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Convocation News
April 2017
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A Newsletter for Members and Friends of the
Convocation of
Episcopal Churches in Europe
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This is a monthly convocational newsletter.
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Χριστός ἀνέστη!
Cristo è risorto!
Der Herr ist auferstanden!
Christ est ressuscité.
¡Aleluya! Cristo ha resucitado.
Kristus vstal z mŕtvych!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
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Thanks from Bishop Whalon
A letter of thanks from The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon and his daughter Marie-Noëlle Whalon to the Convocation and the many others who have shown such concern and kindness since the loss of Melinda, is posted here.
The Memorial Celebration of the Life for Melinda Jane McCulloch Whalon was held at the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Paris, France, on Wednesday, March 29. To hear the sermon preached by The Very Rev. Lucinda Laird, Dean of the American Cathedral, at the Memorial Service, click here. (See photos by Felicity Hanford at right.)
Bishop Whalon has recently written an article about his experiences which was published in the Huffington Post and is posted here.
A Celebration of the Life for Melinda Whalon took place at St. George's Episcopal Church, Harbeson, Delaware, on Saturday, March 11. The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church was preacher and celebrant. Interment in the churchyard followed immediately after the service.
"Into paradise may the angels lead thee; and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem." (BCP, p. 484)
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Memorial gifts can continue to be made to the AROSAT Association, which supports Dr. Thierry André’s research on digestive cancers, including those associated with Lynch Syndrome. For a tax receipt in France, go to:
http://www.fondationarcad.org/espace-…/faire-un-don-en-ligne, and add in the comment section "ce don en mémoire de Melinda Whalon est fléché pour le service d'oncologie du Pr André - Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris”. One can also use: IBAN: FR76 3006 6106 7600 0103 7050 158 (BIC: CMCIFRPP), and add the same comment as above.
If you would like to mail a gift to ARCAD US, please send donation to:
ARCAD US, c/o Gilda Herndon, 1613 30th Street N.W, Apt 3N, Washington DC 20007-2905, USA. Add "to the memory of Melinda Whalon”.
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UPCOMING
CONVOCATION EVENTS
- April 22: Finance Committee Meeting in Paris, France
- May 4-6: Spring Meeting of Council of Advice in Milan, Italy
- May 12-14: Spirituality Conference in Tuzing, Germany (sponsored by COMB)
- May 19-21: Academy of Parish Leadership (APL) at Schloss Fürstenried, Germany (sponsored by EICS)
- May 24-28: Youth Across Europe (YAE) Pilgrimage from Canterbury to Paris
- May 25-28: Juniors Across Europe (JAE) in Paris
- May 25-28: YAE Alumni Event - Paris
- June 4-6: Strategic Plan Committee Meeting in Baden-Baden, Germany
- June 5-9: Clericus Retreat in Baden-Baden, Germany
- June 8-10: COMB Meeting in Baden-Baden, Germany
- June 9-10: European Institute of Christian Studies (EICS) board meeting in Paris, France
- September 7-9: Council of Advice Fall Meeting, Montpellier France
- October 19-22: Convocation Convention in Wiesbaden, Germany
- November 17-19: Vocational Discernment Weekend in Budapest, Hungary
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The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon preached on the Resurrection from both a personal and theological perspective on Easter Day at the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris.
The Resurrection of the Dead
"I have been thinking a lot about the resurrection of the dead lately. I imagine that many of you know why that might be, for my wife Melinda died seven weeks ago today. And let me say how much you all have done to support our daughter Marie-Noëlle and myself these past weeks. Feels like a real church…
We say it routinely: “We believe in the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” “I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Amen, right? But what exactly are we talking about when we repeat these lines from the creeds?
read more
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The Great Fifty Days of Easter
The season of Easter in the ancient Church was the time for deepening one’s understanding of the sacred mysteries. Here’s a site from Forward Movement that seeks to help, with a light touch:
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News from the Council of Advice
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The Council of Advice recently appointed the Strategic Plan Committee for the Convocation. They are pleased to report that the Committee represents a good cross-section of the Convocation, with members from five countries, and a wide variety of gifts, experiences, and backgrounds, in small missions as well as larger parishes.
The responsibility of this committee is to create a Strategic Plan for the Convocation which will become the basis of the Profile for the search for a new Bishop — and the new Bishop’s guide to where to lead the Convocation in the next few years.
The work of the Committee is to ask: Who are we (the Convocation and its members) and where do we want to go? This will lead to being able to ascertain what we need our new Bishop to do and to a consideration of the time needed to perform these tasks.
This plan will be given to the Council of Advice for their meeting in September. Council will approve the plan and submit it to the Convocation Convention in October 2017. Then this plan will be used to create the Profile for the Search/Nominating Committee for Bishop, which will be appointed at that time.
The Strategic Plan Committee will use the reports from small groups at last year’s Convocation Convention, along with researching answers to questions suggested by the Episcopal Church’s Office of Transitional Ministries. One member of the committee is not from the Convocation. Because our convocation Bishop-in-charge is actually Bishop Suffragan to the Presiding Bishop, we have a representative from the Presiding Bishop involved with our whole plan and search process. We are pleased to have Canon Michael Hunn on this committee in that role.
The Council of Advice is also pleased to announce that from now through the election and transition of the new Bishop, The Rev Mark Dunnam is Chaplain for the process. He has prepared a prayer to be read throughout the Convocation, and a format for the committee to use to help hear the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. He is also available for spiritual support for the search.
Members of Strategic Plan Committee:
The Rev Dr Mark Barwick (chairperson), All Saints’, Waterloo /Christ Church, Charleroi
Dr Yvonne Cockcroft, Ascension, Munich
Ms Shannon Hanna, St James’, Florence
The Rev Canon Michael Hunn, Canon to the Presiding Bishop, New York
Mr Ian Ssali Kiggundu, St Paul’s, Rome
The Very Rev Lucinda Laird, The American Cathedral in Paris
Ms Helena Mbele-Mbong, Emmanuel, Geneva
The Rev Steven Smith, Ascension, Munich
The Rev Robert J. Warren, Christ Church, Clermont Ferrand
PRAYER FOR THE CONVOCATION: O God, we pray for the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe as we discern and elect a Bishop to serve your people, build up your Church and proclaim boldly the Gospel to the world. Send us, we pray, an Apostle who is a wise counsellor, a merciful pastor, filled with your joy and grace. May your servant have the abundant gifts needed to lead your flock and the strength and courage to administer them. And may we renew and rededicate our lives to your will and service. All this we pray in the Name of our Great High Priest and Servant of the servants of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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The Council of Advice is a body composed of members who are elected by the Convocation Convention for two year terms. It serves the role both of the Standing Committee and the Executive Board in a typical Episcopal diocese. The Council has a system to connect directly with members via liaisons. Those names and contacts are posted on the Web page.
Council of Advice Webpage
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Youth Events - YAE, JAE, Alumni, Ascension Weekend
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Academy for Parish Leadership
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Invite-Welcome-Connect -- a conference for Clergy, Vestry, and parish leaders of the Convocation who desire to explore a new approach for building healthy, vibrant and growing congregations, to transform our communities to become centers of Divine hospitality, and to love and care for the world.
If you are not attending this APL yourself, plan to engage your parish leaders who are attending, as it can be transformative in the life of the congregation.
APL is registration is closed, as it is full.
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Spirituality Conference
The Rev. Dr. Robin Stockitt first taught at schools in England and Nigeria before he became a teacher to prisoners. He studied theology at Cambridge, St. Andrew’s and Tübingen (Germany) and was ordained in 1997. From 2001 to 2014 he was the first full-time minister at the Anglican Church in Freiburg (Germany). He then followed a call to Donagheady, Co Tyrone. He is married to Joan and they have three adult children.
Joan Stockitt is an accredited counsellor in the UK with over 20 years of experience in individual and couple counselling. She has an M.A. in Counselling and a Diploma in Clinical and Pastoral Counselling. She also has a certificate in Solution Focused Brief Coaching and is accredited by the British Association of Christian Counsellors of which she is also a member. She is also a member of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
In the Convocation, Robin and Joan Stockitt already led with great insight and pastoral care the Vocational Discernment Conference in Paris in November 2015 at the time of the terrorist attacks. Last November, they led a very well-received Discernment Conference at Palazzola.
Spirituality Conference in Tuzing Germany, May 12-14, 2017
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Vocational Discernment Weekend
Friday through Sunday,
17-19 November 2017
St. Arnold’s Retreat House,
Budapest, Hungary
led by The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley - Chancellor, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
Offered by Bishop Whalon and the Commission on the Ministry of the Baptised (COMB) of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
for further information contact
Mary Ellen Dolan at priest1295@yahoo.fror Mark Barwick at mark.barwick@gmail.com
God calls every Christian to ministry. God’s call comes to us in different ways.
God equips us and helps us fulfil our call. God calls us to a variety of ministries:
to Lay ministry in our parish, in our community;
in our work place; in the mission field; in vowed religious life -
to Ordained ministry: deacon...priest...bishop.
Come and explore. Come and begin to discern, to learn, to pray.
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A Parish's Outreach:
St. Paul's in Rome
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The Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) is the primary outreach ministry of
St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church. Each weekday, they welcome 200-250 refugee guests into their center. The JNRC is a safe place where guests relax, recharge, and recuperate from the daily struggles they face. They offer guests many services, thanks to the generosity of their diverse partners and supporters. JNRC's ministry is dependent on the hard work of volunteers who come from backgrounds as varied as the guests they are serve.
Fr. Austin Rios, Rector of St. Paul's-within-the-Walls in Rome writes:
"We are proud and thankful for how far we've come in 5 years. A crypt full of support for the JNRC and loads of good will for continuing to build a community of peace and respect. Thank you to all who have been a part of this transformation throughout the years, as volunteers, staff, supporters, and most importantly guests. Looking forward to the next JNRC Dinner on April 12th: Nigerian!
"
JNRC has been a beneficiary of Convocation grants as well as UTO grants.
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Ecumenical / Interfaith Work in the Convocation
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The Episcopal Church has been a leader in Christian Ecumenical Work since the 1860s. In the 1950s significant work began also with Interfaith partners, particularly with Jews and later with Muslims.
In the European context, this is especially important. Our Bishop, together with many Clergy and Laypersons of the Convocation are involved in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, councils, activities, and joint work with many ecumenical and interfaith partners throughout Europe.
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Fr. Chris Easthill appointed to the Board of German Council of Churches
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The Rev. Chris Easthill, Rector of St. Augustine's in Wiesbaden, is the Anglican/Episcopal Delegate to the German National Council of Churches (ACK) and also one of 5 board members, representing the Anglican, Independent Lutheran, Old Catholic, and Old Reformed Churches In this capacity, he also attends various national ecumenical services. e.g. for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Wittenberg on 22nd January, and in June of this year, the ACK Vorstand will be visiting Rome (still hoping for an audience with Pope Francis to give him a copy of the agreed ACK statement on the Reformation). He has also arranged for them to visit the Anglican Centre while there.
At a local level, he represents St. Augustines, together with
Dorothee Dziewas as lay representative. on the ACK Wiesbaden. Finally,
Fr. John Perris (Rector of Christ-the-King in Frankfurt) and Easthill have put in a joint application to join the regional ACK Hessen/Rheinhessen.
ACK News - March 2017
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Ecumenical Partner: Old Catholics
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Bishop Pierre Whalon served as one of three co-consecrators at the Ordination and Consecration of The Rev. Pavel Benedikt Stránský as Old Catholic Bishop of the Czech Republic. (see photo at left)
The service was on Saturday, April 1, 2017. in the Benedictine Arch-abbey Church of St. Adalbert and St. Margaret in Břevnov, Prague, Czech Republic. Old Catholic and Anglican bishops, clergy, and laity participated in a glorious liturgy. Photos from the Consecration of Bp Pavel
In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and France, Episcopalians and Old Catholics work closely together, as do our friends in the Church of England chaplaincies in those countries. Our Italian-language ministry in Milan, led by
The Ven.
Maria Vittoria
Longhitano began as an Old Catholic mission from the Church in Switzerland. Bishop Whalon serves on the International Bishops' Conference of the Union of Utrecht.
Archdeacon Baer and the
Rev. Clair Uhlmann are members of the Old Catholic clericus of Austria.
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In the last decade close relationships have developed between Islamic Clergy and the Episcopal Church in Europe. This has been particularly evident in France after the terror attacks in last three years.
This close relationship was visible at Melinda Whalon's Memorial Service at the American Cathedral where two Shiite Imams were seated among the clergy in choir. (see photo at right)
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A la radio : le Magazine Anglican
Le « Magazine Anglican », animé par Laurence Moachon, paroissienne de la Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité à Paris.
À propos du Magazine Anglican :
Depuis septembre 2012, Laurence Moachon présente le 2e samedi du mois, le Magazine Anglican. Avec l’objectif de faire mieux connaître la tradition anglicane au public français, elle traite de sujets d’actualité culturelle, historique, liturgique ou ecclésiologique dans la Convocation et la Communion Anglicane.
ÉCOUTEZ OU TÉLÉCHARGEZ LE MAGAZINE ANGLICAN sur :
Cliquer ICI pour l'émission
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The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe | 23 avenue George V, 75008 Paris, France
+33 (0) 1 53 23 84 06 | office@tec-europe.orgl | www.tec-europe.org
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