Under Angelita Caceda's spirited and thoughtful
coordination, and with Deacon Ken Schmidt’s help and encouragement, the Prayer Partner ministry has steadily grown. Once again Good Shepherd will embark on a Prayer Partner Program (P3), that began on Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost), running through the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6. Everyone participating in this program has a desire to pray and be prayed for; the intent is to be mindful and pray for each other on a daily basis. It’s a wonderful way to get to know another member of the parish and build a caring community. We now have 3 programs each year: during Lent, following Pentecost, and during Advent.

Thirty are participating in this program now: more are welcome!

Please contact Angelita or Deacon Ken for more information. 

Dear CGS,

Thank you for all your prayer and support during the formation process. It was a delight to celebrate my ordination to the diaconate on Saturday with so many of you in the parish hall. I’m especially grateful to members of my discernment committee and all the others who helped with planning, set up, and clean up.

I was excited to have been approved by the bishop to work at St. Michael’s Church in Brattleboro as their associate priest for discipleship and discernment. I was drawn to the church because of its strong contemplative prayer life, lay leadership and the chance to be close to family, woods and mountains. Having lived in Brattleboro for the last year while completing my postulant internship in Springfield MA I am not starting totally from scratch in the community. The position itself was also a draw; it is new and will afford me the chance to build on my gifts and experience as a trainer and organizer while also deepening my experience as a liturgist.

Please come and visit if you’re ever out this way.

Warmly,
Duncan

On Saturday, June 3, Duncan was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop Gayle Harris at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.

In February, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts posted (http://www.diomass.org/diocesan-news/)
“As nationwide uncertainty continues for immigrant communities, several parishes in the Diocese of Massachusetts are mobilizing to put in place networks to protect their neighbors, regardless of immigration status. Those taking action have a twofold mission: one, to build a network of sanctuary churches and sanctuary-supporter churches that can be deployed quickly if the federal government takes new steps targeting undocumented immigrants, and two, to take political action that may prevent the sanctuaries from ever being needed.”

Kate Gyllensvard and Charlie Kitts, who lead the CGS Social Justice effort, have been engaged with different aspects of the Sanctuary Movement both in the diocese and in the city.  Pat Ahearn, in response to this growing movement, recently organized a two-part series on 6/18 and 6/25 to inform the parish about the sanctuary movement. She asked Kate and the Rev. Frank Fornaro to be discussion leaders.

 “At its 2017 annual meeting, University Lutheran Church, in Harvard Square, by a vote of 52-0 with 4 abstentions, resolved to declare itself a Sanctuary Church to support members of area communities who are under threat of deportation. The church subsequently partnered with other Boston-area groups to form the Cambridge Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition. Current members are:
Cambridge Minyan
Congregation Eitz Chayim
First Church Cambridge
First Parish in Cambridge
Friends Meeting at Cambridge
Harvard Divinity School Student Led Interfaith and Secular Coalition (SLIC)
Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church
Old Cambridge Baptist Church (OCBC)
St. James’s Episcopal Church
University Lutheran Church”

About a month ago, University Lutheran did become a host to a mother with two young children. The mother is threatened with deportation; the father and children would remain in the U.S., breaking apart the family. To effectively support such a family requires a large network of supporting parishes. On June 18, Sam Perlo-Freeman shared with Good Shepherd about the St. James’s decision process. He explained that a church can decide to be a supporting parish or team up with another parish. He also said that individuals from a church can work with another parish and he encouraged us to consider becoming a partner with them in this ministry in one way or another.
On the following Sunday, June 25, Kate gave a brief history of the Sanctuary Movement and Pastor Frank led the ~13 who gathered in a meditation on how Jesus would respond to this situation, having been a refugee himself in Egypt, as a child with his parents, and with his message of “radical welcome” as proclaimed in the gospel.

By good fortune, when our new Red Maple tree arrived (from Waterloo, Wisconsin!), we were able to plant it just before a long period of cold and wet weather, ideal conditions for it to adapt to its new home. Our sexton Mike Dorsett did an outstanding job planting the tree, as can seen by its rapid growth! The location near the playground fence will allow it to provide refreshing shade to the children. As it takes hold, we look forward to removing the leaning tree by the street. The Red Maple is a native tree to New England with beautiful fall foliage; this variant will grow to the right size for this space.

Steve Steadman

Volunteers to help water the new tree through this summer would be greatly appreciated: see the signup sheet on the wall of opportunity.