cathedral.
The inscription Sigill, Diocesis Novi Eboraci Occidental MDCCCXXXVIII is latin for "Seal. Diocese of Western New York 1838"
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St. James, Batavia
What makes your church unique in the region and the diocese?
There are so many ways to be involved in this community of faith, and our mission statement, “Feed and be fed in the love and works of Jesus Christ”, speaks volumes about the people of St. James. We are an energetic, caring group of people who contribute to several community outreach efforts and provide a venue for community cultural events, particularly being the home of the Genesee Chorale. Our vibrant choir director and organist has enabled us to sustain an active choir...READ MORE
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Community Lunch
St. James, Batavia - Join us for a free delicious lunch & a community connection on May 21 at noon.
Lunch will include fresh sandwiches, chips, and beverages.
No RSVP is needed...bring a friend and stop in!
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Bluegrass Concert
St. Mark's, LeRoy - The last concert for this year's "Music at St. Mark's" series will be May 21 at 7pm featuring the bluegrass band Creek Bend. The concert is free and is funded by a grant from GoArt!
Park in the church lot, across Church St. Handicap parking is at the side entrance.
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19th Annual Memorial Day Service
St. John’s-Grace, Buffalo - Join us on Memorial Day, May 25 at 10am for an interdenominational service to give real religious solemnity to Memorial Day, a day of remembrance too often reduced to shopping and picnics. The service honors those who have served in our military, dedicating themselves to our American values of freedom, equality, justice and community, and especially those who have given their lives for these values. Those attending are reminded that our obligation to them is to embrace these same values in our own lives, and that these values are reflected in the Way of Jesus Christ in which we are called to walk – the way of compassion, justice, forgiveness and peace.
The service concludes with the singing of Amazing Grace outdoors at the Bidwell Parkway War Memorial.
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Recital series
St Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo - Join us for a Sunday afternoon Recital on May 31 at 3pm.
Ivan & Angela Docenko will perform "You'll Never Walk Alone."
A free will offering will be taken at the door.
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Lisa Hasselback Quartet
St. Mark's, Orchard Park - We're closing our concert series on June 7 at 4pm with the Lisa Hasselback Quartet. One of Buffalo’s leading musicians, winner of the 2025 JazzBuffalo poll for best pianist, Lisa Hasselback presents her original music from her new album as well as her dynamic interpretations of standards.
Suggested donation: $20 (no one turned away for lack of funds) RSVP at the Facebook Event Page
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Strawberry Festival
Christ Episcopal, Lockport - Join us on June 10 from 4-7pm for our annual Strawberry Festival held rain or shine.
A variety of food, baked goods, and a basket raffle will also be available.
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