Important Calendar Dates
Northern Deanery Clericus June 12, 11 a.m., St. Anne's, Stockton Diocesan Convention Planning Meeting June 16, 11 a.m., St. Paul's, Modesto Standing Committee Meeting June 16, 1 p.m., St. Paul's, Modesto Northern Deanery Meeting July 28, 11 a.m., St. Matthew's, San Andreas Diocesan Altar Guild Central Regional Gathering June 23, 11 a.m., Hanford Family Camping at Camp San Joaquin July 19 to 22 77th General Convention July 5-12, Indianapolis Ministry Retreat August 31 to September 2 at ECCO Annual Convention October 26-27, St. Paul's, Modesto |
News from ...
Around the San Joaquin Diocese...
 |
St. Paul's, Modesto is ready for Flag Day with a brand new set of flags, courtesy David and Linda Lowe
|
Come enjoy the 'magic' at Camp San Joaquin July 19 to 22 Everyone in the diocese is invited to attend Camp San Joaquin, which will be magically transformed into the "Hogwarts School of Magic" as Professor Minerva McGonall (aka Bishop Nedi Rivera) helps explore the magical world of Harry Potter in a beautiful setting. Activities will include a sorting ceremony (complete with sorting hat!), wand making, potions lessons, transfiguration class, and many more exciting adventures all while discovering why LOVE is truly the GREATEST MAGIC that exists.Camp begins with registration at 3 pm, Thursday, July 19 and closes with Eucharist on Sunday, July 22. Registration and additional information is available on the web site.
St. Paul's, Modesto, to host July 23-27 Vacation Bible School Jonah and the whale will be the focus of the vacation bible school hosted by St. Paul's Church in Modesto, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, July 23-27. The program will include music and movement and move on to art, crafts, a bible lesson, snack and play. All are welcome. For more information contact Danielle Verges at 209-577-0625 or Stephanie Gilmer ( mzgilmer@att.net). Christ the King, Riverbank is hosting a Christian Music concert, dinner Save the date: Christ the King Church in Riverbank is hosting a a Christian music concert and dinner on Saturday, Aug. 25. Tickets are limited because of space.
Book Mark Prayer Reminder available for Haiti The Haiti/San Joaquin Friendship Task Force is distributing bookmarks, imprinted with contact information for the Foyer Notre Dame and a daily prayer, for $1.00 each. Proceeds will be used to print additional bookmarks and to support our friends in Haiti. Each congregation is asked to appoint a person to receive and distribute bookmarks for Haiti and to forward funds raised to the diocesan Haiti fund. Please send the name and contact information to the Task Force. jweber@diosanjoaquin.org.
Save the Date: San Joaquin Diocesan Convention October 26-27, 2012 Planning is underway for our annual diocesan convention, planned for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27. It's an opportunity to gather for fellowship, learning, worshipping together, and for conducting the important business of our diocese. Sister Mary Margaret, SSM, from the Diocese of Haiti will be a featured guest. There will be many opportunities to meet and talk with her about life in Haiti, our friendship with the diocese and about the role of the Episcopal Church in Haiti. Other presentations will include reports from: our General Convention Deputation; Chancellor Michael Glass, and from our diocesan youth. Please plan to attend! Fall Eduction for Ministry seminars are forming Education for Ministry (EfM) is a four-year theological education program of the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Participants commit one year at a time to meet regularly in seminars led by trained mentors. During the four years, participants study Scripture, church history and theology, while learning to engage in theological reflection. Participants learn how to think theologically, deepening their faith and understanding of our Christian heritage. Ongoing seminars are located in Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, and Bakersfield. Contact the Rev. Michele Racusin, diocesan EfM coordinator for more information about Fall seminars. mracusin@diosanjoaquin.org Winter rates available at ECCO ECCO, the conference center in Oakhurst, is offering "Extreme Winter" rates from December 2012 through February 2013. It is only $89 per person, double occupancy for 2 nights and 5 meals. ECCO is fully accessible in the winter time. This is a great rate for those congregations thinking about Vestry retreats at the beginning of the year. Contact Sadie at 559-683-8162 or at ecco@sti.net. ECCO is only 20 minutes from Yosemite. More information can be found at www.ECCOyosemite.org. You must book by October 1, 2012 to get this rate. Around the Episcopal Church ... For other news visit the Episcopal News Service at: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/ The Anglican Communion at http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news |
Bishop Talton's Calendar
June 12 Northern Deanary Clericus St. Anne's Stockton June 16 Convention Planning Meeting, Modesto June 16 Standing Committee Meeting, Modesto June 23 Diocesan Altar Guild Central Regional Gathering, 11 a.m., Hanford June 24 Visitation, St. Francis, Turlock
July 6-11
77th General Convention Indianapolis, Indiana
Canon Cullinane's Calendar
June 12
Northern Deanary Clericus St. Anne's Stockton June 16 Convention Planning Meeting, Modesto
June 16
Standing Committee Meeting, Modesto
June 17
St. Francis, Turlock
June 19
Central Deanery Clericus
Holy Family, Fresno
June 23
Diocesan Altar Guild Central Regional Gathering
Church of the Saviour, Hanford
July 6-11
77th General Convention
Indianapolis, Indiana
|
|
 |
Canon Kate Cullinane
|
From Canon Kate
Easter was glorious, but it seems long ago now. As I write this we are about to celebrate Pentecost Sunday and Trinity Sunday. There seem to be lots of church year celebrations associated with springtime. After Trinity Sunday we enter what some call "the long green season." It's called the long green season since the liturgical color from Trinity Sunday up until Advent (other than feast days) is green. It used to be called the Sundays after Trinity. We now call it the Sundays after Pentecost. The Roman Catholics call it "ordinary time." All of these names all refer to the same thing...the long green season. The green season from Trinity to Advent is the longest season of our liturgical year. We are now also in the midst of spring. This is a time when new seedlings appear above the ground, but it is also a time when perennial plants come back to life. I love perennials. Not only are they less work, they also remind me of the resurrection. Each year they come back to life in the spring reminding us all that life begins again. In the midst of an ordinary year, new life comes back. I sort of like the term "ordinary time" in reference to this season. I believe that it reminds us that most of life is lived in the ordinary. Sure, there are good times, sad times, difficult times and even glorious times. But most of life is lived in the ordinary. I believe that the season of ordinary time reminds us that God is found in the ordinary. God is found in ordinary bread and ordinary wine. God is found in the day-to-day and the everyday. Let us continue to rejoice in the everyday and in the ordinary since it is in the day-to-day that God is most often found. May God's blessings be on all of you during this long green season. Canon Kate |
|
'Notre voyage à Haiti'
Par le Rev. Paul Colbert
While our diocesan trip to Haiti coincided with the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Oge Beauvoir as the first bishop suffragan of Haiti, this visit also reconnected me with my past
 |
the Rt. Rev. Oge Beauvoir
|
work as an engineer, specializing in water, sanitation, and public health in developing countries.
I first visited Montrouis, Haiti in 1980, and can see a great deal of improvement and change since then. There appears to be a general improvement in the availability of water supplies in rural areas, though access to more than the most basic health clinics is still quite limited. Cell phones and the Internet have made considerable difference to the overall life in the country, though this leads to a disconnect between the types of technologies available.
(Haiti has been struggling to develop in general, but a couple of hurricanes in the last decade, along with the massive earthquake in January 2010, have kept a lot of the country in survival mode, with some signs of growth and development. Many varieties of government, United Nations, non-governmental organizations, and church groups are all contributing to relief and development efforts. Even though more coordination of efforts would be helpful in many locations, there is so much need that some of the duplication of effort is helpful.)
Schools are on the front line of tools for development, and the Episcopal Church sponsors
 |
Students at St. Simeon Church and School, Croix-des-Bouquets Photo by Serena Beeks, Diocese of L.A.
|
250 schools throughout the country, fewer than the Roman Catholic Church, but more than the government-run schools. Many of these are K-12 schools, though with a requirement to pass government exams every three years, the number of graduates from 12th grade is far less than the numbers which began.
We visited three school locations, as well as seeing the school at Holy Trinity Cathedral, which is situated next to the rubble of the church itself. The Cathedral School has over a thousand students enrolled. The school in the village of Cange in Haiti's central plateau, is well established and furnished as part of a large mission complex of buildings that includes the church, a medical clinic, the school, and several cottage industries.
The school at St. Etienne (located in a rural, extremely mountainous area known as Buteua
 |
Flag ceremony and morning prayers are a daily routine Photo by Serena Beeks, Diocese of L.A.
|
about 45 miles from the capital city Port-au-Prince), was holding classes in part of the new church building (under construction), because a couple of the school buildings were damaged in the earthquake.
St. Symeon's church school is well established, but there is new construction to add a kitchen and dining area, along with guest facilities for short-term missionary and relief workers who pass through.
(Many parish churches have stations or missions under their charge. Some are quite remote, while others are closer to Port-au-Prince. Distances are usually measured in travel time, rather than miles. That travel time may be by vehicle, or mule, or on foot, or a combination. Many of the missions might have an open-air structure where church or school is held. The churches also try to provide assistance in the villages with basic health and sanitation needs, when able. Especially with the recent cholera epidemic, many churches have partnered with outside groups to provide safe drinking water supplies. This helps with community health, and provides a little additional income for the congregation to offset some of the costs.)
 |
Photo by Serena Banks, Diocese of L.A.
|
The town of Mirebalais is located about 30 miles north of Port-au-Prince, but is in a very
rural area. Despite the rural nature of the area, the population density is typical of the 900 people per square mile that exists in Haiti (the central valley is typically around 100 people per square mile). Currently there is a clinic staffed by six doctors and 12 nurses for about 180,000 people. Thus, prior to the earthquake, the planning of a teaching hospital was a major improvement to the region. The hospital is in the final stages of construction right now, and should open later this year. The layout and operations were designed based on best medical practices in other developing countries, focusing on the health needs and cultural aspects of those using the facility. Construction standards have included earthquake and wind design codes from the US to reduce damage in the future from earthquakes and hurricanes. The hospital is designed with solar panels to meet the electrical needs during the day.
The primary focus of the teaching hospital has been maternal and child health, since few mothers in the region have any prenatal care at all. A neo-natal intensive care unit is also being provided. There is an emergency room and operating theatre, along with treatment rooms for routine clinic visits. The primary diseases seen at present are gastrointestinal problems, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The clinic intends to expand and assist with other medical situations, including a dental clinic, cancer screening, and mental health.
Long-term projects continue in Haiti, such as the Foyer Notre Dame, run by the Sisters of St. Margaret. The Foyer is in transition, since one of the buildings was destroyed, and, having removed the rubble, they are laying a foundation for the new building. Many places are building new projects, even while others are tearing down old buildings and replacing them. A new cathedral is still in planning stages, determining just what is needed to meet the physical needs for worship space, along with the cultural needs to make it a cathedral of the people.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral (also in ruins) had been built along European lines with European art and statues. The Anglican Cathedral incorporated the art and decorations of the Haitian people and became a center of culture within the country. Like our presence at the consecration of Bishop Ogé, the cathedral is a symbol of the larger church and its relationship with a church and country that need support.
There is no doubt that much rubble has been cleared away and that new growth is present. Amid the remaining rubble and trash of everyday life, it is easy to overlook what has been done. It is sometimes hard to tell what still needs to be dismantled, what is rebuilding, and what are the new projects. That confusion provides a metaphor for life in Haiti (and perhaps for us as well) - What is being taken apart, what is being rebuilt, and what is new?
--The Rev. Paul Colbert is area missioner for Madera County, serving at St. Raphael's, Oakhurst and Holy Trinity, Madera
|
St. John's Tulare Preschool bolsters community
Church still planning new addition to church building
By Pat McCaughan
A change of building plans helped St. John's Episcopal Church realize the congregation's dream of starting a preschool and bringing new life to its Tulare community.
With some creative visioning, the church remodeled--rather than demolished as initially planned-an office building into the St. John's Children's Learning Center, which opened last August.
The center is approaching its first anniversary with an enrollment of 20 children and the enthusiastic support of parents like Jennifer Harlan, whose 5-year-old Sabrina has been a student since the doors opened.
"We love the atmosphere, it's a safe place for our children to go," said Harlan, a Visalia resident who works in Tulare.
"They're not treated as students, they're treated as part of the family and they know they're loved by Jenna and Fr. Rob. I know Sabrina is more than just a student. This is family.
"We have truly been blessed by having her go to St. John's Children's Learning Center. Emotionally, socially, academically, spiritually Sabrina has grown in multiple ways because of the environment and who she is exposed to," Harlan said.
Most of the children are from the neighboring community, according to Jenna Saldivar, 32, a St. John's parishioner and the center director.
"A lot of housing development has gone up around the church," prompting the congregation to consider starting the preschool, said Saldivar, who said she grew up with some of the mothers of her students.
"They were looking for a way to create a quality child care program with good moral values," Saldivar said. "We started the program with a whole-child curriculum, creating opportunities for each child to succeed."
Judy Wilds, St. John's senior warden, served on the vestry that decided to create the preschool.
"So many people in the community were telling us that the need was so great," Wilds recalled during a recent telephone interview.
|
Eyeglasses for Haiti
 |
Faye Chaote (St. Matthew's) , Stephanie Gilmer (St. Paul's) and Edd Endicott (St. Paul's) packing the eyeglasses for the trip to Haiti
|
Many, many people throughout the diocese have been collecting eyeglasses to share with the people in Haiti. Sr. Marie Margaret of the Sisters of St. Margaret in Haiti had informed our diocesan Haiti Task Force of the need for used eyeglasses which could be fitted and re-used by people in Haiti. The Haiti Task Force publicized the need for the eyeglasses, and the response from throughout the diocese was overwhelming.
Over even hundred and seven (725) pairs of glasses were recently packed to accompany Bishop Talton and other members of the diocese as they flew to Haiti to attend the consecration of the new Bishop Suffragan in Haiti. Three additional suitcases were needed to hold all of the eyeglasses. Luckily, American Airlines allows one free checked bag for each passenger to an international destination.
It is amazing what opticians and ophthalmologists can do with limited equipment. With an assortment of gradated lenses they will be able to fit the patient to the appropriate pair of glasses. The eyeglasses will be able to be re-fitted and matched with people in Haiti who otherwise would have no access to vision correction. The Haiti Task Force is pleased that so many people from throughout the diocese were able to participate in this outreach project to assist those with so much need.
|
Sauls to Keynote Ministry Conference
 |
the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls
|
The Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, chief operating officer of the Episcopal Church will keynote the annual diocesan Celebration of Ministry Conference, August 30 through September 1 at ECCO.
Bishop Sauls will share views about the future of the church.
As Chief Operating Officer, he oversees the staff of the Episcopal Church in New York City as well as Washington D.C. and other satellite offices. Sauls also coordinates the work of the Church's mission program, communications, finance and administration duties while assisting the Presiding Bishop in her role as Chief Executive Officer.
Before coming to work with the Presiding Bishop in September of 2011 Sauls was the sixth Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky. He also has worked as a corporate lawyer and is a member of the State Bar in Georgia, the District of Columbia Bar, and the Ecclesiastical Law Society (United Kingdom).
At the Celebration of Ministry Conference we will be celebrating our ministry successes and introducing exciting new opportunities in mission. The events will include presentations from Kairos prison ministry, and workshops on spiritual development, Facebook and other topics.
Registration information will be forthcoming, watch for news in the Friday Reflection.
|
|
People
Marion Austin, Stan Boone, Sandy and Jerry DeGraff, Susan Hall (St Anne's, Lodi), Richard Jennings, Nancy Key and Lynette Zelezny were honored on Pentecost Sunday during a festal Eucharist at Holy Family, Fresno, officiated by Bishop Chet Talton. They are the first EFM graduating class in the diocese!
Gail Bernthal has further discerned her call toward priesthood and Bishop Talton has now made her a postulant for Holy Orders.
The Rev. Harold Clinehens has announced his retirement after 33 years of ordained ministry. His last Sunday at St. John's in Lodi will be August 12.
The Rev. Stanley Collins, assisting at Christ the King, Riverbank, has been elected the new President of the Northern Deanery.
Doris Fernandez is retiring after seven years as the Soup Kitchen Manager at Church of the Saviour in Hanford. Bennie Herrell is the new Soup Kitchen Manager. The Soup Kitchen in Hanford serves an average of 237 meals per day, six days per week.
Gregg Glenn of Grace, Bakersfield has been elected the new President of the Southern Deanery.
Nancy Key has been made a postulant for Holy Orders by Bishop Talton following her discernment meeting with the Commission on Ministry. Nancy is discerning a call to the diaconate.
Juanita Weber of St. Anne's in Stockton has been elected the new Vice-President of the Northern Deanery.
An interview with the Rev. Carolyn Woodall is featured in "Voices of Witness: Out of the Box", a ground-breaking documentary about the witness of transgender Episcopalians courageously telling their stories of hope, healing and wholeness. The 26-minute film is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzCANWGsEdc and will also be distributed by DVD to every bishop and deputy prior to the 77th General Convention July 5-12 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. It will also be screened during General Convention A study guide written by the Reverend Gary Hall is also in progress.
|
Letter to the Editor:
The May 2012 ECCO Women's Retreat: An Altar in our Midst
 |
Rev Karin White, Deacon Carolyn Woodall, Deacon Susan Reeve preparing for celebration of Eucharist on Saturday morning at the outdoor altar
|
God had called us and we came ... 23 Episcopal lay and clergy women of the Diocese of San Joaquin. We came to the pines and peace of Oakhurst to discover and feel God's presence amongst us, within us, around us.
It would have been enough to walk in mild, clean air with an echo of winter crispness, the sun on our faces, beside the still pond reflecting clear blue, deep green, and the snowy white elegance of swans. It would have been enough to watch the geese, skimming the surface while gliding in for a landing. Or the antics of ducks turning tail-feathers up to feed on a shallow bottom. Or to watch the fish, suspended and hovering in the lazy spring sun. But God, in his Grace, filled us with so much more.
In a blessed blend of solitude and community, we opened our hearts and discovered God in compassionate, creative, wondrous glory....everywhere:
. . . in the white crown of a solitary bald eagle perched high in the pines on Friday morning;
. . . in the convergent rendezvous of swans, ducks, and geese across the water to meet up with our walking meditation around the pond in the afternoon;
. . . in the changing, uneven ground which called us to pay attention beneath our unshod feet as we made an evening labyrinth pilgrimage together in silence;
. . . in the black and white dog who shared Saturday chapel with us and followed our Rogation Day procession;
. . . in our women's voices--soft or clear or strong or melodic--as we offered poetry, blessings and prayers, and read from Barbara Brown Taylor aloud;
. . . as we chanted blessings upon the earth, as we walked or sang old campfire songs and show tunes by a bonfire;
. . . in our tears, laughter, listening, and deep sharing of sorrows, fears, hopes, and decisions about family, church, ministries, friends, and self;
. . . in our breath as we moved our bodies through yoga meditation;
. . . in our donations for Haiti as we picked up "free" books donated from someone else's overrun library;
. . . in images we cut from magazines which told our story in collage, the discoveries from which we shared with each other like excited schoolchildren;
. . . in the invincible, earthen sculpture of four women seated around a candle flame;
. . . in our worship, our rest, our reflective time alone on a bench or a rock, in the wisdom of writers and poets and saints and sisters in faith.
Everywhere, God's wonder, grace, and energy trumping despair, disappointment, and the discomfort and uncertainty of the "in-between", that state of being between old and new.
Now, several weeks later, we have received the letters we wrote to ourselves with messages from our deep, wise hearts. We pull out our journals and folders, and run our hands over the collaged images. We remember what it was to feel a little more connected, lighter, braver, more open to God's voice in what is before us. We say YES to Spirit and offer a prayer of thanks.
With special gratitude to the Rev. Kathie Galicia for organizing the retreat, the Rev. Karin White for the concept and her leadership to help us find for ourselves what the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor found in An Altar in the World, to the ECCO staff, and to the 23 women who gave themselves to the experience. Also contributing to retreat activity leadership were Rev Lyn Morlan, Juanita Weber, Linsey White Krolik, and Carol Bower Foote.
For the women reading this article, please consider joining us in 2013.
Submitted by,
Carol Bower Foote, St John's, Lodi
|
Episcopal Life San Joaquin is a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin,
1528 Oakdale Rd., Modesto, CA 95355 Phone: 209-576-0104; Fax: 209-576-0114
Edited by Pat McCaughan
revpatmccaughan@aol.com
Be a part of Episcopal Life San Joaquin! Please send your stories, photos,
information, letters, or announcements by the 5th day of each month for
inclusion in the following month's edition of Episcopal Life San Joaquin. Our
mailing address is: Editor, Episcopal Life San Joaquin, 1528 Oakdale Rd., Modesto,
CA 95355, or email: contact@diosanjoaquin.org
|
|
|