May 8, 2010
To the People of Grace Episcopal Church,
Dear Friends in Christ,
Grace Episcopal Church has a long history of letting itself be transformed through inclusivity and diversity. The people who worship at Grace have benefited from that history as has the city of Norwalk.
During the last week of April, our brothers and sisters at Iglesia Episcopal Betania were advised that their host parish would no longer provide space for an office for their Priest Missioner. Iglesia Betania voted to leave the host church with their priest.
On Wednesday, May 5, 2010, I delivered to Iglesia Betania, in a gathering of people from both Grace and Betania, the following letter from the Vestry of Grace Episcopal Church:
“The Vestry, Wardens and Clergy invite you to be a Congregation in Residence, living with us at Grace Episcopal Church, 1 Union Park, Norwalk, Connecticut.
It is our desire that conversations and work toward merger of Grace Episcopal Church and Iglesia Episcopal Betania continue during your residence among us.
We invite you to worship regularly at 1:00 on Sundays in the language of your choice, and to join us at any time in English worship at 10:00. We invite you to join us in worship together once every month, in a bilingual service. We invite you to maintain an office for your Priest Missioner at Grace Church.
We extend to you the hospitality of Christ Jesus our Lord and pray that our life together will be a participation in God’s mission of reconciling all people to God, to one another, and to all creation.”
Grace Church will begin hosting Iglesia Episcopal Betania on June 1. On Sunday, June 6 they will celebrate their first Spanish service at 1:00 p.m. in the Undercroft, until such time as Grace and Betania may merge. The Undercroft is a temporary measure, giving L’Eglise Baptiste Hatienne, which worships at noon in the Church, time to adjust to other possibilities that will enable them to continue to have a home at Grace.
The Reverend José Díaz will continue to serve the people of Iglesia Betania as their missioner, a position funded by the Diocese of Connecticut. The monthly bilingual service will continue.
The Steering Committee of Grace and Betania will write an agreement covering our life together, including but not limited to:
- An office to be provided for the Priest Missioner
- The use of the Church by Iglesia Episcopal Betania for a Spanish Mass every Sunday
- The joining of Grace with Betania in a monthly bilingual service
- A time every Sunday when the two congregations will join together in the education and spiritual formation of children, youth and adults
- Music program opportunities
- Other privileges and responsibilities of our common life together as we, jointly, deem proper to the relationship between a Congregation in Residence and the Host Congregation, including Iglesia Episcopal Betania’s pledge to Grace Episcopal Church
This agreement will be reviewed by the Right Reverend James Curry, Bishop Suffragan, and Canon John (Jack) Spaeth.
During their residency, Iglesia Episcopal Betania will continue to have their own Vestry, elect officers and delegates to Diocesan Convention, keep separate books, have their own stewardship campaign, and provide their own Altar supplies and musician.
Iglesia Betania’s last 1:00 p.m. Spanish service at Christ Church East Norwalk will be on Sunday, May 16. You can show your support for the people of Betania by attending that last service.
On May 23, the Feast of Pentecost, Betania will worship with Grace in English at the 10:00 service, except for those portions which, because it is Pentecost, will be in other languages. On May 30 we will celebrate our regular bilingual service.
In June there will be a special “coffee house” type gathering of both congregations, which will give us an opportunity to hear one another’s stories. In the meantime, if you have any questions, or would like to know more about this transition, please feel free to contact the Reverend Lois Keen at revlois1@yahoo.com or 203-866-8426, or Senior Warden John Sutton at johnfsut@aol.com or 203- 838-8836.
Yours faithfully in Christ,
Lois Keen
Priest in Charge
