☘️ Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick! ☘️
Patrick was born into a Christian family somewhere on the northwest coast of Britain in about 390. His grandfather had been a Christian priest and his father, Calpornius, a deacon. Calpornius was an important official in the late Roman imperial government of Britain.
It was not unusual in this post-Constantinian period for such state officials to be in holy orders. When Patrick was about sixteen, he was captured by a band of Irish slave-raiders. He was carried off to Ireland and forced to serve as a shepherd. When he was about twenty-one, he escaped and returned to Britain, where he was educated as a Christian. He tells us that he took holy orders as both presbyter and bishop, although no particular see is known as his at this time. A vision then called him to return to Ireland. This he did about the year 431.
Tradition holds that Patrick landed not far from the place of his earlier captivity, near what is now known as Downpatrick (a “down” or “dun” is a fortified hill, the stronghold of a local Irish king). He then began a remarkable process of missionary conversion throughout the country that continued until his death, probably in 461. He made his appeal to the local kings and through them to their tribes. Christianizing the old pagan religion as he went, Patrick erected Christian churches over sites already regarded as sacred, had crosses carved on old druidic pillars, and put sacred wells and springs under the protection of Christian saints.
Many legends of Patrick’s Irish missionary travels possess substrata of truth, especially those telling of his conversion of the three major Irish High Kings. At Armagh, he is said to have established his principal church. To this day, Armagh is regarded as the primatial see of all Ireland.
Two works are attributed to Patrick: an autobiographical Confession, in which he tells us, among other things, that he was criticized by his contemporaries for lack of learning, and a Letter to Coroticus, a British chieftain. The Lorica or St. Patrick’s Breastplate (“I bind unto myself today”) is probably not his, but it expresses his faith and zeal.
The text above is copied from the entry for today in "Holy Women, Holy Men," Copyright 2010 - Church Pension Fund. The icon used in the image above is from Monastery Icons (monasteryicons.com).
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Collect for the Feast Day of St. Patrick: Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle to the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that way that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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General Convention is this summer but you can begin participating now!
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark put together a page filled with resources for Episcopalians (even those who are not Deputies to General Convention) to learn about the General Convention of The Episcopal Church, happening this July in Baltimore, MD. Included on this page are links to the filed resolutions, a list of virtual legislative committee meetings and hearings, and more!
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Reporting Lay Delegates for the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Diocesan Convention
Congregations, by way of their rector, vicar, priest-in-charge, senior warden, or clerk of the vestry/BAC, should report their lay delegates to the annual meeting/Diocesan Convention within 30 days of their election. If your congregation has not yet reported your delegates, or you have further questions, please contact Tracy Esguerra at tracye@diocese-oregon.org.
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Province VIII Nominations for Election for Voting Synod
This week, diocesan deputies to Province VIII Synod should have received this message. Province VIII will be hosting an election for three open seats: President or Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Please see this message from Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick from the Diocese of Hawai'i to learn more. Nominations are due April 15.
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Celebration of New Ministry: The Rev. Doug Hale, March 27
Celebrate the new ministry of the Rev. Doug Hale as Vicar of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bandon. The service begins at 9:30 am.
You can join in person at St. John’s or watch the celebration online on St. John’s YouTube page here or it can be viewed anytime following on YouTube or their Facebook page.
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Upcoming Holy Hikes - this Saturday!
The next Holy Hikes will be this Saturday, March 19, at 10:00 am. The group will gather at Chahalem Ridge Nature Park, just a 15-minute drive from Forest Grove. It will be a 2.5-mile walk, and along the way, the group will say prayers, hear readings from scripture, and celebrate Holy Eucharist. Learn more about the planned hike and RSVP here.
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Camp Staff Training: April 1 - 3 at Suttle Lake Camp
The annual Camp Staff Training weekend is April 1-3, 2022, hosted at Suttle Lake Camp. The time commitment will be Friday evening through midday on Sunday.
- Counselors and CITs (counselors in training) will train from Friday evening to midday on Sunday.
- Nurses, Chaplains, and Deans will train through Saturday afternoon, with the option of staying through Sunday.
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Spring Communication Workshops
Join Alli Gannett, our director of communications, for two remaining workshops. Registration is required.
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April 19 at 2:00 pm: Church Websites, part 1 - register here
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May 17 at 2:00 pm: Email Newsletters - Constant Contact & MailChimp - register here
Need assistance with something specific? Join Alli's office hours every Thursday at 2:00 pm on Zoom. Join the call here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
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March 17, 24, 31, and April 7 at 7:00 pm: Lenten Book Study hosted by St. Thomas, Dallas online
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March 18, 25, April 1, and 8 at 12:00 pm: Fridays in Lent at Grace, Astoria
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March 19 at 9:00 am: Mini-Retreat - Benedictine Practice, hosted by Trinity Cathedral, Portland
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March 19 at 10:00 am: Holy Hikes at Chehalem Ridge Natural Park
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March 21 at 7:00 pm: Virtual Labyrinth Walk, hosted by Trinity Cathedral, Portland
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March 23, 30, and April 6 at 5:15 pm: Praying with Icons in Lent, hosted by St. Barnabas, McMinnville
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March 23, 30, and April 6 at 7:00 pm: Wednesday at the Commons: Lent Term hosted by Trinity Cathedral, Portland
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March 24 at 1:00 pm: Board of Trustees Meeting
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March 26 at 8:00 am: Lenten Quiet Day, "Making Room for the Other: the Practice of Inner Stillness," hosted by St. Timothy, Salem
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March 26 at 7:00 pm: Song Recital I: Love & Loss, hosted by Trinity Cathedral
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April 1 - 3: Camp Staff Training at Suttle Lake Camp
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April 2 at 9:00 am: Being with Beauty: Labyrinth Workshop of Self Reflection, hosted by Trinity Cathedral
Ongoing invitations:
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Thursdays at 2:00 pm: Communications Office Hours with Alli Gannett, Director of Communications. No registration is required, join here.
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Fridays at noon: Say Their Names at St. David of Wales, Portland, to honor and lament the black and brown people killed by racial and police violence.
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Fridays at 6:00 pm: Volunteer at Rahab's Sisters ministry every Friday night, beginning at 6:00 pm at Ss. Peter & Paul/Ss. Pedro y Pablo, Portland.
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Today we pray for...
In our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer (DOWNLOAD):
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Portland: St. Michael & All Angels: Sherman Hesselgrave, interim rector; Julia Nielsen, transition minister, Roberto Arciniega, associate rector; Mark Allen, Sallie Bowman, Wendy Cliff, Caroline Litzenberger, Robert Macauley, Marla McGarry-Lawrence, David Pace, David Perry, Ed Rouffy, John Scannell.
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Portland: PSU Becoming Beloved Community on Campus Ministry: Chaplain pending.
In the Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer (DOWNLOAD):
The Diocese of Kirinyaga – The Anglican Church of Kenya
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Festival of Homiletics: May 16 - 20, in Denver and online
This year's Festival of Homiletic's theme is "Preaching after the Storm: Preaching and Trauma." There is an in-person and an online festival happening this year on May 16 - 20. You can learn more, see the schedule, and register on their website.
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Clergy calls with Bishop Akiyama:
The next call with be Tuesday, April 5 at 8:15 am. The link to the call information can be found here.
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Renewal of Vows and the Blessing of Holy Oils
Register today for one of the upcoming Renewal of Vows and Blessing of Holy Oils services. Lunch will be provided following the service.
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April 13 at 11:00 am - Church of the Resurrection, Eugene. Register here.
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Spring Clergy Conference - Registration is open!
The spring in-person Clergy Conference will be April 25 - 27 at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton. Clergy should have gotten an email on Monday with information for registration, hotel reservations, and schedule. You can access that email here and register for the conference here.
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FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH |
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Border & Migration Ministry Summit - Virtual Summit, March 30 - 31
Join the Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM), in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, for the 4th Annual Virtual Border & Migration Ministry Summit. This event will be an opportunity to learn about and reflect on forced migration through the lenses of asylum, immigrant detention, and accompaniment. Panel discussions will include experts, practitioners, faith leaders, and lay leaders.
Visit the EMM website to view the Summit schedule, workshop descriptions, and speaker bios. Registration is $25; the deadline to sign up is March 25.
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