The Very Rev. Dr. Benjamin Shambaugh, Dean of St. Luke's Cathedral (pictured here with his family) will complete 18 years of service at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke at a 10 am service on January 29, 2023. A celebration of his ministry at St. Luke's Cathedral, 143 State Street, Portland at 6 pm on February 4. He will take three months of transition time and begin a new position as rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, NY on May 1. Read letters from the Dean and Bishop Thomas Brown announcing his departure here. Congratulations Ben!

St. Mark's, Waterville held its annual care-kit packing event, creating nearly 100 bags for parish members to distribute all over our local communities to those they encounter who may be in need. Parishioners pictured here (left to right): Hilary Wieczorek, Jonathan Knock, Lukas Wieczorek

St. Peter's Church in Portland has recently joined 7 other Episcopal churches in the Greater Portland Area in sponsoring the mission of St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center. In addition, St. Elizabeth's welcomes 4 new board members - Anita Chandler of St. Peter's, Lynne & Rick Gammon of Trinity, and Byrd Wood of St. Luke's Cathedral. (Pictured here: Bishop Brown joined volunteers at St. Elizabeth's on a morning before Christmas where they served 224 neighbors in need.)

St. Margaret's in Belfast and the Rev. Barbara Briggs celebrated two beautiful baptisms on January 8, the Baptism of our Lord. Congratulations to Theo and Evelyn and parents!

Please pray with us for Deacon Nancy Ludwig who is to be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas Brown on Sunday, February 19 at 3:00 pm at Church of the Good Shepherd in Rangeley. All are welcome to attend this joyful and solemn service, which will include a choir made of singers from the community of Rangeley and Nancy's former congregations in Bangor and Long Island. The preacher will be the Reverend Lloyd A. Lewis, Canon Theologian to the Bishop of Long Island and Professor of New Testament Emeritus at Virginia Theological Seminary.

We offer prayers for Canon Terry Reimer, who had a successful knee replacement last Tuesday. Notes can be sent to Terry via his work email.

Please pray for the Rev. Dr. K. Paul St. Germain, Jr., a resident of Portland and a priest of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, who will be with the Cathedral of St. Luke in Portland during their transition as they begin to search for a new dean. A native of Vermont and cradle Episcopalian, Paul has served parishes of many sizes, primarily in the mid-west, for over thirty years. He retired in 2020 after serving for thirteen years as rector of Saint Mark’s in Columbus, Ohio. A frequent lecturer, his focus is often Anglican history with a primary interest in the role of ritual in modern culture - and the works of C.S. Lewis. He is a close follower of the British Royal Family, enjoys Star Trek (headshot here was taken on a Star Trek set in 2019), sailing with Cunard, motoring in his MiniCooper, and caring for Tavish – a particularly vocal and opinionated Scottish Terrier. Please join us in welcoming Paul!

Prayers of thanksgiving for newly appointed members of the Task Force to Study Loring House (which currently houses the diocesan staff offices). They include Jamie Cough, Lisa Lindsay, Julia Littlefield, and Carlos Mello who join Lisa Leighton, chair of the task force, in undertaking this work.