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1-23-2015
1-30-2015
"Missional" Relection from St. Nicholas, Atwater
During the last seven years, I have pondered and reflected on the schism, and thought about how my own history has shaped my response to it. My first adult church home was St Timothy's Episcopal Mission in Ceres. I can remember clearly the faces of the congregation. The light in the faces and eyes of the sparse half dozen people sitting in the folding chairs in the American Legion hall was the Episcopal Church presence in the small city where we lived...there was no way that we could not attend faithfully and disappoint that hope. We soon learned that at the direction of Bp. Rivera, the larger churches in the Diocese of San Joaquin were funding and establishing mission churches in communities where there was no presence. As we became more involved, St. Paul's of Modesto provided more and more encouragement and support. When they acquired a property for us to use, Fr. Tom Foster of St. Paul's, would deliver building supplies for us to convert the two car garage into a sanctuary. We underwent a name change-it seems that Bp. Rivera wanted new churches to have names in alphabetical order, so since we fell in the "B" range. We were offered either "St. Barnabas" or "St. Benedict", and for reasons that escape me, we chose St. Benedict.
I joined the Navy in 1976, and for the next twenty years we were transferred from place to place, always seeking a church. Several of those experiences were instructive. We first moved to San Diego for training and schools. The first Episcopal Church we visited, whose name I no longer recall, was a large, imposing and well attended facility, where, as we were informed during coffee hour, was the only church in San Diego that had a balanced budget. The following Sunday we were at St. Mark's, smaller, with a warmly welcoming clergy and congregation. Their sanctuary had burned down, but they continued services in the parish hall, and only looked forward. St Marks became our home.
When we moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and joined St. George's, the Pearl Harbor Memorial of the Episcopal Church where we discovered an entirely new experience. The congregation - mostly other military families - was very active, signing up for altar flowers and maintenance activities almost as soon as the closing hymn finished on the first day of attendance. The service approached what we were later to realize was "High Church" with fairly frequent use of incense and the more conservative prayers of the "zebra" prayer book (just before the final adoption of the current 1979 BCP.)
When we transferred to Newport, Rhode Island, we finally began to realize the thread that is found in our church: many differences in the use of the Book of Common Prayer, but the recognition of one faith, and one baptism. In Newport, we had many Episcopal Churches to choose from. One advertised that it used the 1928 prayer book, one had a beautiful granite sanctuary, and another had over 100 students in Sunday school each week: all the same faith, one baptism, but with slight differences in personalities-for, as we began to see, churches and the people who congregate, develop a unique atmosphere or personality, which you find when you join. As you become a part of each unique family, you cannot help but develop an appreciation of the strength found in this diversity. Also, you develop an appreciation of the power of worship with the commonality provided by the common liturgy.
This was reinforced with our subsequent move to Charleston, South Carolina where, when we were told at coffee hour at one church that we looked like "the kind of people we want to attend here," we fled to Old St. Andrew's, built prior to the Civil War, but an active and welcoming congregation. A church steeped in the history of the Old South, but with the familiar liturgy...and softball games in friendly competition with other churches. Fr. George encouraged joining in this ecumenical events, even though he suggested, laughingly, that some of the more competitive sects might be using performance enhancing medications. It was great fun to be a part of that parish.
When I retired from the navy and returned to Merced, we became part of St. Luke's, the church my wife had attended as a child, where her sister was married, and the memorial services for her parents were held. As the kind of parishioners who sit one pew from the back, we were essentially unaware of the conflict in the Diocese. On the surface, everything appeared normal. The Book of Common Prayer was the guide for the conduct of service, the lessons and Gospel followed the lectionary, and the music was from the hymnal. When the schism was finally announced to the congregation at St Luke's, it was already a fait accompli. A few insiders were aware of what was happening, but the rest were led like lambs to our fate. For this to have happened to our home church was unbelievable, and we joined the faithful few in Merced who remained with the Episcopal church.
Once again, we sit in a room with a small (but slowly growing) group of Episcopalians. We say Morning Prayer, we sing loudly, and when a priest can join us, we share in the Eucharist. We often share breakfast at a diner afterwards - becoming a community of pastoral care and support for each other. Looking around, I realize that one thing we all share is an experience of a variety of churches and worship contexts. Maybe that is what gives us the courage to try to maintain the Episcopal Church in Merced County. Our ministries are more individual than collective, but our worship supports all of them: my wife has a rich ministry of hospitality; two retired teachers continue to serve in the schools; one volunteers in a nearby prison; another is a teacher and mentor not just locally but around the country. Our newest members - just arrived in town -- have already stepped up to help us with our music.
Our experience in a variety of different congregations over the years has allowed all of us in our different ways to see that there are, indeed, different personalities in different parishes, but there is, indeed, one faith, one baptism. It is essential, I believe, to recognize that differences and diversity makes us stronger in our faith. We most truly keep this in mind in order to ensure that our church is a place where all are welcome. As we move forward to rebuild, refurbish, and reinvent the Episcopal Church in Merced, as well as the Diocese of San Joaquin, it helps to keep in mind the lesson of St. Mark's in San Diego, to move forward day by day and arise from the ashes, serving each other and the wider community of Merced.
Bruce Fultz,
St. Nicholas, Atwater
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"Travel Light, leaving baggage behind."
Luke 10:1-12
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Of your charity pray for the repose of the soul of
Sr. Marie Margaret, S.S.M.
who departed this life on the 20th of January 2015
at the age of 76 and in the 48th year of her religious profession
It is with deep sorrow that we deliver the sad news that Sister Marie Margaret has died. After suffering a massive stroke in Haiti, she was brought by air ambulance first to the Dominican Republic, then finally to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Valiant efforts were made by the medical team but the damage was too severe. This is a time of sadness both for the Sisters and for her family, whom we ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers. We will share more information as it becomes available. At this time we are also giving thanks for Sister Marie Margaret's many years in community. As a young Sister of the Society of St. Margaret, Sr. Marie Margaret served at St. Monica's Nursing Home in Roxbury; St. Margaret's House, New Hartford, NY; St. Margaret's House, Oliver Street, NYC; as well as at the Boston Convent. In 1971 she took up work at St. Margaret's House in Philadelphia, and served as Parish Sister at St. Luke's Church, Germantown, Philadelphia until 1979. During the summers of 1972-1978 she was responsible for the younger children at St. Margaret's Camp, Duxbury, MA. She received her R.N. in 1983. In 1985 she returned to Haiti and in 1994 became Sister-in-Charge of St. Margaret's Convent, Haiti. Sr. Marie Margaret was the first of our Sisters to join us from Haiti. Sr. Marjorie Raphael remembers meeting her in 1951, when Sr. Marie - still Yvette Fenelon at the time - was a young adult leader of the Cathédrale Sainte Trinité youth group and working in the clinic at the cathedral school. She remarked on Sr. Marie Margaret's great courage in pursuing her vocation, travelling to Boston far from everyone and everything she knew, and also on her great love of being a Sister of St. Margaret. Sr. Adele Marie recalls, "Sr. Marie Margaret and I shared some years together in the novitiate. I remember the cold, frosty day on which she arrived in Boston from the warmth of Haiti. I was sent to Logan to meet her plane and bring her to the Convent. The days and months after her arrival were filled with challenges and adjustments. She coped beautifully, putting up with frigid temperatures, English immersion, and strange food. During our novitiate we discovered quite by chance that she had great talents as a mimic. Most Sundays the novices were expected to attend the 11 am Mass at St. John's Church, Bowdoin Street, which at that time was under the direction of the Cowley Fathers. The priest in charge during these years was Father Banner, SSJE. We quickly noticed his distinctive mannerisms when he gave the announcements mid-way through the Eucharist. One Sunday afternoon about five of us were in the novitiate common room commenting on what we perceived as his 'oddities' when suddenly Marie Margaret was on her feet doing an absolutely screamingly funny take-off on Fr. Banner delivering the announcements. Suddenly the door opened and Sr. Eleanora's nearly six-foot frame entered the room glowering at our antics and hilarity. We were all dressed down properly with a lecture on 'respect for the clergy.'" Sr. Sarah recalls with fondness her sartorial training upon arrival in Haiti. Never again will she be able to look at a scuffed shoe or wrinkled habit without thinking of Sr. Marie Margaret and running for the shoe polish or iron. It was also Sr. Marie Margaret who taught her the proper way to transform huge bolts of linen into beautiful purificators and altar cloths. She will always be profoundly grateful for Sr. Marie Margaret's care and generosity during a family health emergency; as we have just learned again, handling such things internationally is very difficult. Sr. Marie Margaret was a very encouraging person, always helping others to keep going. Sr. Claire Marie tells about making a trip to a rural mountain mission near Léogane. She and Sr. Marie Margaret started their trip by jeep but needed to switch to horses partway there. Sr. Claire Marie was afraid to get up on the horse, but Sr. Marie Margaret encouraged her to get up there, backpack and all. When the hill got steep and Sr. Claire Marie declared she was going back down, Sr. Marie Margaret called back, "You can't! It's too steep!" After a time, Sr. Claire Marie had to get off the horse and had trouble with her backpack. Sr. Marie Margaret carried both of theirs while one of the men accompanying them helped Sr. Claire Marie up the hill. Coming down was a piece of cake after that. Sr. Promise sent the following recollection from Haiti, where she has gone to help out for a short while: "Sr. Marie Margaret was the first sister I met the first day I was on my way to the convent. One afternoon before I went to school I decided to go and meet the sisters for the first time after two of the seminarians told me about sisters in the Episcopal Church. On my way there I met one of the seminarians. While talking with him, Sr. Marie was on her way to deliver something to Holy Trinity School. The seminarian present me to her and on her way back, she took me to the convent. Upon that encounter, we stay in touch. She was my novice Mistress, she sewed my novice habit and she put a handkerchief in my pocket. She received me as a novice, she receive my temporary and my life vows. And she always make sure that I have a new handkerchief in the pocket of my habit for each of those occasion. As you know I love to ask question and she is never tired of answering me and never think that I am challenging her instead she was very open and welcoming to my questions. She taught me so much about putting other first and it is not about me. I am very grateful for all she taught me especially on how to find God in everything." On a beautiful autumn day last September during the Gathering, Sr. Kristina Frances went to Plimoth Planation with Sr. Marie Margaret, Sr. Marie Thérèse, Sr. Promise and Sr. Kéthia. Sr. Promise and Sr. Kristina Frances took a ton of pictures and some are attached below. In one of the gardens at the Plantation, Sr. Marie Margaret found a carved, wooden chair that she thought made her look taller and wondered how she might get it back to Haiti. We share these pictures with you as a reminder of a time of laughter, of community and the joy of being together on a lovely day. There will be many more stories to tell in the days to come as we remember our sister, her laughter, her smile, and her care for those around her. Perhaps the most important thing we all remember about her is that Sr. Marie Margaret knew, above all, how to love. The mission and ministry in Haiti Sr. Marie Margaret loved and supported so faithfully continues under the care of Sr. Marie Thérèse and Sr. Kéthia. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they continue this vital work. To ease some of their burden we ask that you direct any questions or communications regarding Sr. Marie Margaret or Haiti to the Sisters in Duxbury via email at sisters@ssmbos.org. We thank you for your continued support. In closing, we would like to share from you a note from Sr. Marjorie Raphael which best seems to sum up that which undergirded Sr. Marie Margaret's life: You asked yesterday what comes into my mind in thinking about Sr. Marie Margaret. Now that the reality of her death has sunk in, I can think about this. After each paragraph of her life, youth, middle years, and maturer years, one would want to say "She gave her life to God, Not just a part of it, But all of it." And ending with the consistency of her gift of self, through others, to God. I think of her as single-minded, no rewards of career or achievement, but total gift. In that she is an image of the religious life, a "humble," "little," "Sister." And that in no way diminishes what we may see as her "achievements." The one that stands out in my mind is her share in the establishment of the Religious Life within the Episcopal Church in Haiti. But she would do that wherever she was sent. She always wanted to identify herself as "A Sister of St. Margaret." Yes, proud to be a Haitian, but uncomfortable with the phrase "Haitian Sister," preferring the all-inclusive "Sister of St. Margaret." Sr. Marie Margaret - Rest in peace and rise in glory
Sisters of St. Margaret |
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Congratulations Goes To...
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Amazing Grace Award
This person has been nominated by so many, we couldn't wait until February to post her! Thank you, to the Rev. Deacon Carolyn Woodall of the Diocese of San Joaquin for your endless labor, your tireless passion, for continuing to be a guiding light for our Church and our people. Carolyn brings life to faith and faith to life, bringing her own experiences as witness to powerful change. Carolyn is our Amazing Grace, this week, and every week! (To nominate someone for Integrity's Amazing Grace Award, email
sam@integrityusa.org)
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From Our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori...
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My brothers and sisters in Christ:
The Episcopal Church has been in partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem for a very long time. Since 1922, we have taken an offering in our churches on Good Friday to support the work of the gospel in the Land of the Holy One. That Land is still the place of deep division and conflict, more than 2000 years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. He and his earthly family suffered under threat of oppressive regimes, fled as refugees to another land, labored to supply their bodily needs in the face of dire economic realities, and he himself was executed as an enemy of the state. All of those realities are present today in the Anglican/Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
The offering we collect on Good Friday carries on the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, through support for the many ministries of healing, feeding, and teaching among the dioceses of the Province. Refugees are cared for, the sick and injured are healed, the dead are buried, children educated, women empowered by these ministries - and all are welcomed with open arms, like Abraham and Sarah's guests. Jesus cared for all in need, without regard for nationality or creed, and these ministries do the same. It is the work of shalom and salaam, building peace in the hearts of suffering individuals and communities.
I urge you to learn more, to pray for the people of the Land of the Holy One, and to give generously this year. I would encourage us all to use the fast of Lent to focus on the hunger (both spiritual and physical) of these peoples, and contribute out of our abundance and our poverty.
May our offering this year strengthen the bonds among all God's people, and bless each one with concrete and eternal signs of more abundant life.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
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 Webinars
Don't miss out! ECF has some great webinars coming up. There is no cost to participate in our webinars and all lay and clergy leaders are welcome.
Topics included are: Capital Campaigns, Vestries, Endowments, Stewardship, and more!
Click on the links below to register, or click here to see a complete list of upcoming webinars. We hope these webinars will engage and empower Episcopal leaders throughout the Church to transform their faith communities and respond to God's call.
February
Church Leadership Conference 2015
Presented by Kanuga and ECF Charging Up, Charging Out: Energizing Church Leadership Join us February 27-March 1, 2015 Discover new tools for successful ministry and explore church in a different way by developing a team-based set of leadership strategies at this year's Church Leadership Conference, presented by Kanuga and the Episcopal Church Foundation. Click here to learn more and register.
Spread the Word: Subscribe to ECF Vital Practices (it's free!)
If you find ECF Vital Practices valuable to your ministry, please subscribe and invite others in your congregation or faith community to sign up for a free subscription. If you haven't already, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation and think about sharing your great resources on Your Turn.
ECF is an independent, lay led organization that responds to the needs of Episcopal faith communities by empowering them to engage in visioning and planning, develop effective lay-clergy leadership teams and raise financial and other resources for ministry. To learn more, please visit our website.
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From the Diocesan Office...
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For Clergy and Lay: Please contact Ellen at the Diocesan Office if you are in need of more bags to fill and pass out to those in need. St. Paul's Preschool, Modesto has asked for bags on the next order for the children. Please think of this if you have a youth group or a preschool that can be part of our "missional" outreach.
For Clergy and Treasurers:
Clergy....Please be sure to get your directories, contact forms, and other forms in packet into the diocesan office quickly! Thanks go to The Rev. Paul Colbert for being the first to get ALL forms into the office for his two congregations. Thanks Fr. Paul!
ALL MAIL...
for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Bishop, Canon, and Administrator is to be mailed to 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355.
Thank you, Ellen Meyer, Administrator |
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Stewardship University...
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STEWARDSHIP UNIVERSITY
This exciting program is coming to San Joaquin on Saturday, March 28th, at Holy Family in Fresno. The Rev. Canon Timothy M. Dombeck will lead this workshop. The workshop begins at 10:30am and will continue to 3:30pm, lunch will be provided. Everyone is invited and it is important that at least one person from each of our congregations attends.
Why a "Stewardship University"?
Stewardship University is a one-day series of educational workshops for congregational leaders designed to assist churches in becoming more grateful, generous, sustainable, welcoming and hospitable communities of Christ-centered life transformation, outreach and worship.
How does Stewardship University work?
By the use of an engaging, workshop approach, Stew U (as it is affectionately called) educates and trains people in practical matters related to many aspects of hospitality, communication, story-telling, gratitude, and the concept of stewardship as it relates to people exercising their baptismal ministry through involvement in active ministry, including one's life as a steward and giving of one's time and abilities, as well as financial resources.
What topics get covered at a Stew U?
A typical Stewardship University event covers the broad topics of:
- Understanding Giving
- Practical Steps to Increase Giving
- Planned Giving: Giving from the Heart and Soul
- Year-round Stewardship That You Can Do, With or Without The Annual Pledge Drive
- Enhancing Generous Hospitality: What We Can Learn from Starbucks and Why
Other requested topics presented at other meetings include:
- Understanding Your Money in Your Life
- How To Talk About Money: In the Culture, In the Church
- Three Shifts in Stewardship
Additionally, you can request a particular topic that you would like addressed. Just have a talk with Timothy about what you want to achieve.
STEWARDSHIP UNIVERSITY™ is the creation of the Reverend Canon Timothy M. Dombek, Canon for Stewardship and Planned Giving in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona. Prior to entering seminary in the late 1980's, Canon Dombek was a Certified Financial Planner based in South Bend, Indiana. Serving the needs of individuals and small business owners, Timothy worked with clients in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois.
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Northern Deanery Meeting
The next Northern Deanery meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Janaury 31, 2015,
10:00 a.m., St. John the Evangelist, Stockton
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Central Deanery's First Gathering for 2015
All members of the Central Deanery are invited to attend a concert and then a Deanery gathering on February 8 at Church of the Saviour, Hanford.
The University String Quartet will be preforming in the historic 1882 Chapel. The concert begins at 3 PM.
After the concert we will join together to get to know each other and meet to plan future events, sharing ideas about the work of our deanery.
Local contacts are Terry March - Hanford
George Sitts - Oakhurst
Marilee Muncey -Atwater
Marion Austin - Fresno
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Southern Deanery Meeting
The next Southern Deanery meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2015,
11:00 a.m., St. Michael's, Ridgecrest.
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What's Happening in the DIO
Northern Deanery Meeting, January 31, 2015, 10:00 a.m., St. John the Evangelist,Stockton
Central Deanery Gathering, February 8, 2015, 3:00 p.m., Church of the Saviour, Hanford
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Retreat, Friday-Saturday, February 20-21, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst
Northern Deanery Clericus, Tuesday March 10, 2015, 11:00a.m., St. Paul's, Modesto
Standing Committee Adobe Meeting, March 24, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Diocesan Council Adobe Meeting, March 26, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Stewardship University, March 28, 2015, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Holy Family, Fresno
Chrism Mass, March 31, 2015, 11:00 a.m., Church of the Saviour, Hanford
Click on the link below to see more upcoming events and meetings around the diocese.
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From our Parishes and Missions..
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The University String Quartet at the Church of the Savior
The Community Concert Series at the Church of the Savior Hanford, continues on Sunday, 8 February, at 3pm. The University String Quartet (USQ) will be performing in the Arts and Crafts beauty of the our historic 1882 chapel. In the midst of winter, the chapel's colors and this quartet's exquisite sounds will warm the spirit. USQ was founded in 2007, and since the its inception has four times featured live on KVPR's "Young Artists Spotliht", as well as in a number of other university and local communit events. This will prove to be a wonderful afternoon, be sure to come and invite others to come with you. There is a $10 requested donation, and a reception with light refreshments will follow the concert.
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Diocesan Website and Facebook...
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Have you checked it out?
Keep up to date on news and events with our
Facebook
Check out postings from Bishop David and Canon Kate at
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
The Episcopal Church Website
Episcopal News Service
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For the Bishop and Canon's Calendar...
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