News, Updates, and Important Information From the Bishop's Office

Diocesan Office News

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is my pleasure to announce that I have hired Nicole Eiden as the new Director of Communications and Marketing for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana! Over the past few months, my staff and I have been very intentional about identifying the unique needs and requirements of this vital position and ministry. Nicole brings a wealth of experience in communications, marketing, film, social media, and website design. As a small business owner, Nicole knows the level of dedication and energy it takes to consistently produce superior messaging as well as the importance of effectively conveying purpose and mission. I look forward to the wisdom and skill she will bring to our diocesan staff and am very excited that Nicole has agreed to be a part of our team. Nicole will begin on August 1st, so please join us in welcoming her!

Faithfully,

+Shannon

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nicole Eiden is a writer, filmmaker, and communications specialist with a broad range of experience in the community. Her work has won wide critical acclaim, including prizes from LMNL Arts, the Words and Music Writing Competition, the Women’s National Book Association, and CINE. Most recently, she was co-owner and Director of Communications of Windowsill Pies, where she cultivated a devoted following and earned local and national recognition for the Freret Street shop.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Communications degree from Ohio University and an MFA from the University of New Orleans. She lives in Mid City with her musician husband, Mike, their eleven-year-old daughter, Elwyn, and their dear dog and cat.

Nicole is excited for the opportunity to serve the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and be part of its inclusive and growing community.

Little Box of Good News™

Update 7/18/24

Have you heard? The Episco-Parenting Project is now the Little Box of Good News™!

Starting in 2025, this will be a subscription-style box for families to explore topics of our Episcopal faith together. Each box will include activities for families, conversation starters, and a connection piece to a local participating parish where families are invited to create community. We are excited that these kits will be fully bilingual (English/Spanish), inclusive, fun and unabashedly Episcopalian!

What we’re currently working on content development for our first three boxes, our new website (coming this fall), relationships with ethically sourced manufacturers for items to be included, and a cute stuffy of our mascot:

We are also working on some “Beyond the Box” experiences: a Little Weekend of Good News next June in St. Francisville and Little Circles of Good News (small groups connected at local churches).

How can you get involved?

We need families of all shapes and sizes to test the activities before they are included in the boxes! Use this link to sign up:

Test Family Application

You can also sign up for monthly updates of our progress: LBGN UPDATES

Grace Rose

Grant Manager, Christian Parenting & Caregiving Initiative

grose@edola.org

NEW Lay Preaching License Program!

We at the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana are proud to offer a pathway to obtain a Lay Preaching License! Bishop Duckworth is excited to support this new ministry and sees this licensing program as one more way we can honor and raise up the gifts of our parishioners and empower the lay leaders in our church! We welcome you into this time of discernment and study and promise our prayers and support as you navigate this program!

We are accepting applications until Monday, August 5, 2024.

Application Packet

Deacons around the Diocese

L-R The Very Reverend Tommy Dillon (St. Margaret's), The Reverend Deacon Lester Mut (St. Margaret's), The Reverend Trish Toburen (St. Luke's), and The Reverend Ralph Howe (Retired)

Four clergy from the Baton Rouge Episcopal Deanery, along with five other clergy from various faiths in the Greater Baton Rouge area, toured the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on July 9, 2024, to witness the deplorable conditions of the outdated buildings. Warden Cathy Fontenot conducted the tour, which was coordinated by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and Jennifer Carwile of Together Baton Rouge.

“I will spend the rest of this year following up with rectors who had a special interest in doing more to see if we can help put some of the pieces together. I will also be looking to help put congregations together who are working in the same area, or where one congregation might be willing to mentor another.”

In other business, Deacons decided to host another “Day on Deacons” later this year for those who are interested in knowing more about the vocational diaconate. During her visits to churches, Bishop Duckworth often gives her chaplain, Deacon Cindy Obier, an opportunity to talk about what a deacon is and does. “A lot of people in the pews still don’t quite understand the role and ministry of a deacon,” Obier said, “but when they do, they want one.”

The PeliDeacon Newsletter

Read the latest news about the EDOLA Deacons

Deacon and Priest Collaborate on Liturgical Practicum to Train Newest Deacon

by Archdeacon Charles deGravelles

Practicum training for deacon candidate Les Mut (left) began in discussion with Father Jay Angerer and Deacon Charles deGravelles at All Saints, River Ridge.

Deacon Charles deGravelles and The Rev. Jay Angerer, rector of All Saints River Ridge,

collaborated over a period of months to develop and test a practicum on the deacon’s role in

liturgy to be used in training those preparing for ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons.

DeGravelles serves as Archdeacon of the diocese and as clergy-in-charge at The Episcopal

Church of the Nativity in Rosedale.

“Father Jay, who teaches in the Iona School for Ministry/A.C. Marble School for Theological

Formation, wanted something he could use in a single session but something that would cover

all aspects of what the deacon does in liturgy,” deGravelles said. “He wanted it very hands-on,

but we also wanted to include some of the theology and history behind what deacons do.”

Angerer, who is also chair of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry, needed to have something

ready to use prior to the ordination of Lester M. Mut, a candidate for the diaconate. “We had a

built-in deadline,” deGravelles said, “and Les was our willing ‘guinea pig.’”

DeGravelles shared insights from his long experience as a deacon. Ordained in 1995, he has

served under four bishops. Deacon Cindy Obier, Chaplain to Bishop Shannon Duckworth, also

joined Angerer, deGravelles and Mut for the April 27 training session at All Saints Church.

Because one of the deacon’s liturgical responsibilities is to assist the Bishop in congregational

worship, Obier was able to share with the others that specialized set of liturgical duties.

Lester Mut learns the proper way to fill an oil stock from Father Jay. The Rev. Cindy Obier shared from her long experience as a deacon.

“Father Jay has an excellent background and a real passion for liturgy,” deGravelles said, “and

he’s a gifted teacher. Our training session was wonderful. We worked a full six hours to get in as

much as we could. As a verger at his church, St. Margaret’s in Baton Rouge, Les was already

very comfortable with the liturgy, but of course, the deacon’s role is unique and challenging to

someone who is just starting to do it.

All of us were at Les’s ordination and were proud at the grace with which he performed his liturgical duties.” Lester Mut was ordained a deacon at St. Margaret’s on June 10, 2024.

DeGravelles added, “Now that we have a practicum, I’m anxious to use it as a foundation for a

liturgical customary for deacons in the diocese so we can have a uniformity of practice among

deacons, wherever we may be serving.”

Father Jay reviews Communion Under Special Circumstances.

Archdeacon Addresses London Priests, Reconnects with Former Confirmation Class Student

by Archdeacon Charles deGravelles

Deacon Charles deGravelles ministers to Death Row inmate Feltus Taylor at Angola Prison, circa 1999.

Archdeacon Charles deGravelles addressed a group of Anglican priests in March of 2024 on his

experiences as a spiritual advisor for a death row inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Delivered via Zoom, deGravelles’ talk reached 27 members of Sion College, an organization which supports the education and fellowship of Church of England clergy in London. DeGravelles also answered questions about the death penalty in the U.S. and his

prison ministry work in Louisiana for over thirty years.

DeGravelles was invited to speak by The Rev. Mae Mouk Christie, vicar of All Saints Church,

Tooting, an Anglican parish in southwest London. Christie, then Mae Mouk, grew up in Baton

Rouge where she and her family were devoted members at Trinity Episcopal Church. “I prepared Mae for confirmation,” deGravelles remembers. “She was a very bright student, and I followed her career over the years.” After earning a degree in Political Science in the U.S., Christie heard a calling to the priesthood, and through a series of events, ended up studying

theology at Cambridge University and being ordained as an Anglican priest in London.”

“Mae was very moved by a sermon I preached at Trinity way back when she was in middle

school,” deGravelles said, “and she never forgot it. The sermon included a discussion of the

death penalty, and years later, when she was asked to find a speaker for her London

colleagues, she called me. Then it was my turn to be moved. That I had made a difference in the life of this bright young woman, now a priest in the Church of England, well, it blew me

away.”

Christie asked deGravelles to recount his relationship with Feltus Taylor, a Baton Rouge man

sentenced to die by lethal injection at Angola prison. “My friendship with Feltus, which lasted

three years and ended with his execution in June of 2000, was one of the most challenging and

powerful experiences of my life. Feltus had a chance to know the LORD, and to receive his love

and forgiveness. As hard as the experience was, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

“There is no death penalty in England or, for that matter, anywhere in Europe,” Christie said, “so my fellow clergy wanted to understand what it was like to minister alongside someone who has been sentenced to death by the government. And how that ministry and experience might ripple out and transform other communities and contexts in pastoral care, discipleship, and church life?”

“And it did have a ripple effect,” deGravelles said. “Many people at my church and across the

diocese became involved in ministering to Feltus Taylor, and in working to abolish the death

penalty.”

“One of the many wonderful mysteries of ministry,” deGravelles concluded, “is that you don’t

always know when you’ve had an impact on someone else’s life. It can be wonderfully gratifying

when, on occasion, you find out.”

Anglican priest, The Rev. Mae Mouk Christie, administers communion under special circumstances in London.

EVENTS AROUND THE DIOCESE

Celebrating 60 Years ~ The Spirit of St. Luke's

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

I hope this letter finds you well and filled with the grace of our Lord. As we continue on our journey of faith and community, I am excited to share with you a special event that embodies both our dedication to our spiritual home and our commitment to its restoration.

On July 8, 1964, the St. Luke’s, Baton Rouge community celebrated and worshiped in the first service of our newly constructed church. As you know, our hearts were broken when the church and fellowship hall burned in the early morning hours of February 17, 2024. While we were originally planning to celebrate our 60th anniversary of St. Luke’s on Goodwood Blvd, we are now celebrating The Spirit of St. Luke’s at a Summer Soiree in July. This event will be a rebuilding fundraiser that promises to be both a delightful time of fellowship and a significant step forward in the rebuilding process. We are committed to rebuilding St. Luke’s so that it remains a beacon of faith for generations to come.

I want to personally invite you and your parish to join the St. Luke’s community for this event. We will have live music by “Downbeat Louisiana” along with delectable food and drinks. The live and silent auctions will feature incredible items donated by our generous church and school community as well as local businesses. Having the support of our greater Episcopal family will surely help make this a memorable night. I humbly ask you to share this event with your congregation and ask for your support in our rebuilding efforts.

Date: July 20, 2024

Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: 8833 Goodwood Blvd. ~ The Foundation of St. Luke’s

The event will be located on the slab of the former church and Pope Hall under “chilled” tents.

Purchasing Tickets and Sponsorships: Event tickets can be purchased online at

bit.ly/StLukesSummerSoiree2024 . We also have sponsorship opportunities listed on the website. Sponsorships come with a variety of perks, including tables, parking, event tickets, and lots of advertising opportunities. Purchase your ticket before July 5 for a special ~early bird~ price.

Volunteer: If you would like to work an hour shift and save $25 off your ticket price, you can sign up at bit.ly/StLukesSummerSoireeVolunteer. After signing up, you’ll get an email with a discount code to use at checkout when purchasing tickets.

For any inquiries or to donate items for the auction, which would be greatly appreciated, please contact our event committee at stlukesbrrecovery@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued dedication and support, and we hope to see you on July 20 at the Summer Soiree!

Yours in Christ,

Bryan Owen

6th Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge

Addiction Recovery Ministry of EDOLA

CO-ED RECOVERY RETREAT

"The journey to recovery is one of faith in our higher power as we learn to surrender in our struggle to let go of our previous defining behaviors. In the end, We embrace joy, the confidence that we live in the presence of unconditional love. The movements of our journey are faith, struggle, and joy."

EDOLA Co-Ed Recovery Retreat will take place August 2-4, 2024 at SECC. Come out if you are seeking education, guidance, support or just wishing to learn more about addiction recovery.

Questions??

Deacon Albert Jay

albertjay3@gmail.com

Women Gather at Solomon Center

What do women want? Connection? Community? Worship? Play? Learning? Exploration? Feeling more alive? All of the above?

To feel closer to God and others, to build community, to play, to learn—all require practice. If we

pursue these things only sporadically, it is hard to build the life we say we want. We are always God’s beloved, but to feel that way requires us to make time for spiritual growth. This series, just for women, will be offered at the Solomon Center on the second Thursday of each month from October to May and will provide many different opportunities and modalities to connect with other women seeking the same things. The Very Rev. Anne Maxwell will kick off the series on Thursday, October 10, and other facilitators will include The Rev. Liz Embler-Beasley, The Rev. Susan Gaumer, The Rev. Annie Knasz Jung, The Very Reverend Anne Maxwell, Debbie Poitevent, LCSW, Martha Tennison, LCSW, and The Rev. Andrea “Ani” Vidrine.

Registration will open soon www.seccla.org.

For more information, please call Lisa Tompkins Holden (504) 296-7234.

Vacation Bible School, to be held Saturday, July 27 from 9 am to 1 pm, will feature Bible stories, games, singing, painting and an obstacle course.

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

DONOR OPPORTUNITY: We are two small but vibrant churches with very limited financial resources. We want to grow our communities and reach a more diverse community. So, if you have any gently used Lift Every Voice and Sing hymnals or Wonder Love and Praise Hymnals or have benefactors that love music and would be willing to purchase a copy or two please let us know. We are Mount Olivet and St. Mark's on the West Bank of New Orleans. Our goal is 30 books for each church. For more information or to make a donation please contact The Very Rev. Bill Terry, Vicar at fr.billterry@gmail.com or text 504-473-0073. Your help will be a blessing.

We are thrilled to invite you to share your news and inspirations for our EDOLA News monthly newsletter. Your contributions are truly valued and welcomed with open arms.

Our newsletter will typically go out on the 3rd Thursday of the month. We must receive information no later than one week prior (2nd Thursday of the month).

We encourage you to share an event or a story you’re excited about, especially those that involve more than one church, address the pain and poverty of the world, spread the Gospel, and/or educate or empower our churches.

For guidelines and submission links, you can visit our page, Submit News Events