Triennial Today, July 5, 2012

Triennial TODAY THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

WELCOME Episcopal Wo Episcopal women from

dioceses and provinces around the country will gather in Indiana over the next 10 days to celebrate the 47th Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) Triennial Meeting, “Many Paths, One Journey.” The conference, which will run through July 11, will commence today, at 1 pm, on the second floor of the Westin Hotel, in Indianapolis.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will bring the meeting to order and bless specially-designed crosses that will be distributed to the gathered attendees.

Afterwards, keynote speaker, Reverend Lindsay Hardin Freeman, author, editor, Episcopal priest, and storyteller, will speak to the triennial theme, “Many Paths, One Journey.”

Freeman will illuminate how the theme is a reflection of the current state of spirituality among church women (and men), and illumuniates their individual experiences and their personal journeys with God. Freeman has been the recipient of

more than 30 awards for journalistic excellence during her longtime editorship of The Vestry Papers, has written several books on women and spirituality, including her most recent release, The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women. A popular speaker and retreat leader who speaks on contemporary spirituality and women of the Bible, has brought 12 of these women to life in The Scarlet Cord, and shared their individual paths, and journeys with God. The week-long conference will run in tandem with the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, and will be the primary point for ceremonies observing such ECW-affiliated groups as Distinguished Woman; Unified Gift (NetsforLife®); United Thank Offering (UTO); Recognition for Excellence in Communication; and the first ever Triennial Walk/Run. A major highlight of this meeting is the launch of the 1st Triennial Walk/ Run, which will take place along the the downtown Canal Walk, on July

Women!

8, at 6.30 am. Inspired by such bold women athletes as Kathrine Switzer (the first woman marathoner), the event is spearheaded by ECW in affiliation with National Episcopal Health Ministries, to benefit the Indianapolis-based John P. Craine House, a work-release facility for non-violent female offenders and their preschoolaged children.

To mark the beginning of each ECW Triennial Meeting, special crosses are blessed by

the Presiding Bishop and dispensed to the attendees. The uniquely-designed

crosses

are designed to illustrate the theme of that year’s meeting.

Attendees should set their calendars for a busy agenda, that is filled with myriad business meetings, planning committees, mixers, and a series of diverse workshops to meet everyone’s interests.

This year, Triennial Today has gone green! All issues will be available at www.ecwnational.org.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to submit information to the Triennial Today staff, please do not hesitate to contact us at tmeditor@ecwnational.org, or call (310) 850-4837 (Rogena Schuyler Silverman).

This year’s theme, “Many Paths, One Journey,” is reflect-

ed in a pewter design inspired

by classic Celtic artwork. (The design is approved by the ECW board of directors.)

ECW Triennial Keynot Among the many highlights

of the 47th Triennial Episcopal Church Women’s meeting, “Many Paths, One Journey,” is scheduled keynote speaker Reverend Lindsay Hardin Freeman, award-winning editor, author, and Episcopal priest.

Freeman worked with the Episcopal Church Foundation for more than 20 years, and served as editor of The Vestry Papers.

During her editorship of almost 10 years, Freeman won 33 Polly Bond awards for excellence in church communications.

Reverend Freeman will be available to sign copies of The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women in the Exhibit Hall: Friday, July 6, LeaderResources, 1-2 pm, booth 716 Saturday, July 7, Forward Movement, 1-2 pm, booth 515 Monday, July 9, Forward Movement, 1-2 pm, booth 515 Tuesday, July 10, LeaderResources, 12-1 pm, booth 716

Since then, her keen interests in women of the Bible and their parallels with contemporary women and spirituality have inspired her in authoring such works as Good Lord Deliver Us: A Lenten Journey (co-authored with husband, Leonard Freeman); Wisdom Found: Stories of Women Transfigured by Faith; and, her latest offering, The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women, a compilation of 12 stories featuring Bible women,

Reverend Lin

te Speaker: The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women with illustrations by Karen N. Canton with colorful illustrations by Karen N. Canton.

Aside from her keynote speech engagement, Freeman, a popular retreat leader, will be offering a couple of workshops, “Bible Women Who Sought Healing: What We Can Learn From Their Actions” and “Courageous, Bold, and Surprising: Spiritual Mothers and Grandmothers,” inspired by materials from her books, Wisdom Found and The Scarlet Cord, and from the Bible women and contemporary spirituality.

Freeman currently resides in Orono, Minn, with her husband, Leonard.

They have two sons, David and Jeffrey. She is available for retreats, workshops, and book club presentations. For more information, go to www.scarletcordbook.com, or call 952.476.6267. *All books can be purchased through amazon.com

Rahab of Jericho Illustration by Karen N. Canton.

ndsay Hardin Freeman

{outside the convention}

A Few Cool Things to Do in Indianapolis You’ve got some time to yourself... So, what’s the plan?

Episcopal Church Women have gathered from around the country to attend their 47th Triennial Meeting at the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, in Indianapolis.

For the next several days, the city will be buzzing like an ecumenical beehive with endless meetings on budgets, workshops, seminars, elections, and so much more.

Conferences can often be all-consuming affairs, full of obligations and activities, leaving little room to explore the host city. However, if the opportunity presents itself, and you find that you have an hour or two on your own, why not venture out into the city, and check out some of these exciting points of interest Indianapolis has to offer. After all, you’ve traveled too far not to take in the sites.

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) 317.232.1882

Want to dig a little deeper into what makes Indianapolis tick? Contact the Indiana Historical Society. This organization is a private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation’s premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest, and presents a unique set of visitor exhibitions called the Indiana Experience.

IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups; publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; and provides youth, adult, and family programming.

Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) 317.923.1331

For a mere $5 admission the Indianapolis Museum of Art offers to enrich a few hours of your day.

Nestled in lush, manicured gardens, the climate-controlled galleries of the museum offer a vast array of artwork to be enjoyed. Its collections range from African and oceanic art, to ancient art of the Mediterranean and the Americas, to Native American and contemporary art. There are also several exhibitions on the current schedule. As one of the largest encyclopedic art museums in the country, the Indiana Museum of Art boasts a 60-foot sculpture by Robert Irwin.

Among the the exhibits that are currently running are: The Tomb of Vigna Codini II, featuring sculptures, portraits, and urns from 1st century AD Rome; Printmakers in the Cafés of Paris, which offers a view of Parisian nightlife, as seen through the eyes of the Pont-Aven School of artists; and a photography exhibit, Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard, which provides a perspective on early photography, and on the synthesis of painting, printmaking and photography at the end of the 19th century, when easy-to-manage cameras first became available to amateurs.

Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District

Located in the center of the city, there are two museums, three parks, and 24 acres of monuments, statues, sculptures, and fountains in the heart of downtown Indianapolis that make up this commemorative plaza (making it second only to Washington DC in acreage and number of monuments dedicated to veterans).

The monuments honor the valor and sacrifice of the United States Armed Forces, especially Indiana veterans.

Canal and White River State Park – White River State Park is the nation’s only urban state park and provides a wide variety of fun from its many attractions and entertainment options, including the White River Gardens, the Hilbert Conservatory, the Indianapolis Canal Walk, as well as the Indianapolis Zoo. (The Canal Walk will

be the venue of the 1st ECW Triennial Walk/Run this Sunday, July 8.)

For the racing enthusiast...

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum 317.492.6784 Just a few minutes from downtown, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame houses an automotive museum, and the Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The museum is linked to the Indianapolis 500, but includes exhibits reflecting other forms of motorsports, passenger cars, and general automotive history. Check out the Indy 500 winning cars are on display.

wetlands and a large lake, located next to the famous Indianapolis Museum of Art. Followed on one border by the beautiful White River, this wonderful community treasure is being developed to be one of the country’s largest art parks and a center for Indianapolis arts.

Indianapolis Zoo

A world-class zoological garden, the Indianapolis Zoo is also the only such institution that also offers an aquarium and a botanical garden.

Every year, about a million and a half visitors come to enjoy the Indianapolis Zoo and the huge number of Indianapolis things to do it has, and the Zoo is able to entertain, educate and enlighten them all.

For the Urban Adventurer...

Circle Centre Mall

Conveniently located in downtown Indianapolis, the glass-enclosed mall surrounds the conference area, and features more than 100 shops, stores and restaurants. It also sports a network of glass skyways connecting to several local hotels, including the Conrad Hotel, the Embassy Suites complex, the Hyatt Regency, the Canterbury, the Marriott, the Westin, and the Omni Severin.

Fairbanks Art and Nature Park

The Fairbanks Art and Nature Park in Indianapolis consists of 100 acres of natural meadows, woods,

Indianapolis Visitor Center (Artsgarden)

For additional information on what to do in Indianapolis, go to the Indianapolis Visitor Center located at 100 West Washington St., call 317.631.3301, or contact the concierge at one of the convention hotels.

Of course, you can always grab an ECW sister, and go wandering out on the town, and have an adventure!

It shouldn’t be difficult to find a few activities to delight the eye and satisfy that inner wanderlust. If you do, write a brief review and send it to TMEditor@ecwnational.org, and we’ll share it in the next day’s issue of Triennial Today.

{province spotlight}

HONORING

the Distinguished Women of the Church

The Distinguished Woman Award (formerly known as the Honored

Woman Award) is presented at each Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) Triennial Meeting to a woman in the Episcopal Church whose life and involvement in the secular community best reflects “her Christian values.” As part of this timehonored ceremony, diocesan delegates from each province are asked to submit the name of a woman who represents these qualities.

To honor these exceptional individuals, Triennial Today will offer a profile of one woman from each of the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church. The Distinguished Woman ceremonies will be held on Saturday, July 7, between 11 am and 1 pm, on the second floor of the Westin Hotel, in the ballroom.

From Province I: MODESTA PELLOT Born in Puerto Rico, Modesta

Pellot’s family moved to New York when she was just 2 years of age.

A graduate of the Bank Street College of Education, Pellot worked as a bilingual educator. Now, a resident of Rhode Island (and part of its diocese), she is the senior warden at St. George’s Church, Central Falls. As a leader, Pellot has helped enrich her spiritual family by educating and inspiring them to become actively involved in, not only in affairs of the church, but within the community and the diocese. She is also a liaison between the Anglo and Hispanic communities, and has been a community activist organizer. Additionally, she is an active member of the Diocesan Council, the ECW, the Blackstone Deanery, and the Mission Task Force.

Pellot’s diocese has nominated her because she is “full of spiritual energy” that is infectious, and reaches to those around her. She is also compassionate, patient, and well-respected in her community (especially among the youth and children’s community).

According to her nominees, “It is not just the work that is important to Modesta, it is her faith in God, and willingness to trust and share that distinguishes her [from other individuals].”

The Slippery Noodle After a long day of conferencing,

some people look for a low-key atmosphere where they can put up their feet, enjoy a hearty meal, and listen to some great music. In Indianapolis, the legendary Slippery Noodle Inn fits the order.

The venue is a blues bar and restaurant in the downtown area of Indianapolis. The oldest commercial building in the city, The Slippery Noodle Inn opened its doors in as the Tremont House, in 1850, and has been a continuously operating bar ever since. (It has been operating under its current name since 1963.)

Boasting a bit of a past—the inn was a stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, a speakeasy during Prohibition, and a brothel in the early to mid 20th century. Nowadays, its reputation is one for offering good food, spirits, and outstanding music. It has played host to dozens of legendary blues performers during over time, making it one of the most prominent music venues in the Midwest. It was voted the “Best Bar and Best Live Music” spot in Indianapolis, in 2008, by CitySearch.

The Slippery Noodle Inn is at 372 South Meridian Street. For more information, call 317.631.6974, or go to www.slipperynoodle.com.

Triennial TODAY was written, edited, and designed by Rogena Schuyler-Silverman and Cristina Paraiso. For the duration of the conference, the office for Triennial Today is located in the Senate 1 Suite, on the 2nd floor of the Westin. If you would like to contribute an article, review, or offer unique insight into the event, please contact TMeditor@ecwnational.org.