Summer Schedule - The Diocesan House hours for July & August will be Monday - Thursday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, closed Fridays. We will also be closed on Tuesday, July 4th.

Resource Center's Open House
Where: Diocesan House Annex
When: Thursday, June 22, 2006 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m
Browse through a variety of curricula for all ages; view videos for youth groups, adult studies and children stories; Learn about Education For Ministry Program - Journey to Adulthood and Godly Play! Teaching teams, Christian Education Director's are all encouarged to attend. Refreshments will be served. For more info call Sue Hurn, Director at 274-4500 ext 247.

A Post General Convention Gathering
Where: The Cathedral of St. John - 271 North Main Street, Providence
When: Tuesday, June 27th at 7pm

"Sabbath-by-the-Sea" for Clergy & Families
Where: Cape Cod
When: October 8th-10th
The Diocesan Counsil Leadership Committtee announces a 3-day retreat on Cape Cod from October 8th - 10th (Columbus Day Weekend) at the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster, Mass. Event is scheduled to help build teamwork and wellness among Diocesan clergy and their families. Members of the Diocesan Council Leadership Committee will be happy to provide additional information: Mr. Ben West (Chair), The Rev. David Ames, the Rev. John Lawrence, the Rev. Daryl Stahl, the Rev. Jennifer Pedrick and the Rev. Bob Anthony.

Dinner Theatre - The Mystery of Montley's Manor
Where: St. Mary's Church, Warwick (Parish Hall) 358 Warwick Neck Avenue
When: June 23rd and June 24th at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $18
Presented by the Saint Mary’s Players. Price includes salad, drinks, main course, dessert and performance.Tickets are available through the Church office (737-6618) or following Sunday Services.

St. David's On the Hill Strawberry Festival
Where: 200 Meshanticut Valley Parkway, Cranston When: 10AM - 4PM
All are invited to a strawberry festival at St. David's featuring strawberry shortcake, clam chowder and clam cakes. A summer family outing with music!

4th of July Interfaith Patriotic Service
Where: St. Michael's Church, 399 Hope St., Bristol
When: Sunday, June 25th at 1:00PM
St. Michael's will host the 221st annual 4th of July Interfaith Patriotic Service. Guest speaker will be William Fasano. All are welcome.

Wickford Art Festival & St. Paul's famous Clam Cakes
Where: St. Paul's Parish Hall, Main Street, Wickford
When: July 7th - 9th
Each year, St. Paul's feeds the crowds at the Wickford Art Festival with "mountains of clam cakes, gallons of chowder, hundreds of lobster rolls, hamburgers and hot dogs." Coffee and muffins are available in the morning, fresh pies available all day long. Stop by for refreshments while enjoying the festival.

Register Now for the Episcopal Marriage Encounter Weekend.
When: November 3-5th
Where: Newport, RI
Website: www.episcopalme.com
More Info: Henry & Mary Champoux 739-4632 Episcopal Marriage Encounter invites you on a journey - a deepening of couple love. The Weekend format is especially designed to allow a husband and wife to pause awhile and focus on each other. Every now and then we all need to examine our lives and directions to determine if we are going where we want to go. An Episcopal Marriage Encounter Weekend offers a couple just such an opportunity.

The Episcopal Church, 30 years after it allowed women to become priests and bishops, has elected a woman as its Presiding Bishop.

Katharine Jefferts Schori, 52, bishop of Nevada, was elected on the fifth ballot June 18 by her colleagues in the House of Bishops from a slate of seven nominees. The House of Deputies confirmed the election the same day, as is required by church law. The election took place during the church’s 75th General Convention, meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

The 26th Presiding Bishop-elect will be the first woman to hold the top post in the church’s nearly 400-year history. Her nineyear term officially begins November 1; she will be invested and seated November 4 during a liturgy at Washington National Cathedral. She will succeed Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold.

An airplane pilot and former oceanographer, Jefferts Schori addressed deputies and visitors who gathered in the Columbus Convention Center in both Spanish and English. She thanked the other nominees and emphasized her passion for mission. She also offered a vision of reconciliation and actualization of the reign of God.

The Presiding Bishop-elect’s vision to lead the church comes out of the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the reign of God and includes such United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as eradicating poverty and hunger.

“The poor are fed, the good news is preached, those who are ostracized and in prison are set free, the blind receive sight,” Jefferts Schori said June 18 during a news conference following her election.

The committee charged with nominating bishops for the position issued a call for nominees in March 2004. It said the church was seeking bishops who are “intensely grounded in the love of Jesus Christ, living out their lives in the Spirit and articulating zeal for the Gospel.”

The Presiding Bishop is the key leader in articulating the vision and mission of the church, and assessing its work, as well as advocates for social justice in this country and in the world. The Presiding Bishop “will lead us into the reality of a multicultural church,” the committee said.

As our chief pastor, the Presiding Bishop is our chief preacher and liturgical leader, and oversees the pastoral care and spiritual wellness of bishops.

The Presiding Bishop is a leader in the Anglican Communion and in this role takes the title of Primate, from the Latin for leader. The Primate works to improve the human condition and works toward the reconciliation of all persons as we live out the Gospel.

"So Dee, how was General Convention?" Even though I have only been home for two days I've run into many people who have all asked me this question. In entering into conversations with various people, I have been able to begin to digest everything that I experience in the week that I was at General Convention.

To think that I went to Eucharist; handed out fliers; talked about the Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation campaign; walked around with a sandwich board on; promoted the U2charist; testified at the Program Budget and Finance hearing; talked about the Milenium Development Goals; went out to dinner with a crew from RI; went to an evening hearing; a concert; and the to hang out with more Rhode Islanders is a lot to take in - especially considering I did all that in one day!

General Convention is a unique experience that is very difficult to explain in few words, but I'm going to try. Everything I did at convention can pretty much be broken down into three categories: legislative; social; and worship. So I will try to talk about my experiences based off of these three groups...

[Episcopal News Service] The clock is ticking. General Convention ends June 21, 6 p.m., at the latest. So what happens to legislation that has not made its way through both houses by the deadline?

The simple answer: resolutions which have not been considered by both houses will, effectively, be dead. Gregory Straub, secretary of General Convention, says that there is always some legislation the houses do not have time to consider. This Convention will be no exception.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Each month, the Church of the Epiphany food pantry distributes free groceries and toiletries, no questions asked, to over 40 families living in South Providence - a neighborhood that is among the poorest in the state. At Epiphany, food is distributed at the end of the month, a time when monthly food stamps or pay checks have often been used up and families have few resources to meet their basic needs.

We rely on support from our own congregation, as well as from other churches and organizations, to keep the food pantry running. Donations of food and money are equally welcome. Can you help us?

We are sespecially interested in partnering with churches that commit to a regular schedule of collecting food for us - monthly or seasonally. We're looking for simple, non-perishable items: tuna, beans, rice, cereal, pasta, canned fruites and vegetables and toiletries.

All donations of money are directly used for purchases at the RI Food Bank, which helps us maintain a consistent, balanced supply of staple items. We are budgeting about $100 dollars per month for this - about $2.50 per family - and would greatly appreciate a regular source of such funds.

This is a need that does not go away, a need that we cannot afford to ignore. Any help your church can give will make a difference.

Sincerely,
Sara Langseth, Epiphany Food Pantry
401-941-5059
Email Contact: Carol Lewis CLewisMD@aol.com