In Prov 2 - July 2020
From Province II
In Person Special Synod Meeting (also posted on the website)
A Special Meeting of the Synod of Province II of The Episcopal Church will take place on September 1, 2020 at 1 pm EDT at Woodbury Commons, Central Valley, NY.

The principal purpose of this very brief in-person gathering is to approve resolutions that will allow Province II to operate meetings and elections virtually in an effective and legal manner. Other than the adoption of the revised Ordinances, no other business will be transacted.

This meeting was called by the Provincial Council pursuant to Ordinance III, Section 2(b) of the Ordinances of the Province. With air travel questionable, and because of the shortness of the business, this meeting can effectively be conducted with representation from the eight NJ/NY dioceses (Albany, Central New York, Long Island, New Jersey, New York, Newark, Rochester, Western New York).

Kindly direct any questions to Neva Rae Fox, Province II Coordinator/Communications Consultant at nevarae@aol.com.
Around the Province:
Diocese of Albany
Painting As Seeing: A Guided Meditation Through Color - Brynna Carpenter-Nardone, Director of the Cathedral Arts mission, is offering this free class on painting and seeing deeply. Brynna has almost thirty years of experience teaching drawing and painting and holds a certificate in spiritual direction. This class will combine lecture and demonstration to help students understand the artistic process in parallel to the spiritual life. with opportunity for questions. More information >
Diocese of Central New York
Leaders from across the diocese facilitate free online workshops on a variety of topics. Join in for resources and ideas to strengthen your parish community, build meaningful community relationships, and deepen your spiritual life in this time of pandemic. New workshops are being added on a rolling basis. All workshops are offered on Zoom, and free registration is required. The list of classes is impressive! Find out more >
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
The Very Reverend Lucinda Laird , Dean of the American Cathedral in Paris, was featured on France24 in a program called "The 51 Percent" which focuses on women in leadership. See the program >
Episcopal Church in Cuba
More than 121,000 people have died from coronavirus in the Caribbean and South America, but as CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports, the island nation of Cuba has managed to flatten the curve.
Diocese of Haiti
Pandemic Poses Extra Challenges in Haiti - It’s different in the Diocese of Haiti – situated in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti was placed on lockdown on March 19, meaning none of the churches could hold public worship services.
Diocese of Long Island
Rooted in Faith: Long Island Religious Groups' Gardens Feed More Than Soul - As seen in Newsday, by Jessica Damiano, June 26, 2020
As the sun warmed the Big Boy tomato plants in the garden behind the Islamic Center of Long Island, Habeeb Ahmed leaned over to inspect a rogue vine. He wiped his brow as he secured it to a stake and continued weeding, watering and checking plants for pests. This labor of love wasn’t simply to serve his own needs or put food on his own family’s table. Read the story >
Diocese of Newark
Each Lent for more than two decades, 12 congregations in northeast Bergen County have worked together to collect a Lenten Offering to support a designated ministry.
Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, their 2020 Lenten Offering collected a record-setting of $8,010 that will go to support an unexpected need: diapers and other baby supplies. Read the whole story >
Diocese of New Jersey
The Church of the Holy Spirit in Lebanon, NJ teamed up with Cristo Rey in Trenton to support Cristo Rey's July 4 Food Drive. It took several cars to transport the donations from Lebanon to Trenton where well over 100 bags of food were given out to grateful families.
Diocese of New York
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in NYC opened for public worship on July 1, 2020, the first day parishes of our diocese were permitted to be open. They continue to be open daily. Read about what is involved in making this happen >
The Holy Eucharist, The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, July 5, 2020. Safe distancing and face coverings were the order of the day. Photo: Damien Joseph SSF
Diocese of Rochester
Rural & Migrant Ministry's efforts to seek the equality of farmworkers has been a response to a four hundred year racist exploitation of farm labor; labor and exploitation that is often hidden by the distance and mountains of our State. Yet it has been an agricultural system that has, and continues to be, a key pillar of our economy and our own survival. New York at one point had the second most populated slave market in the country, with the majority of those slaves going upstate to work on our farms.  Read more >
Diocese of the Virgin Islands
Pastoral Message
The Second Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 6 - Sunday 14th June 2020
The Episcopal Dioceses of Western New York & Northwestern Pennsylvania
Leaders of the Diocese of Western New York’s Commission to Dismantle Racism and Discrimination and the diocesan Mission Strategy Advisory Group have agreed to co-sponsor the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground program across the partnership dioceses.
Sacred Ground, a dialogue series about race, is grounded in faith and includes readings, documentary film and short videos. “Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity,” reads the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground webpage. Find out more >
Complete information is on the website
Opportunities
  • The Newbigin Fellowship for Faith, Peace and Justice
  • The Great EpisGOpal Race
  • Reopening Church in a New Reality: Re-Visioning in a Changing Context
  • Virtual Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency Course
Resources
  • Questing: The Way of Love in Global Mission
  • Episcopal Relief & Development has added a new section to the website
  • And more!
Provincial Council
President:   T he Rev. Dahn Dean Gandell (Rochester)
Vice-President:  The Rt. Rev. Dr. DeDe Duncan-Probe   (Central New York )
Secretary:  Canon Paul Ambos, Esq.   (NJ)
Treasurer:   Canon Phyllis Jones (NJ)
Provincial Coordinator: Ms. Neva Rae Fox (NJ)
Lay Representative to Executive Council:  Canon Noreen Duncan  (NJ)
Clerical Representative to Provincial Council: The Rev. Johnnie E. Ross (Rochester)
Clerical Representative to Executive Council:  The Rev. Lillian Davis-Wilson (Western New York) 
Lay Representative to Provincial Council:  Yvonne O’Neal   (New York)
Episcopal Representative to Provincial Council:  The Rt. Rev. William H. (“Chip”) Stokes  (New Jersey)
Webmaster, Editor, InProv2  Ms. Jan Paxton  (NJ)
Chair, Synod Planning Committee Dorothy-Jane Connolly  (Albany)