News for the week of April 30, 2019
We are trying something new! Below are announcements we'd like for you to share with your church. You can copy and paste the text below into your church's weekly bulletin, newsletter, or your church Facebook page. Feel free to adapt the style to fit with your church's communications!
Three things from the Office of the Bishop

  • On Saturday, May 25, we are ordaining Bob Scott and Cindy Woods into the Sacred Order of Deacons at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, at 11 a.m. Please join us!

  • The diocese is giving Bishop Barry and Rev. Ann a trip to begin their life in retirement together! Donate to their gift here: bit.ly/bishopbarrygift

  • St. John's, Chico, is requesting Safeway gift cards to give to those impacted by the Camp Fire. You can send them directly to the church or give online. Learn more here: bit.ly/gcforcampfire
Bishop Barry leads pilgrimage to England
Top: The pilgrims at Canterbury Cathedral after Sunday sung Eucharist
Left and middle: Two shots of St. Martin's Church
Right: A painting by the Rev. Peter Rodgers, Vicar of St. Andrew's, Antelope, titled "Quiet corner of Canterbury"
Bishop Barry, along with his spouse the Rev. Dr. Ann Hallisey, is leading his final pilgrimage as bishop. The small group of pilgrims arrived in London on Friday and participated in Eucharist at the historic Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday and Sunday.

"The oldest church in the English-speaking world is alive and well and welcoming pilgrims. The building and liturgy provides a strong reminder of the Benedictine roots of our Anglican heritage, and our identity as a community shaped by prayer and Scripture," said Bishop Barry.

The pilgrims will continue to explore and worship at cathedrals in and around Winchester and Oxford through May 6. Please keep them in your prayers!
Celebrate Bishop Barry - Registration for Petaluma event closes Friday, May 3
Join the diocese as we gather in three different events to honor Bishop Barry Beisner. These events are free. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend.
 

Saturday, May 11, 5:30 - 8 p.m.   
Registration for this event closes Friday, May 3.

Friday, June 7, 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 15, 1:30 - 4 p.m.  
Save the date for the ordination and consecration of Bishop-Elect Megan Traquair
The Reverend Canon Megan Traquair will be ordained and consecrated Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.

Saturday, June 29, 2019
11:00 AM
Mondavi Center
Davis, CA

The liturgical color for the day is red. 

Official invitations and links to tickets will be sent in May. Please check our website here for information as it becomes available. For diocesan and other related events, please see the diocesan website.
Gifts for the Bishop-Elect
When a bishop is consecrated, it is customary for them to receive gifts of different types that will be used in their ministry. These gifts often include the following:

  • A mitre (the pointy hat worn by a bishop)
  • A crozier (the staff that is a symbol of the bishop's office)
  • An episcopal ring
  • A pectoral cross
  • A Bible
  • Vestments

The mitre (above) is an ancient symbol of the authority granted a bishop. A special pointed hat that is only worn by bishops, it's name comes from a Greek word meaning headband or turban. The pointed shape has been said to represent the tongues of fire that were present on the heads of those present at the first Pentecost. Notice that there are two strips of cloth, called lappets, hanging down the back of the wearer. Bishops practice the correct way to don their mitre, before having to do it in a service, so the lappets don't get in the way.

You are being offered an opportunity to donate toward diocesan gifts for Bishop-Elect Megan, including her mitre. Click this link and select the "Bishop-Elect Gifts" button on the donation page to give your gift toward our future bishop's ministry.
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
Funds raised for the Episcopal Church of Cuba
We are pleased to share that the diocese raised $6,500 for The Episcopal Church Together Again: Cuba Pensions Campaign, which aims to raise funds to provide future retirement benefits for current and retired clergy in the Episcopal Church of Cuba.

This offering was taken at last year's diocesan convention. Thank you to all who donated!
Bishop's visitation schedule 
  • May 19 - St. Barnabas, Mt. Shasta
  • June 2 - St. Mary's, Ferndale
  • June 9 - Emmanuel, Grass Valley

Bishop Barry's 2019 visitation schedule is  available here .
NEWS AND EVENTS IN AND BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
St. John's, Chico, celebrates 35 years of the Garden Tour
On Sunday, April 28, the parishioners at St. John's, Chico, celebrated 35 years of their Garden Tour, the church's biggest fundraiser and community outreach event.

The first Garden Tour was implemented by a group of Episcopal Church Women (ECW) in 1983, and since then the program has flourished beyond church expenses to include funds for outreach ministries, within and outside the church.

The tour was not just a church event but a gathering of hundreds of people within the community. Every year, four to five gardens in the surrounding neighborhoods were offered for viewing. After participants completed the self-guided tour, they all met back at the church for lunch, a plant boutique (pictured above) and a raffle.

Here are a few stats: since the year 2000, the Garden Tour has sold 17,061 tickets and served 14,527 lunches, and over the last 35 years a total of $491,000 has been raised.

Due to the extended impact of the Camp Fire in Paradise, the community of St. John's has been busy with recovery efforts, which is why the Garden Tour committee decided not to hold the Garden Tour this year.

The committee said they "will use this year to re-envision Garden Tour and plan to return next year with a new and improved version."

To read more, here is a full history of the tour and a slideshow of memories.
Episcopalian teacher and students from Michigan raise money for Paradise schools
A drawing from one of the Michigan fifth and sixth graders.
St. John's, Chico , was honored and humbled when they received a letter from a teacher in Michigan who brought the students in her class together to raise funds for the Paradise Public School District.

The teacher, an Episcopalian, shared that their school was a part of a “very small, poor rural school district,” and that her students and their parents sold colorful rubber bands to raise the enclosed check of $310.02.

As they weren't sure who to send the money to, the teacher consulted her parish, who sent her to Rev. Richard Yale in Chico. Her fifth and sixth grade students also hand-wrote letters, one of which told Rev. Richard "Thank you for handling the money."

As St. John's parish administrator Sherry Wallmark wrote back, "These heartfelt acts remind us that we are connected through love, friendship, and humanity."
Free Bible study on the book of Hebrews in Antelope
The Center for Bible Study, a program of St. Andrew's, Antelope , invites you to study the book of Hebrews with Morey Lloyd, M.Div. These events are free and classes are open --just drop in any time.

The author of Hebrews challenges us with new insights into the inner workings of the Author of our salvation. Resources include the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, the Greek Bible, the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls. These studies will explore the ongoing legacy of our common life and eternal hope.

When : Wednesdays, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., beginning April 24
Where : St Andrew’s, 7580 Watt Ave., Antelope, CA 95843
Trinity Cathedral women’s retreat
Join women of the diocese for a women's retreat, facilitated by Libby Vincent and entitled "Fill Your Cup: Self Care as a Means of Loving God and Loving your Neighbor." Libby has been a Presbyterian pastor, conference speaker, spiritual director and taught for Fuller Seminary in the area of Systematic Theology and Theology and Film. Currently she is in the process of pursuing ordination in the Episcopal Church.

When : Friday, May 3, 6:30 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where : Trinity Cathedral, 2620 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA 95816
Registration : $50 (Includes workshops, art supplies and a catered lunch. Childcare is available for an additional fee.) Register here .
Contact : Susan Hotchkiss at [email protected]
Church Divinity School of the Pacific Commencement is May 24
You are invited to celebrate several of our newest ordinands who will be graduating at the CDSP commencement this year, Friday, May 24 at 10:30 a.m.

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, bishop of Indianapolis, will give the address in the St. Margaret's Courtyard at CDSP. The event is open to the public and will be broadcast live online on the CDSP website.
Volunteer for the Incarnation 100 bike ride for homeless services
Incarnation, Santa Rosa, invites you to join them in volunteering for the Incarnation 100 Bike Ride on Saturday, June 8, which raises funds for homeless services.

There are several volunteer positions available which involve preparing the route the day before or helping out the day of. Of course, if you are a biker, you are invited to participate, as the cost of your ticket is donated to the cause. Riders can choose between routes of four distances.

To learn more about Incarnation 100, visit their website here.
Help our neighbor diocese (Diocese of San Joaquin) with the Pilgrimage of Hope walk
The hope and intention in this walk is raising awareness of the struggles immigrants and refugees face daily, while also raising money to support Legal Defense Funds throughout the Central Valley. They will begin the Pilgrimage of Hope on May 4 at St. James Cathedral in Fresno, and will conclude on the Day of the Immigrant in Sacramento on May 20. This will involve sixteen consecutive days of walking, praying, and reflecting.

Ways you can help:

  1. Want to drive a “runner car”? Check out the route and complete this registration form by April 30
  2. Want to be a pilgrim? Check out the route and complete this registration form
  3. Want to join for conversation and Evening Prayer one night? Follow along through social media or join in person. Check out the route to find that night’s location and then join at 6:45 p.m.
  4. Continue to raise funds to support the walk, as well as the Legal Defense Fund. You can make a donation on the Pilgrimage of Hope website.

Read a recent Episcopal News Service story on the pilgrimage here .
From the wider Church
The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment announced that its first set of grants for New Episcopal Communities are now available for Episcopal dioceses and mission developers who are envisioning, planning, or growing new worshipping communities and missional enterprises throughout the church. The grants are part of a $2,500,000 initiative funded by the General Convention in 2018 that seeks to celebrate and strategically support emerging communities in The Episcopal Church and that builds partnerships within and beyond the church, expands our language of ministry, and creates new ways for the church to engage the people of God. Read more here .

Other news: