Quick Links to Diopa Website
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An Easter Message from Bishop Gutiérrez
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The Great Vigil of Easter at Philadelphia Cathedreal
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Saturday in Holy Week - April 15th,
7 PM
Great Vigil of Easter, Diocesan Rites of Christian Initiation & Holy Eucharist
The Right Reverend Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez - Presider & Preacher
The service begins in darkness with the kindling of new fire and the lighting and procession of the Paschal Candle. Chanting of Psalms and readings from scripture in candlelight recall God's acts in history beginning at the creation. Rites of Christian Initiation follow, when members of the Cathedral congregation and from around the Diocese of Pennsylvania are baptized, confirmed, received from another communion and reaffirming their baptismal vows. Then, with sudden bursts of light, shouts of "Alleluia," bells, hymns and anthems, the Resurrection is proclaimed and the first Eucharist of Easter is celebrated.
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An Easter Message from Presiding Bishop Curry
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It's taken me some years to realize it, but Jesus didn't just happen to be in Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. He wasn't on vacation. He wasn't just hanging out in town. Jesus was in Jerusalem on purpose. He arrived in Jerusalem about the time of the Passover when pilgrims were in the city. When people's hopes and expectations for the dawn of freedom that Moses had promised in the first Passover might suddenly be realized for them in their time.
Jesus arranged his entrance into Jerusalem to send a message. He entered the city, having come in on one side of the city, the scholars tell us, at just about the same time that Pontius Pilate made his entrance on the exact opposite side of the city. Pilate, coming forth on a warhorse. Pilate, with soldiers around him. Pilate, with the insignias of Rome's Empire. Pilate, representing the Caesars who claimed to be son of god. Pilate, who had conquered through Rome the people of Jerusalem. Pilate, representing the Empire that had taken away their freedom. Pilate, who represented the Empire that would maintain the colonial status of the Jewish people by brute force and violence.
Jesus entered the city on the other side, not on a warhorse, but on a donkey, recalling the words of Zechariah:
Behold your King comes to you
Triumphant and victorious is He
Humble and riding on a donkey
Jesus entered the city at the same time as Pilate to show them, and to show us, that God has another way. That violence is not the way. That hatred is not the way. That brute force and brutality are not the way.
Jesus came to show us there is another way. The way of unselfish, sacrificial love. That's why he entered Jerusalem. That's why he went to the cross. It was the power of that love poured out from the throne of God, that even after the horror of the crucifixion would raise him from death to life.
God came among us in the person of Jesus to start a movement. A movement to change the face of the earth. A movement to change us who dwell upon the earth. A movement to change the creation from the nightmare that is often made of it into the dream that God intends for it.
He didn't just happen to be in Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday. He went to Jerusalem for a reason. To send a message. That not even the titanic powers of death can stop the love of God. On that Easter morning, he rose from the dead, and proclaimed love wins.
So you have a blessed Easter. Go forth to be people of the Resurrection. Follow in the way of Jesus. Don't be ashamed to love. Don't be ashamed to follow Jesus.
Have a blessed Easter. And bless the world. Amen.
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
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Pilgrimage is a Transformational Experience
by the Rev. Marek Zabriskie
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As we approach Easter, our faith is renewed each year. We symbolically walk in the footsteps of Jesus, marking the final week of his life and moving from agony to the ecstasy of resurrection.
One way to enter more deeply into the story is the walk literally in the footsteps of Christ. Have you ever longed to go on a pilgrimage and see how Christianity is lived in another part of the world? If so, I will be offering two opportunities in the coming year.
In November, I will lead a group for ten days to the Holy Land, which is a place that I would recommend every Christian visit at least once in their lifetime. In February, I will lead a group to Cuba for seven days.
The former Dean of St. George's College recently wrote that when we travel as tourists we go through the land, but when we travel as pilgrims the land goes through us. The places we visit and the people we meet literally transform us.
The Holy Land pilgrimage will take place from November 7-16. This trip will include roundtrip airfare, hotels and meals. The sights that you will see will leave your breathless.
I have visited the Holy Land twice and read a great deal about it. Virtually everyone who visits Israel has a "mountaintop" experience where they find themselves saying, "I used to believe in Jesus and what I have read in the Bible, but now I really believe!"
We will explore ancient Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, visiting the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wailing Wall, the Jewish Quarter, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and much more.
We will travel to Masada, where the Jews held on to the death against the Roman army, see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Qumran, explore the Mt. of Temptation and Jericho, visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine's most ancient church, visit the Mt. Tabor and the Church of the Transfiguration, go to Nazareth, Cana, Caesarea and Galilee.
The Cuba pilgrimage will take place February 5-12 and take us to the center and eastern portions of the 800-mile island. We will meet with Bishop Griselda, the first female bishop to lead the Episcopal Church of Cuba, have a guided tour of Old Havana, visiting the Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas, Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, and the Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco.
We will visit El Museo de Bellas Artes and see works by some of Cuba's finest artists, tour El Museo de la Revolucion and learn about Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and the Bay of Pigs Invasion from the Cuban point of view and tour the city and its outskirts in vintage cars. We will eat lunch at Bodeguita del Medio, one of Hemingway's favorites and tour Finca Vigia, where he lived, entertained and wrote and see his famous boat Pilar.
We will travel to Trinidad, the oldest colonial city in Cuba, which is full of ancient homes that have been transformed into museums, and explore the winding streets and colorful buildings of Cienfuegos. We shall also visit Matanzas, called the Athens of Cuba and see seminary where the Episcopal clergy are trained and visit Limonar, a small town where we working to rebuild the third oldest Episcopal church in Cuba, which was destroyed in 1987 by a hurricane.
If you are interested in participating in either pilgrimage and would like more information, please contact Anita Burke at: 215-233-3970 ext. 120 or
aburke@stthomaswhitemarsh.org
Feel free to invite your friends and family to participate in either pilgrimage.
With love and prayers,
Marek
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Veteran's Ministry Scholarship Jazz
Soirée
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The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
in partnership with
Peirce College presents
Veterans Ministry
Scholarship Jazz Soirée
Friday, April 21, 2017
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Please join us on April 21st for our Annual Veterans Scholarship Event. Come enjoy an evening of Jazz. 100% of the proceeds will go to supporting a veteran who is attending college. Tickets are $50 for one person OR $75 for two.
Purchase tickets here:
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Workshop on Planned Giving
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Workshop on Planned Giving for Parish Leaders
Saturday - April 29, 2017 - 10 am - 2 pm
(Centennial Room)
At Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19103
Both parishes with an existing Planned Giving ministry and/or an Endowment, as well as those without one, will benefit from this workshop. This workshop reviews best practices and empowers leadership to be able to take the best, next steps for their congregation!
First Workshop 10 am - 12:00 pm
Setting Up a Planned Giving Program for Your Parish
Take the mystery out of planned giving for your parish. Learn in easy to understand terms how planned giving differs from annual stewardship and capital campaigns, and how your parish can build endowments through wills and life income and other planned gifts. After a review of the planned giving instruments, you will learn about the importance of a parish vision, protecting and growing your endowment, and how to invite others to remember your parish through estate and financial planning. You will leave the workshop with a plan of action.
Lunch: 12 pm - 12:30 pm
Second Workshop 12:30 -2 pm
Creating a Legacy Society and using Planned Giving on Demand for Your Parish
Join us to learn how to use the resources provided by ECF's new toolkit, Planned Giving on Demand to encourage new gifts to support your parish's future through estate and financial planning. We will also review how to create and sustain a Legacy Society to encourage giving to your parish for decades to come.
To register for the April 29th workshop, please contact Margaret DiPinto at office@htrit.org or (215) 567-1267
by Tuesday, April 18th
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Jim Murphy is Managing Program Director of Financial Resources at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). He oversees ECF's Financial Resource development programs and resources, including planned giving, donor solutions and endowment management. He leads workshops and works with congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations to enhance and develop their programs and resources.
Prior to joining ECF in 2008, Jim was Director of the Master of Arts Program and Program Manager for Lifelong Learning & the Center for Christian Spirituality at the General Theological Seminary. For more than 16 years he worked for a major international law firm in NYC, serving in a number of financial management roles. He has been an active volunteer leader in stewardship, parish administration, and Christian formation ministries in several Episcopal parishes in New York and New Jersey.
A native of Lansing, MI, Jim holds a Certificate in Fundraising from New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, an MA in Christian Spirituality from the General Theological Seminary, and a BS from NYU's Stern School of Business. Jim is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
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Union of Black Episcopalians Annual Business Meeting
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On behalf of the UBE National Board of Directors and the Conference Planning Team, it gives us great pleasure to invite and welcome all members and supporters to the:
UBE 49th Annual Business Meeting and Conference,
July 23 - 26, 2017 at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Philadelphia/Cherry Hill, NJ.
For the first time, this gathering will be a joint partnership between the Union of Black Episcopalians and the African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA). Both organizations share a vital commitment to vigilance and action aimed at achieving justice for all people, especially those of African descent.
We will also be commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Black presence in the Episcopal Church at our first church, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas
Our 2017 conference theme is: "Like a Rolling Stream, Let Justice Roll... Absalom, Jehu, and Beyond"
Join us to be recommitted and renewed for the work ahead with God's help!! For additional information: www.ube.org or contact The Rev. Renee McKenzie, UBE Philadelphia Chapter, revrenee@churchoftheadvocate.org.
--
Rev. Dr. Renee McKenzie
Vicar & Chaplain, Church of the Advocate
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DIOPA Resource Guide
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The DIOPA Resource Guide is here!
We have heard your suggestions, compiled them, and we would like to present the DIOPA Resource Guide: a directory of information about the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and how we can best serve you. We encourage you to explore the website at
http://www.dioparesourceguide.com/
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Join the Bishop's Bible Challenge!
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Heard the word?
Over 1900 people have
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YOU CAN TOO!
"Together the diocese is reading the Bible,
bringing God into our lives, and it is transformative."
Bishop
Gutiérrez
Please join us! Go to App Store and download the Diopa Bible App on your smart phone.
- OR -
Register on our website at
www.diopa.org
- Bishop's Bible Challenge
Listen during your daily run or commute to work
Begin with today's reading or an earlier one!
For additional information call the Offices of the Diocese at 215.627.6434
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DIOPA Deanery Calendar
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Our DIOPA Deanery Calendar is fully operational and available to capture and disseminate your event information - diocesan wide! It's the place to post parish events in each deanery and can be found on www.diopa.org at the bottom right of the home page under Calendars. It's a read-only site, with information being posted by an administrator in your deanery. Call your parish office to have your administrator post an event you want to share.
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Video Invitation to Join the Bishop's Bible Challenge!
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As another part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to present another major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This Bible App will help us all to feel connected, provides a platform for participating in the Bishop's Bible Challenge, and perhaps most importantly is a powerful tool for you to read or hear the Word of God in 1,000 languages. With the Bible App, many now have access to the word of God in their primary language. Reading the Bible together as a diocesan community will have a life changing effect. The importance of Christian people using Holy Scripture as a foundation for daily life is hard to overstate. Who we are as the People of God flows directly from our worship, doctrine, and liturgy, which are all rooted in Scripture. To know the Bible better, is to know ourselves as the People of God better, to know our mission to the world better, and to know our faith better. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is another important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Guti
é
rrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
The Bishop's Bible Challenge leads us through the entire bible in a year's time. Not only will you find the daily reading and meditation rewarding, but you will be joining in community with hundreds, possibly thousands, of fellow Episcopalians in our diocese. While this may seem like a daunting undertaking, as the Bible tells us "Fear Not", for there are many ways to connect!
You can download The DIOPA Bible in a Year App from iTunes, Apple App Store, and Google Play. To download the mobile application, go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone and search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA bible." It is a self-contained way to participate and has everything you need including a link to the registration page, the Bible readings for each day, an online link to the Bible in audible and readable forms and daily reading or listening selections that will help everyone to read the same selections each day.
* If you do not use a computer or smart phone simply call the Offices of the Diocese at 215-627-6434 to register and receive a Bible Study Packet; or contact your Priest for these materials.
* Join our online Facebook group at <
DIOPA Bishop's Bible Challenge>. This is where you can post your own testimonies on the readings. These responses can be written or use your phone or camera to take a picture that reflects your response to the reading. Include a brief description and post with the hash tag #wordon and #diopabbc. Check the group page or the hash tags to see what other participants are saying!
* Information and resources regarding The Bishop's Bible Challenge can be found online:
http://www.diopa.org/bishops-bible-challenge/
The important thing to know is that you are not alone in this and you cannot mess this up! If you miss a day of reading, or a week for that matter, just jump back in to the schedule because there is no wrong way to do this. If you'd rather not read, the Bible App will play the day's selections in a dramatized audio format for you to listen.
So let's come together as a diocesan family and build the Kingdom of God -praying together, worshipping together, studying together - in this the "come and see" diocese. #diopalove #diopacomeandsee #wordon #diopabbc - there are multiple ways to connect!
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Online Staff Directory
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Visit our new "Staff Directory" page on the diocesan website to see photos, bios, and job descriptions
of the current staff of the Offices of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
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Download our Diocesan Mobile App "DIOPAConnect"
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to offer a major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This mobile directory app will help us all to feel connected, provides useful information about parishes, and enables us to have one more important way to stay informed about everything going on in our wonderful Diocese. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is an important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Guti
érrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
To download the mobile application go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones
or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone
and
search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA mobile directory."
Let us know how DiopaConnect works for you.
User feedback helps us to tailor our applications to better meet your needs.
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#diopacomeandsee
#diopalove
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