News & Events in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine |
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Volume 24, Number 12
June 16, 2022
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Commemorate Maine's first James Weldon Johnson Day this Juneteenth weekend |
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Join many partners across the state in a three-day celebration taking place June 17–19, 2022 to commemorate Maine’s first annual James Weldon Johnson Day and celebration of Juneteenth.
James Weldon Johnson, the American writer and civil rights activist who wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing", died in Wiscasset in 1938 in a motor vehicle accident.
Tomorrow morning's program will take place at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Wiscasset and will include Linda Ashe-Ford reading a James Weldon Johnson poem! View the full schedule of events here.
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Friday, June 17 | 10:30 am – 4:00 pm in Wiscasset | James Weldon Johnson Day Commemoration | Register here: https://bit.ly/3xspGLv
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Saturday, June 18 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm in Bath | Recovering Maine’s Black History | Register here: https://bit.ly/3zC11H7
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Sunday, June 19 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm in Westbrook | Juneteenth Freedom Celebration | No registration required
Photo courtesy Library of Congress.
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Celebrate ordinations at the Cathedral on June 18 |
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By the Grace of God and with the consent of the people, The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown will ordain Carlisle Blind, George Cooper, and Heather Sylvester to the diaconate on Saturday, June 18 at 10:00 am at the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, 143 State Street, Portland. Clergy red stoles; lay are invited to wear red.
Reception immediately following the service. And while you're in Portland, consider joining St. Luke's Cathedral in Monument Square at 12:15pm to march with them in Portland's Pride Parade!
Offertory will be for United Thank Offering (UTO). Learn more about UTO here.
Download the invitation here. All are welcome!
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Join a diocesan conversation about global mission |
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Global mission is no longer the domain of professional missionaries - it has become the work of everyone in the church. We go on mission trips to build schools, clinics, and churches, participate in medical missions, raise funds to support our international partners, and sell fair trade coffee, chocolate, and olive oil in our churches to be in solidarity and provide a living wage to laborers in those industries.
Whether you’re selling coffee at church, praying for displaced people throughout the world, trying to maintain a relationship with a church abroad, wondering how you might help people in places like Ukraine, or just curious about global mission, you’re invited to participate in a conversation facilitated by the Rev. Ted Gaiser on June 21!
Tuesday, June 21 5:00-6:00 pm
Click here for the Zoom link.
Meeting ID: 825 9962 5911
Passcode: 193676
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Celebrate Summer Finale with the diocese in August |
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Families and households throughout Maine are invited to celebrate the end of summer together at Camp Bishopswood. Spend a night or two cabin or tent camping while you swim, boat, hike, rest, and worship on scenic Lake Megunticook. All meals included.
There will be free diocese-wide programming during the day on Saturday, August 27 including worship. Come for the day or stay for the weekend!
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News From Our Congregations |
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St. Augustine's, Dover-Foxcroft celebrated their patron, Augustine of Canterbury, by planting and blessing a seedling last month. Every church in Diocesan Area B will be planting similarly between now and the end of the Season of Creation in early fall. |
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The Zoorob family was reunited in Maine in time to celebrate Marc's graduation from Lincoln Academy. Their visit included dinner with Bishop Thomas Brown and Rev. Tom Mousin in Portland. Archdeacon Imad Zoorob was also able to preach St. Andrew's Church in Newcastle where he thanked St. Andrew's and the diocese for their ongoing support of the Zoorob boys. Learn more about their story and how you can help here.
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St. George’s in Sanford is happy to announce the installation of their Little Free Pantry! They installed, blessed, and filled a Free Little Pantry on campus this month. How does it work? Take what you need; leave what you can. Find a sample list of good items to donate here. According to the Maine Hunger Initiative, food insecurity affects 16.4% of households in Maine, which ranks 6th in the nation, and 1st in New England, for very low food security (“hunger”). Interested in creating your own? Visit the Little Free Pantry website.
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St. Andrew's, Winthrop took advantage of the nice weather to celebrate a rustic Holy Eucharist at The Haven in Winthrop on May 29th. |
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Juneteenth will be a festive day at St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland. The day of June 19th will include special music provided by a visiting choir from Easley, SC, a “Juneteenth” parish picnic, recognition of our graduating high school seniors, and a celebration of the ministry of the Rev. Eleanor Prior. Eleanor will be the rector at St. Andrew's in Methuen, MA starting in July. |
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With help from their local partner, Living Innovations-Northern Maine, St. Martin's, Palmyra finished planting two of their community gardens while making great connections with their neighbors. |
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The congregation of St. Bartholomew's, Yarmouth spent a joyous afternoon at their Celebration of New Ministry for Priest-in-Charge, Rev. Amanda Gerken-Nelson, last weekend. |
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St. Margaret's, Belfast walked in the Belfast Pride Parade to celebrate the love and lives of our LGBTQ family. The church has traditionally has strong representation at the local parade and proudly fly their banner. |
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In latest episode of the Faith in Maine podcast "Connect: A Conversation with Three Bishops", we continue our series focusing on the four themes from Bishop Brown's 2021 diocesan convention address: Listen, Connect, Adapt, Hope. You can listen at faithinmaine.org or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
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Jennifer Booher gave a slide talk about her research into stained-glass windows in Bar Harbor buildings earlier this month. Mount Desert Island has a diverse collection of windows by prominent American and European artists of the 19th and 20th centuries: 37 artists and glass studios are represented, in 21 buildings. Watch “The Art and History of Stained Glass Windows in Bar Harbor” here.
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Musings from the Bell Tower by Rev. Robert Laite Jr.
Just about this time of year, I reflect more intently on the path I have been on. June 18th will mark my 17th year ordination to the Deaconate. Twenty-three years prior to that I was confronted about my drinking.
Read more
stjohnsinthomaston.org
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Maine's Canon to the Ordinary founds "Restoration Laos"
I fell in love with the tiny, distant country of Laos about twelve years ago, when I first visited on vacation. Laos is a sliver of mountain and river, with Vietnam on one side and Thailand...
Read more
episcopalmaine.org
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We pray for the Rev. Joshua Hill and the congregation of St. Alban's, Cape Elizabeth. They will hold a Celebration of New Ministry on Wednesday, June 22 at 5:00 pm. May God bless their ministry together! |
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We offer prayers of thanksgiving for the ministry of the Rev. Sheila Seekins, Priest-in-Charge at Trinity, Lewiston, who retires this month. Her last Sunday at Trinity will be on June 26. |
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Please join us in giving thanks for Bishop Thomas Brown's service as Chair of Church Pension Group's Board. His term expires upon the adjournment of the General Convention in July. Pictured here is Mary Kate Wold, president of the Church Pension Fund, with Bishop Brown. Canon Kathryn McCormick has been elected to serve as the next Chair. |
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Let us pray this coming World Refugee Day (June 20) for the protection for all people forced to flee home and that their dreams for a better future may be fulfilled. |
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We offer prayers for the Rev. Lincoln Stelk, retired priest from the Diocese of New York living in Maine, who died this month. The Memorial Eucharist Service celebrating his life will be held at Saint Mary's, Falmouth on Saturday, June 18 at 11:00 am with a memorial reception to follow.
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Pray this Father's Day weekend for all fathers, those longing to be fathers, those who have lost their fathers, and fathers who have lost children. |
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We observe the holiday of Juneteenth (19th) on Monday, June 20th. In 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, TX were the last to learn of their emancipation following the end of the Civil War and two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Let recall the struggle to overcome slavery in our country and pray for justice and an end to oppression everywhere. |
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Prayers of thanksgiving and welcome to our summer chapel community. Many begin offering services this month. We are so happy to have you in Maine! (Pictured here is All Saints-by-the-Sea in Southport which will hold their first service this Sunday.) |
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Opportunity to learn about Black communities in Maine |
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Attend a webinar about the history of slavery and racism in Maine, including the role of eugenics and the term "Vacationland" on June 29th. Presenters will talk about our shared ancestry and how slavery has impacted the way the world functions today. Participants will also learn specific examples of racism and how it plays out in communities.
At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe how Maine’s history with slavery has impacted genocide, immigration, disinformation and racism in American culture.
- Describe the hidden history of Black communities in Maine.
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Save these dates below! For the full events calendar, click here.
JUNE
18 Ordinations, Cathedral Church of Saint Luke
18 Pride Parade, Portland
21 Retired Clergy Gathering with the Bishop, St. Mark’s in Waterville
21 Global Mission Conversation
22 Retired Clergy Gathering with the Bishop, Loring House and Emmanuel Chapel
22 Celebration of New Ministry with St. Alban’s in Cape Elizabeth and Joshua Hill
25 Pride Parade, Bangor
28 Diocesan Town Hall
29 Quiet Day for the Deacon Community, Loring House and Emmanuel Chapel
JULY
8-11 General Convention
AUGUST
26-28 Summer Finale, Camp Bishopswood
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