Almighty God, we thank you for raising up among us faithful servants of your Word and Sacraments.We thank you especially for the work of Father Dan among us. Grant that he and we may serve you in the days ahead, and always rejoice in your glory, and come at length into your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

On Sunday, October 5, 2014 the people of St. Francis Church in Denham Springs joined together for a Celebration of Ministry and the retirement of the Rev. Dan Krutz.  Fr. Krutz began in his ministry in the diocese in Amite in April of 1974 in a cluster charge as Vicar of Church of the Incarnation; All Saints, Ponchatoula; and Episcopal Chaplain to Southeastern Louisiana University.  He then served as Curate to the Rev. Ralph Kimball at St. Andrew's, New Orleans from 1976-1981.  In September of 1981 he became rector of St. James, Shreveport.   During his time there the congregation raised money for the building of a new Church.  Fr. Krutz left St. James in early 1992 to become Executive Director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference.  His position at the LIC allowed him, on weekends, to supply, assist in diocesan parishes and later serve in different capacities at a number of congregations including Trinity, Baton Rouge, St. Mary's, Morganza, the former St. Gregory's, Gonzales; St. Matthew's, Houma; Christ Church, Slidell; St. George's, New Orleans; and finally as Priest in Charge at St. Francis, Denham Springs from September 2007 until the present.

Many summers Fr. Krutz served as dean or on staff at Camp Hardtner and also served Chair of the Summer Camping Committee.  He has also been active in Cursillo and in the Happening movement for youth.  Fr. Krutz served as a Deputy or Alternate at a number of General Conventions for both dioceses in Louisiana.

At the October 5 service, where the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi was remembered, Fr. Krutz celebrated and The Very Rev'd Mark Holland preached. The service was followed by a festive reception of Italian food honoring the Krutz family and the church's patron saint. 

Pictures from the day can be found here or here.

Monday, October 13, 6:00 pm - Holy Eucharist and Ending of a Pastoral Relationship between St. Mary's Church in Franklin and the Rev. Dr. Calvin Lane.  Come celebrate new seasons of ministry for both St. Mary's and for Fr. Cal and his family as they make their move to a new call.  

On behalf of the congregation of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Denham Springs, the Vestry is proud to announce that they have called the Rev. John Sloan Miller of Baton Rouge to be the next Priest-in-Charge beginning October 12^th. Rev. Miller comes to us from St. James Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, where he has served as Associate Rector for the last 8 years. Rev Miller attended The University of the South (Sewanee), graduating in 2004 with a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 2, 2005 in the Diocese of Western Louisiana and then spent the next year at St. James Episcopal Church Alexandria, LA as curate.

The Vestry and congregation St. Francis welcomes the Rev. Miller, his wife Celene Milburn Miller and their three children Cameron, McKenzie and Isabella to St. Francis!

On September 17, the Rev'd Edgar Gary Taylor was installed as the seventh Head of School of Trinity Episcopal School, New Orleans. All of the students of Trinity, faculty, staff and guests were in attendance.

Bishop Morris K. Thompson, Jr. invites all youth, young adults & young at heart in the Diocese of Louisiana to join him for a game of bowling at:

Rock 'n' Bowl

3000 S. Carrollton Ave (Corner of Earhart Expwy and S. Carrollton Ave)

New Orleans, LA 70118

Saturday, October 18 from 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM

$20 per person

We hope you will join us at Rock 'n' Bowl for bowling, food, and fellowship. Please mail the payment to our office, 1623 Seventh St, New Orleans, LA 70115 (before the event) or bring to Rock 'n' Bowl (the night of the event) cash or check made payable to Diocese of Louisiana. The cost covers bowling, shoes, food, and drinks.

Please RSVP with the number of people attending to Marvin McLennon, Youth Coordinator, Diocese of Louisiana, mmclennon@edola.org by October 10.

Download the flyer

from the St. Margaret Facebook Page

O Lord God of Israel, the heavens cannot contain you, yet you are pleased to dwell in the midst of our people, and have moved us to set apart a space on which to build a house of prayer: Accept and bless the work which we have now begun, that it may be brought to completion, to the honor and glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. 

St. Margaret Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge is pleased to announce they will break ground on their new sanctuary. All funds have been raised, permits obtained, and they have the full support and blessing from the bishop and the diocese. Details of the new sanctuary plans can be found on the St. Margaret's Website: http://saintmargarets.com/capital-campaign/

The ground breaking ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 12 at 3:00 PM. All are invited. 

Recently Bishop Morris Thompson and a few members of his staff visited St. Alban's Chapel on the LSU campus to take part in "Lunch with C.S. Lewis." Every Wednesday from 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM, during the fall and spring school semesters, a dedicated crew of parishioners from St. Alban's Chapel feeds over 180 students a free home-cooked meal while the Rev'd Drew Rollins discusses a chapter from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. St. Alban's offers one of the best meals on campus and students from across many different denominations and backgrounds take part in the meal and discussion. 

Fr. Drew invites anyone to come see what they are doing. 

For more information:

St. Alban's Chapel Website

Email The Rev'd Drew Rollins

From October 2 - 5, we were visited by parishioners from Trinity Wall Street, a long term partner in mission with the Diocese of Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. This year, their work focused on helping St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Harvey, with much needed repair work that included leveling the yard, painting the parish hall, and replacing water damaged woodwork in the sanctuary. They also worked with All Souls Church. Dr. Kevin Grant, a dentist and Trinity Wall Street parishioner, provided free dental care to several children in the Lower Ninth Ward. 

Their visit ended at St. Mark's on Sunday with a Second Line Parade, inducting them as official members of the Who Dat Nation. 

Thank you Trinity Wall Street. We are grateful for your partnership.

Photos from the visit can be found here on Facebook.

Members of the Racial Reconciliation Commission with Heidi Kim at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center. (Photo courtesy of Fr. Edward Thompson)

We began the retreat by introducing ourselves-saying something about why we were drawn to the work of reconciliation, and describing both our hopes and prayers for the retreat, as well as our questions and concerns. It was deeply moving to hear each person's unique story of how and why they had taken up this ministry, and to hear what their hopes and intentions were for both the retreat and the Commission's work going forward. It became clear that the group was hearing some of these stories and reasons for the first time. While the members knew each other, they admitted that they didn't "know" each other. Even though it is sometimes difficult for us to step back from our desire to get things done, it is always worth the investment to take the time to build trust and safety. Together we encountered one of the first lessons of reconciliation work: while agendas and action items are important, the real work of reconciliation begins with sharing, listening, and understanding.

Continue reading the article and view more pictures on The Episcopal Church Public Policy Network website: http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/app/document/3957308;jsessionid=PRHRUrbcsvL5EIfbI5SXSve5.undefined 

What is it?  Professional development that informs and qualifies you to facilitate parent education curriculum that addresses the issues of reuniting immigrant children with their families and/or caretakers. 

History of the Program  School staff in Fairfax, Virginia identified a need for resources to address the high needs population of recently arrived Central American immigrant students and their families.  The children often migrated unaccompanied after years of separation from their parents.  Along the journey they suffered emotional and physical trauma.  This in addition to deprivation, abuse, and violence in their home countries made adapting to the United States extremely difficult.

Who might benefit from this training?  Anyone working with newly immigrated children and/or families, especially school counselors, ESL teachers, classroom teachers, social workers, psychologist, chaplains, etc.

Where is it?  St. Augustine's Episcopal Church's Byrd Hall, 3412 Haring Road, Metairie, Louisiana

Cost?  Each participant is being asked to pay only $15 in advance to offset materials cost.  If the $15 fee presents a problem, scholarships are available by contacting Deacon Elaine Clements, elements@ecsla.org

When is it?  (Choose one of two sessions) Monday, November 17, 2014

9 a.m. to 12 noon

 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

How do I register?  Register online at https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=f66f9f

 Questions? Contact Deacon Elaine Clements with any questions, elements@ecsla.org or 504-236-1133

Funding for this program is being provided by Episcopal Relief and Development and the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

Download the flyer

On Friday, September 26, 2014 at 8:00 am St. Andrew's Episcopal School conducted a Dedication Ceremony of our new three-story classroom building on the St. Andrew's campus on the corner of Oak and Short Streets. The new classroom building is named Grace Hall.  This name has been selected as an appropriate embodiment of God's Grace that has made this building possible, and of the graciousness from the St. Andrew's Community in planning, funding, and creating this wonderful new teaching and learning space for our children.  The new building will be called Grace Hall for the foreseeable future.  However, it is possible that, at a future date, the Board may change the name as a way to honor a particular donor or member of the St. Andrew's Community.

Grace Hall consists of approximately 10,000 square feet of new teaching and learning space and will provide much-needed classroom space for a new music room, STEM Center (science and math labs), homeroom classrooms, and a new multi-purpose room for indoor recess, PE, and student exhibitions and performances.  Grace Hall will also create space for a new art studio on campus.

The dedication was held at St. Andrew's Episcopal School with all students and guests in attendance.

St. Andrew's Episcopal School, the oldest Episcopal School in New Orleans, provides a strong academic program from Prekindergarten through 8th Grade. Small classes and caring teachers provide a challenging learning environment where children grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. 

from the Trinity Episcopal School, Baton Rouge, September 2014 Newsletter

On Friday, August 22, 2014, Trinity Episcopal Day School celebrated the completion of the preschool playground with a red ribbon cutting ceremony. This ceremony was dedicated to the memory of a beloved Trinity aide for which the playground is named, Amber Lousteau. Amber's daughter, Jennifer Lousteau (2nd grade teacher), son, Jeffrey Lousteau, and husband,

Steve, did the honor of cutting the ribbon. It was a beautiful evening filled with laughter, tears, love and thanksgiving for the families, friends, and alumni that supported the 2013-2014 Building for Our Future Fund.

Through the hard work of volunteers and staff last year, we were able to raise, in total, an astounding $244,314.06 for Trinity Episcopal Day School. It was a record year, and we are grateful for the extreme generosity of our parents, grandparents, friends, and alumni who supported the school. 

The Baton Rouge Advocate ran a fantastic article on the Amber Lousteau Playground and on the life of it's namesake. Click here to read it. 

from the St. Paul's Homecoming Center Facebook Page

 The St. Paul's Senior Center recently added a computer lab to allow low income seniors in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans to have access to technology. The computers in the lab were acquired through a grant from the United Thank Offering. Seniors are also taking part in computer classes through the center and St. Paul's Episcopal School.

The Senior Center, a ministry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, originally opened up this past spring as a two day a week program. It has recently expanded to four days a week.  

by Holly Heine, Director of Operations and Communications, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative 

Charley was right when she "pinned" herself as a FUTURE HOMEOWNER!! Her parents closed on their Jericho Road home last month in the Saratoga Square development near the O.C. Haley Corridor. More on their story to come...and oh, what a story it is!! Congrats to the Lees!!!  Go to Jericho Road's website, www.jerichohousing.org, to sign up for our enews and follow us on Facebook to always get the latest news!!

Jericho Road Episcopal  Housing Initiative works to revitalize neighborhoods through an innovative three-pronged approach: 1) fostering the human capacity that can promote change through building resident leadership and neighborhood institutions; 2) stabilizing and investing in targeted high-impact block faces through vacant property management and greening; and 3) creating healthy, accessible and energy efficient affordable housing.

For more information on Jericho Road's work, how you can support or get involved, contact Holly Heine at hollyheine@jerichohousing.org or 504-293-2882.

Churches all across the Diocese of Louisiana participated in St. Francis Blessing of the Animals on October 4 and 5. All creatures "bright and beautiful...great and small" came to receive their annual blessing in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

Check out more photos on our Facebook Page here.

by John Shalett, Trinity Counseling and Training Center

Did you know that Trinity Counseling and Training Center (TCTC) can provide your business with a number of valuable services?  And, even better, our services are Business Friendly and cost-effective. TCTC provides Tripe A Services-Affordable, Accessible and Available. We invite you to either call or drop by for a cup of coffee and learn more about TCTC and our services. We have a number of dynamic and leading edge services that can support your business and its most valuable product-your employees.  For more information, call John Shalett, Executive Director at (504) 522-7573.

TCTC is a ministry of Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans. More information about TCTC can be found on their website here.

The Addictions Recovery Ministry of the Diocese of Louisiana will hold its annual retreat for women who are in recovery, wish to be in recovery, or are just interested in recovery spirituality.  Please forward this information to any women who might be interested.  The retreat is the weekend of January 9-11, 2015 at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center.

Our facilitator for the weekend is Polly Pistole who began her sobriety journey in 1977.  She has lead numerous retreats dealing with recovery and relationship topics.  The theme of this weekend is "Emotional Sobriety".  Polly will share the wisdom found in some of Bill W.'s letters about Emotional Sobriety and how she has taken her sobriety to a new level by studying what Bill had to say.  Emotional Sobriety is mentioned 17 times in the first 164 pages of the Big Book. Polly will look at how character defects such as approval addiction, intolerance, resentment, anger, jealousy, fear, sarcasm, blame, and many others affect our emotional sobriety; and how practicing good habits and making them part of us can restore our balance.

For more information and to register, please visit:

http://armwomens2015.eventbee.com

"Be nice to everyone" is the advice Lawrence Brooks gives to live a long life when he addressed a crow of people at the World War II Museum on September 12. The museum threw Mr. Brooks a birthday party where was honored by dignitaries from the city and state as well as the Veterans Administration and the Army. Mr. Brooks is believed to be the oldest WWII veteran in our area and the oldest parishioner in the Diocese of Louisiana. Mr. Brooks is an active member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, New Orleans.

More pictures from the day can be found on our Facebook Page here.

Watch a video of the Victory Belles wishing Mr. Brooks a Happy Birthday

An Exploration of our Anglican History, Heritage and Historic sites in England

Upon arrival in England, we will begin an historic 10-day/9 night journey to the significant sites of Anglicanism, and the roots of our own Episcopal Church, in England- London, Winchester, Canterbury, Cambridge, Durham, and York, as well as to other historical sites along the way.  We will enjoy many private tours of great cathedrals, churches and sites, experiencing different forms of worship (from Evensong, to the Eucharist, to prayer services) in these amazing places, often with special seating.  We will hear some of the great choirs of England and hear some of the grandest organs of the world played by the musicians who know them best.  Guides and guest speakers, with particular expertise in the places we visit and in church history, will guide us through this extraordinary experience.  You are invited to join us for this unique opportunity to explore our common Anglican heritage!

Travel Dates:  April 10 - 20, 2015

$6250 per person, double occupancy.

Single Supplement (subject to availability): $800

For further information:

Deacon Mark Hudson

Email Daniel.mark.hudson@ms.com or dmhudson@cox.net

Cell 225-270-4521 please leave name and short message indicating the call is concerning the trip.

Office phone 225-237-3114

Registration & deposit deadline: October 31, 2014

Download brochure to more information

by Margaret Mashburn, Christwood Retirement Community

Residents and friends of Christwood were recently treated to a presentation by Katie Moose, author and lecturer, for the Third Annual Odile Simpson Fall Lecture. The late centenarian and longtime Christwood resident, Odile Simpson, loved nature, outdoors, and "holy food," and was a devoted Episcopalian.  

Mrs. Moose is a lifelong Episcopalian and member of Christ Church in Easton, Maryland, where she is a Lay Eucharistic Minister, member of the Stewardship Committee and coffee hour committee. She has also served as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and served on the Cathedral Fund Committee at the Washington National Cathedral.  She attended an Episcopal girls' school and has always been deeply involved in the Episcopal Church.

Mrs. Moose has recently written God's Bounty: 365 Days of Inspirational Cooking which will be sold at the National Cathedral. In the book she pairs Biblical passages, favorite hymns and inspirational writings with a recipe for each day of the year. In her talk she said that food is mentioned throughout the Bible and quoted passages which spoke of fruit, meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. If you are familiar with the Mediterranean diet, you know the benefits of these foods with herbs and spices even having medicinal benefits.

She spoke of how many uses the herbs and spices have and mentioned some perhaps little-known facts such as: cinnamon was once considered more precious than gold; mint was used for tithing at one time; the Bay tree is native to Palestine and its oil was used for medicinal purpose and leaves were burned for incense; and saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.

She compared the Passover Seder meals with Easter, as some of the same foods are used. Following a question and answer period, she prepared appetizers using foods that would have been used in Biblical times.

In addition to her book God's Bounty: 365 Days of Inspirational Cooking, Mrs. Moose has written three other cookbooks (Chesapeake's Bounty, Nantucket's Bounty, and New England's Bounty), as well as two regional guidebooks (Eastern Shore of Maryland: the Guidebook and Maryland's Western Shore: The Guidebook).

from the St. Paul's Facebook Page

Parishioners, clergy, and staff of St. Paul's participated in the Greater New Orleans CROP Hunger Walk along Lake Pontchartrain on September 27. They raised over $2,000 for food banks, pantries, and community gardens in an effort to eliminate hunger across the U.S. 

Pictures from the event can be found on the St. Paul's Facebook Page.