The wardens and vestry of St. Mark's in Waterville invite you to join them in a Celebration of New Ministry to welcome the Rev. Gwen Fry as priest-in-charge on Sunday, January 8 at 4:00 pm. Bishop Brown will preside. All are invited to wear white or gold; clergy should wear white or gold stoles. For more information, email St. Mark's.

St. Brendan the Navigator in Deer Isle's administrative assistant, Lynne Witham, organized a Christmas Tea to benefit the Island Heating Assistance Program. Attendees had delicious treats and enjoyed the lovely holiday ambiance of the afternoon while seeing Lynne's amazing collection of teapots and cups. The event raised $1145 for the the program!

Congratulations to Rev. Douglas Beck and the congregation of Trinity, Castine. Douglas will officially begin serving as priest in charge at Trinity in January and will continue to serve at St. Augustine's, Dover-Foxcroft. May God bless their ministry together!

Trinity Episcopal Church, a summer chapel in York Harbor, held an ecumenical service of Nine Lessons and Carols on December 18. It was advertised widely (Seacoastonline story here) and 300 people attended! Proceeds will benefit the York Community Service Association.

Saint Mary's in Falmouth has a new deacon! Please join us in welcoming the Rev. Matthew Simpson.

The Christmas pageant at Trinity Church in Castine featured full pews of joyful singers, 21 kids, and even a live baby Jesus!

"Jesus came to show us how to live, reconciled with God, and with each other, and He taught us that the way to do it is God's way of love. For God's way of love is God's way of life. It's our hope for our families, our communities, our societies. Indeed, it is our hope for the whole world."

Watch and share Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry's 2022 Christmas message. Transcript available here.

"The novels of Elizabeth Strout create a religious landscape where doubt and divine experience co-exist," says Madeleine Davies in her Church Times article here. Strout has written many novels set in Maine, and the article (and podcast) about her work includes Bishop Thomas Brown's reflections. Listen to the podcast here.

NBC News recently ran a feature on Brad Hendrickson, a solo American rendering aid in Ukraine. Brad is a parishioner of St. Alban's in Cape Elizabeth.

Please pray with us for Ben Cooke, his wife Justine, and their two children. Ben will sit for his General Ordination Exams in January. Ben is in formation for ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests and is supported by his congregation of St. Andrew's, Newcastle.

St. Elizabeth’s Jubilee Center in Portland offers prayers of thanksgiving for all of you - partnering churches, volunteers, and contributors!

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40

Over the last 10 weeks St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center has been bustling with activity collecting, sorting and distributing over 532 winter coats and 200+ boots to our neighbors in need. It has been remarkable to witness the outpouring of donations, generosity and love from churches and individuals throughout the diocese. St. E’s greatly appreciates this support, as we seek to provide not only warmth, but compassion and care to the many neighbors and new asylum seekers who walk through our doors every week.

For those looking to make a direct impact on neighbors in need in the greater Portland area this holiday season, we invite you to purchase an item from St. Elizabeth’s Amazon Wishlist.