Nearly three weeks after as many tornadoes wreaked havoc through the western and central parts of Massachusetts, relief work is underway and capacity is increasing in the Springfield area to accept donations and volunteer assistance.

"We now have several avenues available to us in assisting our brothers and sisters that were affected" by the June 1 tornadoes, the Rev. Michael Hamilton said.  Hamilton, a deacon who serves as the coordinator for disaster preparedness and relief in the Diocese of Massachusetts, is collecting information in collaboration with his counterpart in the affected Diocese of Western Massachusetts, as well as with the local FEMA representative.  Read more here.

Did you know?
The Diocese of Massachusetts is one of 30-some dioceses targeted by Episcopal Relief and Development for participation in the first phase of its U.S. Disaster Preparedness Initiative.  The initiative provides training to help dioceses improve their preparation for a disaster, and ERD is building a "Ready to Serve" database of responders that Hamilton encourages Episcopalians in Massachusetts to join if they have expertise to share.  He would also like to hear from anyone interested in joining a diocesan planning and relief team.  Contact him at mhamilton@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 353.

Bible story time:  The Rev. Rebecca Black with (from left) Kip, Tess, Bella and Valerie at the first Rhythms of Grace Service in May (PHOTO:  Maggie Geller)

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The services take place on the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Epiphany Parish (62 Front Street) in Walpole.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley (left) joined other local church leaders at a welcoming reception for Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (center), hosted by Bishop Tom Shaw (right), Bishop Bud Cederholm and Bishop Gayle Harris.  (PHOTO:  Tracy J. Sukraw)

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori joined 560 Episcopalians in the Diocese of Massachusetts on June 7 to celebrate the work of Episcopal City Mission, encouraging them in her keynote address to both pray and "work like hell" for a world where no one goes hungry, illness is answered with healing and all are free to live in peace.

"We live in hope for a world redeemed into that reality and we work at transformation because we are a very long way indeed from seeing it come to fruition," she said.

Bishop Barbara C. Harris, retired bishop suffragan of Massachusetts, presented Jefferts Schori with ECM's Barbara C. Harris Award for Social Justice.  Also honored were Allan Rodgers of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester for his advocacy on behalf of low-income families, and Bill Haynsworth of All Saints Parish in Brookline for his work to promote affordable housing and his service as ECM board chairman.

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Three North Shore churches share summer worship & fellowship:  Calvary Church in Danvers, Grace Church in Salem and St. Paul's Church in Peabody will embark on what they're calling "A Perfect Gift of Partnership"--a shared worship initiative beginning on Sunday, June 19, and running through Sept. 4.

Each congregation will hold services in its own building for a designated four of the 12 weeks; during the other weeks, parishioners will attend services at one of the other churches:  June 19-July 10 at St. Paul's Church in Peabody; July 17-Aug. 7 at Calvary Church in Danvers; and Aug. 14-Sept. 4 at Grace Church in Salem.  All services will be at 9 a.m., and carpooling from each parish is being organized.

"This summer, we are excited to have the opportunity and gift of exploring new and vital ways to get to know our neighboring congregations and discover ways in which we can work more closely with each other in the future," Calvary's rector, the Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas, explained in a prepared release.

The churches note that since summer attendance is traditionally lower than the rest of the year, shared worship offers spiritual, fellowship and financial benefits to each.

The partners also will offer special shared summer programs, including an after-church barbecue at St. Paul's Church in Peabody on June 26 and a family game night at Calvary Church in Danvers on Saturday, July 16, 5-7 p.m. 

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Sexton Tom Walker takes Trinity's new lean, green mowing machine for a spin. (Courtesy photo)

Lean, 'green' mowing machine:  That's how the Rev. Jane Bearden of Trinity Church in Haverhill describes her church's brand new push mower:  "Now admittedly the need to cut back on the cost of grounds upkeep was the starting point, but we think our solution is a possible model for other parishes," Bearden reports via e-mail.  "We needed a 'do-it-yourself' model for our lawn.  We considered a regular mower, but we had no safe place to store the gasoline and oil.  Then we considered an electric model, but the thought of mowing over the cord did not seem to be a winner.  And so we decided to go 'retro.'  It is cheap and does nary a thing to hurt the environment.  Sexton and longtime parishioner Tom Walker says it is easy and good exercise."  Tom was out mowing, so we'll have to take her word for it.

Parachute games were part of the fun at Grace Church's "Let's Move, Medford!" (Courtesy photo)

Speaking of exercise:  Grace Church in Medford got its community up and moving on June 5 with "Let's Move, Medford!"--a fun and fitness day at Hormel Stadium attended by an estimated 500 people.  Children and adults enjoyed a variety of physical activities, from zumba, karate and yoga to races and field games.  More than 30 community organizations, including Medford Family Network, Medford Health Matters, the Medford Boys and Girls Club, Medford Farmers Market and others, participated to help inform families about strategies for healthy living.

"We hope this has the effect of building community," one of the organizers, Stephen Trever, said in this June 1 boston.com "Your Town" post. "If we can get people to spend some time together, with their families or their neighbors, it's good for everyone." 

(Courtesy photo)

Celebrating 300 years in Newburyport:  Bishop Tom Shaw on June 5 joined about 120 members of St. Paul's Church in Newburyport for a special 300th anniversary service at the Belleville Cemetery--the original site of Queen Anne's Chapel and one of the first Episcopal parishes founded in Massachusetts.  The event was part of a yearlong celebration remembering prior generations of Newburyport-area citizens who built the chapel in 1711, and later, St. Paul's Church.  This particular service paid special attention to the youngest members of St. Paul's Church. Learn more about the history of St. Paul's Church and the congregation's current capital campaign to restore St. Anna's Chapel, built in 1863, at www.StPauls-Nbpt.org.

Read the story in the June 7 Newburyport Daily News here.

Bishop Tom Shaw, Nicholas Hayes and fellow Episcopalians make their way down Boylston Street during the Pride Parade. (PHOTO:  Tracy J. Sukraw)

Pride on parade:  Bishop Tom Shaw joined Episcopalians marching in Boston's Pride Parade on June 11. "I do this every year that I can," he told a reporter. "Episcopalians who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender contribute so much to the life of our diocese, and it's important for me to be here to celebrate with them."  See more photos.  Read the June 13 Bay Windows story and this letter in the June 16 Boston Globe. 

Workday volunteers split logs for summer campfires. (Courtesy photo)

Camp is summer ready:  The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center is grateful to the 20 volunteers and staff members who pitched in at the annual clean-up on May 14, spending the day on projects around the camp, including log splitting, painting and preparing trails.  The summer camp season runs June 26-Aug. 6, and though some sessions are filled, there are still spaces available.  Go to www.bchcenter.org for registration information.  There is also still need for clergy chaplains to serve the week of July 31-Aug. 5.  Contact the Rev. Kit Lonergan at klonergan@diomass.org for details.  

In transition:

A new interim executive director is being sought for the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center following the resignation of Kelsey Young, who has served in that capacity since November and is leaving to take a new job in New Jersey, effective June 24.  Read more and find the job description here.  Interim camp director Matt Lindeman is in place to oversee summer camp operations as the season gets underway.

Phillips Brooks Society co-heads Will Stockwell and Joanna Choe (Courtesy photo)

Brooks School students support children in Haiti:  The student-run Phillips Brooks Society, a charitable chapel group at Brooks School in North Andover, recently donated $3,500 to the Haiti Micah Project. The students raised the money through a series of campus events this past year.  The project, founded by the Rev. Joseph Constant, who was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusetts, provides the street children of Mirebalais, Haiti, with food, clean water, health care, education vocational training and emotional support.

Storm of a different sort:  The day after tornadoes did their damage in western Massachusetts, Sarah Palin's stop-by at Old North Church in Boston stirred up a tempest in Paul Revere's tankard, causing the Rev. Stephen Ayres, Vicar, to step in and try to set things straight in this Episcopal Cafe essay.

"Transforming Churches, Changing the World":  Ecclesia Ministries' common cathedral is featured in this five-part video series produced by the Episcopal Church.  And, Ecclesia and The Crossing at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston are featured in this June 14 Episcopal News Service story on "mission-shaped cathedrals."

Rector installed in Peabody:  St. Paul's Church in Peabody recently celebrated the installation of the Rev. Joyce Caggiano as rector.  Read about it in this June 11 PeabodyPatch post.

Congratulations, Marie Wilson, Mary Glasspool and Edward Chase:  Episcopal Divinity School awarded three honorary degrees at its May commencement.  Read Episcopal News Service's June 10 report here.

Quincy fair on the air:  The Rev. Eric Hillegas and parishioner Evie Shore were interviewed about St. Chrysostom's Church and its spring fair on Quincy Access Television's June 7 "AM Quincy" podcast.

A garden grows in Watertown:  As a new community garden was about to open in Watertown, the Rev. Amy McCreath of the Church of the Good Shepherd interviewed the Rev. Louise Forrest about gardening as a spiritual practice in this June 6 WatertownPatch blog post.  The new community garden is the result of partnerships developed through Life Together intern Isabelle Jenkins's Hope in Action team campaign.

Building potential:  Diocese of Massachusetts congregational support coordinator Steve Pierce shares local experience in this June 6 Episcopal News Service story on the work of the Episcopal Church Building Fund.

$409,660 and counting:  Bishop Tom Shaw helped Grace Church in Medford kick off the public phase of its $625,000 capital campaign, toward which $409,660 has already been raised, the Medford Transcript reported on June 3.

Pet lovers welcome:  The Perfect Paws Pet Ministry at Calvary Church in Danvers was featured in this May 30 Boston Globe story on the occasion of its first anniversary. 

Manuals, stops & sounds:  Bishop Gayle E. Harris joined St. Paul's Church in Lynnfield for the dedication of its new Rodgers organ, covered in this May 26 LynnfieldPatch post.