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25th anniversary of the consecration of Bishop Barbara C. Harris
Feb. 16: Come join in thanking and celebrating the first female bishop in the Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, at this Gospel vesper service marking the 25th anniversary of her consecration. More details to come. Questions may be directed to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul at 617-482-5800.
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Coming Up
Dec 14: Advent Quiet Day, Church of the Good Shepherd, Watertown, 9:30am Dec 14: 12th annual "In a Manger" exhibition , St. Andrew's Church, Ayer, 10:00am Dec 14: Vigil for Victims of Violence, Peg Noonan Park, Falmouth, 6:00pm Dec 15: New England Irish Harp Orchestra benefit for Mil Milagros, Epiphany Church, Walpole, 2:00pm
Dec 15: Breakfast with Santa, St. Peter's Church, South Dartmouth, 9:00am
Dec 16: Advent Celebration, Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, 5:30pm Dec 16: Theology on Tap: "Music as Conversation: Prayers to God and Instrumental Appeals to the Heart," Rattlesnake Bar and Grill, Boston, 7:00pm Dec 16: Fenway Quintet, St. Peter's Church, Cambridge, 7:30pm Dec 17: Opera Brittenica, St. Peter's Church, Cambridge, 8:00pm
Dec 17: Blue Christmas Service, St. Peter's Church, South Dartmouth, 7:00pm
Dec 18: Contemplative Evening Eucharist: Bethany House of Prayer-Chapel of St. Anne, Arlington, 7:00pm Dec 19: LDI Centering Prayer Workshop, 6:30pm Dec 22: Lessons and Carols at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:00am Dec 24: Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, Bishop Shaw preaching, 8:00pm, with music beginning at 7:30pm Dec 25: Christmas Day at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:00am Jan 4: Ordination Service, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 10:30am Jan 4: Lessons and Carols of Christmas, St. Peter's Church, Cambridge, 5:00pm Jan 16: Swords into Plowshares Interfaith Conversation on Guns and Violence, St. Paul's Church, Newburyport, 7:30pm Jan 24: LDI Training Jan 24: Diocesan Council Retreat, Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center, Greenfield, NH, 6:00pm.
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Calling all shepherds, angels and kings:
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The Epiphany School gym transformed for last year's Christmas pageant.
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Students at the Epiphany School (154 Centre Street) in Dorchester are busy this week rehearsing for their annual Christmas Potluck and Pageant on Friday, Dec. 20. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a potluck dinner in the cafeteria provided by Epiphany families. After dinner, everyone moves into the gym for the pageant, with lots of music and great acting by the students that promises to inspire true holiday spirit. All are welcome. |
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Creation Care Season inspires ongoing stewardship
The diocese's fourth annual observance of Creation Care
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Bishop Cederholm blesses solar panels at Christ Church, Needham
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Season concluded at the end of November with an interfaith panel on climate change that brought five faith leaders together at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston to discuss how faith inspires and drives environmental action.
The Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, a regional interfaith environmental organization, gave the keynote address at the Nov. 20 event, and the Rt. Rev. Bud Cederholm, retired bishop suffragan, moderated the panel.
People also took part in solar panel blessings, film screenings and Sustainable House of Worship workshops during the season.
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Advent resources and reflections
 As the third week approaches in this Advent season of anticipation and preparation for Christ's birth, there is still time to make use of resources collected here for giving and getting ready in this holy season. Read more. |
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Bishop Shaw undergoes surgery
Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE is home from the hospital and recuperating following surgery on Dec. 6.
His doctors recommended the procedure in order to continue monitoring his response to the treatment for brain cancer that he's been undergoing since his diagnosis last May.
According to updates from the Rev. Canon Mally Lloyd, Canon to the Ordinary, his doctors are pleased with how the surgery went and with his progress following the surgery. "He says he is looking forward to getting back to work, and once again expresses his gratitude for the diocesan community's ongoing prayer," she said.
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NewsNotes
In remembrance: Nelson Mandela
In remembrance of Nelson Mandela, who died on Dec. 5, Bishop Suffragan Gayle E. Harris and retired bishops suffragan Bud Cederholm and Barbara C. Harris said in a Dec. 6 statement: "It may seem that a light for freedom and equality has been extinguished by his death, but we know he has enkindled that fire in countless others." Read the full statement. The Rev. Noble F. Scheepers, Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Dedham, is from South Africa and met Mandela several times. He recalls those encounters in a reflection on the diocesan Web site, writing: "I voted for the first time in 1994, in the first election open to all South Africans, regardless of color. It was my honor and privilege to cast my vote for Nelson Mandela. May the legacy of Nelson Mandela live forever. He was, undoubtedly, the first among equals." Read more.
Parishes and communities gather to remember those lost to gun violence
A year after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that claimed 28 lives, communities in the diocese are gathering to reflect, learn and pray about the continuing tragedy of gun violence.
All victims of violence from firearms will be acknowledged during a candlelit vigil in Falmouth at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14. The vigil will provide an opportunity for people to quietly and peacefully unite in reflection and prayer. It will not feature a program of formal speeches; information about proposed gun-related legislation being considered by the Massachusetts Legislature will be available.
Winter/Spring 2014 Youth Ministry events:
Diocesan youth ministry is taking a new approach to mission this April school vacation week with a first-time New York City mission experience. High school-age youth will spend time working on issues of homelessness and hunger with partner organizations in New York, and then spend time together in discussion and reflection about God's presence in the people they meet. Sam Gould, Director of Youth Ministry, said that he hopes the week will be a transformative experience that resonates long after the group returns home.
The youth mission experience is set for April 21-26, 2014 (Massachusetts school vacation week). Both individuals and youth groups are welcome to take part. Scholarships are available thanks to a diocesan Mission Tithe Matching Grant. Applications will be available in January. Questions may be sent to Sam Gould at sgould@diomass.org.
Seventh, eighth and ninth graders are invited to register for Winter Camp, a collaboration between the Office of Youth Ministry and the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center. Winter Camp is Feb. 17 -22, 2014, and will be a a week filled with fun, outdoor camp activities mixed with faith formation, small group workshops and leadership development. Campers will have the opportunity to ski, snowshoe, do arts and crafts and more. Information and registration forms are available here.
Diocesan staff welcomes assistant director of youth ministry
 Ethan Doss joined the diocesan staff on Nov. 18 as part-time assistant director of youth ministry, a new position. He comes to the position from Project Adventure, an experiential education company based in Beverly, where he worked as a youth and college program specialist. The focus of his work will be to support congregational youth ministry programs by facilitating events for youth and trainings for adult mentors.
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Parish Circuit
St. Stephen's youth provide Christmas gifts for Lynn children:
 | | St. Stephen's youth with their artwork. |
Marcus Garraud remembers waking up and knowing that Santa came, and how excited he was to open presents on Christmas morning. As part of the Christmas Presents Project for Kids (CPPK) at St. Stephen's Church in Lynn, he wants to help make sure that every child in Lynn has gifts to open on Christmas.
The St. Stephen's OASIS youth group has been doing a toy drive for children in Lynn for nine years. Last year, the program provided Christmas gift bags to 350 children and youth.The OASIS youth group is raising funds for the gifts by creating and selling artwork. This year, the youth have made puzzle pieces, which are brightly colored and collaged with inspirational messages from magazines, representing how the the program and everyone who supports it are "a piece of the solution." Read the full story.
St. Luke's/San Lucas celebrates Advent tradition of Las Posadas: On the nine evenings leading up to Christmas, one group
 | | Gathered in a home for prayer and celebration. |
of Episcopalians will be gathering in homes to sing, pray and share a meal. Gathering around a nativity scene, they will meditate and pray in preparation for Christmas. This is Las Posadas and the Novena, traditional Advent festivals from Central and South America, and for many members of St. Luke's/San Lucas in Chelsea, it's a way to keep tradition alive in their new home. Las Posadas, Spanish for "the inns," is a nine-night reenactment of Mary and Joseph's arrival in Bethlehem, and how they were turned away from all of the inns in town. The celebration takes place from Dec. 16 to Christmas Eve. Read more.
Bright Idea: Give-to-the-Earth tree inspires simple gifts As part of their Christmas gift giving this year, members of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Watertown are turning off lights in unused rooms, air drying laundry and carpooling--just a few of the relatively inexpensive carbon-emission-saving acts that are part of the parish's holiday Give-to-the-Earth Tree project. Using a list of "25 Steps Under $25" from coolcongregations.org as a guide, parishioners are invited to do something that decreases their carbon footprint, then write what they did on a paper ornament and hang it on the tree. Read more. Much to celebrate and much to give at Good Shepherd in Acton:  | | Bishop Shaw (center) and the Rev. Gareth Evans, at Evans's institution as rector. |
The Rev. Gareth Evans's institution as rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Acton was a celebration that reached beyond the walls of the church. In addition to celebrating the institution at the Nov. 20 service, Good Shepherd spotlighted its ministry and partnerships, and offered gifts in honor of Bishop Tom Shaw. Good Shepherd donated a washing machine to the Lowell Transitional Living Center, and 500 Thanksgiving dinners to the food pantry at St. Mary's Church in Dorchester. The church also collected 101 pillows for the Lowell Transitional Living Center. Read more.  "Turkey Wahoo": Epiphany, Winchester gives thanks with St. Stephen's, Boston: What's a Wahoo, you ask? The Turkey Wahoo is an annual Thanksgiving meal for students in the afterschool program at St. Stephen's Church in Boston, along with their families, program staff and alumni. On Nov. 26, members of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester arrived St. Stephen's with pies, turkeys and more, and served a festive meal to more than 200 students, parents and staff members.Read more.
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NewsLinks
MANNA homeless ministry provides space blankets to homeless
The Boston Globe highlighted the work of the MANNA homeless ministry, and how many homeless or formerly homeless people are working together to provide Mylar space blankets to people on the streets as temperatures drop and risk of exposure rises. "It's a project only this [homeless] community could have conceived of," said Rev. Canon Steven Bonsey. "They know the best places for outreach." Read the full story.
Brookline Food Pantry sees growing demand
The Brookline Food Pantry, located at St. Paul's Church in Brookline, is experiencing an upswing in demand this year.Visits to the pantry increased from 2,650 in 2009 to almost 5,000 last year, and spending has jumped from $40,000 in 2009 to $113,000 in 2012. Two years ago, the pantry distributed 130 turkeys for Thanksgiving--this year they gave 230. "From a hunger perspective, we're going in the wrong direction," said Rene Feuerman, director of the food pantry. Complete story.
Volunteers at the heart of St. Martin's food pantry Inspired by the Gospel imperative to feed the hungry, the food pantry at St. Martin's Church in New Bedford has grown to serve 150 families a month, SouthCoastToday.com reports. "Hunger doesn't seem to be ending," food pantry director Libby Davenport says in the story. "It does affect everyone." Read more.
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E-News
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