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From Bishop Barry
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| Bishop Barry during Eucharist at the Special Electing Convention in Cameron Park. |
Dear Friends in Christ:
Grace and peace to you. As I write this, we are at the threshold of the Special Convention. At long last, the process of choosing a new bishop is coming to a conclusion. We are praying fervently for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and for a Convention that is the best we can possibly create - also leaving lots of room for the Spirit to move!
I was not here for the Walkabouts, as I had a long-standing prior commitment to lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But I certainly was holding you all in prayer. I have since been able to watch the videos. It is a bit of a strange experience for me, as you might imagine. Suffice it to say that I give thanks to God; we are truly blessed to have such fine candidates.
It is sad that at this time we must also turn our attention to saying goodbye to Bob Gaines
*, one of our most cherished members and faithful leaders. I would have dearly loved to have Bob around to greet our new bishop, and share some of his considerable wisdom about the life of this Diocese. But, in truth, in my final visit with him, while he cheerfully shared several memories and joys, he wasn't greatly interested in talking about episcopal elections. I think Bob trusted us to do right by the Diocese that was so important to him, and he was ready to turn his attention elsewhere. And he knew deep down just Whose Church this is anyway - a very good thing for us to keep in mind.
Yours in the Name of the Lord of the Church,
*The funeral for Bob Gaines will be at Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m.
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The Rev. Canon Megan Traquair elected our next bishop
T
he Rev. Canon Megan M. Traquair was elected the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California on Saturday, Feb. 9, at Faith Episcopal Church, Cameron Park.
Rev. Canon Megan was elected on the third ballot with a vote of 151 lay delegates and 85 clergy.
Bishop Barry said, "As one who deeply loves this Diocese, I am personally most grateful to all five candidates for their faithful participation in this very demanding process. By making themselves available to the Holy Spirit in this way, they have given us a great gift. May they all be blessed. And I ask all the people of God to join me in praying God's blessing upon The Rev. Canon Megan Traquair, our Bishop-Elect. God strengthen and sustain her in this time of profound transition to new ministry, and to an exciting opportunity to serve our Lord in Northern California."
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
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Lenten Clergy Quiet Day - Wednesday, March 20
The theme for this Lenten quiet day will be "Nourishing Practices." Come explore how to infuse your day-to-day routine with practices that feed your body, mind, and spirit. Attendees will learn about accessible nutrition, movement, and meditation practices.
The quiet day facilitator will be The. Rev. Megan Anderson. Currently living in Seattle, but native to Northern California, Megan has been a priest for five years. She is deeply passionate about the power of holistic wellness as spiritual practice. As a Fitness Instructor, Nutritional Therapist, and meditation teacher, Megan loves to introduce people to bite sized practices that can lead to powerful transformation.
When:
Wednesday, March 20, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Where:
Mercy Center; 535 Sacramento St., Auburn, CA 95603
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Funds collected for St. Nicholas, Paradise, during the Special Electing Convention
During the Special Electing Convention, the Eucharist offering was taken for St. Nicholas, Paradise, to use as needed after the recent fires. The amount received to date is
$8,009.38. Thank you to all who donated!
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Office of the Bishop closed Monday, Feb. 18
The Office of the Bishop will be closed Monday, Feb. 18 in observance of President's Day. We will resume our normal business hours the following day.
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2019 Diocesan cycles of prayer
Feb. 17 - Ascension, Vallejo
The Rev. Bayani Rico, Rector
Feb. 24 - Epiphany, Vacaville
The Very Rev. Mack Olson, Rector
Feb. 24 - St. Michael and All Angels, Fort Bragg
The Rev. Randy Knutson, Priest-in-Charge
March 3 -
Emmanuel, Grass Valley
The Rev. Seth Kellermann, Rector
For the full Diocesan cycle of prayer and the 30 day cycle of prayer,
visit our website.
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Open clergy positions
- Rector; St. Mary's, Napa: Accepting applications
- Rector; All Saints', Redding: Profile will be posted late Feb.
- Dean; Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento: Profile creation in process
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Bishop's visitation schedule
- Feb. 17 - St. Stephen's, Sebastopol
- March 3 - St. John's, Roseville
- March 31 - St. James, Yuba City
- April 7 - St. Clement's, Rancho Cordova
The Bishop's 2019 visitation schedule is
available here.
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NEWS & EVENTS IN AND BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
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Resources for Lent
Lent 2019 begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6.
Lent Madness is a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints.
The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and
people vote for their favorite saint. Learn more here.
Episcopal Relief & Development Lenten Meditation books are available to either order copies or to subscribe to daily emails. This is the 15th year for this program. There is no charge for the books, which come in either English or Spanish, only the shipping is charged. More information is
available here.
Living Well through L
ent 2019 is now available from Living Compass, an Episcopal Wellness Initiative.
In addition, you can enroll in daily emails during Lent, join a Facebook discussion group, and
more.
The Diocesan Partners in Ministries of Health will provide FREE copies to enhance your ministries of healing and health. They are intended
for individual or group study. A Facilitator Guide is available as a download through Living Compass.
A Spanish version will also be available.
To order please contact Susan Wahlstrom, Coordinator of Health Ministries, via email at
[email protected]
or via phone at (209) 296-1139.
There are several resources available through
The Way of Love in Lent.
There are three components to choose from, which include an adult forum, quiet day curriculum, and Test Kitchen, which is a Facebook-based platform.
Learn more here
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Have you sent your church banner to the Cathedral?
Trinity Cathedral - your cathedral in the Diocese of Northern California - includes in the Prayers of the People the congregations listed in the diocesan cycle of prayer for that Sunday. And, if the Cathedral also has a banner for your congregation, it is carried down the aisle during the opening hymn in at least one of the worship services. The banners for that Sunday are displayed near the epistle lectern where everyone can see it. It is one of the ways the Cathedral is trying to connect to the entire diocese.
Many years ago, kits were sent to every congregation of our diocese for creating a banner that could be hung in the Cathedral's Great Hall and used during worship. A couple of years ago, the banners were sent back to t heir respective congregations during renovations of the hall. A number of banners were in need of sprucing up as well. So far there are 24 banners back in the hall, representing less than half of our congregations. If you have not sent back your banner, or would like information about how to make a banner, please contact the Rev. Jim Richardson, interim dean of the Cathedral at [email protected].
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Summer camp registrations are open!
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Camp Galilee in Lake Tahoe
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ur diocese is near and home to several Episcopal summer camps where young people can explore their relationship to God through all the astonishing natural beauty our region has to offer. Swimming, hiking, boating, rock climbing, worship services, camping, and the chance to make friends for life, are just some of the activities offered by summer church camps.
Would you like to support young people in affording these life-changing summer camp experiences?
Donate here
. (select Youth Camp Scholarship)
Pathways Youth Pilgrimage
Join youth of the diocese for Pathways in Humboldt County, from June 16-21. Pathways is a pilgrimage that aims to equip youth to be agents of truth, peace, and reconciliation. Led by the young adults who started Pathways, participants will spend a week together sharing meals, worshiping, having fun and traveling as pilgrims. Learn more here.
Camp Living Waters - Arcata
A week-long Episcopal summer camp in the heart of Redwood Valley, Camp Living Waters is based at St. Alban's parish in Arcata and draws staff members from the faith communities of the North Coast.
Learn more here.
Camp Galilee - Lake Tahoe
Located on the shore of Lake Tahoe, Camp Galilee is the camp of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada. Camp Galilee's summer camps help youth develop deep relationships with their peers, caring counselors, the natural world, and God.
Learn more here.
St. Dorothy's Rest - Camp Meeker
Beautifully located in the heart of a redwood forest on the Russian River and just miles from the Pacific Ocean, St. Dorothy's offers a summer camp experience that celebrates the natural world.
Learn more here.
Bishop's Ranch - Healdsburg
BREAD Camp is set among the forest, farms and vineyards of Sonoma County, where campers can discovery community and spirituality, and participate in summer camping activities.
Learn more here.
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Ordinations to Transitional Diaconate - Saturday, Feb. 16
On Saturday, Feb. 16 at 11 a.m.,
Alex Leach,
Jane Snibbe, and
Julie D. Vice will be ordained into the Sacred Order of Deacons at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, 2620 Capitol Ave.
Reception to follow. Clergy - red stoles.
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Celebration of New Ministry - Thursday, Feb. 28
The Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Brad Helmuth, Rector at
Holy Trinity, Nevada City
, located at 201 Nevada St., will be Thursday, Feb. 28
at 6:30 p.m.
Reception to follow. Clergy - white stoles.
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Wingfield Deanery Racial Reconciliation training
The Wingfield Deanery
Racial Reconciliation training will be facilitated by leaders from our diocesan Commission for Intercultural Ministries. The day will provide an opportunity to come together as congregational leaders to learn how to help our worship communities appreciate and welcome the great diversity of people among us and around us, and to develop tools to work against the forces of racism in our world, and to be communities of reconciliation.
In our diocese, this training is required for all clergy, for all lay people who are engaged in ministries of governance (diocesan boards and commissions, as well as vestries and mission committees), along with licensed lay ministers.
When: Saturday. March 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Church of the Ascension, 2420 Tuolumne St., Vallejo, CA 94589
Registration: The event is free (lunch included). Please register here by March 15.
Contact: Email
Linda Jensen, Commission for Inter-cultural Ministries Co-chair, at [email protected].
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Week-long icon workshop in St. Helena
Grace Church, located in beautiful Napa Valley, is hosting a Prosopon icon workshop.
First-time attendees will create an icon of Archangel Michael in the Prosopon iconograpy style. Those who have already completed Michael will have the opportunity to compose Archangel Gabriel. The c
ost of this workshop is $750, which includes personalized instruction and supplies such as boards, paint, gold leaf, etc.
When: Sunday, Aug. 18 - Friday, Aug. 23
Where: Grace, St. Helena, 1314 Spring St., Saint Helena, CA 94574
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A call from EPPN: aid to Palestinians
In 2018, Congress passe
d the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA), which updated several elements of the Anti-Terrorism Act. One consequence of this legislation is that it is preventing Palestinians from receiving U.S. government assistance, including humanitarian aid. We must urge Congress to find a solution so that the Palestinian people can continue to receive life-saving assistance. Contact your elected officials here.
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From TEC: filing for 2018 Parochial Reports now available
Online filing for the 2018 Parochial Report for all Episcopal Church congregations is now available on The Episcopal Church website. In addition to the form, the page also offers step-by-step instructions and workbooks to guide you through this process. All congregations should have received their 2018 Parochial Report Packet in the mail.
Others news:
Vida Joven de Mexico offers 'orphans' a home, education and chance at life
Thomas Brown elected 10th bishop of Maine in historic vote
Alabama church removes pew, plaque dedicated to Confederate President Jefferson Davis
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THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
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