Episcopal Diocese of Albany

Business Office: 68 South Swan Street - Albany, NY 12210 - (518) 465-4737
Christ the King Spiritual Life Center: 575 Burton Road - Greenwich, NY 12834 - (518) 692-9550

October 6, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Bishop Love and Cn Haskell are attending the Diocese of Down and Dromore Clergy Conference in Donegal this week. The hotel where the conference is held does not have internet access. Please restrain from sending routine emails to Bishop Love and Cn Haskell. The Bishop will be calling daily to check for messages. Please call Jerry Carroll, Lay Canon for Administration, with any urgent communications for the Bishop.

Congratulations to Fr. Scott and Sarah Garno on the birth of their daughter, Maria Ruth, on Thursday, October 2. Maria Ruth's vital statistics: 9lbs 6oz, 20 inches long. Proud grandparents include Fr Bill and Barb Hinrichs and Dcn Art and Tammy Garno.

From The Sisters at Christ the King:
Sister Mary Helen Bradley went to Jesus while all the Sisters sung Compline around her bed on the evening of September 30. She took her last breath just as Mother Miriam intoned the Nunc Dimittis, "Lord, you now have set your servant free." During Sister Mary Francis' death, Sister Mary Helen had been very much aware that she herself was also close to departing. Our Provincial Chaplain, Father Christopher Brown, gave her the Last Rites, Wednesday afternoon, September 23. On Sunday night, September 27, It became obvious that she was in the final stages of dying. The Sisters maintained a vigil around her bed until Tuesday, and were honored by Bishop Love and Father Nigel's visitations with her. She passed in the 58h year of her profession at age 90. She was both a very strong and a very private person. She trained as a "Baby Nurse" at St. Mary's Free Hospital for Children, New York City, during World War II, and cared for the children there for five and a half years before entering the Novitiate. After profession she was sent to the Sisters' Mission and Orphanage in Sagada, Philippines for four years. Most of the remainder of her long and faithful life in community was as Infirmarian, a role for which she was perfectly suited, quietly caring for over two generations of Sisters in their old age. She also helped out in bookkeeping and the Altar Bread department as time allowed

The Requiem, Consecration of the Sisters' new cemetery, and Burial of the three departed Greenwich Sisters will be celebrated by the Rt. Rev. William H. Love on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 10:30AM. All attending are invited to a buffet luncheon following the service. Please contact Mother Miriam at (518) 692-3028 if you wish to attend. Thank you.

Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon her.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with all who mourn; that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP pg 505)

The October Diocesan Holy Hour and Benediction is scheduled for Thursday, October 9 at 10:30 am in St. Mary's Chapel in the Convent at Greenwich. Lunch ($8) is available in the Trinity Dining Room of the SLC following the service. Father Walcott Hunter will be the officiant.

This coming Saturday, October 11, is the Diocese's Mission Conference at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center from 9 - 4. The theme is "Mission Possible" and the guest speaker is Ian Smith, Director of Mission for Church Missionary Society Ireland (CMS-I). For more information and to register online or via mail, please go to the Diocese's home page, http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/, and use the website links at the bottom of the home page. Pre-registration closes at noon on Thursday. Same day registrations will be accommodated to the best of our ability on Saturday. Your prayers are invited for Linda Stevens, Diocese Missions Coordinator, who is recovering from hip surgery.

The Cathedral of All Saints is holding its Medieval Faire from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday October 18th. The Faire will include vendors in medieval costume selling handmade goods, food, and beverages. It will present madrigal singers, harpists, jugglers, and other performers, and will include participation by the Society for Creative Anachronism, whose members assume attire and persona of knights, serfs, nobles, and other characters from the Middle Ages. Admission is $8 adults; $6 seniors; $5 children 4-12 years old; children under 3 are free. For additional information, please contact the Cathedral at (518) 465-1342.

The next Welcome Home Initiative retreat will be October 27 - 29. The Daughters of the King chapter at Calvary Church in Burnt Hills has put together hospitality baskets for the vets and their families who came to the retreats in March and July of this year. The Daughters would love to extend this grace of giving to others in the diocese who would like to participate. The cost of a basket is approximately $30. Examples of items to be placed in the baskets include such things as disposable cameras, mini photo albums, pocket tissue, snacks, gum, mints, votive candles, etc. Cards and letters of appreciation are also welcome. If you are led to assist in this effort with a monetary or material gift, please contact the Calvary office here.

The Diocese of Albany Daughters of the King fall meeting and retreat is Saturday, November 8 at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center. The retreat theme is "Bridging the Gap, Lord give us Hope" and will be led by Mtr Laurie Garramone-Rohr. Cost of the retreat is $8. A registration form is attached. For more info contact Janet Papa here.

The United Thank Offering 2009 Grant application and guidelines are now available at www.episcopalchurch.org/uto.

"There are a number of changes to this year's application process and we want to ensure that they are communicated widely. To highlight some changes:

One grant per diocese [new, was 2]
One companion diocese [unchanged]
Grants will focus on compelling human need particularly as they relate to women and children [new]

We are working on growing the UTO and bringing a new vigor into the organization from the parish, diocesan and provincial levels, your help, support and assistance is most welcome in this effort. If I can be of any support to you and your diocesan efforts please do not hesitate in contacting me." s/ Elizabeth Beach Hacking, United Thank Offering, The Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, New York 10017-4503, (212) 922-5130

If you have trouble downloading the UTO info, please contact Jerry Carroll here or Ray Rockwell here. They will forward you the application, guidelines, and instructions as email attachments. Please note whether you want Microsoft Word or Adobe (pdf) documents.

Men's Cursillo is Oct 16 - 19 at Christ the King. Cut-off for registration was Friday, October 3, but if you have a last minute registration, please contact Ron Edwards here.

Women's Cursillo is Oct 30 - Nov 2 at CTK as well. Cut-off for registration is Friday, October 17. Again, for more information contact Ron Edwards here.

The Episcopal Counseling Service is offering a free workshop for all clergy called "Equipping Clergy to Respond to Persons with Mental Illness" Presenters will be Peter Minucci, LCSW, and Dr. Mike Chojnacki, MD. The workshop is November 11 from 1 - 4 in the Barry House Library at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center. To register, please call the Episcopal Counseling Service at 465-8728. Brochures are being mailed to the clergy.

Your continued prayers are invited for Mother Jackie Jones and her family (Dcn Kevin and daughter Stephanie) as she recovers from her illness.

Your prayers are invited for Dcn Jan Volkmann who had hip surgery today and is at St. Peter's, Albany.

Faithfully in Christ,
The PDU scribes

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