Sanctuary cross
GOOD NEWS!    
A Newsletter of St. Paul's Church, Concord, NH
"A place to belong . . . Whoever you are . . . Just as you are."
June 2011
In This Issue
June Calendar Highlights
Milestones
Shorts
Clergy Corner
Ministries and Missions
Poll of the Month
Topics in the News
Formation
Photo Feature
From the Vestry
Youth Happenings
Personal Reflections
History and Artifacts
June Calendar Highlights  

 

2 - Ascension Day services at 12:10 and 5:30 PM.
 
6 - Men's Just Supper at 6:00 PM.
 
12 - Our 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist will take place at Rollins Park and will be followed by our Parish Picnic.  If it's raining, everything will take place at church!
 
14 - Forever Young, 11:30 AM at the Franklin Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane.  All active seniors are invited to enjoy lunch, a presentation and a tour.
 
14 - Bishop Search & Nomination Committee Forum Discussion, 7 PM  An important step in finding our next Bishop is to create a diocesan profile for prospective candidates to read.  Input for that profile will be gathered from parishes throughout the State in June, at six locations including this one at St. Paul's.  Everyone is encouraged to come to the Forum and share your hopes and visions for the future.     

19 - Regional Confirmation, 3 PM, at Grace Church, Manchester.  St. Paul's has five candidates taking part.  Come and support them!
 
19 - Sunday Night Alive would normally take place on this day but is not happening during the summer months.

21 - Parish Potluck at 5:30 PM, followed by our Vestry Meeting at 6:30 PM.  

See entire calendar  
 
For details of these and other parish events, check the weekly
Milestones 
the tortoise and the hare 
Memorial Services
 
Doris Waterhouse, May 4
Lauren Bradley, May 21
Ronald Moran, May 21
Jeanine Taylor, May 25 

   

Shorts 

Kate Atkinson and Steve Baker are on the Search and Nomination Committee for the new bishop; Barb Wanner is on the Election and Transition Committee. 

Persis Gow, a longstanding volunteer in St. Paul's Food Pantry, is equally generous with her time in other volunteering capacities.  She has just received the Make-A-Difference-Donor award, presented by The Council on Fundraising to recognize "donors whose unique, over-and-above contributions of time, talent or treasure have made a transformational difference to a nonprofit in New Hampshire ." Persis was nominated for the award by George Theriault, President and CEO of the NH Association for the Blind.

  

The St. Paul's Black Flies softball team begins its season on June 20.  Games are played Monday nights.
Quick Links...
Come Worship With Us

Sundays:                          

8:00 AM This celebration of  Holy Eucharist is quiet and reflective. Occasional music, but no choir.

10:00 AM This is a traditional service of  Holy Eucharist. Music includes traditional and contemporary hymns and choir anthems. All ages welcome.

 

Tuesdays and Thursdays:  12:10 PM  Holy Eucharist in the chapel.

 
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
21 Centre Street
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: 603-224-2523
Fax: 603-224-
2524
[email protected]
            Clergy and Staff
Rev. Kate B. Atkinson,
Rector
Rev. Herb Sprouse,
Assistant Priest
Rev. Darrell Huddleston,
Priest Associate
Rev. Charles Edward LeClerc, BSG,
Deacon
Rev. Will Ottery,
Deacon
Mark Pace,
Director of Music
Kristin Dunklee,
Parish Administrator
Sarah Nyhan,
Minister for Families, Youth and Children
Kellie Denoncourt,
Minister to High School Youth
Andrew Brundrett,
Sexton

Join Our Mailing List
Are you ready for summer?   We certainly are!  And now that everything is in full bloom, you can help Good News! continue to bloom as well, by sending in your own news for inclusion in our "Shorts" column.  Let's all make this Newsletter a vehicle for parish-wide information sharing.  Email us at [email protected] 

Clergy Corner

Kate
by Rev. Kate Atkinson
  

 

Dear friends,

 

In last month's issue of GOOD NEWS!, we read Jeanine Taylor's beautiful account of her journey of faith, and her reflections on the process of dying.  Jeanie's life in this world ended on May 18. A week later, the church was full of her family and friends, celebrating her life and remembering the many ways in which our own lives were touched and enriched by hers.

 

The same day that Jeanie died, Michael and Sarah Miller's daughter, Susannah, was born, reminding us that although life is full of losses and sorrows, these are invariably balanced by gifts and joys.  There are endings and there are beginnings, and God is with us throughout them all.

 

Over the decades, our parish has experienced its own set of endings and new beginnings.  Like every other faith community, we have experienced the ebb and flow of parishioners and clergy, of changes in liturgy and music, of new edicts handed down by the National Church or the Anglican Communion.  We have had our share of unique endings and beginnings too -- most dramatically in the form of the fire that destroyed our building, and the faith and hard work that brought about its restoration!

 

Today, as a result of the continued faith and commitment of our vestry and parishioners, we are on the brink of some more new beginnings.  You can read about the developments with our Mutual Ministry Review below, and I hope that you are as excited as I am about the hope and optimism that undergird the four resolutions we have adopted -- as well as the enthusiastic response to the task forces we are creating to bring them to fruition.

 

Jeanie loved St. Paul's, and she was reassured by the knowledge that her fellow parishioners would continue to sustain the life, the ministry, and the growth of this very special place.

 

Baby Susannah, her four older brothers, and all the other children who are a part of St. Paul's now or will be in the future -- they are the reason why the life, the ministry, and the growth of this parish are so important. 

 

The circle of life continues. God's love is unchanging and eternal.

 

Yours faithfully,   

 

Kate+

[email protected]  

Ministries and Mission

                                  by  Inge Eddy 

 

Friendly KitchenThe Friendly Kitchen is the welcome destination for those in our community seeking meals and fellowship, which are provided by volunteer teams and individuals from area churches, the synagogue and other groups called and committed to serve.  St.Paul's has this opportunity the third Wednesday of each month. Our leader, pre-school teacher Katy Clough (who was married at St.Paul's), plans most of the dinners, and - assisted by her husband - undertakes the shopping and meal preparation. This ministry, as cook and Friendly Kitchen board member, is her gift to the Concord community and to St.Paul's Church, in honor of her late Mother, Martha Abbot Comstock, an active leader and parishioner.

 

On "our" Wednesday the jolly church team arrives to set up and prepare to serve the waiting guests, who gather eagerly before dinner. The St. Paul's team organizes dessert choices, establishes a rhythm for efficient serving, and readies the meal.  By 5 pm an orderly queue of men, women, and families with children, forms at the serving window.  For the volunteers, greeting and connecting with each dinner guest is a quietly powerful and humbling privilege. It is a true communion!

 

A lively murmur of voices reigns during meal time. Following second helpings and distribution of "take away" snack bags, or special holiday treats, the supper gathering is concluded and 60-70 hungry folks have been fed!  The evening ends with words of thanks - from children, adults and, on one memorable occasion, a guest who graced us with her own gift, a powerful song of thanksgiving. Tomorrow will mean more meals for guests, more fellowship, and more opportunities to serve.  

 

This important ministry in Concord has been shaken, but not broken, by the recent fire at the Montgomery Street facility. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is hosting the program of welcome and feeding and will continue to do so until the original building is rebuilt or replaced.  We at St. Paul's remember the loss, pain and interruption of brought about by our own devastating fire in 1984. We also know the strength that can come from such hardship, and that determination and faith will bring about better days, and fresh opportunities.

 

The Friendly Kitchen is St. Paul's Mission of the Month for June.  I urge you to be as generous as you can be with your support. Because of limited storage space, the Friendly Kitchen cannot accept donations of food, but financial gifts would be gratefully received.  Simply make your check payable to "The Friendly Kitchen" and place it in the offering plate at a Sunday service or drop it off at the church office.  Alternatively, you can make an online donation at www.thefriendlykitchen.org

 

This ministry, and those whom we serve, deserve our continued support, and all of our best efforts! 

   Poll of the Month

Last month's poll question was:  "Which aspect of Sunday services do you enjoy most?"  Here are the results:

 

Hymns/music                        60%

Scripture readings                  2% 

Sermons                               10% 

Passing the Peace                  2% 

Receiving the Eucharist          25% 

 

This month's poll question is: "Which topic do you most prefer hearing from the pulpit?"

 
Applying Scripture to our life today
Stewardship
Biblical/historical contexts
Personal anecdotes/experiences
All-age talks
 
 To vote, click here   
Topics in the News    

                                                        by John Bouton 

John Bouton            Democratic Impulses and Christianity
                   Come into Conflict in Africa

 

Hearing about democratic uprisings in countries ruled by strongmen, one can't help but be heartened by the triumph of the human spirit. As one considers events in Tunisia, Egypt, and even in Libya, there is reason to be hopeful that the anti-modern, anti-Western extremism that Osama Bin Laden fomented may be losing their appeal for young people in the Muslim world. In recent decades Christianity has enjoyed growth in Africa unparalleled in any other part of the world. As recurring events in Egypt show, however, tolerance has its limits, as Coptic Christians find themselves under attack.

            Twice during the month of May, Coptic Christians found themselves facing gunfire and Molotov cocktails. In the first incident, a mob attacked a church where neighbors believed that a young woman interested in converting to Islam was being held against her will. The church was burned to the ground. Claiming that Egyptian police and armed forces routinely fail to protect their churches, Copts staged a protest on May 15th in front of the state-owned television station. In the ensuing melee, more than 65 were sent to the hospital. Egyptian media put the death count at 15 for the month of May, with two churches burned, according to the New York Times. The Independent of London reports that another church burning occurred as Copts sought to open one of the 53 churches built in Egypt but forbidden to open by the Interior Ministry.

            Additional reports of discrimination against Christians in Africa have surfaced in recent months. During the last week of May a Christian news service reported that an Algerian man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for blasphemy. He had been discussing Christianity with a neighbor. His sentence follows the Algerian government's order on May 22nd to close seven Protestant churches in the country.

           PBS reports that attacks against Coptic Christians are increasing in the post-Mubarak era. Mark, author of the oldest Gospel, brought Christianity to Egypt in the first century A.D., and Coptic Christians now make up 10% of the Egyptian population. Citing the example of the massacred Coptic Christians, the editorial board of the Christian Science Monitor observed, "The Arab Spring is unlikely to finally blossom in Syria, Libya, Yemen, or elsewhere if its one big success, Egypt, fails to deliver on promises of democracy and justice."   

Formation: The Mutual Ministry Review      

                by Terry Irwin, Valerie Blake, Casper Kranenburg, Kate Atkinson, Herb Sprouse                     

Terry IrwinOn Sunday, May 22, nearly 100 members of the parish gathered for a Mutual Ministry Review lunch and presentation.  As I said at the time, the whole event was a gift from the Vestry: Much work went into creating our resolutions; vestry members were responsible for set-up and clean-up; each vestry person brought a loaf of bread, and two of us baked cupcakes.

 

92 people participated in the Mutual Ministry Review. There were many common themes.  Overwhelmingly parishioners are positive about the music program, outreach and the youth and children's programs. Most parishioners appreciate Kate and Herb's work and preaching.  We are a strong church.  We are also a community, and there were criticisms in these areas as well.  All opinions were heard and learned from.

 

Four dominant themes did emerge and we focused these into four resolutions, each with specific goals to be accomplished within three years. The resolutions were presented by four individuals as follows:

 

Valerie Blake on "Finances: reducing our deficit and promoting responsible stewardship"

 

Valerie BlakeNot surprisingly many of you have grave concerns with the financial status of St. Paul's. I don't blame you, you should. In our compilation of comments that concern appeared frequently.

 

A few years ago, the Vestry made the choice to continue to support our ministries during the transition. This resulted in a deficit budget. It was not easy, but the ministries are what help to define St. Paul's and it was important to the Vestry to continue that important work during the search process for our parishioners and our outreach communities.

 

But today is a new day, and those days of doubt and uncertainty are behind us. Pledge units are up as are total pledge dollars. There is a new vitality we are all feeling. Just look at how many of you are here today, engaged in this conversation and willing to help.

 

At the Annual Meeting in January, SPY launched the Ten Talents Challenge, giving parishioners the opportunity to grow a $10 investment. A market sprouted in the parish hall, jams, jellies, barbeque sauce, candle-holders, fudge and yard-work, were sold and over $7,400 was raised. Amazing! But in addition to the monies raised, our community grew stronger. This is what we can do together when we think a little out of the box.

 

At the retreat, the Vestry committed to reducing the deficit by 50% in 2012 balancing the budget in 2013. At first glance, that seems daunting - increasing pledges by $67,000 or reducing expenses by $67,000. But a combination of the two is not unachievable. The group that volunteers to tackle this will think creatively, model projects after SPY's Ten Talents and work with Stewardship to seek new revenue streams not yet considered.

 

The Holy Spirit moves us all in mysterious ways, with the help and love of our faith in God and Jesus Christ, we will achieve our goal.

 

Casper Kranenburg on "What's behind the Red Doors?  Attracting new members."

 

KasperOne of the strategies discussed at our recent Vestry Retreat is how to encourage people to 'Find out what is behind the Red Doors'. The tasks we have set are:

 

a 5% increase in Average Sunday Attendance by March 2012

a 10 % increase in Average Sunday Attendance by March 2013

a 15 % increase in Average Sunday Attendance by March 2014

 

We will create a comprehensive strategy to make St. Paul's a known presence and spoken of in the Concord community and we will have a plan or proposal to expand our Ministry to Main Street. When these strategies have been completed successfully, we are looking at an increase of 45 new members of St. Paul's.

 

So, how do we start? By forming a task force to work diligently on these resolutions; one small step can be accomplished very soon in coordination with Main Street Concord to occupy and beautify one of the empty storefront windows along Main Street with posters, pictures and an invitation to 'Find out what is behind the Red Doors' of St. Paul's Church on Centre Street. Another project will be the participation in Concord's Market Days held mid-July where we provide a shady spot with tables and chairs and serve cold water in our easily accessible Park Street yard as well as offering a spot for mothers with babies to change diapers in a cool air-conditioned surrounding. Beautiful music will be heard when you open the Red Doors and all are invited inside to feel our hospitality.

 

In addition, we will adopt a campaign called 'Come and See' as developed by our Diocese and freely available to us. It basically is a campaign where each one of us (yes, YOU too !!) will be asked to invite a neighbor, friend, friend of a friend, co-worker or family member to join you on a given Sunday to St. Pauls to "Come and See" and be welcomed by us. This is a campaign with proven success in neighboring parishes and something we can start soon to accomplish our goals as outlined. We hope you will join us!

 

Kate Atkinson on "Love and be loved: Building a sense of belonging"

 

KateMany people responded to our Mutual Ministry Review by saying how much they appreciated the warm welcome they received when they first arrived at St. Paul's.  Michael, Georgia and I certainly agree with that sentiment!

 

The Ministry of Hospitality has been extremely active and effective over the past few years, as we have welcomed many new members into our parish.  That initial welcome is vital, of course, but equally important is the continued process of incorporating our parishioners into the life of the parish, helping them to feel at home, and assuring them that they are beloved and valued members of our parish community.

 

For large parishes like St. Paul's, the best way of building a sense of belonging is through small group ministry.  There are many small groups at St. Paul's: the Altar Guild, the choirs, spiritual formation groups such as EfM and Via Media, our youth and children's groups and the people who lead them, our front desk volunteers, those who serve in the Food Pantry and thrift shop; the list goes on and on!  Our goal for the "Love and Be Loved" resolution is that everyone at St. Paul's who wants to be in a small group, will have that opportunity.  Parishioners who sign up for this task force will be involved in expanding our Ministry of Hospitality, and in creating new small groups with an even wider range of appeal

 

It is essential to foster an environment where people feel at home and involved, and St. Paul's certainly is a fun and comfortable place to be.  But that is only the first step.  Parishioners who are loved and supported by their parish family are better equipped to reach beyond the walls of the parish and minister to others.  That is what truly marks us as a lively and effective parish.

 

One thing that all of our members can do is to make the effort to attend services every week.  We have around 600 regularly-attending members and yet our average Sunday attendance is around 300.  There are so many choices of things to do on a Sunday morning but if you make a point of starting your Sunday at St. Paul's, you - and your fellow parishioners - will be fed, inspired, strengthened and invigorated.  You will feel a genuine sense of belonging, of being loved, and you will be better equipped to share that love with others.

 

Herb Sprouse on "Shared Responsibility: working together for our St. Paul's Community"

 

Herb

It may be hard to imagine that the words "responsibility" and "joy" can fit in the same sentence, but that's just where we find ourselves in this vision of St. Paul's' future.  The overall title of the vestry's working document is St. Paul's: An Intentional Community of Faith and it signifies a new understanding of our desire to be intentional about all aspects of the life of our church that emerges from the Mutual Ministry Review process.

We acknowledge that everything we do here at St. Paul's flows from our interconnectedness and our interdependence.  This is as it should be, of course, as it arises directly from our common understanding of church as the Body of Christ.  Each of us has our special role to play, and our church cannot flourish without any one of us.

 

One of our next tasks will be to develop a simple and clear statement of this new image of ourselves and our future - a statement that joins both joy and responsibility.  We've all just lived through a brilliant demonstration of how this works in practice (led by our youth, no less) in the way that our 10 Talents projects joined an understanding of our mutual responsibilities to the parish with the joy of contributing those special talents and abilities that we each love to employ.  And just as we will be intentional about each of the areas already described above (our finances and our desires to attract new members and to feed the spiritual hungers of all our members) so, too, will we be intentional about incorporating every member into Christ's Body here at St. Paul's.  We will do that in several ways.

 

First, we are dedicated to becoming a discerning community that enables our parishioners to identify those gifts they bring to our common life, and to use them to the greater glory of God in our life together.  Second, we will create new structures of leadership at St. Paul's that will support all of our ministries, in recognition that we can do our best work when we are well coordinated and informed, and working toward common goals.  A good example of this type of approach that is already in place is our Ministry of Presence, which brings together everyone engaged in our care giving ministries for consultation, training and spiritual support.

 

We will also work to improve our ability to identify, call and prepare lay leaders in all areas.  Finally, we will begin an annual retreat event that will serve to energize our ministries and support their coordination overall.

 

So, "joy" and "responsibility" in the same sentence at St. Paul's?  AMEN!

 

 **********************************************************************  

You now know the important goals for St Paul's for at least the next three years.  Following a question and answer session, and some closing words from Kate, our Mutual Ministry Review lunch concluded with vestry members collecting sign-ups in each of the four areas described above. 

 

If you were unable to be at the lunch and would like to be involved in making one or more of these resolutions a reality, please call the church office or send an email to [email protected] with "MMR ministries" in the subject line.

 

Photo feature:
Mutual Ministry Review Lunch
    

                                                                             

On May 22, Ordway Hall was the site of a well-attended luncheon presentation by the Vestry to discuss the Mutual Ministry Review, described above.  Thanks to Kathy Bush for these photos, as well as those in the column above.

 

tables
tables
tables
tables
From the Vestry 
                              by Tamar Roberts                                
April Vestry Minutes
Vestry     

 

All but two of the Vestry members were present for the monthly meeting on April 19.  We had guests at the meeting to review financial issues with us. 

 

Our first two guests were Peter Brankman and Marilyn Chandler of Peter C. Brankman & Company, P.C. who presented the draft report for the audit of our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2009.  Because of the length of time since the previous audit, this one has taken a lot of time and considerable effort by both the auditors and Kristin and Valerie.  The auditors also discussed the management letter, and the Vestry followed up the presentation with a discussion on the merits of having audits more often.

 

Following the auditors, we listened to a presentation from Finance Committee member, Dave Cawley on the work of the Finance Committee to document as far as possible, all of the past gifts to St. Paul's that are part of our endowments, and to come up with a method of permanently recognizing all gifts.  There were several decisions that the Finance Committee needs to have from the Vestry in order to proceed with this work.  At this meeting, the Vestry approved the use of a memorial book and plaque system to recognize gifts, both past and future.

 

Valerie then presented the Financial Report and announced that the SPY had given out $10 bills to 51 parishioners as part of the Ten Talents Challenge and had gotten back $7,400 with more expected.  The Vestry expressed its gratitude for, and pride in, our youth.

 

Casper asked all of the Vestry members to be thinking of individuals who might be asked to participate in the task forces being formed in response to the Mutual Ministry Review.

 

Davis encouraged members to volunteer with the youth as it is a very rewarding ministry, and Kristin asked all members to consider taking a shift on the front desk for a firsthand view of all that goes on at our church during the week.  Kristin also announced the retirement of Deb Little from the front desk and expressed gratitude for Deb's long service.

 

Kate reported that all of the Diocesan Search Committee meetings will be held at St. Paul's and that the election of the new bishop is to take place in May of 2012.  She also noted that Katie Solter has been engaged as an Associate at St. Andrew's in Hopkinton, and that Linda Spinella had agreed to chair the Seder supper group.  Herb discussed all of the services to be held during Holy Week, and reported that he is beginning a doctoral program at Episcopal Divinty School.

 

Casper gave a review of the function of the Executive Committee and announced that Vestry meetings will begin at 6:30 instead of 7:00 from now on, with a goal of finishing by 8:30.  The

planned MMR lunch presentations were discussed, and Terry accepted the designation of Chair of the MMR lunch committee, with several other vestry members volunteering to assist. 

 

There was discussion about posting announcements and notices in the Centre Point for other volunteer activities that parishioners are involved in.  This was opened by a request from a parishioner to "advertise" for donated items to help with a local charity endeavor.  It was decided to stay with the policy of allowing other notices to be posted on the community bulletin board, and keeping the Centre Point for church activities as there is already a lot of content for Centre Point. 

 

The meeting ended at 9:20 PM. 


Casper Kranenburg, Senior Warden                                                Lee Waples, Junior Warden

Youth Happenings 
                              by Kellie Denoncourt                                
S.P.Y. Dinner and HOLE-Y Golf Extravaganza
    

 

Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark - a tricky hole.

(Get it?  HOLE-Y?)  If you missed it, you missed playing a challenging round of mini-golf of Biblical proportions, literally.  

 

Our course was created by us, the youth group, based on stories we chose from the Bible. We had Noah's Ark, Garden of Gesthemane, The Serpent, Chariots of Fire, The Red Sea, The March of the Magi, and Jonah and the Whale (or BIG FISH, since there seems to be a lot of debate over that!).  We also served a great chicken kebab dinner and dessert had to be won at the Bible Cake walk... which seemed to be a very popular game to play!

 

The biggest part of the evening was the Auction. We had SO many items this year, so thank you to all of those who contributed. Lots of great deals were had! Lots of money was raised!  We raised enough money to buy two of the plane tickets to Jamaica for the 6 SPY members who are going in July. We also promised to donate 10% of what we raised that evening to the rebuilding efforts of the Friendly Kitchen.

 

As always, thank you for your support of the missions of S.P.Y. (St. Paul's Youth Group).

 

Personal Reflections 

                                                       by Donna Lannan

Healing Hands for Haiti Mission

Donna Lannan

Shortly after the Jan 2010 earthquake, I joined the Boston Healing Hands for Haiti team of 18 medical volunteers. In 16 years as a physical therapist, I had seen many lives changed in an instant by an accident or medical event.  But I was not prepared for Haiti.  

We arrived to unimaginable devastation and poverty in Port au Prince: building collapses, piles of rubble and trash, homeless people in tent cities everywhere, emaciated dogs roaming the streets.  The initial sights were both scary and sad, but I knew I would be serving God, and remained calm and steadfast in trusting God's guidance and protection.

At Healing Hands' walled and guarded headquarters in Port au Prince, we were assigned to remote hospitals, since most capital city hospitals were demolished.  My group went to St Boniface Hospital in the Fond des Blancs region, a 4-hour journey on barely passable roads, through rubble, street markets, tent cities and across 3 rivers.  We arrived on Easter Sunday and attended Mass celebrated, in Creole, with many of the hospital staff and patients. I realized right away that this would be a special experience.

Patients arrived by foot, motorcycle, donkey or helicopter, including 20 spinal cord injured patients transferred from the SS Comfort ship and Medishare tent hospitals.  Most were under the age of 25, and some were alone, unsure of their families' whereabouts.  Despite suffering such devastation they remained grateful and positive.  With very little information about the patients, few interpreters, and limited time and resources, I prayed for guidance to provide what was most essential for patients, families and staff.  We did our best to provide some shred of hope for a return to normalcy.  Their stories were distressing, but we tried to focus on the positive. I left St Boniface feeling good about our teamwork, and proud to be a member of Boston Healing Hands.

Back in the USA, our team advocated for more equipment for St Boniface; by September, all patients had received special wheelchairs and many received custom braces.  A full-time physical therapist was hired.  Haiti was moving forward despite the cholera outbreak, poverty and political riots.

In March 2011, several of us returned to St Boniface.  The hospital was growing, with funding to build a facility for the spinal cord patients, a rehabilitation room and new staff.  Many of the patients I had come to know had returned to their villages, with follow-up by weekly phone calls and monthly medical and rehab appointments.  Reports of their progress were inspiring.  Several patients who I felt would not survive were gaining strength and independence.  A few were still quite sad and lost, with no family left.  New spinal cord patients included a 16-year-old girl, who was left without care in a facility in Dominican Republic  , a young man severely injured when a trunk fell on him, and a happy 50-year-old woman who charmed and fed the stray dogs on hospital grounds. 

Our team provided training for hospital staff, and wheelchair/brace repair work.  Strategies for continued care were discussed.  We brought donated equipment, ensuring that St. Boniface would be able to address many on-going needs of its special patient population.  The staff had done an amazing job in dealing with the special challenges presented by the earthquake; both patients and staff were thriving. Our team left Haiti once again feeling good about the hospital and patient care. 

In answering God's call to Haiti, I made a leap of faith that would strengthen my belief forever. It was an honor and privilege to serve in this capacity.  Haiti will continue to need our support and prayers for many years to come, and I hope to return and work in rehabilitation for the disabled. I'm listening!

History and Artifacts
                                               by Frank Spinella
Red Doors

 

       Eight pews back on the east wall of St. Paul's Church, you will find a Presidential Seal and a small plaque commemorating where Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, used to sit.   

 

       By all accounts, Pierce was a man of faith, although he did not settle on a particular denomination until late in life.  On religious grounds he chose "to affirm" rather than "to swear" the executive oath of office - the only President to make that constitutionally permissible choice.  Pierce's close friend and college classmate Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote of him: "Whether in sorrow or success he has learned, on his own behalf, the good lesson, that religious faith is the most valuable and most sacred of human possessions; but with this sense, there has come no narrowness or illiberality, but a wide sympathy for the modes of Christian worship and a reverence for religious belief, as a matter between the Deity and man's soul, and with which no other has a right to  interfere." 

 

       After a lackluster Presidency marked by support for the southern states' right to maintain the institution of slavery, Pierce returned to Concord.  Despite the toll on his personal popularity, he maintained his anti-abolishionist views during the Civil War, denouncing Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as an interference with states' rights and the right of private property.  While his wife was alive, they attended the South Congregational Church in Concord, but after Mrs. Pierce died in 1863, Pierce eventually became a communicant at St. Paul's, and was baptized here in 1865.  Michael F. Holt, in his series on The American Presidents (2010), claims that Pierce ultimately chose the Episcopal faith "because the denomination's ministers, unlike Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists, had refused to denounce slavery from their pulpits."  Regardless of what was preached, Pierce's unpopular views on the issue affected his reception by his fellow parishioners, and the man who had run successfully for President of the United States was defeated in his run for the Vestry of St. Paul's Church.   

 

       Pierce died on October 8, 1869.  His obituary in the New York Times read: "Ex-President Pierce died at 4:40 o'clock this morning.  His disease was chronic inflammation of the stomach, attended with dropsical effusion of the abdomen.  The funeral has been fixed to take place on Monday noon, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of which he was a member, Rev. Dr. Eames.  Should the attendance be very large, it will be held in the State House adjoining."  It wasn't.  And 45 years more would pass before the Legislature finally authorized his statue to be erected on the State House lawn, an occasion marked by a dedication speech from Judge Edgar Aldrich, who proclaimed: "We must not be too swift in becoming the dictators or the arbiters of the thoughts and the principles of others. We ought and must accord to them the right to hold their own responsibilities and to be the keepers of their own consciences in respect to their duties to their country and to their God."

 

� St. Paul's Church, 2011. Next Newsletter: July 1; deadline for submissions: June 27.  Please do not reprint text or graphics without permission.