Information on registering to be an exhibitor /vendor for the upcoming Diocesan Convention can be downloaded by clicking here.  

Diocesan Convention will be held Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans.

Registration forms are due January 12 to Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130. For more information, please contact Sharon Weathersby at [email protected] or 601-606-9538.

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, [email protected]

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, [email protected] 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

by Alma Flowers, Southern Regional Director, Union of Black Episcopalians

The Curtis Sisco Memorial Chapter was installed at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, New Orleans, by The Right Rev'd Morris K. Thompson, Jr., Bishop of Louisiana. President Fortunata Jefferson and Secretary Trevor Daniel Bryan were presented for blessing. The Chapter Charter was presented by the Southern Regional Director Alma Flowers.

Fortunata Jefferson and Bishop Thompson were presented with official UBE pens. The Chapter members were presented with The UBE prayer on laminated cards.

Curtis Sisco's sister Bernetta Sisco attended the service and expressed how touched she was that her brother was honored with the naming of a chapter after him. she stated she only came to church when Curtis said he had something for her to do and felt as if he had gotten her back in the church again. She felt that this is what Curtis would want, bring people together to make things better for all.

Father Thompson, Rector at St. Luke's, remarked that you would have thought Father Sisco was at the church for 20 or 30 years when he was there only for a few. This spoke to his influence and commitment to bring people together for God's work.

Bishop Thompson remarks included how proud he was to have The UBE back in Louisiana as a Diocesan Chapter. This gives the entire Diocese the opportunity to become a part and spread the work and work according to the mission of UBE.

Alma encouraged members to step up to the plate and use their time and talents to tell their stories, struggles and how our youth can continue the work.

She reminded them that we are not a social club and if we are to live up to our Baptismal Vows and show our love for Christ we must sing to Christ with song to the world, as the Bishop said, "With one accord, work to share, reproach to dare, for Christ our Lord". She continued to remind them that if they were interested in UBE just to get their picture in the paper and to say, I belong to UBE they were in the wrong church the wrong pew. Alma ended by encouraging all to go where God leads us with joy.

The service was followed by a Feast of Nations. There was a variety of foods and entertainment.

My congratulations to Fortunata for her hard work and continued support in moving forward with leadership and growth of the Chapter.

from the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Newsletter

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, celebrated Founders' Day and 50 years on Goodwood Blvd on Sunday, October 19. Both current and former rectors and parishioners participated in the celebration. After the morning service of Holy Eucharist, the parish took part in a tree planting and blessing and Founders' Day Luncheon. The parish shared memories of the past and paid tribute to the founders of St. Luke's.

St Luke's was established in 1956 by eighty Episcopalians, first worshiping in private homes, and then at Goodwood Elementary School. A donation of land by Mrs. Eleanore Witter allowed for the building of a permanent church home for the parish on Goodwood Blvd. The building was complete in July 1964. 

St Luke's School was founded in 1957. 

Read the November 2014 Evangelist for more pictures and reflections from the day.

The Rt Rev'd Morris K. Thompson, Jr. "Modeling the Method of Leadership"

Nearly 100 hundred people attended the Second Annual Vestry Training held on Saturday, October 11 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Orleans. The theme for the day was "Leading, Modeling, and Adapting." The Rev'd Rob Courtney led opening prayers with presentations from Bishop Morris Thompson, Canon Shannon Manning, Canon John Kellogg, and Father Mark Holland. 

Workshop presenters included Father A.J. Heine, Father Richard Easterling, Raul Esquivel, Luigi Mandile, Father Rob Courtney, and Debbie Hudson. 

 As Canon Missioner, Canon John Kellogg will bring more educational opportunities to the diocese. Look for an announcement soon for upcoming training opportunities. Contact him at [email protected] with any ideas or suggestions.

We also will produce a series of videos that will be included on the diocesan website and YouTube Channel. Click the video links to the left to view two of the videos from Vestry Training 2014.

The Rev'd Canon Manning and Rev'd Canon Kellogg "Rethinking the Vestry: Empowering the Laity"

Award enables five students to complete their High School career at St. Martin's

Press Release, St. Martin's Episcopal School, Metairie

(METAIRIE, LA) October 15, 2014 - St. Martin's Episcopal School takes great pride in its ability to offer scholarships to promising students so that they can experience the lifelong benefits of a St. Martin's education. There has been an increased need for financial aid, particularly for high school students. The school applied for and was awarded a $25,000 grant through the Benedict Foundation, specifically dedicated to the financial aid general fund. This grant will allow up to five students who possibly would not be able to complete their high school career at St. Martin's to do so. Due to the academic rigor and college preparedness at St. Martin's, many graduates are eligible for additional awards and scholarships as they reach college.

The Benedict Foundation for Independent Schools supports faculty professional growth and students in need of financial assistance in NAIS schools with secondary programs. Emphasis is placed on schools where impact will be greatest and which use challenge grants to leverage support. Founded in 1983, The Benedict Foundation for Independent Schools has awarded nearly $5 million in grants.

For more information, please contact Rob Norton, Director of Marketing and Communication, at 504.736-9913 or [email protected].

The Second Annual Tee it Up With the Bishop Golf Tournament was held on Monday, October 13 with proceeds from the tournament benefiting St. Michael and All Angels Preschool in Baton Rouge.

The winning team (and defending champions) was from Mount Olivet, New Orleans. The players were Robert Emmet, John Meade, Dev Smith, and Dennis Whaley.

View pictures from the day on our Facebook page.  

View a video from the day on our YouTube Channel

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Deacon Mark Hudson for organizing the Bishop's Golf Tournament

Golf Tournament Sponsors:

Deacon Mark Hudson (Breakfast sponsor)

Hudson Services, Inc  (Lunch sponsor)

Golf Tournament Hole Sponsors:

Bishop Morris K. Thompson, Jr.

Christ Church Cathedral

Church Insurance Agency

Church of the Annunciation

Forman Perry Watkins Krutz & Tardynciation, New Orleans

Gary & Sharon Poirrier

Lucius Butts

The Rev'd Ralph Howe

St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, Metairie

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge

St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Metairie

Teams:

Trinity Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge

Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans

Mount Olivet, New Orleans

Church Insurance Company

from WWLTV 

A mission to save paws and save souls. Watch this sweet story about love, second chances and giving back to the community. Maggie Rollins, daughter of Fr. Drew and Jeanie Rollins, is featured in the story and will soon have a new companion thanks to DoggoneExpress and the women in the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel.  

See the video here on WWLTV.com

from the St. Matthew's Episcopal School Facebook Page

On October 18 St. Matthew's Episcopal School held its annual Steeple Chase, a 1/2 mile fun run followed by a 5k race. The theme for the run was "Dress as Your Hero." The race was followed by The Just Kids at Art Festival. This annual festival encourages parents to work with their children on hands-on art projects. All proceeds from the race and festival benefited St. Matthew's Episcopal School.

Click above to watch a YouTube video of the ribbon cutting  ceremony. A couple of the children give speeches.

Thanks to a grant from the Home Depot,  a new playground was installed at All Souls Episcopal Church and Community Center, New Orleans. The playground is located in a fenced in area behind the church, a former Walgreen Pharmacy. The children now have a secure area to play and blow off energy between school and after school tutoring. 

Photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony on October 23 can be found on our Facebook Page.

Support the After School Program

Attend Soul-A-Bration II on November 16

All are invited to attend the Second Annual Soul-A-Bration Silent Auction and Dinner on Sunday, November 16 at the church located at 5500 St. Claude Ave from 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Special Performance by Troy Sawyer & The Elements & Mikhala Iverson. Master of Ceremony will be Councilman James Gray. Wine, beer & dinner provided by some of New Orleans' Finest Restaurants. Tickets are only $25. More information available on the All Souls website.

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

by Marsha Wade, St. James Episcopal Church

We left for Ireland on September 29 to explore the Celtic roots of our faith. The journey took us from pre-Christian sacred sites to sixth century monastic ruins, following in the footsteps of St. Patrick.

The Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange, aligned so the rising sun of the Winter Solstice briefly floods the interior with light, and the Hill of Tara, an ancient sacred site said to have been the seat of the High King of Ireland, were two pre-Christian sites we visited.

We walked the Hill of Slane, where St. Patrick is said to have lit the Paschal Fire in defiance of the High King's festival fire on the Hill of Tara. This story of competing fires represents St. Patrick bringing the light of Christ to the Irish, eclipsing the old religions.

As the Irish became Christian, ancient sacred sites were not destroyed, but transformed into Christian holy sites. In Kildare, a pagan shrine to the goddess Brigit became the site of a 13th Century Norman cathedral named for St. Brigid, an early Irish saint. We worshipped with the congregation at St Brigid's Cathedral and offered prayers at St. Brigid's Well near Kildare.

Saul Church sits on the site where St. Patrick founded his first church in Ireland in 432. We said prayers there before continuing to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Downpatrick, where tradition says St. Patrick is buried.

Another St. Patrick's Cathedral (Armagh) is the historic ecclesiastical site and residence for the Archbishops and Primates of All Ireland. St. Patrick's Cathedral (Anglican) stands on the hill from which the city derives its name-Ard Macha; the hill of Macha. Macha was a legendary pre-christian tribal princess or a goddess. The Roman Catholic St. Patrick's Cathedral is nearby.

In Glendalough we visited ruins of a once thriving monastic city founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century. The monastic city is just outside the door of the hotel, allowing us to freely explore churches, wells and sacred sites situated amid the green beauty of the Wicklow Mountains and the two lakes for which Glendalough is named.

We visited the Titanic Exhibit and the Peace Wall dividing Protestant and Roman Catholic neighborhoods in Belfast, ate delicious Irish food, laughed, sang and prayed together. We left as a band of pilgrims and returned as a community of friends.

I wonder what Augustine was thinking when he finally arrived in Canterbury in 597. Pope Gregory had sent him, along with a group of fellow monks, to Christianize the people of the British isles.
The band of missionaries from Rome had no doubt heard of the barbarity of the Angles and Saxons. After traveling from Rome to France, before attempting to cross the English Channel, they had requested a reprieve from their assignment. They wanted to back out! But Pope Gregory refused, and so the dutiful Augustine and his companions pressed onward. To their surprise, they encountered King Ethelbert of Kent, whose wife, Bertha, was a practicing Christian. The band of missionaries weren't martyred; they were welcomed!

When we feel paralyzed by fear of what may befall us if we mention Jesus, or absolutely certain that we have exclusive delivery rights to the Gospel, we discover instead that Jesus is very much already there. This should give us a healthy balance of both courage and humility. Whether it's a trip to Honduras, or an offer to pray for a non-church going friend, we can be certain that we are not doing it alone.
 

Our God, who "made of one blood all the peoples of the earth" (BCP, p.100), is already there, waiting to welcome us and enable us to know the joy of being connected to Him and one another through Christ. For me, the pilgrimage to Canterbury was more than a visit to "Mother Church." It was an opportunity to once again discover that there is much more that connects us than divides us. The connection is Emmanuel God with us. This Truth is always a wonderful and life giving surprise. 

More pictures from the trip can be found on the St. Augustine Facebook Page

from the St. Patrick's Facebook Page

St. Patrick is making progress in their sanctuary renovation and expansion project. Insulation was installed with sheetrock to follow the next day.  The work is expected to be complete in January.

More information on the project can be found here on the St. Patrick's website.

Parish Administrators gathered at All Souls Episcopal Church & Community Center, New Orleans, for their fall luncheon on October 23. The administrators had an opportunity to learn more about and contribute to the ministries of All Souls and raise money for Ebola relief in Liberia. 

Thank you to staff and volunteers from All Souls for hosting the luncheon.

(METAIRIE, LA) October 16, 2014 - St. Martin's Episcopal School hosted World Honey Bee Day on Tuesday, September 30.  Joining the St. Martin's students were 150 students from the Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy.  Schools in Memphis and Cape Cod joined in via Google Hangout. A video of the event will be translated and shared with schools overseas. Keynote Speaker Sarah Red-Laird, a well-known research scientist, educator, conservationist and beekeeper, presented along with St. Martin's 1^st and 2^nd Grade Classes. Following the presentation, Sarah Red-Laird led students through rotating activities in our gymnasium from 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.  These hands-on activities included making candles out of beeswax, sampling different types of honey, observing live bees, and more.

Keynote Speaker Sarah Red-Laird is the United States Ambassador to the International Bee Research Association, the Kids and Bees Program Director for the American Beekeeping Federation, and the Founder and Executive Director of Bee Girl, a non-profit dedicated to preserving honey bees, beekeepers, and food resources through outreach, education, support, and mentorship for beekeepers and communities. 

*This Week in Louisiana Agriculture covered the event. The segment can be viewed here

* View a video written and produced by the first grade class

*To follow our students in their quest to save the honeybees, please follow them class @honeybeechallenge on Twitter and "Take-the-honey-bee-challenge" on Facebook.  

Bricks make an excellent Christmas gift and support the rebuilding efforts at St. Matthew's, Houma. Go to the Rebuild St. Matthew's website for more information and to download the order form.

Purchase bricks by December 10 to receive a custom Christmas gift card. 

Forms must be received by December 25 for the installation. 

The Pumpkin Patches of St. Mark's, St. Augustine's, St. Paul's School, St. Martin's, St. Francis, and Grace Memorial.