ABUNDANT Times Summer/Fall 2024

Celebrating God's Abundance

Summer/Fall 2024

Table of Contents ABUNDANT Times is the official news publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

The diocesan offices are located at: 37 Chestnut Street Springfield, MA, 01103-1787 Call us: (413) 737-4786 Visit us: www.diocesewma.org Follow us: @EpiscopalWMA

Abundant times

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts, Publisher The Rev. Vicki Ix Managing Editor Alison Gamache Layout and Copy Editor

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From the Bishop

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Meet our Interim Canon to the Ordinary

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The 123rd Diocesan Convention

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Out of the Ashes: Church of the Nativity, Northborough navigates redesign of fire-damaged sanctuary

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Poet & Priest

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General Convention: The view from the sidelines

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Church is a powerful ally in addiction recovery

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Around the Diocese

At Diocesan House

The Rev. Dr. Richard M. Simpson Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Vicki Ix Canon for Communications

Missioners

The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith Missioner for Spirituality and Leadership The Rev. Christopher Carlisle Director, Building Bridges Veterans Initiative The Rev. Jennifer Gregg Missioner for Servant Leadership The Rev. José Reyes Missioner for Hispanic/Latino Ministries

Cover: Mosaic, The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes, Tabgha, Israel Photo: Adobe Stock

From the Bishop The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts

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y now you have all received the news that the Standing Committee of our diocese has called for the election of the 10th bishop of Western Massachusetts. We have entered into transitional space. You still have a bishop.

I am as committed as ever to serving this diocese that I love. At the same time, we are all anticipating a big change. It is not surprising that I find myself thinking about the early days of our ministry together but there will be plenty of time for taking stock ahead. What is most important now is the work that remains—our shared call to live the Gospel and work for God’s justice.

This next year will necessarily include lots of prayer, reflection, and deep discernment. The Standing Committee will cast the net wide to include many in the search and transition. All the while, we will rest in the faithfulness of God. We will trust the God who always wants to give us more—more peace, more, hope, more life. It is the perfect time to “Celebrate God’s Abundance” as we gather for the 123rd Diocesan Convention next month and as this year of preparation unfolds.

Big change is scary for many and exciting for some. The truth is that nothing stays the same. We are always becoming— always still on the way. It is one of the many gifts of faith that we have rites and rituals to mark liminal moments—the

As I think about where we have been together and where will might go in the next year, I am inspired by a prayer attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyr of El Salvador. It was actually written by Bishop Ken Untener in 1979. It is good wisdom for us all as we do what is ours to do in this time, in this place. This prayer truly celebrates the abundance of God.

ones in which we can almost feel God doing something new. I was blessed to witness two of those early this fall.

It was a joy to participate in the consecration of Bishop Nathan Pipho, New England Synod ELCA. My friend, Jim Hazelwood, has retired and Nathan was chosen by the Holy Spirit to lead the Lutherans in all of New England. My friend, Alan Gates has retired as bishop of Massachusetts and it was my great honor to serve as co-consecrator of Bishop Julia E. Whitworth, the 17th bishop of Massachusetts.

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision. . . .

This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our

capabilities.

We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and to do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

Amen. ♦

+Doug

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Meet our Interim Canon to the Ordinary The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts

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he Rev. Steven Wilco has accepted my call to serve as Interim Canon to the Ordinary beginning November 1st.

Steven served as Assistant to the Bishop of the New England Synod ELCA from February 2020 through the end of Bishop Jim Hazelwood’s episcopate. With four years of experience at the judicatory level, Steven has been leading congregations through the process of discernment and call. Among his many contributions to the ministry of the New England Synod, he served as co-chair of the Synod Stewardship Task Force and as a trained facilitator on the Synod Listening & Reconciliation Team. He has worked at the national level on worship planning with the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and the Institute of Liturgical Studies.

Before joining the Bishop’s staff, Steven was Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran, Amherst from 2011 - 2018.

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Following, he was Pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Windsor, CT. A graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary), Steven was ordained by Bishop Margaret Payne on Feb. 5, 2011.

I have known Steven for some time as he and Canon Rich Simpson negotiated clergy calls for our many collaborating congregations. After Pastor Lauren Holm retired, Steven joined our Social Justice Commission.

He is faithful and centered, and at ease with the hard questions facing our lay and ordained leaders. I am confident he will be the perfect interim for this critical role in our diocese. Twenty-five years after our branches of the Jesus movement entered full-communion, the Spirit continues to lead us to new and deeper engagement. Steven may be the first Lutheran Interim Canon to the Ordinary in The Episcopal Church. I ask your prayers for him and for his family as they prepare for this new chapter of mission. ♦

The 123rd Diocesan Convention November 9, 2024

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onvention will once again be held in person at The Conference Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Please note that all voting delegates must be present at the convention venue. The convention, including the Eucharist, will be streamed, but interactive online participation will not be offered.

unusually low. Online conventions during the pandemic obviously cut the biggest costs for two years. Even as we returned to in-person, UMass has been a great choice in location and affordability. We have not, however, budgeted for the outsourcing of sound and video—the kind of services that have become a regular expense of convention for neighboring dioceses for some time.

Please watch the Convention website for the most up to date information: www.diocesewma.org/convention

In 2024 we are making the leap. Our diocese is increasing the subsidy but we must also ask more of our delegates. This is not a "one off" year, but the beginning of being where we need to be. It will be helpful for congregations to budget this fee annually going forward.

You will find the Convention Timetable, the Nominations booklet, and Nomination form on the "For Delegates" page.

Smart Device Needed for Voting We will once again use the SimplyVoting platform for elections and any additional resolutions. All delegates will need access to a "smart" device in order to access the voting platform.

A change we need to explain: Convention costs have risen, registration fee $70 Diocesan Convention has always been a ministry of our diocese and heavily subsidized from our annual budget.

We have managed to keep costs low—

This is a hard shift to make and we know it. But the services we need for church in the digital age come at a cost. We hope you understand.

Scan the QR code below to register.

If you wish to register other members of your delegation, you must begin a new form with the email they will use to vote. Voting credentials or tied to individual email addresses. In addition, you'll need to know their dietary and accessibility concerns. ♦

www.diocesewma.org/convention

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Diocesan Convention

October 30th

Pre-Convention Meeting Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00pm EST (online event) Be an informed delegate. Join Secretary Wende Wheeler, Bishop Fisher, and Canons as we review resolutions and meet the nominees for elected office. First-time delegates are especially encouraged to attend. Zoom access information will be emailed to all delegates and be available on the Convention website.

November 4th

Vigil Prayers for the Election Monday, November 4 at 7:00pm EST (online event) Led by the community of deacons, this online service will pray God's blessing on our nation. Zoom access information will be emailed to all the faithful of our diocese.

November 8th

Honoring The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas Friday, November 8 at 12:00pm (in-person) Luncheon at Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst RSVP: www.diocesewma.org/creation-care/luncheon-honoringmargaret-bullitt-jonas or scan the QR code

"Margaret was the first Missioner for Creation Care in our diocese and, perhaps, in The Episcopal Church. Her vision to make the voice of faith front and center in the battle to stem climate change was clearly the work of the Spirit. With ecumenical and interfaith partners, Margaret has inspired and mobilized."

- Bishop Doug Fisher 6

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November 9th

Budget Hearing Saturday, November 9 at 8:00am (in-person) We invite you to review the 2025 Diocesan Budget and bring your questions to this Q&A with Kimberly Foster, CFO, and Mark Rogers, treasurer.

November 9th

The 123rd Annual Diocesan Convention Saturday, November 9 at 7:30am (in-person and streamed via YouTube) Delegates, alternates, guests, and friends of our diocese are welcome to the 123rd Annual Diocesan Convention held inperson at UMass Amherst.

Convention begins with Holy Eucharist at 9:00am. Tune in on our YouTube channel to pray with us and hear the Bishop's Address. www.youtube.com/@EpiscopalWMA

Meet the Chaplains 12. For a Church Convention or Meeting

Photo: Episcopal Asset Map

The Rev. Heather Blais Saints James & Andrew, Greenfield

Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in Western Massachusetts for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory.

Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Photo: Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Sutton

The Rev. Julie Carson Holy Spirit, Sutton

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Church of the Nativity, Northborough navigates redesign of fire-damaged sanctuary

Out of the Ashes

The Rev. Vicki Ix, managing editor of ABUNDANT Times and diocesan Canon for Communications, interviewed the priest-in-charge and senior warden of Church of the Nativity in Northborough almost five months after an electrical fire that destroyed the nave. This conversation was recorded and redacted for length and clarity.

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ditor: I have a couple of dates that I want to talk about. The first is February 1st, when Meghan came on board as deacon-in-charge. Just what was it like at the beginning of your work together as a new deacon-in-charge and a senior warden? Either one of you can start there.

Hesek, senior warden: Well, I was thrilled. Rich Simpson [Canon to the Ordinary], had called and talked to me about someone that he had just had lunch with and was excited about and it just seemed like all the pieces were falling together. We had the facility [rectory] that was going to work for Megan and her family. And then after meeting with her and the junior warden, it was just, you know, wonderful, and seemed like it was going to be a wonderful fit, which turned out it was.

Editor: Meghan, early days, how was that for you?

The Rev. Meghan Mantler: Well, early days of course seemed a bit like a dream come true, that I could walk into a space and it was sort of my own. So it was sort of like, this is my place, these are my people. And it was fun learning everyone’s stories. I just dove right into everyone’s stories and just spending lots of time with people. And then Deb would meet with me on Fridays. We would sort 8

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Photo: Northborough Firefighters Local 3057, via Facebook

of have a summary of the week and she’d always say, “What can I do for you?”

Editor: Oh, how wonderful. You’ve got a good one, Meghan.

and had really affected quite a bit of the rest of the church was still decked out with all our Easter splendor. And so to see all of that destroyed was just kind of poignant.

Mantler: I do. I do.

Editor: So you were first on the scene.

Editor: You had 10 weeks, and then the fire happened in the early morning hours of April 9th. Could you give us a sense of what that night was like for both of you?

Hesek: I was. I didn’t call anyone in the middle of the night because there was not anything that anyone could do. I’m a very practical kind of person. I’m not going to wake and disturb people when there’s nothing to be done at that point.

So, early in the morning I let [Meghan] know.

Hesek: Well, I got a call at, I can’t remember what, one or two o’clock in the morning from the Northborough Fire Department to come down because they had first gone to the rectory, of course, and nobody was living there yet. The emergency number that they still had on file was for Chad [McCabe, former rector]. So, they called him in Tennessee and he gave them some numbers here. I was close by and so I went down to find the church circled with firefighters and all of that. The fire had been contained by the time that I arrived, but, as Meghan reminded me, I said, “It’s only a little fire,” because at that point it really did look like that. The firefighters believed that the preschool was not affected. Soon we discovered that that was not the case.

The water and smoke had gone down

Editor: What an unselfish thing, to hold all that sadness and tragedy in your own heart and let other people get a few more Z’s. You’re a good woman.

Mantler: Story of Deb Hesek, I’ll tell you that. She holds a lot for a lot of people.

I saw that it was Deb calling me at 5:30, 6:30 in the morning, and I thought, “Oh, no. What’s wrong at the church?”

I answered and she said, “Meghan, I’m just calling to let you know that there was a little fire in the nave.” And I went, “Oh, how big?” And she said, “Well, you know, there’s a lot of charring in the left side. It started at 1:30” and she

went through the whole story. Being a social worker, I’ve gotten really bad news before and had to sort of think about what to do first. I knew Deb was leaving for work and I was actually happy she was going to work because Deb has held this church together for so long. She has had to be the one opening and closing this building for the year that they didn’t have somebody. And now, now I was here. I could take the baton and actually lead through this crisis.

We probably got to the church around 8 o’clock. And at that point I actually had this “women in ministry” moment because I was walking up to the scene with a bunch of firefighters and building department officials, and they were all men. I thought, “Yeah, I’m new. I’m a deacon and I’m a woman, and I can do this.”

The other interesting thing that happened that morning was that I knew that my first call needed to be Rich. He had already texted me, because he had found out in the middle of the night as well, and also waited until the morning to talk to me. And he wrote, “When you wake up, you will have already known about the fire. Give me a call.” So after I talked to Deb, the first call I made was Rich. And he said, “Let me know if you need me.” And luckily he lives in Worcester.

Editor: I know Rich spent a lot of Sundays with you.

Hesek: Yeah, he did spend a lot of Sundays with us and he’s been a great support. But I do have to say that I’ve been senior warden to three priests.

And Meghan is by far the most capable watching how she has navigated through all of this and all of the dealings. I can’t say how strongly I feel about this. No one else would have done as well as she’s doing it now. Don’t get me wrong.

There’s so much more to be done. We’re really in the thick of it.

Editor: Mm-hmm. Well, how are things?

There’s probably been a physical, financial timeline here of how things are going, but there’s also this other level of people’s emotional wellness in the community and how you move people from sadness, shock, and grief—through that whole Paschal Mystery to new life.

And that’s where I can say that Meghan just excelled, Deb. I’ve taken workshops in crisis communications as part of my work, but I’ve never seen someone so naturally make that leap as a spiritual leader in a crisis to say, “We are the body of Christ, whether we’re in our building or we’re not in our building, we are God’s own and we will make this journey together from ashes to resurrection.” It was just spot-on communication and I expect it was what your people needed to hear at the time.

Hesek: Right, absolutely. We arranged to have a tent so that we did not even skip a Sunday worshipping together. So, that was a huge thing. We had, you know, people come back that hadn’t been coming as they heard about what was going on. But it’s been an interesting period because not only are we resurrecting from the fire, we’re also celebrating Meghan’s new ministry. And

so that is giving a new spark and a new life to the congregation. We’re having new people coming, old people coming.

I don’t mean old, I’m old, but former people coming back and revisiting Nativity. So there’s a lot of life that’s happening through the midst of all of this, as well as people who’ve been here and wondering, “Well, is it going to be the same? Is it going to be different?

What’s going to happen?” And so we’re deciding how to reconstruct the nave.

Editor: Tell me about that process. What kinds of things do you have to decide at this point in the recovery?

Mantler: Yeah, good question. Nativity’s main priority right now is absolutely to get our preschool back up and running so that we can give access to affordable and flexible child care. That is our number one priority. We can worship and we can still do the work of the people and glorify God without needing our space rebuilt. We need the preschool back together.

We’ve needed to think about are who we are as the people. We’ve had to think about the fact that Nativity has a history of contemporary worship but in a building that was built in 1960. So, how do we embrace or honor the past and embrace who we are now? We’ve thought a lot about that in our space, but we’ve also realized the scope of work that needs to be done. All of the ADA accessibility elements will be part of the repair and that will necessitate a change to our nave, which is a fantastic thing, but it’s also going to be a huge change for everyone because the building was built before any of these laws were in place.

So, the whole scope of what the chancel will look like has to change because of ramps, because of accessibility, and we’ve had to make decisions. Do we want chairs? Do we want pews? How do you honor the beautiful, handmade, handdesigned stained-glass windows? They weren’t designed by a company. They were designed by Nativity members and soldered and installed by members. How do we take those colors and actually create the color scheme for the new nave?

Those are all the things that our design committee has been working on, and we have it split between members of our 8:15 and our 10 o’clock so that everyone’s voice is equally heard. We ABUNDANT TIMES

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have members of both praise band and organ choir so that everyone’s voice is heard, young and old, as well. That’s one of the miracles in all of this with the fire. Our nave is literally down to the studs. There’s nothing left. The ceilings are wood so they have to be cleaned and restored because there’s smoke damage. But the windows, the stained glass windows are perfect. And so the construction team is only designing things to enhance them—both visually and structurally.

Hesek: Like Meghan said, they were designed and constructed by hand by Nativity members.

Editor: And they survived.

Hesek: And they survived. And it’s a real blessing. But the nave is going to look very different. It’ll have some elements that will be the same. Our altar was destroyed by the water and the smoke, so we have to redesign that as well as, as Meghan was saying, the space all around the altar. We have to be careful to honor everyone’s feelings.

We are [currently] worshiping in our hall, which we had transitioned to at one point, and it was just a year and a half ago that we had gone back to all services back in the nave. So when we went back to worshipping in the hall, some people are happier there. They like it brighter and lighter. It’s a balance. The early service is much more traditional, with organ music. It’s quieter, much simpler. And the 10 o’clock is a service with a praise band. Everyone has a different style of worship, people meet God in different places, in different ways.

Everyone has a different feel to how they worship and where they can connect with God. So we’re trying to honor that in all of our decisions and be guided by our design team and so we can please everyone.

Editor: It sounds like your process has been holy. You’ve really been listening and bringing in all the voices that need to be part of a conversation like this, so that when this new sanctuary comes to life, everybody will have a spiritual stake in it.

Mantler: Definitely. I think that the way the smoke and water damage happened, we actually have an opportunity to repaint and redo the hallway of offices.

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The Trinity is always working and lifegiving and sustaining and advocating.

What we found when we were walking through is it doesn’t need to go back to the same way it was. What do we need now? Do we need more storage?

Do we need a workroom versus offices with desks? And we are rearranging the hall of offices to actually make it more functional for ministry. I think that that’s really important because while one of the reasons that I feel at home at Nativity is because the Spirit is so malleable here with everyone, even more so it is allowing those that have that within them to show that during this process. We’ve been able to say, “We don’t need this.

Why don’t we do this?”

Deb mentioned that it was Easter 2. The fire was the day after Easter 2, and our lilies and tulips were charred, charred to a crisp, like they were on a barbecue. And all 12 of them are currently in our front yard with brand new blooms, and I’m bringing them in for the first week that we celebrate Creation Season, and they will be our altar flowers.

Editor: Oh my gosh! They survived!

Hesek: It really is amazing. The construction people didn’t throw them into the dumpster. I would have. But they put them out.

Mantler: They put them out on a bench.

They’ve just been out there all summer getting the sun and the rain. No one has done anything to them. It’s all what God provided. I think that’s a tangible sign to the congregation that, even though we can’t do much right now because we’re at the beck and call of the insurance company and all these different tasks, that God is moving.

Editor: About 30 days after this crisis, the Holy Spirit was summoned into your community and the Bishop laid hands on you and made you priest. Tell me what that day was like. I mean, it was going to be a great day anyway, but given what you’d all been through together a month before that, tell me what that day was like for all of you.

Mantler: It was touching that so many people from so many different moments in my life were gathered in one place because all of these folks helped form me into who I am today. And it was

so overwhelming because just like the church is made up of the people and not the building, you need the consent of the people to be ordained, to be the shepherd of them.

Hesek: It was a wonderful celebration.

We had to overcome some obstacles, like having the reception after in the same place and preparation to really spruce up the hall to have this wonderful event. I know that Meghan did kind of mourn her vision of where she would have had her ordination—the sanctuary as opposed to the hall. We did our best to make it a really special place. But the spirit was there and the music was wonderful and it was a new start for Nativity.

Editor: Tell me about the Zeffy™ fundraiser.

Mantler: As we post on social media and give our official updates, there are always folks that ask, “Is there a way we can help?” And I think that there is a point where there will be things that aren’t covered by insurance. Insurance is limited to what they call, “buckets.”

And we don’t have unlimited coverage in all of our buckets. Likely no church does. So there will be things that the town of Northborough and the state of

Massachusetts will require that will go over our budget. Therefore, the Zeffy fundraiser is really important.

Editor: Is there anything you want to say to other priests and wardens about how God has been with you in this tragedy.

Mantler: There are so many moments.

I’ve taken hundreds of walks through the rubble through the different stages.

I did this walking through the rubble of my neighborhood and high school after Katrina watching it go from ashes to resurrection. And the only way to get through something is to talk to God as you walk through. Because the answers will be spoken to you as you walk through the space. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, like I can’t do it anymore, or this is too hard, I walk to the nave, and I stand where the altar was, my hands out, and I just wait to feel that peace again. So you sometimes need to go to the place where you feel most scared and wait for God’s answer.

Editor: That’s beautiful. Deb, how have you felt God’s presence and love and support?

Hesek: It’s always just felt like God’s walking with us. God has shown up and trusting in the Lord, trusting that it is not our church, it’s his church, and that he will get the work done. And it might not be in my time, usually not in my time, not the way I want, but I know that his spirit and his hand is in all of it, and it will get done.

Editor: Thank you. Is there anything else the two of you would like our readers to know about how a congregation gets through a tragedy?

Mantler: Oh, many things. I would say for the priests, read your [insurance] policy. Find out what’s covered so that you know before a tragedy strikes.

Get a copy of what

they call your “deck,” which is the first 11 pages of your policy and make sure you know what’s covered and how much money you have in each of those buckets because that will help you to plan the resurrection. If you don’t know what to ask for, you’re not going to be able to put together a complete plan.

Hesek: Well, one thing that has been a problem is that most of Meghan’s time has been involved in this. And in the beginning of her ministry, she hasn’t been able to be a priest ministering to her congregation. She has been involved in the details of fighting with the insurance company.

Editor: I’m sure it will take some time down the road for both of you to really move from crisis mode into normal life, the normal life of a church again.

Hesek: We have reinstituted our senior socials.

Mantler: And what’s hilarious is everything’s happening in the hall, because it’s the only usable space in the building. So we’re all set up for worship in one part of the hall. We have half of a preschool in the corner. And the seniors are over there having their lunch, and it felt normal.

Editor: I think you all know something about being church now that you didn’t know before. And what is of ultimate value in the life of a community is breaking the bread and telling the stories and loving each other through things.

And so in a sense, what is tragic and sad and something to be grieved really has become a living example for you of new life, what God can do with a mess when we give all those pieces to God. So, like I said, this is such a good news story, and there’s been a lot of love and concern for your community since the early days of this, but we want to tell the story of where you are now and how God has companioned you. I want to thank you both, not just for your time, but for being willing to share some difficult things. I think will be a blessing for our readers.

My last question, because they’re going to want to know. Chairs or pews?

Mantler: We’re doing pews. ♦

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Poet & Priest: The Rev. Rick Bellows “I am a priest and poet. I write poetry to speak to others’ hearts, and for myself—to clarify my thoughts and feelings and to convey them with nuance, clarity, and ambiguity. I explore reality, especially life's simplicity and complexity, with poetic disciplines that aim for brevity.”

The Gospel According to Jesus the Incarnate I am the messy conception, I survived a scandalous debut, Dirt for true incarnation, For purity won’t help God be you.

My mom? She wasn’t perfect, Practicing nagging as an art, She’d search me for any defect, And hold on to things in her heart.

My parents put on the pressure With every story they’d tell, And if about life I was unsure?

My God, it felt like hell!

My friends mostly were all jerks, Misunderstanding whatever I’d say.

They showed me just how betrayal hurts.

Yes, for their sins I’d pay!

So trust me, I know life ain’t easy.

Like you, I’ve faced the worst, From anger or feeling sleazy, To having such desire I’d burst.

Oh, I’m the messy incarnation, Who survived a scandalous end, Became dirt for true intervention, Transfiguring stranger and friend.

Photo: submitted

Truth Slipped In Truth slipped in last night, the truth that I am losing my mind.

With it I welcome sadness, not for me—I barely notice me slipping away, but for my lover—she sees.

She sees through eyes washed blue by weeping, my eyes shut as I slept beside her, but then I woke up—now I know.

Truth slipped in last night.

She shared her tears as they were doing their work— delivering her through each drop, She was born again with This knowledge of evil and the eclipse of good.

Truth slipped in last night, bringing into sharp relief the lay of the land— its promised hills and valleys, but I can bear to continue on the path, because I realize she is ready now— ready to hold on to my heart.

Remind me when I forget to tell her I love her.

Help us welcome truth each dark night.

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Poet & Priest: The Rev. Megan McDermott

Photo: screengrab Holyoke Media

"In my ministry as a priest, I hope that my presence, preaching, and teaching encourage people to be real with God, others, and themselves. I think our faith blooms best and brightest when we are all encouraged to bring our full, unique selves to the table. By writing and publishing poetry that honestly grapples with the difficulties of Scripture and of life, I have an avenue outside of my congregation for presenting a positive (and I hope feminist!) vision of what a Christian life can look like—one that potentially might be more honest than what some people have encountered through past church experiences."

Suggested Blessing for a New Prayer Book The blessing is that you’re not who you thought you’d be, that year by year God opens you to another self, hidden in some crevice of the spirit.

The blessing is that God whispers over you declarations utterly unidentical to those spoken over your neighbor. The blessing is the thing you hear sometimes trickling underneath self-doubt. That it is rising like beer foam crawling up a bottle, ready to crest. The blessing is a dream that didn’t materialize so you might meet the new one. The blessing is healing’s call surpassing your propriety. The blessing is your failure to live up to a vision you crafted of yourself at seventeen. Now, let me rest a hand on your forehead. We can pause, and you can tell me something, anything: what you think about when trying to fall asleep, your first love, how often or seldom you cry. I’ll wait. My words, printed, may be rote, but

Color Your Own Mary or Martha Posters—$3.57 On one side, Jesus and Mary both smile. On the other, Martha scowls and stirs. All under the ominous banner, “Are you Mary or Martha?”

This is the gospel of grinning— good Christian women deemed good for positivity more than anything else. Could Mary be a Mary all the time? Would she even recognize her sister in caricature, or would she know that grimace as only one side of the thousands shown in intertwined lives? Martha, the sister who held her, the sister who laughed. Neither intended to become a paradigm.

blessing is never interchangeable. Know that I proclaim your worth while taking in the details, seeing the color of your eyes.

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Poet & Priest: The Rev. Dr. George Porter “I have been writing poetry since I was very young.

It became a way of dealing with the complexities of my own inner life, as Robert Frost seemed to have meant when he wrote that writing of a poem ‘ends in a clarification of life—not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion.’

Along with an ever-growing appreciation for the poetry of other artists and a love for words—for the sounds and combinations and visual impact, as well as significance and meaning—writing poetry has continued to be a way of finding my own momentary stays against confusion.”

A Theology of God in Auschwitz I am here waiting on God. I was born long after the cattle cars Stopped coming, bringing confused victims Crammed into the gaping night of terror, The shame of nakedness and starvation— Long after the ovens grew cold and still; Long after black chimneys stopped smoking And after false showers began to fall, Crumbling to dust among wild white flowers.

I was born in a world without Auschwitz— A world with only the scar of Auschwitz— Yet I know a secret we dare not speak: In Auschwitz, the yellow Star of David Met the pink triangle before the face Of God’s pain, awash with a lover’s tears On the twisted frame of a broken cross.

Here I am, waiting on God. Here, I am waiting on God. (North Truro, MA – 18 October 2003)

Photo: Episcopal WMA

Credo In the movements of time and history We who are orthodox conservatives— Who fancy ourselves defenders of faith, Guardians of divine truth and of God— Are strangely reluctant to see truly, Slow to understand what God is saying, Reluctant to concede that we were wrong, That God is not boxed into our dogmas; God’s not confined to our creeds or standards.

Gradually we’ve come to see that God Is neither Jewish nor Gentile.

God never made some people to be slaves, Nor were some created to be masters.

God’s no citizen of our own country.

God is both masculine and feminine.

We have admitted men and women Both together are the image of God: Celebrate God’s presence in sacrament And shepherd wondering flocks of Jesus.

God doesn’t favour right-handed people, Nor right-brained, nor right-winged either.

God does not despise the poor or outcast; God is not ashamed, neither of handicapped, Lame or mentally broken people.

God has neither abandoned nor cast off Divorced people nor the suicidal.

We have gradually come to see that Our God’s colour is not for whites only, That God is Black, and God is Red, and God Is all through the bold spectrum of races.

Isn’t it time to look again boldly And to realise that God is pink, too?

Isn’t it time to realise that God Means the rainbow promise for everyone?

(Provincetown, MA – 18 October 2003)

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Poet & Priest: The Rev. Nancy Strong

Photo: Episcopal WMA

Four Corners, Cambridge and Southbridge Streets Never a day without sirens as ambulances rocket eastward through Four Corners.

Rarely a summer Sunday morning without chest-rattling rumbles of Harleys on Southbridge Street.

Culpepper’s coffee and breakfast crowd fills up booths, stools, tables, inhales sweet yeasty air laced with caffeine.

Eastbound, westbound, north and south, semis, sedans, bicycles, buses, people on foot push strollers, shopping carts, walk schoolchildren across five lanes at the light on Southbridge Street.

Stillness stands on the south-west corner.

Foursquare, granite and glass, Saint Matthew’s tower keeps vigil above Four Corners’ comers and goers. Steep steps climb her façade, offer stony welcome. Ancient orisons for neighbors, new arrivals and old-timers ascend within her walls. Persistent prayers through days and decades compose a bass line, set beneath unceasing traffic-thunders, brakes’-screech and horn-blats, in the cacophonous hymn of Four Corners.

(Selected as one of several winners in the “Poems in and Out of Places” contest of the “Mapping Worcester in Poetry” project, Worcester County Poetry Association, 2024)

It was not until the 1990’s that I began to seriously write poems, most often in free verse, but found that the only time I wrote seemed to be when I was on silent retreat, or very late at night when the house was still. Four pieces were selected and published in WOMEN’S UNCOMMON PRAYERS (Morehouse, 1999). [...] Sometimes the poetry is praise and thanksgiving for people and places that I love, memories of relationships I am still trying to understand, and for the beauty of creation. At other times, it is marked by intercession and even lament – there are a number of pieces reflecting on victims of war and violence, especially women and children, migrants and refugees. [...] I hope to continue writing for a long time to come, having finally found the courage to name myself, “Priest and Poet.”

Desire: 8.6.68 My grandfather always stood at the kitchen sink, drained a tall glass of water, wiped his lips on his sleeve, declared my father’s well-water “the best water ever.”

I pour water from a pitcher, watch droplets form on glass, dab damp fingers on temples and brow.

I drink so quickly, water dribbles down my chin, splashes onto my shirt-front.

Water-stories—four streams in Eden, a flooded earth, walls of water in the sea, women at wells, huge stone water jars filled with wine, a wound’s bloody flow.

At fourteen, by the grace of the son of God, I walked into the muddy Brandywine, so I could eat cubes of Wonder Bread. My grandmother washed tinkling glass thimbles in soapy suds, dried them on linen.

I remember the ruby-sweet sip of Welch’s grape.

A belly-full of unsated hungers gnawed.

Fifty years since first sacraments, I stand at the table, pour wine, then water, into a cup. Mirrored in the chalice, I see my face. I drain the cup dry, but thirst for more, for always.

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General Convention: The View from the Sidelines 16

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All photos by Episcopal WMA unless otherwise noted

The Rev. Vicki Ix Managing Editor, ABUNDANT Times

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he 81st General Convention in Louisville, KY, was the fourth I had the privilege to cover as your Canon for Communications. This gathering meant even more to me because the 80th was held during the pandemic and only deputies were in-person in Baltimore.

Referred to as “the COVID convention,” 2022 was not what many remembered and, for new deputies, a far cry from what this event is really like.

This past June, The Episcopal Church converged in Louisville with billboards and street banners heralding one last revival for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. While it was six days of hard work and inspired worship, it was also a return from the exile of human separation.

The exhibit hall was back with over 100 vendors and exhibitors representing every possible organization within the church. Worship included singing once again. The beauty of a thousand voices

blending in praise of God is a unique aspect of the General Convention— one that can only be experienced. The preaching was typically inspired and has alerted the wider church to prophetic voices among us. Morning Prayer and Eucharist fueled the work of the day with a deep awareness of God’s presence among us. And work was full-throttle even with the convention reduced to six days.

The work of General Convention is the work of the church. The bicameral system of governance was formed in the early stages of the American experiment.

Like our House of Representatives and the Senate, the General Convention is a bicameral legislature. Resolutions are proposed (like laws) and must be passed by both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. When that is achieved, the resolution becomes an official statement of The Episcopal Church. All of the resolutions passed lay the groundwork for the work of the church in the next three years (or triennium). The laity, priests, deacons, and bishops have voice and vote.

Together, they listen for the Holy Spirit speaking through one another and through the events of our time. This is the significance of General Convention.

This is why it is so important for God’s mission and the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.

How this all happens is also a witness to respectful dialogue. In both houses, the rules of order enable civilized debate across difference. It is set up in such a way that when a deputy is recognized at a microphone, hundreds must listen.

There is no cheering or booing, no applause for the winners. It is a measured approach to decision-making that allows for the width and breadth of the church.

Slow moving, at times, it can be like watching C-SPAN. Pauses for prayer in word and song add to the length of the process but are indispensable. Testimony can be short and succinct, or it can be deeply moving and use the entire twominute time limit. The rules of order do more than control our human chaos.

They hold the space for deep listening.

The deputies must move for or against as one body—together. For deputies

The Western Massachusetts Deputation to General Convention. L-R: Micah Walter, Meg Galbreath, Zena Link, John Cheek, Amanda Watroba, Rev. Rich Simpson, Rt. Rev. Doug Fisher, Rev. Meredyth Ward, Rev. Jason Burns, Rev. Charlotte LaForest, Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, and Rev. Tanya Wallace.

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from the United States especially, this is a refreshing experience of respectful debate that yields a decision for the common good.

As for our deputies, you may ask any one of them what it’s like to serve.

Voting, speaking up, doing a lot of holy listening—deputies labor long and hard.

If they are assigned to committee work, early morning or evening sessions may be part of the day. While committee work began online several months in advance, many committees needed “face time” in Louisville to complete their mandate. Two of our newest deputies gave testimony— Micah Walter and Jason Burns. It’s really something to see someone you know on the big screens addressing the House of Deputies.

Deputy Jason Burns addresses the General Convention.

There were a total of 396 resolutions to review at this General Convention.

Some never made it from one house to the other. Some were bundled for expediency like a consent agenda. But the ones that were passed by the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops— these 193 resolutions will guide the work of the Church for the next three years.

But legislative work went on the back burner on June 26th. After the joint celebration of the Eucharist, the entire House of Bishops withdrew to the cathedral where they prayed and sang and voted in the 28th presiding bishop.

The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop-elect, will be consecrated and installed on November 1st in a small, livestreamed service from the chapel at Church Center in New York. Until then, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry retains the authority and powers of the office. It was a blessing to have him well and with us for GC81.

Rev. Dr. Nina Ranadive Pooley, Voting Secretary, led the deputies through each electronic ballot.

A more formal report on GC81 will be made at our own Diocesan Convention on November 9th. In the meantime, anyone interested can find excellent coverage of legislation by Episcopal News Service. [episcopalnewsservice.org/ tag/general-convention-2024] ♦

Deputy Micah Walter addresses the General Convention.

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Deputy Zena Link accepts "The Rev. Deacon Pearl Slay Community Action Award" from the Union of Black Episcopalians.

Photo: submitted

Photo: The Episcopal Church

The Rev. Tanya R. Wallace, chair of the WMA Deputation and founding director of Lawrence House Service Corps, is interviewed by the Episcopal Service Corps.

The Episcopal Church will officially welcome the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe as its 28th presiding bishop with a smaller, simpler investiture service aimed at reducing carbon footprint and increasing churchwide virtual participation. The service will be livestreamed and a recording will be available.

Churches, dioceses, small groups, seminaries, and other Episcopal communities are encouraged to organize watch parties to participate in real time with Episcopalians around the world.

Join the Churchwide Virtual Celebration Watch and get all the details here: www.episcopalchurch.org/investiture

The view from the media pen at GC81.

9:30am - Roll Call video of all dioceses 11:00am - Investiture service

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Church is a powerful ally in addiction recovery The Rev. Sandi Albom Church of the Atonement, Westfield

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little over 35 years ago I walked into a church basement in Ludlow, MA. As a lifelong Episcopalian, I’d been in many church buildings before— in classrooms, basements, sanctuaries— for countless functions and worship. And this time it was different. This time it was less about being a devoted follower of Jesus and more about asking him to save a life, my life.

My name is Sandi, and I’m a person in long term recovery from addiction. I’m also a priest in the Episcopal Church, serving as priest-in-charge at the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield. There are two primary guides that are foundational in my life—the Holy Bible and the Twelve Steps that come from the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Both provide for me a way of living faithfully in the service of the God who gave me the gift of living, day by day, without a dependence on substances and other unhelpful ways of being.

more like a recovery meeting—spaces known for honesty, support, and radical acceptance?

Photo: submitted

substance use disorder (SUD) as a mere issue of morality or weakness, seeing it instead as a deeply human condition that calls for compassion and understanding.

For The Episcopal Church, this insight opens up a significant opportunity: to be a place where those struggling with addiction can find grace, healing, and a supportive community.

Addiction is often viewed through a narrow lens, primarily associated with substances like alcohol or drugs.

However, Dr. May’s insight challenges us to broaden our understanding.

Addiction is not limited to substances like alcohol or drugs, or struggles with gambling, or our relationships with food, or sex; it can manifest in many forms, including work, relationships, or even the relentless pursuit of success. In every When people I meet in the church case, addiction reflects our search for become aware of my involvement with fulfillment and meaning, often leading us recovery ministry I am often asked, “What away from the wholeness we desire. can we as the church do to be of help to the recovering community?”

For the church, this understanding invites I’m privileged to serve as a member of our diocesan Mental Health and Substance Misuse Commission and to sit on the Board of Directors of the Recovery Ministries of The Episcopal Church (RMEC) and have worked as chaplain and spiritual director at The Plymouth House, a residential addiction recovery community in NH.

Dr. Gerald May, psychiatrist, and spiritual writer, spoke to the heart of the human condition when he wrote, “To be human is to be addicted, and to be human and addicted is to be in need of Grace.”

It’s a statement that challenges us to look beyond addictive behaviors and 20

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us to consider our role in ministering to those struggling with addiction and those in recovery. How can we become places where grace, healing, and community are not just offered but are core to our identity? And how can we, as a church, learn from and be

The first step is recognizing that addiction is a shared human experience, not an isolated problem affecting only a few. Stigma and judgment often keep people in the shadows, making it difficult for them to seek help or admit their struggles. And to be frank, it is contrary to all of Jesus’ teachings. When we view addiction through a lens of shame, we not only harm those who are struggling, and their loved ones, but also miss the broader truth that we all wrestle with forms of addiction in our lives. By embracing the perspective that by simply being human, we are all need of God’s grace, the church can extend compassion and support to everyone, regardless of their specific challenges.

Author and speaker Johann Hari, wrote in Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is connection.” Our Episcopal Church, with its emphasis on inclusivity, community, and the sacramental life, is well-suited to offer meaningful support to those dealing with addiction.

Here are some ways our churches can be allies to those in our communities and parishes seeking recovery and connection: Create Safe and Open Spaces: Many of our parishes are already hosting recovery meetings like AA, OA, Al-Anon, or NA. One of the greatest strengths of groups like the 12-step “anonymous” fellowships, is their commitment to providing a safe space for people to share their struggles without fear of judgment. Creating safe and supportive spaces can help establish a culture where people feel they can bring their whole selves—including their struggles—into the community.

How often in our own Sunday congregation do we hesitate to show our “real” self to those praying and singing right next to us in the pew. We, as the church, can strive to mirror the groups meeting in our buildings by fostering an atmosphere where honesty and vulnerability are encouraged and welcomed within our own parish community.

Suggestion: Express gratitude occasionally to the fellowships that meet in your building: send a thank you note for the service they bring to the community, drop off the occasional treat, serve lunch or dinner before or after a meeting. (No proselytizing please!)

Offer Compassionate Pastoral Care and Spiritual Support: Addiction is a complex issue that affects the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. The church’s response must be holistic, offering both practical support and spiritual guidance. It’s important to become familiar with the resources for help and treatment in our communities for both the person affected by addiction and for their families. Pastoral care is about accompaniment, walking alongside individuals on their journey toward healing rather than trying to “fix” a person. Resources for learning about addiction and treatment can be found on the RMEC website.

Integrate Recovery into Worship and Ministry: The sacraments and liturgical life of The Episcopal Church are powerful avenues for grace and healing.

Hosting “Recovery Sundays” or adding a regular recovery-focused worship, offering healing prayers, and sermons that address addiction with honesty and compassion can help to reduce stigma and create a culture where all feel seen and valued. The Eucharist, in particular, serves as a powerful reminder of God’s unconditional love—a love that is extended to all, without exception.

Beginning in October at Church of the Atonement in Westfield, we are excited to offer a regular weeknight gathering, Recovery Bridge Fellowship. Our hope is to create a bridge between faith

and recovery as we explore deeper relationship with God in open and loving community. Each Tuesday we will gather either to celebrate the Eucharist (1st and 3rd), where a speaker will offer a message of recovery and hope, or for Recovery Prayer Circle (2nd and 4th) using scriptural and recovery texts for group discussion.

For the occasional 5th Tuesday, we will have Recovery Dinner Church together.

All are welcome.

Here’s the thing: the purpose of offering worship or outreach to the recovery community is not about bringing more people into our church services on Sunday mornings. If that should happen, how nice it will be to welcome them among the congregation. And, perhaps what you might see is that folks from Sundays are drifting down to the basement to meet the “Higher Power” in the rooms of recovery.

Dr. May’s words remind us that addiction is a part of being human, and being human means being in need of God’s grace. As the Body of Christ, we are called to be a place where that grace is not only preached but lived out in tangible ways.

In embracing honesty and vulnerability, creating safe community, and offering unconditional support—the church can be a powerful ally for those seeking healing. In the end, our mission is not just to address addiction as an isolated issue but to recognize it as a profound spiritual journey. It is a journey that requires grace, community, and above all, the love of God—a love that the church is called to embody and share with all who walk through its doors.

Prayer For the Victims of Addiction O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer) ♦

Additional Resources: The Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church (RMEC) is an independent, nationwide network of Episcopal laity and clergy, dioceses and parishes, schools, agencies, and other institutions—all with a common commitment to address the effects of addiction, in all its forms, in relation to the church’s mission.

RMEC’s mission is to serve all those affected by addiction who have lost their health and freedom. Our ministry seeks to: • Help the addicted and those who love them connect with spiritual resources and find lasting recovery.

• Witness to Christ’s unfailing mercy by welcoming unchurched members of Twelve-Step and other recovery programs into an Episcopal faith community.

• Raise the awareness of clergy and other leaders about the disease of addiction and the redemption and grace found in recovery.

• Strengthen recovering Episcopalians in the work of their recovery and help proclaim the Gospel in the world and carry their recovery into the Church.

• The Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church goal is to renew and revitalize the Church’s capability to recognize and address the serious social ills surrounding the pathological use of alcohol, drugs and other addictive behaviors (gambling, overeating, sex, etc.) and suggest an appropriate Christian response.

Visit The Recovery Ministries of The Episcopal Church website www.episcopalrecovery.org for more information, resources, example liturgies, and support.

WMA Diocesan “Policy for Use of Alcohol in Our Congregations” can be found at www.diocesewma.org/resources-andpolicies/all#alcohol_gaming_policies WMA Diocesan resources for responding to the Opioid Crisis can be found at www.diocesewma.org/resources-andpolicies/all#opioid_crisis

Join the recovery conversation here: www.facebook.com/12StepChurch ABUNDANT TIMES

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Around the Diocese

Ordinations Sharon Willis Billetter

to the Sacred Order of Deacons April 27, 2024

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haron was ordained on April 27th at St. Stephen’s, Pittsfield—her sponsoring congregation. She has been assigned to serve as deacon at St. John’s, Williamstown beginning at the end of May.

Sharon is a graduate of the Province 1 School for Deacons and as part of her formation, she spent a year of internship at St. Paul’s, Stockbridge, under the mentorship of the Rev. Libby Wade. Sharon is very involved with Cathedral of the Beloved, an outdoor ministry under the leadership of the Rev. Jenny Gregg. She especially enjoys working with people living on the margins of society. Having completed 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education, Sharon now works as a Chaplain for Hospice Care in the Berkshires located in Pittsfield. ♦

Nathan Leach

to the Sacred Order of Deacons June 8, 2024

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athan graduated from Williams College in 2017. While at Williams, he started attending St. John’s Williamstown, which was his first exposure to the Episcopal Church.

Following Williams, Nathan spent one year living as an intern at Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE), an AngloCatholic Monastery in Cambridge, and one year working as a choir director.

Subsequently, Nathan enrolled at Yale Divinity School and began the ordination process.

He graduated in 2023, receiving a Master’s of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School.

Nathan currently serves as Director of Religious Education at St. Paul’s Wallingford, CT and works as a grant-writer at Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, a refugeeresettlement agency. ♦ 22

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Meghan Mantler

to the Sacred Order of Priests May 11, 2024

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eghan has spent much of her life dedicated to serving her community and helping to raise up others.

During her studies at The University of Lynchburg in Virginia, she found a passion for ministering to those with disabilities particularly those on the Autism Spectrum. She earned degrees in Religious Studies and Sociology. She began discerning a call to ordained ministry during college and explored this by pursuing a dual Master’s of Social Work and Divinity at Boston University. Meghan’s vocation is rooted in both “holy work and social work”.

Meghan's vocation was nurtured by the people of St. Michael's-on-the-Heights in Worcester. She has a passion for children and family ministry, networking churches to help meet needs in their communities, and helping people grow in their own potential. ♦

Silas Kotnour

to the Sacred Order of Deacons June 8, 2024

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ilas Kotnour will graduate from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. While in New York, they served as the seminarian at Saint Luke in the Fields in the West Village. As seminarian, Silas oversaw outreach ministries, including a free clothing closet and a drop in space for marginally housed LGBTQ young adults. Following ordination, Silas will begin as the Family Minister at All Saints in Brookline and continue their chaplaincy training at Hebrew Senior Life.

Many communities have supported Silas through this process to ordination, including their sending parish, the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield; Lawrence House; the community of Beloved in the Desert in Tucson, Arizona; and Harcourt Parish in Ohio. ♦

Welcome to WMA

The Rev. Dan Purtell

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Southbridge

Photo: submitted

T

he people of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Southbridge called the Rev. Dan Purtell to serve as priestin-charge, effective April 1, 2024.

Trustees elect next executive director Mr. Robert Perkins

Photo: submitted

T

he Trustees for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts are pleased to announce that Robert Perkins has been elected their next executive

A Rare Moment in Great Barrington

The Rev. Tina Rathbone Grace Church, Great Barrington

Photo: submitted

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t was a beautiful event here on July 14. Ted was so happy to be able to baptize two of his great grandchildren, Alexander and

Gratitude for successful mission trip

The Rev. Beatrice Kayigwa St. Paul's, Gardner

Photo: submitted

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would like to thank all people for their generosity in prayers and financial support which enabled me to travel to Uganda in July 2024 to minister in 23

Pastor Dan Purtell graduated from United Lutheran seminary in the summer of 2019. He earned a Master of Arts in Public Leadership from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 2014.

We have a strong tradition now of collaboration with our Lutheran colleagues. Holy Trinity joins a number of congregations in our diocese that are proudly "lutherpalian". ♦

director. Bob will succeed Mick Kalber who shall retire on or about November 1st after 23 years of service.

Bob is a resident of Worcester who recently retired as a senior credit analyst with Boston Scientific. He is a trustee having served for the past five years.

Bob is a member of Holy Spirit Church in Sutton where he serves as treasurer. He is also a member of the diocesan budget and financial planning committee. ♦

Elliot Carley, and the whole family and congregation joined him in his joy.

It feels a little extraordinary to me that a priest in our diocese gets to baptize two of his great grandchildren. A minor miracle for sure, but a miracle nonetheless. ♦ The Rev. Ted Cobden was ordained by Bishop Hatch in 1960. He served as curate at All Saints, Worcester. He retired to Egremont, MA and attends Grace Church, Great Barrington. schools and to provide sanitary reusable products to 1,600 girls. The girls were very happy to receive the pads as this saves them from being ashamed. The sanitary products for girls are costly.

Some families may not be able to give them to their daughters, and so they miss school at least a week monthly.

Our next school mission trip will be in July 2027. I ask you to start praying with us for that "call" to be fulfilled. ♦

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The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts 37 Chestnut St. Springfield, MA 01103-1787

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