Inside The Harvest From the presiding bishop Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in her Lenten message calls Episcopalians to remember the hungry this Lent, and eat accordingly. Page 2
K2K fundraiser A medieval feast is planned for April 6 as a special fundraiser for the Kansas to Kenya ministry, to support projects in that African nation. Page 4
Volf at Tocher Lecture Noted theologian and author Miroslav Volf will be the speaker at the next Tocher Lecture, set for April 25 at St. Thomas’ in Overland Park. The event is free and open to the public. Page 4
Miqra For more than a decade, Miqra has brought youth from across the diocese together to read and study the Bible, this year with an emphasis on the Old Testament. Page 5
Ashes to Go Clergy from three churches in the diocese offered Lent’s mark of repentance to people outside the church walls this year in a movement known as Ashes to Go. Page 6
Campus ministry
It’s been a busy start to the first semester for young adults involved with campus ministry, as they engaged in urban mission work and gathered for a retreat to better plan their work. Page 7
Around the diocese Read how teddy bears from Kansas are making life just a little easier for victims still recovering from last fall’s Hurricane Sandy, and about a small church that never gave up on a project to create a new banner. Page 8
Topeka piano whiz In addition to being an acolyte, dancer and all around “amazing kid,” 12-year-old Daniel Mangiaracino of St. David’s recently won two piano competitions. Page 9
Inaugural prayers Washington National Cathedral was the site for the traditional inaugural prayer service that marks the start of a president’s term. More than 2,000 worshippers gathered for the service Jan. 22. Page 11
New archbishop begins The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, took office after his confirmation ceremony Feb. 4 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. His enthronement is set for March 21. Page 11
Latino leaders help launch weekly Spanish service in K.C. parish By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest The visit of a well-known Latino priest and an accomplished musician helped launch the start of a weekly Spanish service at St. Paul’s, Kansas City. The Rev. Alberto Cutié and Julio Cuellar spent time at the parish Feb. 23-24 as part of a joint effort by the Episcopal Dioceses of Kansas and West Missouri and the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through the denominations’ commitment to Latino ministry in the greater Kansas City area. The appearance of Cuellar and the well-known Cutié, a Miami priest whose ministry included radio and television shows when he was in the Roman Catholic Church, came just nine months after St. Paul’s had its first outreach efforts to the growing Latino community in its neighborhood. According to the Rev. Dixie Junk, St. Paul’s priest in charge, the visit of Cutié and Cuellar resulted in attendance of about 100 people at the weekend’s Saturday afternoon Spanish-language service, many of them new to the church. There was a crowd of 140 at the dinner and fiesta that followed, and Junk said about 100 of them also were first-time guests at St. Paul’s. Since last summer, Spanish-speakers have begun attending St. Paul’s, in part through neighborhood outreach efforts, and Junk has worked with the congregation to prepare them for the launch of a
Photo by Melodie Woerman
The Rev. Alberto Cutié preaches at a Spanish service Feb. 23 at St. Paul’s, Kansas City. Cutié, a priest in Miami, was in Kansas City to support the launch of a weekly Spanish service at St. Paul’s to serve the growing Latino congregation in the metropolitan area. Joining Cutié in the visit was Julio Cuellar, a musician from Washington, D.C.
weekly Spanish service starting March 3. In recent months they have also observed several church customs of Latino origin, including a Day of the Day remembrance in November and a celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe in December. Junk said these festive activities have
Women’s Summit to explore cultural and scripture images of women By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
Women’s Summit April 19 - 20
St. James’, 3750 E. Douglas, Wichita Women constantly are bombarded with $40 per person registration images of themselves that emphasize only an intergenerational event for Episcophysical beauty, so some women in the pal women high school aged and up diocese decided it was time to see what they could do to change those perceptions. That topic will form the basis of for all women in the diocese, conversations at the not just those in traditionally first-ever diocesan women-centered organizaWomen’s Summit, tions like Episcopal Church set for April 19-20 at Women groups, Daughters of St. James’, 3750 East the King or altar guild. Douglas in Wichita. “Bring your high school The event’s theme is daughter, your 30-something “Women and Girls: daughter, your aunt,” she Made in the Image of said, and “come talk together God.” about how we can provide Ellen Wolfe, one of positive images of who God the event’s organizers, wants us to be.” said that images of Dr. Deirdre Good will be The event begins on Friwomen in our culture the keynote speaker at the day, April 19 with a gathertoo often “aren’t help- first-ever diocesan Women’s ing time and light dinner at ful and constructive,” Summit April 19-20 in Wichita. 5:30 p.m., followed by the but the Christian faith keynote address. Events on Saturday helps women “to contrast and counteract will include three discussion topics, some of the images that we see.” Wolfe, with time for small group reflection, as a member of Grace Cathedral, Topeka, is married to Bishop Dean Wolfe. She said this intergenerational event is (Please see Summit, page 2)
been warmly embraced by the existing congregation, with several telling her the Guadalupe service was “one of the most beautiful” they had ever seen.
(Please see Latino, page 3)
Wichita refugee agency expands its services By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest The work to help refugees from Burma (Myanmar) find a new life in Wichita is expanding as the agency that assists them finds itself on more secure financial footing. Episcopal Wichita Area Refugee Ministry (EWARM) since July 2012 has welcomed 25 people in eight families — 16 adults and nine children — to new homes. Shannon Mahan, EWARM’s executive director, had her work cut out for her just getting the basics set up for families who arrived at the Wichita airport often with little beyond the clothes they were wearing. But volunteer sponsoring organizations, usually churches, have helped provide funding and support volunteers, and as the program had grown it is starting to celebrate new milestones and expand how it helps its families. The agency’s financial outlook was enhanced with nearly $30,000 in (Please see Agency, page 3)