Diocesan community remembers

Lois Murphey 

Lois Murphey

The diocesan community mourns the loss of friend and colleague Lois Murphey, who died on Feb. 25. 

She served for five years as Bishop Bud Cederholm's administrative assistant before being named in 2006 as the administrator of Diocesan Convention and Council.  Her work had far-ranging reach as she supported, guided and connected the canonical, administrative and deliberative processes of the church with the people and groups responsible for carrying them out.  She will be remembered and missed especially for her dedication and high standard of professionalism, her no-nonsense ways and astute humor, and for the respect, personal kindnesses and companionship she extended to so many.  Her obituary is available here.

Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE writes to the diocesan community:  "On behalf of the diocesan staff I want to thank all of you across the diocese for your expressions of sympathy and support at the death of our dear friend and colleague Lois Murphey.  We were all especially touched by those who gathered for Lois's funeral at the monastery [on Feb. 29] to hear the reflections of her friends and family and Canon Mally Lloyd's sermon, which so beautifully captured Lois and Christ's victory over death.  It was a sad but triumphant day which the Eucharist with the brothers of SSJE so wonderfully expressed.  This is a hard time for us on the staff and the support of all of you has meant a great deal to us."

Donations in her name may be made to the Society of St. John the Evangelist, 980 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Midway through Lent's many days

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Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world:  Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.                               

Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, The Book of Common Prayer

Visit the "Jesus Our Brother" online art exhibit from Episcopal Church and Visual Arts (ECVA), reflect on a daily word of wisdom from the brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist and check in on the 2012 Ecumenical Carbon Fast (today's tip makes a connection between climate change and weather-related disasters).  All the links are collected here.

SHOW time in Lowell:  An additional Sustainable Houses of Worship (SHOW) workshop has been added to the schedule on March 24 at St. Anne's Church in Lowell, for congregations applying for Green Improvement Grants (applications due April 22) and anyone interested in learning more about energy efficiency at church.  Read more about the grant application process here and register for the March 24 workshop here. 

"Something beautiful": It started in the summer of 2008 when a busload of incoming fifth-grade girls from Esperanza Academy in Lawrence arrived at St. Peter's Church-on-the-Canal in Buzzards Bay for a visit.  The church's Mary and Marthas Women's Group (the M&M's) took them for a picnic and seaside walk--a first for many of the girls--and sent them home with mementos and M&M's candy.  They've been visiting one another every year since, with the M&M's making school visits, knitting hats and scarves for the girls in their yellow and purple school colors and remembering their birthdays and other holidays, and the girls trekking down to Buzzards Bay for town tours, afternoon board games and story sharing at coffee hour.  One year there was even a sleepover in the church. 

This year, on Jan. 24, three of the M&M's made the trip to Esperanza with belated Christmas gifts in hand.  "As our girls are now 14 and not 10, we thought gift cards to a local store was appropriate," they report.  "Each and every one has become a wonderful young lady.  It has been a wonderful ministry.  Looking back today on July 22, 2008, no one would ever say that this relationship would go as it did. There was a bonding from day one and it just grew into something beautiful."  The girls graduate from Esperanza as eighth graders in June, and the M&M's plan to be there.

Congratulations, "I Am Lynn":  "I Am Lynn," a film made in 2010 as a youth project by Oasis Film Institute at St. Stephen's Church in Lynn, finished fourth out of 30 entries in the Salem Youth Film Festival, where the top 10 films were shown.  The filmmakers (pictured) were honored at a showing at Salem Cinema on March 1.  Clergy and delegates got a chance to see the film and meet the filmmakers at Diocesan Convention in 2010 when it was hosted that year by St. Stephen's Church.