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May 18, 2016
The e-pistle
Your Weekly News Update from St. Stephen's
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In This Issue
Pr Willie to attend
Calling all grads
Our Faith, Our Future
A few Pentecost pictures
Starfish Ministry
A Ramadan Iftar here
A new St. Stephen's member
Purchase a memorial brick
Joint calendar planning meeting
E-pistle bimonthly this summer
EpiscoParrot
Event Calendar
Service Times
Find us on Facebook
 
To The People of St. Stephen's 



Dear Friends,
 
Since February I have been attending monthly conversations about "Intersectionality" sponsored by MCCJ (formerly Miami Council of Christians and Jews).  I have put quotation marks around the word intersectionality because it may be a term with which you are not familiar -- I wasn't until I attended the first gathering in February.
 
The term was coined by Kimberl� Crenshaw, the executive director of the African American Policy Forum and a professor of law at Columbia University and UCLA law schools. Intersectionality is a concept used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from each other.
 
The participants came from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences and it was a real eye-opener for me. We have talked much about the concept of "the other" this year here at St. Stephen's, as well as considering how Jesus treated, and modeled for us how to treat, "the other."  This experience truly widened my understanding, as well as, I hope, demonstrating to those who participated that "The Church" is not monolithic in judgmentalism and condemnation. 
 
I am delighted that these conversations will start up again in the fall, and I invite anyone who wants to learn more to join me in attending.

In Christ's Love,

Pastor Willie
 
Pastor Willie to attend Equal Justice Roundtable today
Sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, hosted by the Public Defender's office

In just a few hours, Pastor Willie will be attending an interfaith roundtable discussion about the death penalty. The purpose is to identify challenges and possible solutions; it is being guided by a panel of national experts. The title of the discussion is "Making Justice Work:  Death Penalty Dynamics in the Modern Era." 

The Equal Justice Roundtable is a Miami-Dade County Public Defender and faith-based collaboration working to educate and exchange ideas about social justice in our community, and we are proud that our Rector has been invited to participate. 
 
Calling All Grads!
Please join us at church this Sunday

At the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Trinity Sunday we will be honoring all graduating members of our day school and parish and alumni of our day school who are graduating from high school or college.  If your children or grandchildren are graduating from elementary school, high school or college, please invite them to this special service to be honored.

Please join us at 10:30 this Sunday morning.
 
Help kick off "Our Faith, Our Future 2021"
After church on June 12 (Date Change!)

After church on Sunday, June 12, we will gather in the Great Hall for about an hour to take the next step in bringing Our Faith, Our Future into being. Even if you were not able to attend the April 9th Visioning Day, we want you to come to share your ideas, specifically about how you want to be involved in making our plan a reality.  Many good ideas came out of April 9th; this is your opportunity to help transform the ideas into action!

PLEASE NOTE:  The date of this event has been changed!
 
The color of the day last Sunday: Red! 
What's red?  Fire. Vestments. Clothing. Strawberries!

   There were two baptisms this Pentecost: Lazaro Junior Amaro and Ja'im Emmanuel Kalser-Munos.   Also recognized for having completed early communion classes were Carolina Linfante and Cook Roberts.

Congratulations everyone!

If you want to learn more about Pentecost go
here or here.

*Starfish Ministry takes on more
Our partnership with Episcopal Migration Ministries continues
We have agreed to partner with Episcopal Migration Ministries again by sponsoring a young married Cuban couple who are expected to arrive in mid-June.  If you would like to be part of making a difference to Ernesto and Liznet, please contact Pastor Willie.   

They will be arriving in Miami sometime between mid-June and mid-September.  They have gone through a scrupulous two-year vetting process and are qualified as refugees for political reasons.

"I was a stranger and you invited me in" -- Matthew 23:35.

* Why is St. Stephen's refugee work called the Starfish Ministry?  Click here for the answer.
Join us for a Ramadan Iftar
In the Great Hall on Sunday, June 29 at sunset


Please join us at St. Stephen's for an evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan.

Iftar is very much a social event, involving family and community members. It is common for people to host others for dinner, or gather as a community for a potluck. It is also common for people to invite and share food with those less fortunate. The spiritual reward for charitable giving is considered to be especially significant during Ramadan.

Our friends from the Atlantic Institute who brought us the Table of Abraham in April will be our hosts for this lovely meal.

We welcome a new member of our church community!
And a new addition to the Rhyner family

Matthew and Corinne Rhyner are happy to announce the birth of Beatrice Charlotte Rhyner, born May 15, 2016 at 344 am.  She weighed a very healthy 8lbs 11oz and was 20.5 inches long.

Mom, daughter, brother, and father are all doing great.  They say, "God has blessed us!"

Congratulations to the growing Rhyner family! 

Our Labyrinth will be installed this summer
You can participate by ordering a memorial brick

Make your mark on our permanent labyrinth installation as part of the St. Stephen's beautification program. Pricing for individual bricks will start at $150 with significant discounts for St. Stephen's members, and proceeds will help pave the way to a beautiful church and a gift to our Coconut Grove community!

A gift in honor of someone special can provide you a meaningful opportunity to recognize a birthday, wedding, anniversary, birth, retirement or professional achievement, or to honor a departed loved one.

Soon you will be able to purchase bricks online or through our Labyrinth Guild, but you may get more information or pre-order now by contacting Rev. Jo-Ann Murphy at [email protected].

Joint calendar planning meeting to be held on June 10
Ministry Leaders: Please let us know your plans!

On Friday, June 10, our church and school will meet to coordinate calendars for the coming academic and church year.  This is a long overdue and necessary step in the smooth sharing of our common grounds and buildings. 

We are asking that those church ministries needing to plan fundraisers and other events please request the dates, and if possible, alternate dates, of your events for the coming year prior to June 10.

You may call or email the parish office at 305-448-2601 or [email protected] to request your dates or ask questions.

E-pistle goes bimonthly after May 25
Things slow down at St. Stephen's. So do we.

This is a reminder that, as usual, the e-pistle will arrive in your inbox less frequently this summer, while there is less news to share.  Your last weekly e-pistle will arrive on Wednesday, May 25.  On June 1, no e-pistle will be sent.  E-pistle publication dates through August are June 8, June 22, July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17, August 31, after which weekly publication will resume.

EpiscoParrot 
Temporarily stymied

   
Upcoming Events
Don't Forget These Dates     

reminder
Sunday, May 22 - Baccalaureate Sunday 10:30 a.m.  All graduates honored.

Wednesday, June 1 - No e-pistle today.  Next e-pistle on June 8.

Sunday, June 12 - "Our Faith, Our Future" workshop after the 10:30 a.m. Mass and reception

At St. Stephen's All Are Welcome 
 
Sundays 
Spoken Mass without music at 8 a.m.
  Sung Mass with music at 10:30 a.m.,
with child care for children under three


Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 to 4.