News & Events in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine
Volume 24, Number 3
February 3, 2022
Around The Diocese
Forum on Restoring Sovereignty to the Wabanaki
The Racial Justice Council and Committee on Indian Relations of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine invite you, on February 20 at 2:00 pm, to a public forum in support of “An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act" (LD 1626).

Maulian Dana, Ambassador of the Penobscot Nation, will be the keynote speaker. Bishop Thomas Brown will offer the opening prayer. The forum will take place via a Zoom Webinar, hosted by Christ Church, Gardiner. 

If passed, the bill will restore to the Wabanaki tribes their inherent sovereignty over the territories in which they reside. Maine is the only state in the nation which blocks such sovereignty. (Learn more about sovereignty here in this document from the Committee on Indian Relations.)
We hope you will join us to become better informed about this act, and to learn what you can do to promote passage of LD 1626!

Read these recently published messages of support from members throughout the diocese:
Standing Committees of three dioceses gather online
Last week, the Standing Committees of the dioceses of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine held a meet-and-greet meeting via Zoom. While the three bishops meet regularly, this is the first time for the Standing Committees to gather together. During the meeting, Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld of New Hampshire remarked, “This meeting is historic. It has been talked about for at least a couple of generations, and it hasn’t happened...You’re part of a historic moment...the momentum is building around collaboration.”

During the meeting, participants gathered in small groups to discuss what the dioceses have in common and discussed in plenary session their hopes for collaboration.

“We hope that this will not be the last time that we will be together,” Bishop Brown said at the end of the meeting. “Tonight is the beginning of what we hope will be expanding circles of this kind of conversation.”

The Standing Committees plan to meet again in the near future to continue congenial cross-dioceses conversations and explore ways in which the dioceses could consider shared services — a topic discussed by Bishops Brown, Hirschfeld, and MacVeane-Brown in their 2021 convention addresses. 
February's Faith Formation calendar available
Click on the image below to download the faith formation calendar for February 2022! The calendar includes all of the Zoom links for our monthly youth meetings, reminders about upcoming events, and resources for parents.
News From Our Congregations
The Simmering Pot crew of St. Brendan the Navigator, Deer Isle does what it takes! Here are a few of the many hands that recently contributed to making 120+ quarts of yellow split pea soup.
A long-standing, multi-faith group of leaders from congregations in the Greater Portland area, including our Cathedral, Trinity, and St. Peter's churches, as well as Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Bahai, Friends, Universalist and other groups, recently joined together to create a plaque to honor those who died during the pandemic. The plaque will be installed at the Maine Audubon Center at Gilsland Farm. This group also puts together the annual Thanksgiving Eve service and has worked as a team on marriage equality, immigrant rights, and a host of other issues.
Bishop Brown joined the congregation of St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland to help celebrate the ministry of Albert Melton.
Albert Melton leads his final service at the Cathedral before retiring after 24 years as organist and choirmaster.
The monthly Taizé service at St Ann's in Windham is moving to the first Tuesday of each month. The next service will be on the 1st of February. Arrive at 5:45pm; prayer begins at 6:00 pm. Taizé is a service of song and silence with a couple of readings and very meditative. We arrive in silence, depart in silence. Based in Christ and the Trinity, it is non-denominational and all are welcome!
Voices Among Us
The Rev. Gwen Fry, the Rev. Lauren Kay, and the Rev. Kit Wang from the Episcopal Diocese of Maine participated and shared stories of the challenges they faced as transgender and nonbinary clergy. with the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church at its January meeting. During a 90 minuste listening session with transgender, nonbinary and non-gender-conforming Episcopalians, seven clergy and lay leaders discussed how transgender individuals often feel alternately supported by and marginalized by The Episcopal Church, which, they said, has not yet lived up to its promise of being a church for all. Read more here in ENS article, "Executive Council meeting opens with focus on voting rights, budget, treatment of transgender Episcopalians".
Point in Time counts people experiencing homelessness...

The Point in Time is a count of homeless people on a single night in January in communities around the country. This year in Biddeford, it was conducted on Thursday at Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center.

Read more
sacobaynews.com
Watch video here from an online service for healthcare workers held at Christ Church, Gardiner on January 23 with a homily by Chris Pezzullo of St. Alban's, Cape Elizabeth.
Five Resources on Vestry Roles and Responsibilities

Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) offers five resources on vestry roles and responsibilities. Please share this with new members of your vestry and extend an invitation to subscribe to receive Vestry Papers, blogs, and the monthly digest.

Read more
go.pardot.com
Prayers
A Collect for Peace 

Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We ask God to bless Annual Meetings in our congregations and pray for all newly elected church leaders.
Please join us in offering prayers for the Rev. Kit Wang who has been called to serve as Priest-in-Charge of the Seacoast Shared Ministry of Christ Episcopal Church, Portsmouth and Trinity Episcopal Church, Hampton, NH.
Let us pray for the repose of the soul of Chuck Hornberger who passed away on Saturday, January 22. Chuck was a member of the Commission on Ministry, a chorister at the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, a composer and conductor, and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Chuck is survived by his husband, the Rev. Dr. Ted J. Gaiser, Priest-in-Charge of St. Nicholas, Scarborough. A service honoring Chuck's life and legacy will be held in the Emmanuel Chapel at the Cathedral of St. Luke, Portland on Saturday, February 5 at 11:00 am. All are welcome (with COVID safety protocols).
Please join us in praying for the Rev. Robert "Bob" Butler who died on Sunday, January 23 peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Bob was one of Maine’s most senior priests, ordained by Bishop Loring in 1966 and served in churches and ministries throughout Maine. For 15 years, until retirement in 1989, Bob was rector at Good Shepherd in Houlton. In retirement, Bob assisted at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Zephyrhills, Florida. All are welcome (with COVID safety protocols) to a Requiem Eucharist for Bob at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 116 Main Street, Houlton on Saturday, 12 February 2022 at 11:00 am. Clergy are invited to vest and join the procession.
Resources
Join online conversation with authors of The Gatherings
"Upisktwo" is a Mic’kmaq word that means “we return to that original place, and let’s try again.” In English it is often translated “forgiveness.”

Join Maine Council of Churches for an online conversation with Maine author Shirley Hager and her co-author Rev. Shirley Bowen about the book The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous-Settler Relations on Tuesday, February 22, 7:00 – 8:15 pm on Zoom. This event is free, but registration here is required.