risen magazine summer 2009 "the way of the pilgrim"

Summer 2009

Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

5Places to Pilgrimage Without Leaving New England

Praying at Taizé

Summer 2009 Rhode Island’s Source for Episcopal NewsRhode Island’s Source for Episcopal NewsRisen

Th e Way of a Pilgrim

2 RISEN / SUMMER 2009

RISENRhode Island’s Source for Episcopal News

275 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903Phone: (401) 274-4500 Fax: (401) 331-9430www.episcopalri.org

Publisher: The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of RIEditor in Chief: Ruth Meteer, Communications Offi cerArt and Design: Ruth Meteer, Communications Offi cerCopy Editors: Liz Crawley, Executive Assistant to the BishopGloria Williams, Administration/ReceptionPrinter: Graphic Developments, Hanover, MA

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EPISCOPAL CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Music and Creative Arts Camp June 28 - July 4

Teen Camp July 5-10

Older Boys’ Camp July 12-17

Older Girls’ Camp July 19-24

Musical Theatre Week July 26 - August 1

Younger Children’s Camp August 3-7

Summer’s End WeekAugust 9-14

For more information visit www.eccri.org or call ECC at 401-568-4055

Sign Up Now!

COVER PHOTO: Ruth Meteer � e View from Taizé Village, France

SUMMER 2009 / RISEN 3

ContentsFEATURESThe Camino de Santiago 12The Rev. Jennifer Pedrick from Epiphany East Providence walked this ten century old pilgrim-age path, learning much along the way.

Praying at Taizé 16Each spring young people from the Diocese of RI take a pilgrimage to the Taizé community in France. Read about this year’s trip.

General Convention 21Caryl Frink explains the “who what where when and why” of General Convention, to prepare for the triennial event this July.

New England Pilgrimages 22Can’t manage a trip far away this summer? Sr. Grace, SSM explores fi ve places you can pilgrimage to without leaving New England.

COLUMNSOpenings From the Bishop

Body Building Living the Journey Together

Scenes

NewsBriefs 8The Arts at Trinity Newport

Episcopal Charities Coventry Mission’s New Name

Bishop of Navajoland’s Visit

Episcopal Life 28

Postlude 34

16

12

22

21

8


Zero Circle

Be helpless, dumbfounded,

Unable to say yes or no.

Then a stretcher will come from grace

To gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty

If we say we can, we're lying.

If we say No, we don't see it,

That No will behead us

And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,

Besides ourselves, and only that, so

Miraculous beings come running to help.

Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,

We shall be saying fi nally,

With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.

When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,

We shall be a mighty kindness.

-Rumi

4

Openings

pilgrimage of faith.

Pilgrims usually travel over a geographical area in order to arrive at a pre-determined physical and spiritual destination. How-

ever, not everyone is capable of making this type of journey. Perhaps your pilgrim-age is less physically demanding. Going to church each Sunday, is a pilgrimage for many. Reading Holy Scripture with an open heart is a “pilgrimage” of the soul. Both are adventures in their own way.

Pilgrimage is not only going towards some-thing, but carrying spiritual gifts from the place of encounter to the place from which

your journey began. When the pil-grims returned home, they shared their stories and experiences; thus, the enlightening accounts in poetry, prose and art work survive to this day, as a gift to others.

Each year, we take young adults on a pilgrimage to Taizé, in France. Next year, I hope to join the pilgrims in their journey to this isolated and in-ternational place of prayer and com-munity. Someday, I’d like to go to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, where the pilgrim walks for long periods of time, from one church to another, until arriving at the Shrine of St.. James.

For now, my pilgrimage continues to be in the heart of Christ, through reading of holy scripture, reception of the Holy Sacrament, and living in fellowship with those whom God has given. A journey to which all the baptized are called, and in which our beloved Jesus is continually meeting us. □


For over 2,000 years, Christians have embarked on journeys to visit sites

where important events have occurred in the life of our faith.

In the fourth century Christians were en-couraged to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a practice now followed by Chris-tians, Jews, and Muslims. Frequently vis-ited sites include Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and Mt. Tabor. Sites in Rome, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), and France attract many visitors, as well.

I have taken several pilgrimages over the years to places like Israel, Assisi, Wals-ingham, Canterbury, Norwich, Taizé, the Abbey of Gethsemani, and others. In an-ticipation of the journey, I read about the shrine or place to be visited, and the tales and refl ections of those who had gone be-fore. Th ese were not mere visits; in each case, I went in anticipation of an encoun-ter with God. Most of the time, I was dis-appointed. Th e longing for experience was of my own making, but not always accord-ing to God’s time or will. However, when I actually spent time in extended prayer, worship, and fellowship I found deep spir-itual nourishment.

One of the great books that most of us have read is Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales. Th e tales are very amusing, not unlike my experiences of the people that I have met on my pilgrimages. People travel to holy sites for a variety of reasons, and the narratives emerge on the journey. Even if traveling alone, one meets many others on pilgrimage who share their secular and spiritual stories. Th us, the encounter is not at the site only, but on the road, as holy men and women, sinners and thieves, ref-ugees and clerics, unknown to each other before the journey, become partners in a

PHOTO: MARY MURPHY

/ RISEN 5

From Th e Bishop

the encounter is not at the site only, but on the road,

as holy men and women,

sinners and thieves, refugees

and clerics...

Openings


Openings

BODY BUILDINGNotes On Congregational DevelopmentBy Betsy FornalCanon for Congregations and Clergy

Since the beginning of recorded time, people have left their everyday world and have traveled to sacred places in order to deepen their rela-tionship with the Holy. Some jour-ney alone; some travel in groups; all are questing for one of those ‘thin places,’ as Celtic tradition calls them, where heaven and earth draw near.

Th ose who desire to become pil-grims are not people who have a spe-cial holiness but those who do have a desire to intentionally spend time in the presence of God. For those of us who live in the busy world of the twenty-fi rst century, where do we fi nd both the time and the destina-tion for such holy journeys?

As you will read in this issue of RISEN, there are many places close-at-hand where one may go to seek a time of refl ection and refreshment for one’s soul. But there are other ways and other kinds of pilgrimage through which we can encounter the Holy.

As summer is upon us and schedules slow a bit, perhaps you can deliber-ately set aside a day to spend time with God, to be still and bask in the beauty of God’s creation. And the place need not be as far as Jerusalem; it may be as close as your own back-yard or given the beauty of our state,

a shore line beach. It is not necessary to go to a retreat center, an abbey or church, but to fi nd a place of peace and lightness to feed your soul.

Setting a few hours aside for a time of quiet refl ection invites us on an internal pilgrim-age, a journey of soul and mind through reading and journaling. Th ere are always books to inspire which invite questions and sometimes answers that will deepen our relationship with God.

As you make this pilgrimage, you might desire the company of other travelers, fel-low pilgrims on the way. Each year, groups from our churches journey together on planned pilgrimages or retreats of a day or longer. Th ese groups form around the de-sire to spend soul time in God’s presence away from the normal schedule of life. Such a group of pilgrims adds greatly to the spiritual life of a congregation.

Is your soul thirsting for such an opportu-nity to put God at the center of your be-ing for a few hours or day or perhaps two? Th en be a Pilgrim! □

LIVING THE JOURNEY TOGETHERNotes On Christian FormationBy Mary Ann Kolakowski Director of Christian Formation

Pilgrimage is neither a vacation, nor a sightseeing tour, nor a mission trip. Vaca-tions are time for relaxation and refresh-ment. Sightseeing tours are for taking in the wonders of a distant land and culture. Mission trips are principally a chance to share in the spreading of the Gospel. A Pil-grimage is all of that and more – By mind-fully walking in the footsteps of Christians who have come before, we put ourselves

in touch with our tradition, and our God.

A Pilgrimage is a journey, of seeking and fi nding God in new ways. Once the nor-mal activities, relationships, and obliga-tions which sustain our day-to-day lives are removed, individuals are free to look again at their understanding of God and their need for His grace and presence in their lives. It is important to note here that every moment of a pilgrimage does not have to be meaningful, nor should it be. Th ere must be time for play, laughter, quiet, and rest. God often moves in the hearts of pilgrims, even in the lighthearted activities of the journey.

Remember to pray every day for the eyes and heart to see and to understand what you see. Pray for this while on your pil-grimage as well as upon your return. Sometimes recognizing the blessings of a pilgrimage can take time. It is not always while we are on the journey that its true eff ects show. One of the biggest challenges of pilgrimage lies in fi nding ways to in-corporate all the new-found information about God and God’s People into regular life back at home.

We at home must also remember to pray for our pilgrims as they leave us for a while. You may know someone in the group of young adults who make a yearly journey to Taizé from this Diocese. You may know someone in a Journey to Adulthood group, who is leaving for a place they planned to visit during their two years of preparation and study. Th ere may be a group of adults or a young seminarian from your parish leaving for the Holy Land. Th ere may even be a person you know who has entered into the sacred state of parenting, allowing their child’s Baptism and Christian forma-tion to lead them along the way to trusting in the God who is always there.

Lord, bless the pilgrims we send forth from this place. Be with them as they journey to places unknown, in search of your love and presence there…May they be guided by your Holy Spirit, fi lled with your grace…and strengthened, in the Name of Christ, our Savior, Amen. □

Scenes


Openings

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6

5 7

3

2

4

AROUND THE DIOCESE1 The Parish Administrators Lunchon on May 20th. 2 Eastertide Confi rmations May 2nd & 9th. 3 Full Pews at the East-ertide Confi rmations May 2nd & 9th. 4 The Diocesan Altar guild taking a tour of the Cathedral of St.. John on March 28th. 5 Rhode Island State Council of Churches’ packed rally at the statehouse to stop hu-man traffi cking, April 21st.

BUSY DEACONS6 Deacons Singing loud and clear at the Chrism Mass on April 2nd 7 Dea-con Mary Hitt talking to visitors at the Environmental Stewardship Task Force’s Annual Poster Contest Dis-play at Roger Williams Zoo on Earth Day, April 19th.


NewsBriefs

Episcopal Charities Campaign UpdateMany thanks to our dedi-

cated volunteers who are working hard to encour-age people in their parishes to participate in the important and wonderful work of Episcopal Charities. Congratulations to our donors for their support and commitment to helping so many of our fellow Rhode Islanders who are in fragile situations and living on the edge. We are all feeling the pinch in our economy and the problems it has brought, but none more than the most marginalized across our state.

Here’s the Campaign update. As of May 15 - $250,000 in pledges – 50% of our $500,000 goal. If you have not participated yet, just think of all the good your gift will do for so many. Please join with others across our diocese to help Christ in healing the gaps, hurts, and brokenness in thou-sands of lives.

Any questions? Contact the Episcopal Charities O� ce at 275 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, or call 274-4500, ext. 234 for Peggy and 233 for Jack. □

Your Episcopal Charities Dollars at WorkCentralFallsFamilySelf-SufficiencyFoundation

Financially stable families are the foundation of fi nancially stable communities. Central Falls is currently the poorest community in Rhode Island. Th e Central

Falls Family Self-Suffi ciency Foundation plays a critical role in helping lift families out of poverty

Th e Youth Employment Program (YEP) plays a signifi cant role in helping teens break the cycle of under education, poverty, and reliance on welfare and low-income hous-ing. YEP is an extension of the agency’s mission to help families get on their feet. Th e program’s goal is for Central Falls’ teens to develop into self-suffi cient adults and become productive members of the community. Participants learn concepts such as team building, money management, hygiene, appropriate dress and confl ict resolution in weekly workshops. It also promotes the safety, security and well-being of children by taking teens off the streets and teaches critical job skills and how to overcome obstacles like academic challenges, behavioral issues and unstable home lives.

Th rough this program, teens work about 16 hours per week, Monday through Th urs-day. Each summer 10 teens are off the streets as YEP gives them jobs in Central Falls. Th ey are encouraged to stay in school and go to college. YEP pays the teens wages because employers cannot aff ord to do so. Employers help extend lessons beyond workshops and into the workplace. Th ey meet with teen workers to assess team skills learned during a workshop and put into practice on the job. Th rough evaluation meet-ings, employers help teen workers fi gure out what they are doing well and what they need to do better. Teens share these evaluations with the YEP Coordinator. Employ-ers local non-profi ts, small businesses, City Hall and Central falls Housing Authority, Central Falls police Department and the local community center.

Th is program has made a profound impact on the lives of Central Falls young residents and their families.□

You Can Open the Skies to

a BetterTomorrow!


NewsBriefs

A New Name for Our Coventry MissionBy Ruth Meteer

You may recall, in July of last year St. Matthias and Christ Church in

Coventry merged to become one wor-shiping body. To signify the church’s new joint mission and fellowship, it was suggested that they select a new name together. Bishop Wolf mentioned that a Saint’s name might do, and so St. Matthias and Christ Church set about picking their new name, using a unique tactic. Th ey put the task into the hands of

their Church School, letting the children decide which Saint might be the best fi t for the mission’s new patron.

Th e kids took to the task with gusto, and learned much about the heritage of their church in the process. After careful con-sideration of the options, they presented a list of 8 possible names to Bishop Wolf, with “St. Francis’ Episcopal Church” as their fi rst choice.

Th e name seems particularly appropriate. As St. Francis’ self-defi nes on their web-site: “We are a small church, which means that our worship gives a sense of intimacy. We are a community that knows and cares about each other. We are a people who honor, cherish, and celebrate God’s creation, and seek to be good stewards of the earth. We are a group that is commit-ted to deepening our spiritual lives and a people who believe that God calls us to a place of deeper compassion, creativity, and love. Our life together is centered around the Holy Eucharist, with com-

Bishop of Navajoland visits Christ Church WesterlyBy Ruth Meteer

munion services held every Sunday. As a response to our faith in Jesus Christ, we strive to make our parish a place of hope to the despairing, of growth to the spiritually hungry, of healing to those in pain, of comfort to those in need, and a place of empowerment so that we may serve Christ in the world.”

It is, therefore, with great pleasure that Bishop Wolf announces she has renamed the Coventry mission “St.. Francis’ Episcopal Church”, in accordance with their Church School’s request. Th e name change became eff ective on May 1st 2009. St.. Francis’ will continue to wor-ship at the site of the former Christ Church, an old English Tudor style structure on rural Peckham Lane, in Coventry. Th eir website can still be viewed at: www.christchurchrocks.org □

The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, Bish-op of Navajoland and the National

Indigenous Bishop of Canada blessed Christ Church Westerly with a visit the weekend of May 2 to speak at Christ

Th e annual “Friends of Navajoland Dinner” that night fi lled the Parish hall. Dinner consisted of a buff et of southwestern fare, and there was a table of Jewelry and other wares for sale, made by the people of St. Mary’s.

After dinner, Bishop MacDon-ald gave his address. He thanked Christ Church for their continued ministry at St. Mary’s, and told of his plans to expand the ministry there in several ways, one of which is raising enough funds to allow 2 or 3 Navajo youth to travel to

Continued on page 10

Church’s annual “Friends of Navajoland” Fundraising Dinner.

“Th e Friends of Navajoland” is a group of six churches across the country, who send people to the Diocese of Navajoland each summer to pray, eat, and work with the communities surrounding the missions there. Christ Church Westerly has had a particularly long-standing relationship with St. Mary’s of the Moonlight, a Na-vajo Mission Church in Olijato Utah. In fact, George and Marlies Parent of Christ Church Westerly have spent 11 summers at St. Mary’s, running a one week VBS and spending a second week helping St. Mary’s with various work projects.

For instance, the Navajo consider it rude to point with fi ngers or hands, so they point with a twitch of their lips and chin. Not knowing that made getting simple directions quite diffi cult at fi rst. Also, vo-cal infl ections entirely change the mean-ings of words in their language, and the wrong vocal intonation can turn a simple statement into something embarrassingly inappropriate. Bishop MacDonald said

Westerly and help lead the summer VBS at Christ Church.

According to Bishop MacDonald, the relationship of respect and long-standing companionship that has been established between St. Mary’s and Christ Church is invaluable, and to illustrate how invaluable he spoke a little about the develop-ment of his own relationship with the Navajo people.

Bishop MacDonald grew up with the Elwha Tribe in the Leech Lake area of South Dakota, and served among the indigenous peoples of Alaska for more than a decade before becoming the Bishop of Navajoland. Despite this “head start” of sorts, he still found the intricacies of Navajo language and culture diffi cult. He spoke of the mistakes he has made over the years, the cultural and linguistic faux-pas he didn’t know to avoid.


NewsBriefsBishop of NavajolandContinued from page 9

that there are still words he avoids alto-gether because of the possibility he’ll use the wrong intonation and say something off ensive.

Th e important thing to remember, he says, is that the Navajo people really re-spect the continued attempt to learn, un-derstand and participate in their culture. Th ey have a great sense of humor, and often times the result of bloopers is noth-ing worse than an unfortunate nickname you can’t get rid of. Time builds trust, he said, and that this is why Christ Church’s ministry at St. Mary’s of the Moonlight has been so successful in the past and will be even more so in the future. Th e long-standing relationship of mutual trust and respect has opened doors between these two cultures, doors which will continue to deepen the faith of both communities for many years to come. □

� e author of the article “On Navajo Time” which appeared in the Winter 2009 issue of RISEN is Marlies Parent, member of Christ Church Westerly. Photos were by George Par-ent and Seth Tulman.

A dinner of Southwestern Fare including Chili, Creamed Corn, salad and Indian Pudding was served at the event

ABOVE: George and Marlies Parent, the Founders of “� e Friends of Navajoland” at Christ Church, Lead the summer Missions Trip to St.. Mary’s

LEFT: Attendees of the fundraiser listened to Bishop MacDonald after dinner, from tables adorned with fresh � ower arrange-ments

10

SUMMER 2009/ RISEN 11

NewsBriefs

The Ministry of the Arts at Trinity, Newport:One Parish Begins to Live Into its Particular Gifts and TalentsArticle and Photos By Ruth Meteer

these professional level performers were actual parishioners at Trinity.

Th e growing success of this min-istry is particularly poignant for Trinity Church, since they are a Parish in “Transition” as we call it around the Diocese. Th eir Cur-rent acting rector, the Rev. David Dobbins, is an interim. He is there to lead the parish through a process that involves attempting to identify the parish’s unique personality and place in the surrounding commu-nity, in preparation for their search for a permanent rector.

It has been wonderful to see Trinity Church discover its wealth of music and theatrical talent, and live into the gifts it in a way that builds spir-itual community within the parish, as well as in greater Newport. We here at the Diocese are all look-ing forward to the future of this ministry, somewhat selfi shly. After all, who wouldn’t look forward to a chance to see a fantastic production of Joseph and the Amazing Tech-nicolor Dreamcoat ?

PHOTOS by Ruth Meteer, taken at Trinity Ministry of � e Arts’ May 14th performance of “American Songbook does Time” , a montage of popular music and narratives that have stood the test of time.

Trinity Ministry of the Arts is the newly hatched darling of Trinity Church New-port. I fi rst heard about this program last winter, shortly after Trinity’s decision to hire parishioner Th omas C. Erb as Trinity’s Artistic Director. Th e explosion of interest and activity since has been inspiring. In the past six months Trinity Church has transformed the lower level of their Carr-Rice house into a theater, per-formed multiple pieces with remarkable success, founded a summer theater camp, and plotted a full fall production schedule beginning with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in September.

Trinity’s Ministry of the Arts program has not been ignored by the press either. Th ere have been reviews in publications such as � e Providence Journal and Motif Magazine. Trinity’s rendition of Art, by Yasmin Reza, was even nominated for a Motif Magazine award. � e Newport Daily News published a few articles about American Songbook Does Time, a musical which was a collaborative written by Trin-ity’s own Paul Koumrian and Al Deston III. One emphatic review raved that “Th e ensemble and soloists were nothing short

of perfection” and “the performance was so balanced and organized, and most of all professional, it made you think that you were at a major Broadway production”.

In fact, American Songbook Does Time was

so well received that in the fi rst round, it sold out most evenings. Trinity produced the show a second time May 7-17th, as a fundraiser for Episcopal Charities. I walked into a sold out room on a Th urs-day night, and was lucky to get a chair. Th e performance was given in the round, which made for an intimate venture, and Th e soloists were indeed fantastic. I was surprised to fi nd that all but 3 or 4 of

12 RISEN/ SUMMER 2009

The Camino de Santiago

de CompostelaArticle and Photos: The Rev. Jennifer L. Pedrick, Church of the Epiphany, East Providence

Angels Along the Way


Last year I experienced a call

to make a journey that was

a great challenge and a life-chang-

ing gift. I went on a pilgrim-

age on the Camino de Santiago

de Compostela. Th e Camino,

or “El Camino” as it is called in

Spanish, is an ancient pilgrim-

age to the Cathedral of Santiago

de Compostela in Spain. For

over a thousand years Christian

pilgrims have been walking to

the legendary site of the tomb of

the Apostle St. James the Great.

Th e pilgrimage route I walked began in France at the foot of the Pyrenees Moun-tains and covered roughly fi ve hundred miles across Northern Spain. I was sur-prised to fi nd myself called to do this, yet as I planned and experienced this pilgrim-age, and now a year later as I have lived with the Camino’s life lessons, I can see more clearly how God has been present and generous along the way.

Th e fi rst time I heard of El Camino, I was sitting in a Commission on Ministry inter-view, listening to Th e Rev. Meaghan Kelly,

then a postulant for Holy Orders. As she recounted her own Camino pilgrimage she spoke of walking day after day, facing great challenges and experiencing peace, always with a sense that God was providing ex-actly what she needed. Another thing I remembered was that she spoke of having an unprecedented amount of silence and time to think. I thought to myself, “this is amazing, but I would never, ever do some-thing like that.”

As the old adage goes, “never say never.” Several years after this Camino seed was planted, I was on a treadmill one morning, thinking I should get serious about plan-ning my sabbatical the following spring. Th e Camino came to mind and would not go away. I researched the journey, talked to people who had made it, and discussed the idea with my husband and friends. I had suspected that my growing interest would wane. Th ere were, after all, many good reasons not to make this pilgrimage. I could not imagine leaving my husband and children for six weeks. It would be the end of the school year and my girls would have their seventh and eleventh birthdays while I was away. I experienced fear about any number of things including travel plans, the physical demands of walk-ing this distance, the height of the three mountain ranges, being alone in the mid-dle of nowhere, and the idea of carrying all my necessities on my back. Despite all this, my daily research, conversations, and prayer moved me closer to this Camino journey.

When the time came for me to leave, I experienced a strange mix of deep sad-ness and incredible freedom. As I sat on the plane waiting for my fl ight to depart, I wrote in my journal, “Day 1: It is hard to

believe my sabbatical is fi nally here. I don’t have a list. I have nothing to do. Th at’s odd. My only book is a New Testament. Hmmm. I feel like crying, not for sadness, but for the enormity of it all…life, family, church, gratitude, this opportunity. I am beloved, deeply, truly and by amazing peo-ple, by God. I think I’ll actually sleep now. Looking forward to hanging out with Jesus for the next forty days.”

On the second day I made my way by train from Paris to a French village at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. I was sur-

rounded by eager pilgrims, all of whom looked much more fi t and certain of what they were doing than I. Th e mountains in front of me were high and I was fear-ful. Perhaps, my training on the East Bay Bike Path was not adequate! Th e third day I began the walking and I did cross the Pyrenees. It was arduous and exhilarating. Th ere were companions along the way and I had the fi rst of many shared meals and deep conversations with other pilgrims.

Th at night I slept in the fi rst of many albergues, or pilgrim refuges. Since pilgrims have been walking this path for more than ten centuries, there is a well-established system of hospitality. Every pilgrim has a “credential,” similar to a passport that is stamped

Th at night I slept in the fi rst of many albergues, or pilgrim refuges. Since pilgrims have been walking this path for more than ten centuries, there is a well-established system of hospitality. Every pilgrim has a “credential,” similar to a passport that is stamped

Pilgrims have been walking this path for more than ten centuries


along the way, giving one access to food and shelter off ered in private and public fa-cilities. Th e accommodations varied from the sublime to the ridiculous and I never knew where I would end up at the end of a day. Even the best of accommodations were shared. Th ere were never fewer than four pilgrims in my room and at times there were as many as one hundred and twenty. Th ough I did sleep, or rather lay quietly, on several concrete fl oors, I always had a roof over my head. I carried my food for the day and almost always dined with other pilgrims at night, either cook-ing together or eating from a “Menu de Peregrino” in a restaurant or refuge.

Th e last Sunday before my pilgrimage be-gan, a wise woman at my church reminded me that when Jesus went into the wilder-

ness he was with wild animals and was at-tended by angels. As I look back on my experience the same was true of my forty days, particularly the part about being at-tended by angels. I was tested and found myself in diffi cult situations. I walked through rain, thunder and hail storms. Th ere were days of great heat, rough ter-rain, and endless miles of manure and mud. One foggy, rainy day I got terri-bly lost, miles off the Camino, in a rural area where the few people I found did not speak Spanish, but Galego. Th ey pointed and stomped on pavement and I stared at them blankly. I tromped through my fear, tears and many miles repeating Jesus’ words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” God only knows how I got back onto the right path.

I faced internal challenges as well. I learned to listen to my body more intently when I expe-rienced injuries, the most painful of which was an infl amed Achil-les tendon. Th is particular ail-ment reminded me of my own vulnerability and need for rest. I chose to take public transporta-

tion so that I could get to a place to stop for several days of healing. I learned some-thing about the importance of being car-ried and cared for along the way. It was a challenge to watch the walking pilgrims from my seat inside the bus. Th ere were days when I struggled emotionally and spiritually. Th e lack of privacy in the alber-

gues grew old very quickly. Several times I was ready to get out a credit card and call it quits. I was keenly aware of the privilege of my resources, my safety net on Camino and in life. Th e challenges were a part of the journey, but what has stayed with me is that at every turn, I have a sense that God was providing for me. I have never been one for believing in angels, but I can say that I have now experienced their tending.

One morning after walking only three miles or so, I entered the garden of a pil-grim refuge for a cup of coff ee. I sat for over an hour enjoying the trees and the roses. Finally the host com-mented that I must not be in a hurry. I said I was tired, that maybe I’d like a bed, even though I knew the albergue would not open until late in the afternoon. He asked if I was okay and

over an hour enjoying the trees and the roses. Finally the host com-mented that I must not be in a hurry. I said I was tired, that maybe I’d like a bed, even though I knew the albergue would not open until late in the afternoon. He asked if I was okay and

When Jesus went into the wilder-ness he was with wild animals and was attended by angels... the same was true of my forty days


something about his concern brought tears to my eyes. Very gently he took my arm, led me to a lovely room and sent me to bed. Next he brought up my pack, my boots and walking poles. He pulled the shades, and told me he’d be back to check on me. He brought a cold drink later and asked me about my family. Later that afternoon his father brought some food up. I felt like I was at my beloved grand-mother’s house, but these were complete strangers who seemed to know just what I needed.

Another day I asked a man in a village where I could find a market for food. He asked what I wanted and then brought me into his small kitchen where he be-gan handing me bread, cheese, fruit and salami. When my arms couldn’t hold any more, he stuffed an orange in my pocket. On the feast of Corpus Christi, my youngest daughter was celebrating her seventh birthday and I was feeling particu-larly homesick. I met up with a group of women from several different countries. One was from Korea and we had shared a room several nights before. I explained that I was feeling blue and a German woman took me in her arms and told me we would walk together. Later in the day we phoned my daughter and wished her a happy birthday in four languages.

On this journey I carried very little. I had one change of clothing and one kind of soap to wash everything from head to foot, including my clothes. My backpack contained my sleeping bag, essential toilet-ries and a first aid kit. I packed water and

food for each day. It all weighed less than twenty pounds and yet I never wanted for anything material. My needs of every kind were met, often through the kindness and hospitality of others. I was tempted and tested, and certainly, tended by angels.

There were many days that were a pure joy to experience. I met extraordinary people and walked through stunning countryside. The Camino passes through many his-toric and architecturally important cities and Christian sites. There were moments when the beauty of a landscape or a church

would take my breath away. One of the gifts of the Camino was the solitude and the time to reflect on my life and ministry. Some days I had the luxury of deciding what topic or theme I would think on as I walked.

Walking the Camino is an intuitive experi-ence. I did not carry a map though I did have a pamphlet to tell me the distances between villages and stopping places. The journey is marked by a quirky series of yel-low arrows, scallop shells, and signs. The arrows were especially iconic, and main-

tained by local people who painted them on rocks, barns, stones and trees. The Camino is easy to follow, in part because there are relatively few distractions, the mission is clear, and there are other pil-grims. One day when I realized how easy it was to follow the arrows and stay on this Camino path, I began to consider the ar-rows of the pilgrimage that is my life. I wondered about the arrows that keep me on my “way” with Jesus Christ.

The prayer, “give us this day our daily bread” has taken on new meaning as I re-alize that the key is not to want so much more than this. Carrying today’s bread is usually enough, even though as a wife, mother, and parish priest, I am often carry-ing and longing for so much more. Since my return I have made some practical changes to allow me to live more simply.

Other arrows I am trying to follow in my ongoing pilgrimage include listening more attentively to my children and be-ing more attentive to my personal spiritual life alongside my spiritual leadership role as a priest. I am more peaceful because I play and pray more. Living more simply, awareness and avoidance of some distrac-tions, and nurturing my own spirit are the parts of the journey that have had the most lasting impact since my return. There is not a day that passes without my thinking of something or someone on my Camino pilgrimage. This journey was, at its end, a new beginning of sorts. I remain grateful for all its continuing gifts and guidance. Happily, I still look forward to hanging out with Jesus. □

“Religion points to that area of human experience where in one way or another man comes upon mystery as a summons to pilgrimage.” -Frederick Buechner

Praying at TaizéPhotos and Article by Ruth Meteer

visitors would often fi nd these diffi cult, so they began to write simpler tunes that all could sing. Th en, when visitors began to come from outside France, the Brothers translated the chants into Latin, a neutral language, and eventually into the many diff erent languages of the visitors. Today a typical prayer service at Taizé will include a little Latin, French, English, Spanish, and during our week we sang a lot of German, because it was German school vacation, and there were so many German teenagers around.

Th e buildings of Taizé have grown in much the same way. Th e fi rst prayer services were held in the village Church, and when it was outgrown in the early 60’s, the larger Church and dormitories were built just outside the village.

Father Warren, rector at the Church of the Advent in Boston, once told me about his fi rst trip to Taizé. It was in the mid to late 60’s, and the week before he arrived there had been so many visitors, that they couldn’t come close to fi tting in the still newish Church. Th e Brothers decided to just knock the back wall of the church down, to make room rather than splitting the group up, so Father Warren arrived to worship in a Church with a tent for a back wall. Th ese days the church is a huge segmented building with walls that roll up to open more space as more visitors arrive. Th e day we arrived there were only about 500 people, so most of the building was closed off , but we came for the week ending in Pentecost, and by the arrival of that day, visitors numbered somewhere around 2,500-3,000, and three of the fi ve or six more sections of the Church had been opened.

Every spring the Diocese of Rhode Island takes a sav-

vy group of young adults on a pilgrimage to Taizé,

an ecumenical monastic community in France known

for its unique style of sung prayer. Taizé draws thousands

of visitors from around the world each week, and has

inspired many Churches here in the USA to hold Taizé

style prayer services. When I heard that tagging along

on the trip would be an option, I jumped at the chance.

I had been wanting to visit Taizé for ages. I fi rst heard of the place four or fi ve years ago, when a few of my close friends at-tended Taizé prayer at an Episcopal Church in Wenham, MA. It was another year before I was able to make it to one myself, but as soon as I did I was hooked. On the fl oor with pillows, among icons, in a dim candlelit atmosphere, the simple chants and sol-emn silences spoke to the aesthete in me. Th e surprising number of fellow twenty-somethings in attendance was also encouraging, and I began to experience the Holy Spirit in a grand new way.

About Taizé:So What exactly is Taizé prayer and how did it come about? Brother John explained it like this one evening, when the Americans at Taizé all met together. He said that it all started in 1940, when Brother Roger, a Lutheran, bought a house in the French village of Taizé and opened his doors to those in need of hospitality. Th e village of Taizé was in free southern France, close to the close to the border of the Nazi occupied part of the country, so Brother Roger’s open home quickly became a shelter for refugees fl eeing the war. Eventually Authorities caught on, and Brother Roger had to fl ee to Geneva. After the war, Brother Roger brought three friends back with him from Geneva, and they began living as Brothers in monastic community. Others joined, visitors came, and the community grew.

According to Brother John, Taizé’s unique prayer style grew out of the Brothers’ continued attention to the needs of their visi-tors. Initially the brothers prayed with Benedictine chants, but


seemed like forever, we were forced to resort to whatever combi-nation of alternate transportation we could find. When the buses and planes, and buses and trains were all over and done with, the 8-10 hour trip had taken us nearly 22! We arrived at Taizé exhausted, were sorted and assigned to bible studies and work groups, and went almost immediately to bed.

The daily regimen at Taizé was quite busy. Morning prayer was at 8:30 sharp, and was immediately followed by a breakfast of French bread, butter, 2 sticks of chocolate and hot cocoa. Bible introduction was immediately after that, then small groups, then noonday prayer, then lunch, then just enough time to change be-fore my 3:00 practical work. After work their were 2 hours to attend workshops, nap, walk the paths of La Source St. Etienne, or meet with a Taizé Brother, or a Catholic Sister if you preferred. After that came dinner, evening prayer, an hour at the snack shop OYAK with your friends before bed.

Needless to say, it was difficult the first few days. Even without jet lag, the schedule would have been draining for me. I normally require equal parts active social time and quiet alone time to think and pray and write. The first few days I mechanically moved my way through the schedule thinking the cyclical thoughts “This

About Our Pilgrimage:Our little group of Pilgrims numbered 9 altogether, and we set out on a Peter Pan bus to Logan Airport on Saturday May 23rd. Most of the pilgrims were college students that had been, or were currently involved with summer camp at ECC. Raechel Doughty, Laura Sidla, Cece Cookingham, and Ian Holliday all came along. Many of them had been to Taizé before. Patrick Greene, a seminarian and itinerant priest from St. John’s Bar-rington came on his way to study for a few weeks at Canter-bury Cathedral in England. Patrick Campbell, the minister of music at St. Paul’s Pawtucket came to learn how to lead Taizé prayer. Canon Tylan Creason and I represented the Diocesan House, and my part time roommate Susan Pracht who attends St. Martin’s, Providence took a week out of her European vaca-tion to meet up with us once we arrived.

We flew on a 5 hour KLM flight to Amsterdam, and after a short layover hopped on an hour long Air France flight to Lyon, where a minibus was supposed to meet us and drive us the another hour and a half to Taizé. It never showed. After waiting for what


RIGHT:Patrick Greene (far Left)and Susan Pracht (far right)with new friends.

ABOVE:Three Girls Walk

to the Church for morning

prayer

isn’t at all what I expected. I have a bad attitude. It just isn’t what I expected. I’m not experiencing God. I have a bad attitude. It just isn’t what I expected.”

I wasn’t at all prepared. I wasn’t prepared for the 1200 German teenagers on field trips with their public school religion cours-es, and the post-junior year abroad students who thought Taizé would just be a cheap place to stay. I had expected solemn pil-grims, and the chattering during the silence of the prayer service disturbed me. I wasn’t prepared for the exhausting manual labor projects I had inadvertently signed up for with my work group,

driving tent stakes with sledgehammers and scrubbing canvases the size of football fields.( I exaggerate. They were much closer to the size of a basketball court).

The long and short of it is that I had come perfectly prepared to meet God, but only where and how I wanted. I was not at all prepared to meet God where He wanted, and where I eventually found Him. I’m guessing this is something that many first time Pilgrims have to deal with… the breaking down of human expec-tations, to open the way for the Holy Spirits’ unexpected gifts.

Gradually, most of the things that had irked me the first couple days became the things that made my time at Taizé so special. During lunch on day three, one of the Germans in my “over 25” small group sought me out, and opened up about some things that were troubling her. She asked, in very elementary English, really tough questions about God’s love, human love, and how to not let one get in the way of the other. Somehow I managed to fit a complicated Thomas Merton answer into simple words. Somehow she seemed to find what she needed in what I said, and for the first time that week I felt the Holy Spirit at work in a way completely worthy of Pentecost.

On day four, while scrubbing tents, a German teenager named Benjamin told me about how he first came to Taizé on a school trip. He hadn’t come for spiritual reasons, but he said he was struck by this fun place that teaches him to be a better person and gives life meaning. By the end of that first trip he had discovered a


RIGHT:Me, as a tentmaker

for the week building

scrubbing folding

BELOW:

A Child Climbs the stairs

to Taizé from

La Source St. Etienne


Christianity that was relevant to his life in a way he never knew it could be. He said he still wasn’t interested in Church back home because it is boring, but he comes to Taizé two or three times a year and now brings most of his friends from with him too. “It is a special place, it is a good special place” he said. Those were the only words he had to use, but I completely understood what he probably couldn’t say in German either.

It was humbling to realize that the very people I had been wish-ing away, were first-trip Benjamins, perhaps experiencing church in a way that is meaningful to them for the first, or the only time in their life. Suddenly I felt that they were the ones who had all the right to be at Taizé, and that there were a whole lot of people around me at all times who needed praying for.

That was when I hit my groove. I had all of this time to pray, and all of these people to pray for. Somehow after that, the prayer services became “downtime” in the same way my writing is at home. It bookended all the things to do, and centered me in a way that made prayer a holistic part of everything else I did, rather than something to happen between and after the social activities. When you sing a song or two enough times through, they just get

stuck in your heart.

Even my work project became a blessing, when I realized that I had quite literally been a “tentmaker” the whole week. The Brother who was supervising my work group laughed when I commented that it felt good to be contributing as a tentmaker like Paul in Corinth, but I was quite serious.

At Taizé I found a new appreciation for Paul’s words to Corinth in Acts 20:34-35.

“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”

I had come to the Taizé community on a pilgrimage, for the specific purpose of receiving, of ministering to myself. Funnily enough, it wasn’t until I began to give, to work and help and pray for those around me, that I was actually able to receive the blessings that I had so hoped to find.□

Taizé in Rhode IslandThe Cathedral of St. JohnFirst Sunday of Each Month at 4:00

St. Paul’s PautucketFor dates email [email protected]

St. Anns By the Sea7pm Wed june 24th

Epiphany Providence The 1st & 3rd Thursday of each monthat 7pm, through August

LEFT:

Young people gather near the bells to eat and talk before evening prayer

Have you been to Lexington and Concord, MA? Walked the Free-dom Trail in Boston? Been to Gaspee Days in Warwick? We New Englanders have a special relationship to the birth of the United States of America.

You can imagine what the Revolutionary War did to Anglican congregations in RI and throughout the colonies becoming states. What a time that must have been! Exciting, frightening, turning so much that was familiar upside down. Before George Washing-ton was elected the 1st President of the United States, clerical and lay Deputies from several states assembled in Philadelphia to plan for the future of an independent, American Episcopal Church. In the spirit of the times, the General Convention was born and would very soon be composed of a House of Deputies and a House of Bishops, “giving clergy and laity an equal voice with bishops in determining policy, establishing our legal framework, and maintaining a living liturgical life.” (Pamela Chinnis, House of Deputies President, 2000)

204 years later we’re still at it! Attend the Annual Meeting of your congregation and you will elect delegates to Diocesan Conven-tion. Every three years those delegates elect the General Conven-tion Deputies; deputies commit themselves to prepare through study, conversation and prayer and to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit. While they do represent their particular dio-cese, they are not bound by that diocese to vote a certain way. In September 1995 delegates from your congregation gathered in a special Diocesan Convention and elected the Very Rev. Geralyn Wolf as the 12th Bishop of Rhode Island. She became a member of the House of Bishops which does have regular meetings, but it is only when the two houses meet together that we have a General Convention. Our polity is unique in the Anglican Communion and often misunderstood.

General Convention is a legislative body that approved the Book of Common Prayer you regularly hold in your hand as well as the Hymnal 1982. Ordination to the priesthood of women was approved in 1976 in an emotion fi lled convention. Our church is still feeling the eff ects of the decision in 2003 to consent to the election of the Bishop of New Hampshire; bishops and deputies made that decision after much study, talk, and prayer. In 2006 the General Convention asked the Episcopal Church to look beyond

“churchy” things and go forth in mission with the

Millennium Development Goals. Many ecumenical part-

nerships have been strengthened by the actions of General Conven-

tion, and on and on and on. In 2009, twen-ty-two committees will review resolutions and send them on to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies for action. What does the Episcopal Church believe? Where does the Episcopal Church stand on an issue? Look to the actions of General Convention.

But, General Convention is more than a legislative body. It’s a family reunion; it’s the Triennial Meeting of the Epis-copal Church Women, it’s a marketplace for goods and a showplace for organizations, but above all, it’s a worship-ping community. Th ere’s lots of room in this church for diff erence of opinion, but at our best, we are one body in Christ.

Th e theme for the 76th General Convention, July 8th to 17th, 2009, is a new word for most of us - “ubuntu”; it will take us a while to get comfortable with saying it, but “ubuntu” refers to the interconnectedness of all humanity, I in You and You in Me. Community - not just in RI or New England but across and through political and geographic and economic and any other kind of boundary you can think of. Ubuntu. Th is is a challenging theme for us as we approach controversial issues, a theme that will help us see things through many eyes before a decision is made. We have a special heritage in the Episcopal Church. □

“churchy” things and go forth in mission with the

Millennium Development Goals. Many ecumenical part-

nerships have been strengthened by the actions of General Conven-

tion, and on and on and on. In 2009, twen-

GENERAL CONVENTION2 0 0 9WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHYBy Caryl Frink

Clergy From the Diocese of Rhode Island met on � ursday June 4th in Synod Hall at the Cathedral of St. John in preparation for this year’s General Convention.


Pilgrimage is a very old tradition. Th ere seems to have always

been pilgrims, people who are traveling to a holy place as an

act of religious devotion. God called Abraham to pilgrimage

from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans to the Promised Land.

Th e ancient Israelites went up to Jerusalem three times a year

to worship the Lord and to bring sacrifi ces - at the Feast of

the Passover, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths.

Mary and Joseph brought the young boy Jesus on one of these

pilgrimages, and as an adult, Jesus made the journey himself.

5 to Pilgrimage

to without leaving

New EnglandPlaces

Article and Photos by Sr. Grace, SSM Illustrations by Ruth Meteer

Today, many Christians are mak-ing pilgrimages. Th ey go to the Holy Land to visit the places

that were important in the life of Jesus. Th ey travel to Germany and Switzer-land to explore the Reformation Move-ment. Th ey want to see the magnifi cent cathedrals of England, France, and Spain. Th ey pray at Iona in Scotland, at Taizé in France, or at Canterbury Cathedral in England. Th ey travel alone or in groups

of like or diff erent faiths, with friends for support, safety and greater value.

When a person prepares properly, and goes with a specifi c intent, the pilgrimage they embark on can be one of spiritual struggle, but also of spiritual epiphany. Many people fi nd that God becomes manifest to them in ways they would never have imagined; Scriptures come alive, Jesus becomes more real, or they experience the Holy Spirit


in a way unknown to them until then.

Clearly, a pilgrimage is an important and often life-changing experience, but not everyone can aff ord to go on a lengthy pilgrimage to Europe or the Middle East, especially in these challenging economic times. So how can we, here in New Eng-land, fi nd the time and the space to take a pilgrimage of our own? Th e answer lies in expanding the defi nition of pilgrimage.

As Christians, we are all pilgrims. Just the act of walking through the days of our lives, with all of the struggles, joys, triumphs and pain, confi rm that this life is a journey. We can go through this life drifting about, tossed by our whims and those of others, or we can transform our drifting into pilgrimage.

Pilgrims by defi nition travel to a destina-tion that is sacred, but there are very few places on this planet that are NOT sacred in some way. If you are interested in his-tory, a place of historical interest may be a holy place. If you are wrestling with a fam-ily issue, a trip to the old homestead might be a pilgrimage. If you love the beauty of the natural world, a place of a particularly scenic nature might be where you want to go. It all depends on who you are and where you are on your spiritual journey.

Th e preparation for pilgrimage is nearly as important as where you go. Pilgrims need not only a sense of adventure, but also a sense of holy longing, that ache in each one of us that draws us along on our journey.

What is your intent? What is the grace that you most desire from this pilgrim-age? Are you looking to make contact with a God that has become remote? Are you trying to reconnect with the life force of the Holy Spirit? Do you want a better, more intimate experience in prayer? Are you wrestling with a particular question or situation that could benefi t by taking time out to concentrate on it in a holy

place? Pray about where you should go, why you should go, and what you want to receive. Ask God to tell you what you need from the pilgrimage. Do this as a regular practice, for an extended period of time before you embark on the jour-ney. God will honor that preparation.

You will also need to decide if you should pilgrimage alone, or with others. Going alone can be very enriching. You will have the time and space and privacy of your own thoughts. Th e communal aspect of travelling with others also has benefi ts.

Th e experience, when shared with oth-ers, can become much richer and can develop more fully. Being able to talk about it with fellow pilgrims can make the experience linger long after the actual journey is over. Ancient pilgrims trav-eled in groups because there was safety in numbers. Th at isn’t necessarily true these days, but it certainly can be rewarding.

To help you begin to prepare, the fol-lowing pages highlight fi ve places peo-ple pilgrimage within New England.

CATHEDRAL OF THE PINES

COLT STATE PARK

LA SALETTE

ST. MARGARET’S DUXBURY

ST. MARGARET’S BOSTON

“As Christians, we are all pilgrims. Just the act of walking through the days of our lives, with all of the struggles, joys, triumphs and pain, confi rms that this life is a journey.”

www.riparks.com/colt.htmDistance From Providence: 16.5 milesBy Car: 31 minutes

COLT STATE PARK in Bristol, RI is often referred to as the ‘gem’ of the State Parks system. The entire western edge of the park is an open panorama onto Narra-gansett Bay. It is open year round and con-tains 464 acres of beautifully landscaped


Colt State ParkBristol, RI

A pilgrimage to Colt State Park doesn’t have to mean sitting around on a pew all day, however! Activities at Colt State Park include boating, canoeing, saltwater fish-ing, kayaking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, waterskiing, mountain biking, bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, volleyball etc. I know a man who considers his time bird watching to be his most spiritual time of the week! Any of these activities, when done in the right spirit and with the right intention, can be the means to a greater spiritual awareness.

grounds. There are four miles of bicycle trails and over 400 picnic tables. Why is it sacred? To me, Colt State Park is a wonder-ful mix; all the beauty of the natural world with lots of space to wander and a glorious outdoor chapel to pray in. The Chapel-by-the-Sea is an open-air chapel, complete with wooden bench pews and a stone altar and pulpit.

www.lasalette-shrine.orgDistance From Providence: 14milesBy Car: 22 minutes

THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF LASALETTE in Attleboro, MA is a shrine of the Roman Catholic tradition, dedicated to the Blessed Mother who appeared to two shepherd children at LaSalette, a small hamlet in the French Alps.

The extensive complex includes a monas-tery, a retreat house, a Church with regu-lar Masses, an enormous gift shop, and a cafeteria in addition to the many outdoor


shrines. You can follow a Rosary walk around a pond with swans, and visit gar-dens devoted to Our Lady of La Salette, St.. Francis of Assisi, and the Apparition to the Children. There is also a fountain, the Stations of the Cross path, and a large statue of Jesus with the Sacred Heart, not to mention “the Holy Stairs.”

What are “the Holy Stairs?” According to tradition, when Jesus Christ was con-demned to death, he had to climb 28 steps to the throne of Pontius Pilate. Those stone

La SaletteShrineAttleboro, MA

steps were later found in Jerusalem and brought to Rome. People began to climb these “Holy Stairs” (as they were called) on their knees, praying and meditating on the Passion of Jesus. The 28 steps at LaSalette are there for the same purpose. Pilgrims are encouraged to climb them one by one on their knees.

If you don’t make it for a visit this sum-mer, stop by in the evening during Ad-vent to view their spectacular light dis-play .

http://www.ssmbos.comDistance from Providence::Duxbury: 47miles, 1hour 5 minutesBoston: 42.9 miles, 55minutes

THE SISTERS OF ST MARGARET are an Episcopal Religious Order of women called to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through their wor-ship and work, prayer and common life. Their commitment to God and to one another is expressed through vows of pov-erty, celibate chastity and obedience.

The Sisters of St.. Margaret operate retreat houses in Duxbury, MA and in Boston,

St. Margaret’sDuxbury, MA & Boston, MA

air, and a multitude of creatures to watch.

In Boston, the Sisters also welcome those who want to come for a retreat, either individually or in a group. If you wish to have a Sister direct your retreat, you need to contact them in advance. There is a comfortable library on the first floor for reading or studying with an exten-sive collection of books and magazines, and a lovely reading room. Guests may use the Oratory on the second floor for their private prayer and meditation. The icon prayer room on the fourth floor has a wide variety of icons, candles, prayer benches and cushions for you to use for individual, private prayer. If the weather permits, you can sit out on the roof deck. If not, you can sit inside in the solarium. All of the properties of the Sisters of St.. Margaret are designed for the pilgrim who seeks a deeper knowledge of God.

MA. A retreat is a different type of pil-grimage, a stepping away from work, from the world, and from our lives in order to take stock of what we are doing, what we are becoming and where we are going. We choose to go apart to be with God, to turn our eyes upon Jesus, and to wander in the wilderness of our own faith. Retreats can last anywhere from one day to a week or more.

At St.. Margaret’s on Harden Hill Road in South Duxbury, individuals or groups can rent the Bertram Conference Center, the Farmhouse or the Boathouse. It is a short walk to Duxbury Bay and St.. Margaret’s private beach. There are several landscaped acres to walk with the smell of fresh salt



www.cathedralofthepines.org Distance From Providence: 86.4 milesBy Car: 1 hour 55 minutes

CATHEDRAL OF THE PINES is an outdoor worship space with a breathtaking view of Grand Monadnock Mountain in the town of Rindge NH.

Along with the natural and serene beauty of the Cathedral grounds, visitors find in-spiration in its many unique stone shrines, altars, and gardens. Among these is the Al-tar of the Nation, officially recognized by unanimous vote of the United States Con-gress as a national memorial to all Ameri-can war dead.

The awe-inspiring Women’s Memorial Bell Tower, is the only monument in the na-tion to specifically recognize the countless numbers of patriotic women who have sac-rificed their lives in service to our country. Other shrines throughout the Cathedral grounds include the bronze Fountain and Tree of Life, and unique stone appoint-

intend to go. Ancient pilgrims made sure they knew where they were going and how to get there. How do you get to where you are going? How long will you stay? What is the terrain of the place you are going? What footwear should you have on? How should you be dressed? Be aware that some shrines have dress codes.

Remember that Jesus was himself a pil-grim, journeying through growing, lov-ing, suffering and dying, in the ultimate act of religious devotion. In the same way, we are all pilgrims traveling from birth to death. We are all in the process of becom-ing, of going somewhere. We are constant-ly changing and evolving. Our whole life is a pilgrimage. Why not take some time to go on a spiritual pilgrimage to a place that can help you to get in touch with your spiritual self? Remember, life itself is a pil-grimage to God. □

Cathedral of the PinesRindge, NH More Ideas...

• Society of St. John the EvangelistCambridge, MA www.ssje.org

• Other Shrines in New EnglandTo View a Slideshow visit the web address bellow www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/catholic_shrines_in_new_england

• Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village New Gloucester, ME www.shaker.lib.me.us

• The Freedom Trail/Old North Church, Boston, MA www.thefreedomtrail.org

ments like the Mother’s Chapel, the Bap-tismal Font, the Lectern, the Pulpit, the Ten Commandments Monolith, and the Altar of St. Francis.

Beautifully manicured gardens enhance the Cathedral’s natural landscape and add to its overall sense of peace and tranquil-ity. All lend themselves to reflection and reverence.

Once you have picked your destination, do your homework. Much of the informa-tion you need can be obtained by look-ing at websites or by calling the place you

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aCtIVe VoICe:Columnist urgeschurch supportfor Earth Charter

By Pat McCaughan

IT WAS THE fi rst full day at Camp Stevens at Julian, Calif., for 31 sixth-graders, and every step along the hiking trail brought fresh discoveries.

Camille Furby, 12, a fi rst-time camper, was part of a group receiving a mid-May mini-lesson on discerning dog prints from cat tracks. “I like it. I’m learning a lot,” said Furby, whose class curriculum included spending a week at the camp about 60 miles north of San Diego.

From merely taking time out to stop, be still and listen to meadow grasses shifting in the wind to contemplating varieties of energy, recognizing poison oak or settling in amid

charred oak and pine trees for an im-promptu fi re safety lesson, “we want them to have this experience,” said

Episcopal camps nurture faith and friendships

Embracing Ubuntu: exploring identity and mission

to page B

to page C

By Episcopal Life staff

WHEN AN ANTICIPATED 9,000 deputies and alter-nates, bishops, Episcopal Church Women, exhibitors, staff, volunteers and visi-tors converge in Anaheim, Calif., on July 7 for the opening of the church’s 76th General Convention and ECW Triennial Meet-ing, they can expect sun, fun, rich diversity, green space, fresh worship and the launch of a mission

conversation.For 11 days

the glass-walled Anaheim Conven-tion Center will be transformed into meeting, worship, child care and other spaces and host at least 120 exhib-itors, an education discov-ery center and a diocesan hospitality venue featuring banners proclaiming “Faith and Our Future” and emer-gent worship, said Bishop Jon Bruno of the Diocese

of Los Angeles.“I was there the last

time General Conven-tion was in Anaheim [in 1985] when Ed-mund Browning was elected the presiding

bishop,” said Bruno. “I’ve gone from volunteer to host of convention, and we’re excited beyond belief and preparing for our thou-sands of visitors.”

Anaheim, named in 1857 by its German found-ers, means

Photo/Pat McCaughan

Episcopal summer camps, such as Camp Stevens in Julian, Calif., offer a wealth of experiences for young people. However, the sliding economy has slowed enrollments at the camps, which also must compete with other modern alternatives.

Photo/NetsforLifeZambians get insecti-cide-treated bed nets during NetsforLife distribution.

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Erin Brennan, a teacher at Furby’s school, All Hallows Academy.

The 260-acre camp, a shared ministry of the dioceses of San Di-ego and Los Angeles, is a yearlong living witness, environmentally and ecologically and – especially in the summers – is one of the Episcopal Church’s best evangelistic tools, said Director Peter Bergstrom.

“What draws campers back is they’ve had a powerful experience of Christian community that stays with you,” he said. “They hunger for that community and develop the values that make them want to con-tinue to be involved in the church.”

The United States has more than 12,000 day and resident camps, according to the American Camping Association. About 60 are Episco-pal camps with varying programs and budgets. Camping fees vary, depending on locale, but average between $300 and $600 weekly in the peak summer season, when about 300,000 children and teens are served, said Bergstrom, execu-tive director of Episcopal Camps and Confer-ence Centers, a national association of 114 conference centers and summer camps in 84 Episcopal dioceses.

He said the poor economic condition is affecting camp enrollment this year. That includes Camp Stevens, which is rebuilding from devastat-ing November 2007 wildfires that destroyed

15 camp buildings. He and other camping advocates

say the church needs to devote more time and attention to this ac-tivity. General Convention, meeting in Anaheim, Calif., from July 8-17, will be asked to allocate $60,000 and assistance to help develop cur-ricula, resources and training events in English and Spanish.

“Since 1976, there have been no personnel or financial resources from General Convention dedicated to camping ministry,” a resolution to convention states. “Now many dioceses are in desperate need of as-sistance with resources, training and leadership development for camping ministry.”

‘Holy ground’Horseback riding, archery, arts

and crafts remain summer staples at the Sheldon Calvary Camp in the reorganized Diocese of Pittsburgh, said David Dix, a third-generation camper whose daughters say they wait to go, even though it doesn’t start until July.

For Dix and, he hopes, also for his daughters, camp becomes a place “to be yourself. “The friends

I’ve had for 30 years are those I met at the camp. I haven’t made any friendships com-parable anywhere else in my life.”

The camp has added two “mini” programs for just a few days for 7- to 12-year-olds, and also for their parents, in re-sponse to another recent trend – par-ents reluctant to send their children to camp for an entire week.

The Diocese of Vermont’s Rock

Point Camp on Lake Champlain faces “a transitional moment” this year, said director Jenny Ogelby. A former camper, she still passion-ately yearns for the experience of “holy ground,” she said. “Here, I’ve discovered a lot about Christian community, and I am very, very passionate about that.”

Successful camps typically are actively and passionately supported by bishops, camp directors and their boards of directors, as well as by diocesan clergy and laity, “who work to promote the program, to keep it fresh and to help raise money,” said Bergstrom. “To the extent we’re not promoting Christian summer camps for kids, we’re losing a great opportunity to help young people develop those values we all hold in such high esteem,” he said.

The Rev. Pat McCaughan is corre-spondent for Provinces VII and VIII for Episcopal Life.

Campsfrom page a

• closerlook

Photo/Diocese of Pittsburgh

Episcopal camps such as Sheldon Calvary in the Diocese of Pittsburgh offer many traditional summer camp activities, such as swimming, as well as a special experience of Christian community for youngsters.

Photo/Pat McCaughan

Staffer Laura Hiesener divvies up food for lunch among backpackers before a four-hour hike at Camp Stevens in California.

C

“home by the Santa Ana River.” For 11 days it will be home to thou-sands of Episcopalians.

Embracing UbuntuThe Rev. Gregory Straub, ex-

ecutive officer and secretary to the General Convention, said he hopes the spirit to Ubuntu (pronounced oo-boon-too), a Zulu or Xhosa word that means “I in you and you in me” will permeate the convention meetings, conversation and wor-ship. By stressing the convention’s theme of Ubuntu’s “interconnected-ness of one person to a community …we hope to launch conversations in each diocese, leading to mission focuses” via public narrative, a tool to build bridges through personal story,” he said.

New assignments will face first-time deputies, who won’t receive legislative committee assignments but instead will visit with seasoned conventioneers in the hopes of be-ing enriched by their convention experience. “We hope that by giving new deputies a richer experience, we will cut down on the loss of continuing deputies,” Straub said. More than 40 percent of deputies are new to this convention.

Even months ago, it was clear from diocesan resolutions that there was a desire to consider such issues as same-gender relationships, the environment, financial help for seminarians and liturgical change. The dioceses of Atlanta, Bethlehem, Massachusetts and Vermont are among those forwarding resolutions calling for the development of rites for blessing same sex relationships.

The economy and environment are also high on many lists. South-ern Ohio and Los Angeles passed resolutions proposing a plan for the church to embark on a mission for securing economic justice for all. At least half-dozen dioceses want

the church’s budget to underwrite the mounting costs of theological education for seminarians.

Other dioceses have signed on to support either the Genesis Cov-enant, an interfaith commitment to work to halt global climate change, or the Earth Charter, an interfaith effort to build a just, sustainable and peaceful global society.”

There are several liturgical reso-lutions, among them one from the Diocese of North Carolina asking convention to substantially revise the Baptismal Covenant in the Book of Common Prayer.

Global issuesGlobal issues are also a priority

at the convention. Some of the key issues will focus on the crises and peace-making efforts in conflict

areas such as the Middle East, Su-dan, Sri Lanka and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Convention addresses global concerns for two reasons, says

the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, the church center’s senior director of mission and director of the Advo-cacy Center. “One is in response to God’s mission to reconcile all things to Christ. We join in Christ’s work of salvation of the world.

“Secondly, we undertake this work as an expression of our part-nership with other provinces of the Anglican Communion. These are life-and-death matters [for them].”

The many international guests invited to Anaheim include pri-mates, bishops and provincial secretaries from many of the com-munion’s 38 provinces, especially those who have not experienced our church governance and have little understanding how we oper-ate, said the Rev. Chuck Robertson, canon to Presiding Bishop Katha-

rine Jefferts Schori.Archbishop of Canter-

bury Rowan Williams will attend his first General Convention from July 7-9 and participate in a Bible study and be a keynote speaker at a global eco-nomic forum.

Ecumenical leaders of other faiths have also been invited. Deepening the relationships between the Episcopal Church and its ecumenical partners is a goal as these ecumeni-cal and interfaith guests participate, observe and learn about the church and how it is governed, said a member of the church’s Standing Com-mission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Rela-tions. Among the propos-als to be put to conven-tion is one that would

introduce full communion with the Moravian church, much like the covenant the Episcopal Church has with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

newsworthy •

UBUntUfrom page a

The Anaheim Convention Center, the site of the 76th General Convention and the Epis-copal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting.

D • activevoice

THE ANGLICAN CON-SULTATIVE Council met in Jamaica for two weeks in early May. You will, by now, know of the head-line-attracting decisions of this meeting, but you will undoubtedly have heard much less about mission around the communion. I am convinced that the work of mission is where the Anglican Communion really “lives” – where it has its incarnate reality.

The various networks of the communion focus on mission work with youth, women, indig-enous peoples, French speakers; in health care, education, environmental issues and the nascent Anglican development al-liance. The Anglican Com-munion engages God’s mission to heal this world in the incarnate realities of feeding, educating, housing and healing people, equipping them for ministry and pursuing reconciliation in contexts of war, division and dis-crimination.

One Sunday, the mem-bers of the ACC dispersed for worship and conversa-tion in parishes around Jamaica. I visited St. John’s, a parish in Black River, about 100 miles west of Kingston, one of the oldest congregations, dating from the mid-1600s. Black River is a sleepy old port, no longer

used for cargo, but it still supports a local fishery. There are two marble plaques at the front of St. John’s sanctuary that remember gifts of land to the parish in the early 1800s, to be used for the education of poor chil-dren. Two schools found-ed at that time continue to this day, and the parish began a major local high school in the early 1960s. Excellent education for all is a pervasive mission of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Yet I also heard from parishioners and clergy that claiming their status as Anglicans often is dif-ficult. Some don’t want to be publicly identified with what is perceived as the rich, colonial church – which was also the church of many former slave own-ers. We talked about how the mission identity might be shifted, particularly through work with the poorest, perhaps in adult-literacy endeavors.

As we ACC members shared our learning from these mission conversa-tions, we recognized that Jamaicans, like most Anglicans, struggle to include new generations, to be relevant to the spiri-tual concerns of people in secular cultures and to engage their members in serving those outside the church.

The ACC meeting is a fur-ther example of the challenge we face in making decisions as a communion. We come from vastly different cultures, speak different languages and value dif-ferent things about Angli-canism. For example, the covenant text garnered broad support for its first three sections, but some feel the fourth section is inappropriately focused on discipline, while others see that as essential. We are not well-equipped to make structural deci-sions, even though we have deeply productive dialogue and partnerships around mission.

The last Lambeth Con-ference proceeded without resolutions, and the result was far deeper and richer because of the focus on conversation, dialogue and building relation-ships. This ACC meeting conducted some of its business in that way, but a great deal of time and energy was devoted to hearing reports and deal-ing with resolutions.

The members arrived and were inundated with lengthy, complex papers on a great variety of subjects – resolutions from the different net-works, the recent draft of

an Anglican covenant, the Windsor Continuation Group report, a 256-page book on ecumenical rela-tions and many others – and were expected to make decisions after brief opportunities for small-group discussion.

The details of decision-making would surprise most Episcopalians and the contrasts with our General Convention are significant. A small group develops material in advance and then offers it to the group with rela-tively little opportunity for deliberation or alteration. The resolutions presented for deliberation are vetted and edited by a commit-tee. The chair exercises a great deal of discretion in referring or declining to entertain resolutions; elec-tions are not straightfor-ward ballots for a single individual; discussion of any proposed amendment requires the support of 10 members and the presi-dent (the Archbishop of Canterbury) steps in fairly frequently to “steer.”

Yet, even in the midst of our differences, we rec-ognize a common passion for deep and transforma-tive participation in God’s mission.

Communion meeting faced challenges

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori

e

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

EPISCOPALIANS WITH OTHER Anglicans have formed partnerships with governments and faith-based organizations to begin to control and eradicate malaria, participants at the One World Against Malaria Summit in Washington, D.C., were told in April.

Held the day prior to World Malaria Day, the summit featured the announcement of new com-mitments from faith-based orga-nizations, including NetsforLife, a partnership founded by Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), which pledged to mobilize more than 30,000 volunteers and distrib-ute up to 7 million mosquito nets in 17 sub-Saharan African countries during the next five years. In its first three years, NetsforLife distrib-uted more than 1 million nets.

“We have helped the communi-ties through our church… to make the fight against malaria a priority,” Diocese of Northern Zambia Bishop Albert Chama told the summit. Re-ligious communities have reached areas “where nobody would think we could be, and this is a duty of the faith-based organizations and the church, that we can get to where the government can never be at times,” said Chama, acting leader of the Anglican Province of Central Africa. “Together we can fight and win the war against malaria.”

The faith-based partnership he helps lead in Zambia, which in-cludes partnerships with NetsforLife and the Global Fund to End AIDS, TB and Malaria, has distributed 770,166 nets in a country of 11.5 million people. This helped precipi-tate a 90 percent drop in malaria deaths in Zambia, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said in her keynote address.

Transmitted through infected

mosquitoes, malaria infects 300 million to 500 million people each year, kills 3,000 children a day and nearly 1 million people annually, and costs an estimated $12 bil-lion in lost productivity in Africa, according to ERD. The bishop said that malaria had accounted for 40 percent of the deaths of Zambian children age 5 and younger.

ERD estimates that, when three-quarters of a community properly

use insecticide-treated nets prop-erly, malaria transmission is cut by half, child deaths by 20 percent and the mosquito population by as much as 90 percent.

‘Distinct advantages’“Faith-based organizations have

some distinct advantages that make them exceptional partners in the struggle to end malaria,” Rice said. “They have nearly

Faith partnerships help to eradicate malaria

to page f

faithworks •

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By Harold R. Talbot

ONE OF THE resolutions up for consideration at General Conven-tion in July calls for endorsement of the Earth Charter together with the development of “action steps for diocese, churches and individuals to implement its principles locally, nationally and internationally.”

The Earth Charter is a declara-tion of fundamental principles for

building a just, sustainable and peaceful global

society in the 21st century. Follow-ing the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, it was drafted over a multi-year period by an international committee that engaged literally thousands of ordinary people and hundreds of local and interna-tional organizations. It was formally launched in June 2000 and since has received formal endorsements by thousands of groups worldwide.

Among its 16 principles, the charter calls for respect for the earth, development of democratic societies, the eradication of poverty, protection and restoration of the integrity of earth’s ecological sys-tems and gender equality.

We live in an increasingly in-terdependent world. The current global economic crisis is further evidence, if we needed any. And yet, around the world, we often

stumble, procrastinate and expend enormous amounts of energy charg-ing down blind alleys in our efforts to work together across boundaries, ethnicities and circumstances.

As Christians, we look to Scripture to find substantial common ground for dialogue and, often, progress in resolving or even just living with our differences across and within denominations. It seems to me that it would be most helpful if, as members of global society, we could look to a globally agreed-upon set of ethical principles for guidance in resolving differences and achieving progress. I believe the Earth Charter provides just this opportunity.

For our church, the four core prin-ciples (and 12 supporting principles) of the Earth Charter provide a practical framework for local and global min-istry and shared responsibility for the greater community of life. Together, they are a vision of hope and a call to action. In this, we can be one.

For the global community, they provide a vision of shared values at a critical time in the history of God’s creation – Earth and all life upon it – when it is crucial that we recognize that we are one interde-pendent community and must truly begin to live that way.

There is increasing recognition of the role that can be played by Earth’s great religions in moving towards implementation of the

values set forth in the Earth Charter. Not all of these religions are “God-centered,” and that is why God is not mentioned in the Earth Charter. Each religion will have its own ways and means of supporting implemen-tation of Earth Charter principles – and, I think, this is as it should be.

The more important consid-eration is that religions bring a spiritual element to the question of “respect and care for all peoples and the greater community of life” that transcends, each in its own way, the enormous practical diffi-culties implicit in implementing the Earth Charter principles.

A friend recently commented that the Earth Charter seems a very “ lib-eral” document – damning with faint praise, perhaps – and, in the context of times past, that may well have been so. But times change and are changing fast. Today, given the state of the Earth and life upon it, the Earth Charter seems to me to offer a set of values that are ultimately pragmatic, sensi-ble and forward-looking. I hope we endorse it at General Convention.

Harold R. Talbot of Katonah, N.Y., worked with the social con-cerns commission of the Diocese of New York to place a resolu-

tion concerning the Earth Charter onto General Convention’s agenda.

General Convention should endorse Earth Charter

maLarIa from page e

• activevoice

commentary

universal reach: Many rural areas lack health clinics, but they almost always have a mosque or a church. Faith-based groups and houses of worship draw from a deep well of community trust,” she said.

“The faith commu-nity has been at this for a

while,” said Ed Scott, chair of the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty. “What’s new and exciting is the collaboration be-tween faith-based institu-tions and governments in their joint effort to end this deadly disease.”

Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer, U.S. coordinator for the President’s Ma-laria Initiative, said that

religious communities were “not just part of a network or a logistical-de-livery mechanism for bed nets – the importance of the religious community is that you change minds, hearts and behavior.”

One of NetsforLife’s goals is to instill what it calls a “net culture” so that entire communities understand the value of

bed nets and the right way to use and maintain them, as well as when to seek medical treatment and how to access effec-tive treatment. Much of that work is done through local people trained as malaria-control agents. They incorporate skits and songs into their teaching efforts and help distribute and install nets.


Postlude

Dear Readers,

Th e pilgrimage theme for this issue of RISEN was inspired by the handy timing of our Diocesan Pilgrimage to Taizé (thank you Ty Creason), but the idea was solidifi ed when I realized the season this issue would fall in. Tomorrow RISEN goes to press as spring explodes its last few fl owerbuds, and leaves the summer vacation season open and looming large. I know fi nances are tight for most of you this year, which will perhaps put a damper on your vacation plans.

Why not take your family on a Pilgrimage instead? To that end, I’ve stuff ed this issue of RISEN is chock full of summer trips that cost little to nothing, but will continue to give back for the rest of your life, should you choose to set out upon one. Th is is, after all, the summer of “more bang for your buck”. Th is is the summer where Matthew 6:20 might as well read “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where [Wall Street] thieves do not break in or steal [30 percent of your heavenly treasure’s value]”. Go on a Pilgrimage. I dare you.

On a completely diff erent subject, I hope you have enjoyed the makeover Risen Magazine received for this issue! I enjoyed creating it. Th e new design is part of a series of enhancements that began in our last issue with the change of, well, me! Over the past few years the Diocesan House has been in a process of re-evalua-tion, to make sure we are using our resources as eff ectively and as cost-eff ectively as possible. Stewardship has been plummeting for years, and long before the stock market crashed, our fi nance department hinted that 2009 could be our tipping point. In preparation for this, the Diocese has spent the past triennium trimming, reorganizing departments and staff , and saving money.

RISEN Magazine has not been exempt from the process, and it is in this spirit of eff ectivity and cost-eff ectivity, that we have decided to bring the layout and design of RISEN back into house. We now have an updated, fresh looking magazine, the fl exibility and control of in-house design, and a few more dollars in our RISEN pocket. Over the next few issues you will probably notice some other small changes, as we discover exciting new ways to improve RISEN

One change you may notice sooner than later, is that RISEN will begin soliciting a limited number of advertisements from vendors of specifi c interest to Rhode Island Episcopalians. Th e revenue will help cover RISEN’s publication costs and keep RISEN subscriptions free to you. I hope to have a rate card for prospective advertisers available on www.episcopalri.org by July 1st, but in the mean time, you can e-mail [email protected] to gather more information, or even just to say hello!

Summer Sun and Other Blessings,

Ruth A. MeteerEditor in Chief

The 76th General Convention

of

the Episcopal ChurchJuly 8–17, 2009

Anaheim, California.

RISENRhode Island’s Source for Episcopal NewsCreative Writing Contest

Enter your original, unpublished works in the

RISEN Magazine Creative Writing Contest!

Prizes will be awarded in the categories of:

Poetry and Fiction The winning works will be

published in our January 2010 Creativity and the Arts Issue

Visit RISEN Magazine atwww.episcopalri.org

for entry deadlines and details


THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF RHODE ISLAND

2009 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 2009 6:00PM

Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Cathedral of St. John,

With a Eucharist Followed by a Collation

in Synod Hall.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24 2009 8:00AM

Th e Marriott Downtown, One Orms Street

As Our Guest:

BISHOP JOHN ZAWO OF OUR COMPANION DIOCESE OF EZO, IN THE SUDAN

Bishop Zawo has accepted Bishop Wolf ’s invitationto join us for the weekend,

pending his ability to receive a Visa.

Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island

401-274-4500 x234 www.episcopalri.org

Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode IslandEpiscopal Charities Fund of Rhode IslandEpiscopal Charities Fund

401-274-4500 x234 401-274-4500 x234

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SUMMER CAMPS 2009The Episcopal Conference Center has 186 wooded acres on beautiful Echo Lake in Pascoag. There is a lovely beach for swimming and canoeing, hiking trails, an outdoor campfi re area, and much more! All of our camps are sleep-over weeks, where campers and counselors stay in cabins at night and have days fi lled with worship, fun activities, and adventures!

For a brochure or more info visit www.eccri.org

Contact the Camp at (401) 568-4055 [email protected]

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risen magazine summer 2009 "the way of the pilgrim"

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