Today in the Diocese of Long Island 
 
Friday, December 2, 2011

During this Advent season as we celebrate the new relationship between God and his people, may that be mirrored in our renewed relationships with spouses, children, family and those near and dear to us. May we speak tenderly to each other amidst all the rush of the season and transform the shopping days till Christmas into the true Advent of Christ.


Casely Essamuah

From dailychristianquote.com

In This Issue

 

Bishop MacLean and Hucles Homes to be Sold  

 

A Request for Parish Updates 

 

United Thank Offering

Rebuild Our Church

Bishop's Visitation Schedule

Dominion  January Deadline 

 

 

Diocese at Work
 


Learn about the health plan changes that will begin in a year and how these will affect clergy, lay employees, and parishes.  Click
to see the presentation made at diocesan Convention this year. 
Quick Links 
 
 

 



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Bishop Hucles and Bishop MacLean Nursing Homes to be Sold Text of Press Release

Episcopal Health Services of the Diocese of Long Island has announced its intention to sell both the Bishop Henry B. Hucles and the Bishop Charles Waldo MacLean Episcopal Nursing Homes.  The Hucles home is located on Herkimer Street, Brooklyn.  The MacLean home is located in Far Rockaway.  Both are facilities of Episcopal Health Services of the Diocese of Long Island.

 

The costs involved in providing excellent nursing facility care have grown to the point at which attempting to sustain ownership of the facilities would either compromise care in the nursing homes, or affect the ability of Episcopal Health Services to continue to provide exceptional medical care at Saint John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York.  Either of these outcomes has been judged untenable.

 

Ultimately a choice became necessary between maintaining services at the nursing homes and maintaining a primary care facility at St. John's Episcopal Hospital.   This decision has been made in order to help assure that high quality and attentive skilled nursing care for the community will continue, and to support the on-going employment of our nurses and other staff.  The goal of this sale is the continued existence of both the Hucles and MacLean homes, the provision of caring nursing care to present and future residents, and continued employment to those who work at the two homes.

 

The Right Reverend Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of the Diocese of Long Island, said of the decision: "The Diocese of Long Island has labored since 1851 to assure that medical services are accessible to the people of our area.  Circumstances change, sometimes beyond our control, but we remain steadfast in our desire to see such care provided.  This decision has been difficult.  The decision to seek new ownership has been taken in order to seek continued care for the residents at Bishops Hucles and MacLean homes, and continued employment to the men and women who work there with dedication.  I want to take this opportunity to thank all who have worked throughout the years to make these facilities true homes for their residents, and for all who will work now at Episcopal Health Services to assure the smoothest possible transition for all."

   
Please feel welcome! 
Upcoming events around the diocese
 
Advent Wreath There are an enormous number of events throughout this Advent season in the diocese.  You can find word on them here and on our website.  Read more . . . 
Join the Advent Conspiracy . . .
Do.
 
[Advent Conspiracy] Enter the Story 2011
[Advent Conspiracy] Enter the Story 2011
 
Medical Trust Open Enrollment
Closes soon 
 
address
A Request for Parish Updates
Online Directory of Parishes 

 

St Stephen's Church, Jamaica NY
St Stephen's Church, Jamaica
It would be much appreciated if parish staffs would visit their parish page on the diocesan website to ascertain if the information there is up-to-date, correct, and current.  Just click here and navigate to your parish listing.  This information may be some of the first seen by persons wishing to find a church.  What they read may lead them to your door. 
 
Note that the categories of information offered on these listings is pre-determined.  We want to make sure it is valid and doing your parish the most good.

Hearty thanks to the over thirty parishes who have examined their listings over the past week. 
 
Please email any necessary corrections to communication@dioceseli.org. 

Thank you!
United Thank Offering Applications Available
For 2012 Episcopal Church Grants: Diocesan Deadline December 9
UTO

 

The application process for the 2011 United Thank Offering grants is now open with forms available here.  Known worldwide as UTO, the United Thank Offering grants are awarded for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally within Anglican provinces, dioceses, and companion dioceses. Read more . . . 

Rebuild Our Church in Haiti
Assistance to the Diocese of Haiti   

Together with dioceses across the church, we in Long Island are working to rebuild the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Port-au-Prince and to repair churches, schools, and clinics damaged or destroyed in the devastating earthquake of January 2010.  Though other places and peoples have suffered major disasters in the ensuing months, the people of Haiti continue to need our active assistance in recovering from those few minutes of loss.

Visit  the Diocese of Long Island Rebuild Our Church page to find resources helpful to parish clergy, staffs, and interested parishioners in raising funds for this purpose.  Each parish should have received a packet of information in the US mail during the week following Convention 2011.  Your support will be deeply appreciated.  Funds for Haiti will be gathered on World Mission Sunday, 2012.

Please view and share the video on rebuilding the church in Haiti:
Rebuilding Holy Trinity Cathedral Port-au-Prince Haiti
Rebuilding Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port-au-Prince

Bishop's Visitation Schedule
For December

 

Bishop Provenzano preaches




Dec 4 Church of the Ascension, Brooklyn


Dec 11 St. Thomas of Canterbury


Dec 18 All Saints, Long Island City

 

 

The Dominion
News of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island 
 
Dominion Icon

Read the latest edition of The Dominion here.

News and/or photos for the January 2012 issue of The Dominion are due by Wednesday, December 7 to Editor@dioceseli.org.  Thank you! 
 
Word from the
Communication Ministry of the Diocese

Let us know how we're doing 

 

Here are a few points to keep in mind when you need something communicated to the diocese:
  • The Communication Ministry email is: Communication@dioceseli.org. 
  • Website updates are made each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning.
  • The deadline for proposed articles/photos for The Dominion is on the 7th of each month.  Photos should be digital, taken at the highest setting on the camera.  A photographer's name should be included for attribution.  Photos should be emailed separately and not embedded with text.  The name of an author should be included with each article/announcement. 
  • As space is limited in The Dominion, some announcements from parish life may be posted on the diocesan website and/or Facebook instead, at the editor's discretion.
  • The Dominion is not published in July and August.
  • Deadline for material proposed for inclusion in the bi-weekly online newsletter Today in the Diocese of Long Island falls every other Tuesday. During Advent the online newsletter is published weekly. 
  • To access a Communication Request Form allowing you to easily provide information/news to be shared with the diocese online or in print, simply click on this link: KeepInTouch 
  • Questions? Phone to 516.248.4800, ext 47 or 50



Dominion/Episcopal Journal Subscription Information

To subscribe to the diocesan monthly, The Dominion, or to solve subscription problems, please call AFL customer service directly at 1-800-374-9510 or email to
.
Medical Trust Open Enrollment (con't) 
 
article2completeThis is the only period during which current Medical Trust participants may change plans and all church employees, working twenty (20) or more hours per week, may enroll without medical underwriting.  All pre-existing conditions are covered and no medical statement is required.  
For further information, visit our website at Health Benefits or contact Nancy Signore at nancy@dioceseli.org or at 516.248.4800, extension 11.
 
UTOUTO Thank Offering (con't)

 

Applications are due to the national office by January 15, 2012.  Applications from the Diocese of Long Island should be received at Bishop Provenzano's office by December 9, 2011. Grants will be approved in July 2012 at Triennium at General Convention. Funds for approved grants will be available starting August 2012 for a one-year grant period.

UTO information and contact info are available here. 
Complete instructions, application forms, and additional info are available here.

 

Information important for applying for the grants:
- one application may be submitted by each diocese of the Episcopal Church, with diocesan bishop approval;
- one application may be submitted by a U.S. diocese of the Episcopal Church on behalf of an overseas Companion Diocese (the Companion relationship may be formal or informal), with approval by both diocesan bishops;
- one application may be submitted by invited provinces of the Anglican Communion, with approval by the Archbishop or Primate or Provincial Secretary and, if applicable, the diocesan bishop.

 

For more information email utoapps@episcopalchurch.org  or call the UTO Office at 800/334-7626, ext. 5130 or ext. 6022. Paper copies of the application are not accepted. If there is a problem accessing the Internet for the online application, please contact the UTO office.

Please address any technical UTO questions to the UTO office as listed above.

 

If you are seeking help in "writing" your application, there is a grant writer available for consultation.  Contact Deacon Lorraine Cusick at Episcopal Charities 516.248.4800, extension 20 for further information in utilizing this service.

 

All completed applications for UTO grants must be submitted to Bishop Provenzano's office no later than December 9, 2011.


Please feel welcome! (con't)

 

 
 Upcoming1 

 

 

Episcopal Charities Grant Application Workshop, December 3

There will be a workshop, for Episcopal Charities grants that will be held at

Dec. 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Mercer School of Theology.   Details are available here.     

 

The First Annual Christmas/Gospel Concert at Church of the Holy Apostles, Brooklyn.   

For information, click here.

  

Evensong In Celebration of the Advent Season at Ascension, Rockville Centre  

For information, click here. 

 

St. Paul's Church, Flatbush, Celebrates 175 Years of Life and Service

Learn more here. 

 

An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols at Christ Church, Cobble Hill 

More information can be found here. 

   

Tree Lighting and Caroling at St Andrew's, Mastic Beach

To learn more, click here.

 
A Dramatic Reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at Christ Church, Cobble Hill

Meet the first spirit here

 
Lessons & Carols at St Ann's, Sayville
In celebration of the season! 

  

Access many other parish and diocesan events during this busy season on the Diocese of Long Island homepage under Coming Soon.

New and upcoming events are also featured daily on the diocese's Facebook page and on Twitter.