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Spring is here and the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is ready to green it up!
In the last few years, several groups in our Western Pennsylvania region have developed vegetable gardens to help meet the needs of urban and suburban residents who have limited access to fresh produce and healthy food sources.
 For the last two years, the Social Justice and Outreach Committee (SJO) has offered a small grant program (maximum $500) to help Episcopal parishes and organizations create new vegetable gardens or to support an already functioning garden.
These grants are intended to assist with material needs such as seed or plant purchases, fencing, bed construction, soil or fertilizer purchases, soil testing costs, hand tool purchases, water connections, and rain barrels.
Once again in 2015, the SJO is pleased to announce the awarding of garden grants.
This year, the SJO, along with generous grants from the outreach commissions at St. Paul's, Mt. Lebanon, and Christ Church, North Hills, is pleased to announce six garden grants.
 The projects supported include a new garden initiative at St. Matthew's, Homestead, and continuing garden support to Holy Cross, Homewood, St. Brendan's, Franklin Park, Sheldon Calvary Camp, Conneaut, OH, St. David's, Peters Township, and Spring Street Farms at the Community of Celebration in Aliquippa.
Volunteers are what make our gardens grow and prosper. If you have a green thumb, please consider volunteering at these gardens. Or, if you don't "dig" working in the soil, volunteer to package, transport, and distribute produce.
Please pray for just enough rain, all good bugs, and lots of luscious and healthy vegetables!
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 Calvary Camp Enrollment Update
The Easter season is here, which means that summer is right around the corner!
There is still time to sign up for overnight sessions at Sheldon Calvary Camp. Sheldon Calvary Camp is the camping ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh located on the scenic shores of Lake Erie in Conneaut, Ohio. Calvary offers a full camping program set in a Christian environment that encourages reflection, fosters relationships, and models acceptance of individual differences. Activity options include swimming, arts and crafts, performing arts, tennis, sports and athletics, sailing, archery, experiential education, farm and outdoor education. Sheldon Calvary Camp still has openings for: Session I - June 14-20 (ages 8-16) Session II - June 21-17 (ages 8-16) Session III - July 5-11 (ages 8-16) Ready, Set, Camp! - June 28-July 1 (ages 7-12) If you are interested in learning more about Sheldon Calvary Camp, please visit their website, www.calvarycamp.org or call 440-593-4381. |
 Chamber Music at Old St. Luke's
On April 19 at 2 p.m., the Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo will entertain with a concert that spans the music of five centuries - from Renaissance to Jazz.
The program includes works by Astor Piazzolla, Manuel de Falla and Django Reinhardt.
Donations ate accepted and appreciated.
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(and the SPRING U. T. O. INGATHERING)
Episcopal Church Women
Diocese of Pittsburgh
Saturday, May 9, 2015, 10 a.m. - noon
Trinity Cathedral Parish Hall
328 Sixth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Celebrate Each Other
Celebrate Our Stories
Celebrate Our Ideas
Enjoy a FREE brunch
Click here for a printable flyer Click here for a printable registration form |
Seeing the Face of God in Each Other
Friday and Saturday, April 24 & 25, 2015
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 989 Morgan Street, Brackenridge, PA 15014
Schedule:
- Friday 3 p.m. Registration & Opening Program, 5:30 p.m. Dinner, adjourning after Compline scheduled for 8:20 p.m.
- Saturday 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast, departing at 5 p.m. following a 4:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist
The workshop is FREE. A donation to help cover food costs would be gratefully accepted.
Questions? Call Nancy Travis Bolden at 412-683-8888 or nltbolden@yahoo.com
Click here to register online.
Click here for printable flyers, bulletin inserts and registration forms
The Commission on Race and Reconciliation would like to remind you that all elected leaders, both diocesan and parish, are required by resolutions passed at both our diocesan convention and general convention to have completed anti-racism training.
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Race and Freedom: How Color has Defined American Freedom
A Lecture and Workshop Featuring Author Dr. Jacqueline Battalora
Saturday, May 2, 2015, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Join the African American Program of the Heinz History Center and the Episcopal Church, Province III as they present acclaimed author and educator Dr. Jacqueline Battalora for a lecture and workshop on race and freedom in America.
 Jacqueline Battalora is an attorney and professor who works as an anti-racist writer and educator. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, she lived in Antwerp, Belgium for six years before her family relocated to Victoria, Tx. The experience of attending middle and high school in Texas formed her understanding of race in America. While she is currently a lawyer and professor of sociology and criminal justice at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, she is also a former Chicago Police officer. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and has been engaged in anti-racist training since the mid-1990s. Battalora's writings explore the enforcement of divisions between people, specifically the making of human difference in law. The author of "Birth of a White Nation," as well as numerous articles, Battalora speaks widely on the topic of the invention of white people in law and has been conducting training sessions since the mid-1990s. Click here for additional information and registration instructions.
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Anyone interested in pursuing lay or ordained leadership is encouraged to attend Ministry Exploration Day on Saturday, May 2 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon. This is the annual opportunity to learn about our vision for ministry in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, to understand the discernment and ordination process for those called to ordained ministry, and to explore the option of lay ministry.
Individuals are encouraged to attend with their Rector and spouse or significant other. This is an opportunity to meet the Bishop and members of the Commission on Ministry and to learn more about lay leadership or service as deacon or priest.
Ministry Exploration Day starts at 9 a.m. and ends by 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 at St. Paul's, 1066 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon 15228. Lunch will be provided.
Please register for this event by clicking here.
If you have any questions about the event or our discernment and ordination process, please email or call the Rev. Lou Hays, Chair of the Commission on Ministry, at lou@stpaulspgh.org or 412-531-7153.
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Tidbits from the Archives
On April 25, 1836, Bishop Henry V. Onderdonk of Philadelphia ordained Fr. Killikelly to the priesthood in Trinity, Freeport and confirmed 14.
The diocese will celebrate its 150th anniversary this November at convention. To help get us all in the proper historical spirit for the occasion, the archive has provided small historical tidbits from the appropriate month for each Grace Happens. Watch to see if your parish shows up in one of them!
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Youth Corner
Teen Lock-In at Calvary Episcopal Church
Friday, April 17, 2015, 6 p.m. - 9 a.m. (Sat.)
Where: Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Avenue, Pgh., PA 15206
Events Include: Games! Food! Worship! Fun!
For more info or to register contact: Brent at 412-491-9738 or email bhansen@episcopalpgh.org
Hope through Creativity  Youth from the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh are serving as ambassadors helping plan "Hope through Creativity," an event to shine a light on the plight of homeless children and youth. Every aspect of the event is being planned by high school teens for high school teens. The event will feature work of various genres from young artists. Teen artists are encouraged to submit their work. The event is sponsored by the Homeless Children's Education Fund. As always, if interested in this or any other diocesan youth event, please feel free to contact Brent Hansen at 412-491-9738 or bhansen@episcopalpgh.org.
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Bishop McConnell's Schedule:
April 26: St. Paul's, Mt. Lebanon
May 3: St. Thomas, Oakmont
May 10: St. Andrew's, Highland Park
May 17: St. Brendan's, Franklin Park
Leadership at these parishes are reminded to complete and submit this form at least two weeks in advance of their visitation.
Annual Holy Cross Party: The Church of the Holy Cross in Homewood will hold its annual Bingo/Card Party/Luncheon on April 18, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Comfort Inn, 699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235. For more information, please contact Karen Graves at 412-242-3209 or hc15208@gmail.com
Diocesan Leadership Day: Saturday, May 16, from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Calvary Episcopal Church in East Liberty. Information will be shared on two important topics: Pennsylvania's updated Child Protection laws and the upcoming General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Details to come.
Save the Date: Retired clergy lunch will be Tuesday, June 2 at St. Peter's, Brentwood. Details to come.
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Parting Shots
On Tuesday, March 31, 2015, clergy of the diocese participated in the 2015 Chrism Mass and Renewal of Vows, a combined observance of the Southwestern PA Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The service was held at First English Evangelical Lutheran Church on Grant St., downtown. Bishop McConnell was the preacher and the Rev. Kurt F. Kusserow, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA, was the celebrant.
--Photos courtesy Andy Muhl
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The deadline for submissions for the next issue of Grace Happens is April 7, 2015.
Future GH publication dates:
April 28, 2015 - Submissions due April 21
May 12, 2015 - Submissions due May 5
May 26, 2015 - Submissions due May 19
All submissions to the Grace Happens newsletter and the diocesan web site are welcome and should be sent to info@episcopalpgh.org. When possible, the copy should be in a Word document and all original logos, pictures and artwork should be attached separately. Please be sure to include your contact information with any submission.
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Garden Grants Awarded by Diocesan Committee for Social Justice and Outreach
