GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OUTREACH

Annual Gift Tags

2011-11-23T13:09:00.007-05:00

Family and Children's Agency will drop off today the tags with the gift requests. The tags will be available this Sunday during the 10:00 bilingual service. All gifts must be delivered to Grace no later than Sunday, December 11.

Each gift tag has the caseworker's last name, the client's gender, age and requested gift.

Remember:

All gifts must be new.

Please attach the Family and Children's tag to the gift

Please include any required batteries

Please do not wrap the gifts

Thank you all in advance for your generosity. This is one of our most successful, most loved, long term ministries so enjoy yourselves!

Faithfully,
Lois Keen

Thanksgiving Baskets for Covenant to Care for Children

2011-11-06T13:41:00.002-05:00

We hope to do at least 15 to 20 Baskets! Please consider helping.

The following items are needed for the baskets:

Cranberry Sauce

Whole Bags of White Potatoes

Canned Yams

Gravy

Canned Vegetables (Corn, Peas, String Beans, etc.)

Cake Mixes

Brownie Mixes

Frosting

Take a leaf or two from the Giving Tree and please have the food back by November 13. Mark your plastic bags with "Thanksgiving Food" please.

Opportunities for Thanksgiving

2011-11-02T12:14:00.002-04:00

We have opportunities to share time and supplies for Thanksgiving. First is the Community Thankgsgiving Lunchean at the East Avenue United Methodist Church. We at Betania/Grace have participated in this luncheon in a variety of ways for a few years now. Below is Jessie's letter with the basic information. Below the letter is a list of things you can donate to the luncheon.

Another project that the Grace congregation has been doing for many years are the Thanksgiving Baskets. Tags with supplies needed can be found on the Giving Tree at the church. Please bring purchased items to the church by Sunday November 13.

= = = = = = = = =
November 1, 2011

Dear kind contributors,

It’s almost time for the Community Thanksgiving Luncheon at the East Avenue United Methodist Church in East Norwalk. Our luncheon will again be held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 20th, from 12 noon until 2pm. This wonderful event is possible only because of the generosity of people like you.

This completely free of charge Thanksgiving feast has become a Norwalk tradition and a wonderful way to unite the community during the holiday season.

For our returning volunteers, I look forward to working with you again, and to our new folks, a great big WELCOME!

I appreciate your valuable time so therefore I try to keep this as simple as possible by multitasking.
Saturday, November 19th from 10am until 12 noon, we begin our preparation. Some will be peeling potatoes, (BYOP- bring your own peeler), while others will be setting up the dining area including table arranging and decorating. I will explain how the luncheon will run and answer any questions.

On Sunday, volunteers arrive at 11am. Everyone will be given an assigned position to work. If there is a specific job you would like to do i.e. cooking, serving, cleanup, etc. please contact me before the day of the luncheon and I will do my best to place you there.

Our event is dependent solely on contributions so please see the attached wish list. Donations may be dropped off at the church office Tuesday- Friday from 10am until 1pm. The entrance is on Rowan Street. Checks should be made out to EAUMC Thanksgiving Luncheon.

There are also many tasks to be done from now until the luncheon. Flyers must be posted, donations picked up, just to name a few so if you are available to help TERRIFIC!

I am truly grateful for any contribution you can make. In order for this undertaking to succeed it is important that I have an idea of how many volunteers will be joining us and when. Please let me know as soon as possible.

You can contact me by email at jessiejmcgarty@gmail.com (preferred method) or by calling the church office at (203) 866-6757.

I cannot thank you enough for being a part of this celebration that brings joy to so many.

Sincerely yours,
Jessie McGarty
Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Coordinator

= = = = = = = = = =
Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Donation Wish List
*Please have items at the church by Wednesday, November 16th.

E.A.U.M.C. 244 East Avenue, East Norwalk (entrance on Rowan Street)
office hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am until 1pm (203) 866-6757

*Perishable items will be requested at a later date.

bags of stuffing......or cash :)
canned mixed vegetables
cranberry sauce- jellied and whole
yams in syrup
disposable foil large roasting pans (we need at least 50)
chicken broth
aluminum foil
plastic cling wrap
Ziploc bags- quart and gallon size ( we make many to-go servings)
Sanka packets
sodas- various flavors including Diet
juices- various flavors
water bottles
Kosher Salt
black pepper
brown sugar
sweetener packets
sterno
scotch tape
masking tape
napkins
dessert plates
desserts- pies, brownies, cookies, etc; ( some sugar free and nut free, and must stay fresh without refrigeration until 11/20 )

Thank you!
Jessie

New Name for Shawl Ministry

2011-10-16T23:32:00.004-04:00

I (your humble web master and shawl ministry participant) have been calling our gathering "Grace's Shawl Ministry" simply because I needed something to call it on Facebook, Twitter, the web site, and here on the Outreach Blog. At our last meeting we discussed the listing on the shawl ministry web site. That led us to a discussion about our name because not only was there the web site listing to consider, but one of our members went into the church office and downloaded the shawl minstry brochure templates from the site.

Grace's Shawl Ministry has many meanings, but it is too closely tied to the name of Grace Episcopal Church. We have folks who come from Iglesia Betania and other places, too. One member suggested Holy Needles.

We have a new name! Holy Needles/Las agujas santa.

Brochures and shawl ministry site listing to come.

We gather on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Although some folks show up at 10, and many of us stay until noon. We're also making hats, scarves, mittens, cowls, baby sweaters and blankets. Another reason Holy Needles/Las agujas santa fits our group

Join us as we knit, crochet, and share conversation. If you want to learn how to knit or crochet, this is a great place to try it out! Or just come for the conversation.

See you on November 5th!

Grace's Shawl Ministry - The Blessing of the Shawls

2011-09-18T16:46:00.006-04:00

The cedar chest in the Memorial Room was full. Time to bless the finished shawls and begin giving them away. We talked about what the blessing should look like and how the shawls should be distributed. Today, during the 10:00 a.m. service, we blessed them and gave three to the Lay Eucharistic Ministers who took communion to some of our home bound parishioners.

Shane and Sally arrived even earlier than our scheduled gathering time, so all the shawls were out on the altar by the time the rest of us arrived.

We fussed with them until they looked "right" on the altar, making sure to leave space for Sally to set the elements out for the Eucharist.

May God's grace be upon these shawls, warming, comforting, enfolding, embracing.

May these mantles be a safe haven...
A sacred place of security and well being...
Sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones.

May those who receive these shawls
Be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace,
And wrapped in love.
In the Name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Moving forward we will be expanding our outreach. Along with the prayer shawls, some of us will be knitting and crocheting hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves for the homeless and others in need. And some of us will be knitting caps for the babies who are baptized in our church.

If you knit or crochet, would like to learn to knit or crochet, or just want to spend some time in conversation and fellowship, please join us at 10:30 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Another way to participate in the ministry is to donate yarn to be made into shawls, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, and caps.

Grace's Shawl Ministry - Carol

2011-08-24T18:21:00.003-04:00

I don't remember who taught me how to knit or when I started knitting. I think I was a teenager. I picked up the needles again in 2002 when looking for something to help me pass the time while my son, the Marine, was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I took lessons at Norwalk High School's adult education program. My goal was to knit an afghan and finish it by the end of his 1-year tour. I finished the afghan in June 2006, 4 years later.

My next attempt at knitting was in 2009 after reading The Shop on Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber. The books revolved around a yarn shop. The description of the yarn and the camaraderie of the men and women who were involved in the knitting circles drew me in and rekindled my desire to knit again.

That camaraderie is exactly what I found at the Shawl Ministry. There is something very calming and peaceful to sitting, knitting (or crocheting) and talking with a group of friends and there is no pressure to finish a set number of shawls. There are those who have finished 5 or 6. I am working on my second shawl and there are those who are working to complete the first one. But that's okay because we are all enjoying the process while laughing, talking and sharing with one another.

I believe that the Shawl Ministry is not only a blessing to the recipients of the shawls; it is also a blessing to those who make them.

Grace's Shawl Ministry - Leona

2011-07-24T14:27:00.004-04:00

I had not knit anything for about 20 years. But when the Prayer Shawl Ministry was announced I decided I would go and see what it was all about. I prefer crocheting because it produced faster results— immediate gratification. At the Shawl Ministry however, I found that suggested size 13 needles and soft textured yarn resulted in faster knitting and the same immediate gratification.

When I started attending the Shawl Ministry meetings on the first and third Saturday of the month, I also discovered that there is no requirement that you knit or crochet. You can just come and enjoy the conversation which is eclectic and interesting. Personally, I love the community feeling of the group. It’s fun and relaxing to get together.

But if you do like to knit or crochet, there are all levels proficiency from beginner to expert. I have learned a different method of casting on and starting a new skein of yarn. I have made four shawls and look forward to the fall when all the shawls are blessed and given away.

Good Friday Offering

2011-04-17T15:33:00.003-04:00

Although this bulletin insert from the Episcopal Church Center was for the eighith Sunday after Epiphany (February 27), we put it in this Sunday's bulletin since Good Friday is this Friday.

* * * *

Excerpt From a Message From the Presiding Bishop

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

For almost a century, the Good Friday Offering has been a source of support, love, and hope for our brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. … This offering expresses our own commitment to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to walk with the church of the Middle East as they continue to work toward justice, reconciliation, and peace. Through our prayers for and support of these churches we are helping to realize God’s vision of shalom. … Please join with me in giving thanks for the work of the Good Friday Offering by generously sharing the gifts we have been given with our sisters and brothers throughout the Middle East.

I remain, Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

(To read the complete letter , see http://www.episcopalchurch.org/110049_126699_ENG_HTM.htm.)

Some of the projects funded by the 2010 Good Friday Offering include:

St. Peter’s Elderly Home in BirZeit, which offers housing for elderly Christians

St. Andrew’s Day Care Center in Ramallah, a new clinic for diabetic cardio treatment

St. Andrew’s Housing Project for Young Christian Couples, which helps young couples afford apartments

Needy families on the West Bank

Ras Morbat Clinic in Aden, Yemen, which provides unlimited access to basic health services in a low-income area

Scholarships for religious education for Christian children (who represent only 1 percent of the population)

Collected funds can be sent in the form of a check, payable to “The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society” (please write “Good Friday Offering” in the memo line of the check) to:Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society Good Friday Offering PO Box 12095Newark, NJ 07101For more information contact the Rev. David Copley(800) 334-7626, ext. 5461; dcopley@episcopalchurch.org.

This Week's Haiti Appeal Bulletin Insert

2011-04-10T14:21:00.003-04:00

The Rev. Mark Santucci, St. Mark’s Church, Mystic

St. Mark’s in Mystic partnered with St. Luc’s Church and School in Mercery, Haiti, in 2003 through our contact with the priest in charge there, the Rev. Kerwin Delicat. Two moments from our trip to Haiti in 2009 provide touchstones for the joy, pain and hope of partnership in Christ.

We spent some time one morning at a hospital for children. Our task was just to hold babies, to give them with some cuddle time the nursing staff was too harried to provide. I started by picking up Kimberlee, a skinny 18-month-old with big, brown eyes you could drown in. We strolled the hall for a while, until I thought it was time to move on to another child.

Kimberlee, however, thought differently and cried mightily when I put her down. So I picked her up again and began the pattern of holding, trying to put her down, her crying, and me picking her up again that went on until the nurses told us our time was up.

I put Kimberlee into her crib and walked away from the tear-filled eyes and throaty crying. But even in the next room I could hear her cry: even in the parking lot, even on the plane ride home, and even today.

The other moment was the celebration of the Feast of St. Luke at our partner parish in Mercery, near Leogane. Th e small church was filled, not only with people, but with music and joy and a fullness of Spirit that was close to palpable. We were given places of honor among the community, and our feeble attempt at a Kreyòl greeting was met with thunderous applause. In the Eucharist and at the feast that followed, we knew that even though we did not speak the language, even though we were seriously underdressed, and even though we had a long plane ride ahead of us, we were truly home.

Like Connecticut, Haiti is a Diocese of the Episcopal Church. It is our most populous diocese, with about 80,000 people, and it is our poorest.

Its Cathedral in Port-au-Prince was a cultural center for the nation, a place of pride and beauty for all Haitians.

In 35 seconds on Jan. 12, 2010, it fell.

People still flocked to its grounds and its ruins for food and shelter. Absent a working government, the church has always been a place to find schools, clinics, and other social services we take for granted. And thanks to Episcopal Relief and Development, as well as many other agencies and churches, the Bishop, school staff, and sisters of St. Margaret, were able to off er short-term employment, provisional homes, and sanitation systems in addition to other community-focus recovery programs.

“Rebuilding Trinity Cathedral will do more than raise up bricks and cement. It will raise the hopes of a people who have lost so much of their earthly habitation. It will raise the Spirit of a community made weary, ...inspire the minds and hearts of the young men and women who knew Trinity as their intellectual and artistic home [and] serve as a beacon and shelter for literally thousands who are rebuilding their lives with little more than hope and prayers.

--Bishop Duracin, Bishop of Haiti

Nou ave’ou! - We’re with you!

This appeal in the Diocese of Connecticut is part of an Episcopal Church-wide appeal this Lent coordinated by the Episcopal Church Foundation. In Connecticut organizers are asking that donations be made to the local parish, which will then forward them. For more information see the “Rebuild our Church in Haiti” page on the diocesan website, www.ctepiscopal.org. The Rev. Rachel Thomas is the coordinator of the appeal for the Diocese of Connecticut. Contact her at rwthomas55@att.net.

This Week's Haiti Appeal Bulletin Insert

2011-04-04T21:17:00.003-04:00

Dan Taylor-Stypa, D. Min., David Evangelisti, St. John’s Church, Essex

Our relationship with Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) in Deschapelles Haiti began through our membership on the World Mission Committee of St. John’s Church in Essex. Th e parents of fellow parishioner Jenifer Grant, Gwen Grant Mellon and Dr. Larry Mellon, founded HAS 54 years ago.

After the “trambleman” (earthquake) in January 2010, surgical patients were brought to HAS, while others fled there from Port-au-Prince to join friends and family in relative safety. David and I began “Have a Heart for Haiti” as a town-wide initiative to support the relief efforts for HAS. Parishioners from St. John’s participated in this initiative, which was also greatly supported by individuals and businesses in the area.

This initiative gave way to the development of Sister Cities Essex Haiti, (SCEH). Sister Cities is an international group which assists groups in forming long-term, mutual and sustainable relationships with international communities. In the summer of 2011 this relationship was formalized with the town of Deschapelles, where HAS is located. In collaborating with their local community organization, ODES, we learned that Deschapelles needed a library so we began the present library project.

In our visits to HAS, our days are long, but are fulfilled in building relationships with other groups and individuals. These include the clergy, hospital personnel, hospital social services, and community development programs -- wells, sanitation, water pumps, community gardening, micro-banking, micro-businesses, and re-forestation programs. As we have met and shared relationships, we have been graced with the resilient hope of the people.

The Haitian people tell you they are fortunate, they have earned this luck by the labor of their hands and their determination. They continue amid all the difficulties to tend their gardens and their children. They work to build relationships, they make time and they continue to make a life rooted in their deep faith and devotion: not to a God who sends them difficulties, but to a God who graces them with what little they have; a God who does not abandon; a God who is a companion, who lifts them up. They are our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Its Cathedral in Port-au-Prince was a cultural center for the nation, a place of pride and beauty for all Haitians.

In 35 seconds on Jan. 12, 2010, it fell.

People still flocked to its grounds and its ruins for food and shelter. Absent a working government, the church has always been a place to find schools, clinics, and other social services we take for granted. And thanks to Episcopal Relief and Development, as well as many other agencies and churches, the Bishop, school staff , and sisters of St. Margaret, were able to off er short-term employment, provisional homes, and sanitation systems in addition to other community-focus recovery programs.

“On Sunday ...we attended Eucharist (out of doors) at the Episcopal Cathedral of Ste. Trinité, completely leveled by the earthquake, in Port-Au-Prince. We couldn’t help but think how many present had lost friends and loved ones. Yet, their sincere prayer and their everyday response to “How are you?” remains steadfast as “Mwen kenbe ale sou” ( I keep going on), “Mwen isit la” (I am here), par la grâce de Dieu (by the grace of God).” -- Dan Taylor-Stypa and David Evangelisti

Nou ave’ou! - We’re with you!

This appeal in the Diocese of Connecticut is part of an Episcopal Church-wide appeal this Lent coordinated by the Episcopal Church Foundation. In Connecticut organizers are asking that donations be made to the local parish, which will then forward them. For more information see the “Rebuild our Church in Haiti” page on the diocesan website, www.ctepiscopal.org. Th e Rev. Rachel Thomas is the coordinator of the appeal for the Diocese of Connecticut. Contact her at rwthomas55@att.net.

Another Haiti Appeal Bulletin Insert

2011-03-30T12:51:00.001-04:00

The Rev. Erl G. “Puck” Purnell, Old St. Andrew’s, Bloomfield

My relationship with Haiti began in 1993 through an association with the Rev. Jean-Elie Millien, a Haitian priest serving as vicar of l’Eglise de l’Epiphanie, Stamford. In 1996 Jean-Elie retired and moved to Carrefour, Haiti with his wife Mona. Together they started a small school there, which they named Ecole le Bon Samaritain.

Over the years Old St. Andrew’s has been steadfastly committed to offering support through scholarships, a lunch program, teacher salaries, a water purification system, electrical generator and storage batteries, even helping to build a second story on the original building.

I am passionate about helping in Haiti, and it is the children that keep me caring and involved. Consider this: Three years ago on a trip to Ecole Bon Samaritain (EBS) I first met Weislene. She was in 3rd grade. She slipped up beside me and took my hand, grinning. Each trip back to visit EBS after that I would seek her out. She was always smiling and amazingly patient with my broken French and non-existent Kreyol.

Immediately following the earthquake in 2010, Old St. Andrew’s, with dozens of partners, provided critical medical care, food, clothing, and temporary shelter to over 8,000 people. In March I went with a group to the clinic that had been set up next to the school. I asked about Weislene but no one knew what had happened to her.

Late one afternoon near the end of my week-long visit, I went to the clinic to greet the last few patients and there was Weislene, sitting patiently with a sick 2-year old on her lap. I said hello but she hardly responded, only pulling the child closer. After the nurse saw them, we gave them a bag filled with pedialyte, food, and other supplies. She smiled tentatively and walked away, weighted down by the bag of provisions and the toddler. Later I learned that the mother of this child, a neighbor, had been killed and his father was gone, so Weislene and her father were caring for him. Weislene’s own mother had also died in the quake.

The next day I saw Weislene again. This time she threw her arms around my neck, stepped back and said, “Merci. Merci, Père Puck.”

Like Connecticut, Haiti is a Diocese of the Episcopal Church. It is our most populous diocese, with about 80,000 people, and it is our poorest.

Its Cathedral in Port-au-Prince was a cultural center for the nation, a place of pride and beauty for all Haitians.

In 35 seconds on Jan. 12, 2010, it fell.

People still flocked to its grounds and its ruins for food and shelter. Absent a working government, the church has always been a place to find schools, clinics, and other social services we take for granted. And thanks to Episcopal Relief and Development, as well as many other agencies and churches, the Bishop, school staff , and sisters of St. Margaret, were able to off er short-term employment, provisional homes, and sanitation systems in addition to other community-focus recovery programs.

Even in the midst of the deep human need and suffering in Haiti, the people seek to worship God together. And while there are agencies who will rebuild schools and clinics, only the church will rebuild a church. Please join in supporting the rebuilding of the Cathedral complex in Port-au-Prince by making a donation this Lent. This appeal in the Diocese of Connecticut is part of an Episcopal Church-wide appeal this Lent coordinated by the Episcopal Church Foundation. In Connecticut organizers are asking that donations be made to the local parish, which will then forward them. For more information see the “Rebuild our Church in Haiti” page on the diocesan website, www.ctepiscopal.org. The Rev. Rachel Thomas is the coordinator of the appeal for the Diocese of Connecticut. Contact her at rwthomas55@att.net.

“The presence of the Episcopal Church in Haiti and its mission cannot be overstated. At the very center is Cathédrale Sainte Trinité. Filled to the brim with the faithful Sunday by Sunday, worship in the Cathedral demonstrates the passion of Haitians for their Church. Moreover, the Cathédrale is the hub of ministry—education, outreach, medical care, and music—for hundreds of people daily.” -- The Rev. Erl G. Purnell

Nou ave’ou! - We’re with you!

This Week's Haiti Appeal Bulletin Insert

2011-03-20T15:18:00.003-04:00

The Rev. Judith Alexis, Vicar, L'Eglise de L'Epiphanie, Stamford

I am an Island girl in two ways. I was born on the Islandof Manhattan and grew up, went to school on the Island of Hispaniola, in Haiti.

The Haiti of my childhood is one filled with laughter, storytelling at night and a number of “no batteries required” games. I listened to “L’Orchestre Sainte Trinité,” Episcopal Church Orchestra. I went to the Art Museum sponsored by “College St. Pierre” before I went to the Brooklyn Museum.

The Episcopal Church was and continues to instruct the majority of classically trained Haitian artists and musicians. I enjoyed going to the concerts, the park and the museum. Out of all those, the best was February 22nd Baden Powell’s Birthday, founder of the modern scout movements, on the grounds of the Cathedral Complex.

Boys and girls dressed in uniform khaki with short pants for boys, long pants for young men, dresses for the older girls and jean-wash-colored dresses trimmed with yellow, red and green, with dark blue socks and black shoes for the girls. And bows and barrettes in the younger girl’s hair. It was like a field of colors a sea of chatter and laughter.

We sang as loud as we could. Among other songs, one of them reminded the community to assure that the kids are happy “Pa kite timoun yo tris” (Strive for no sadness among kids).

St. Trinity cathedral complex is not only the spiritual seat of the diocese of Haiti. It is a place where kids come for classical academic formation. It is where all social classes meet and have fellowship, where the vendors come give thanks to God before
continuing to peddle their merchandise to earn enough for food and school. Where all are welcome regardless of their religious or socio-economic status.

In my Haiti, the scouts are where I first learned to respect the dignity of every human being. On the grounds of the Cathédrale Sainte Trinité, I saw it in practice.

Like Connecticut, Haiti is a Diocese of the Episcopal Church. It is our most populous diocese, with about 80,000 people, and it is our poorest.

Its Cathedral in Port-au-Prince was a cultural center for the nation, a place of pride and beauty for all Haitians.

In 35 seconds on Jan. 12, 2010, it fell.

People still flocked to its grounds and its ruins for food and shelter. Absent a working government, the church has always been a place to find schools, clinics, and other social services we take for granted. And thanks to Episcopal Relief and Development, as well as many other agencies and churches, the Bishop, school staff , and sisters of St. Margaret, were able to offer short-term employment, provisional homes, and sanitation systems in addition to other community-focus recovery programs.

Even in the midst of the deep human need and suffering in Haiti, the people seek to worship God together. And while there are agencies who will rebuild schools and clinics, only the church will rebuild a church. Please join in supporting the rebuilding of the Cathedral complex in Port-au-Prince by making a donation this Lent.

“In 1983 and 1984 I was blessed to work as a Volunteer for Mission in L’Eglise Episcopale d’Haiti (Th e Episcopal Church of Haiti) where I helped develop a partnership program between Episcopal schools in Haiti and parishes, dioceses and schools in the United States. Whenever I entered Holy Trinity Cathedral, I was moved by the palpable presence of God in that place. With its incredible frescoes by the Haitian masters and joyous music by the choirs and orchestra of Holy Trinity Music School, the Cathedral manifested Haiti’s artistic beauty and the deep faith of the Haitian people.” -- The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut

Nou ave'ou! - We're with you!

A Pastoral Letter from Our Bishops

2011-03-13T20:50:00.002-04:00

Pastoral Letter from the Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
To be read Sunday, March 13, 2011

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

We, your bishops, are writing to invite your parish to participate in a special Lenten appeal to support the rebuilding of the Episcopal Church of Haiti. Specifically we are asking every worshipping congregation of the Diocese of Connecticut to give to a special appeal, coordinated by The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, for the rebuilding of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince.

In the year since the earthquake in Haiti, the Rt. Rev Jean Zaché Duracin, Bishop of Haiti, and the staff of the cathedral schools and other ministries have carried on heroically amidst the ruins, while at times living in tents. The music school and grade school are in operation again even though there are no walls and only temporary shelters. Students practice under trees, surrounded by rubble. During this time, the Diocese of Haiti has identified the rebuilding of the Cathedral complex in the heart of Port-au-Prince as its top priority.

Last November, Bishop Duracin wrote:

Rebuilding Holy Trinity Cathedral will do more than raise up bricks and cement. It will raise the hopes of a people who have lost so much of their earthly habitation. It will raise the Spirit of a community made weary… As we rebuild Trinity Cathedral, brick by brick and stone by stone, it will serve as a beacon and shelter for literally thousands who are rebuilding their lives with little more than hope and prayers.

The Diocese of Connecticut has a long association with the Diocese of Haiti. For over 150 years, from the founding of the Episcopal Church of Haiti under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. James Theodore Holly, one-time rector of St. Luke’s in New Haven, to the current partnerships many of you share with different schools, churches, clinics, and ministries in Haiti, we have built relationships rooted in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are now being called upon to help rebuild Holy Trinity Cathedral, a tangible sign of our deep commitment to each other as one people of God and as a sign of hope, reconciliation and renewal for the rebuilding of Haitian society.

God is at work in the ministry of the Episcopal Church of Haiti. Thousands of people who have lost so very much are being fed by the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the sacraments, and the ministries of the communities of the diocese. A rebuilt cathedral will be the hub of God’s continuing mission and a center of prayer and renewal. Our brothers and sisters in Haiti have asked for our help. Let us respond, “Nou ave’ou!” "We are with you!"

God bless you in your generous response and God bless the ministry of the Episcopal Church in Haiti.

Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas
The Rt. Rev. James E. Curry
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens

Nou ave’ou! – We’re with you

* * * * * * *

For more information see the diocese's Rebuild Our Church in Haiti web page.

Letter to Grace Church

2010-05-11T09:55:00.001-04:00

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

2009-11-15T23:50:00.001-05:00

The Octave of All Saints 2009

Dear Friend(s) of Grace Church:

Some say we are dying, but, look!, we are alive.

This paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 6: 8 sums up where we are at Grace Church in our 119th year. I can point to signs that our congregation is dying, but there is far more evidence that we are very much alive!

We have a core of parishioners who pray, worship, and work with great dedication to the glory of God and for the benefit of Grace Church.

Our priest is skilled at preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. We love her, and she loves us.

Our worship in enhanced by excellent music: choir, organ, and hand bells.

We hold services for the public each month: a healing service in the church and an outdoor service to which people without homes are especially invited.

Our kitchen has received high marks from the Norwalk Health Department.

Our buildings, including two houses on Berkeley Street (one of which now houses our priest), are in good repair; our church is handicapped-accessible.

We have a labyrinth for prayer and meditation.

We continue to support the FAWE girls’ school in Sierra Leone—and three of us have visited it.

We collect food and Christmas gifts and distribute them to those in need. We collect supplies for the children at Malta House; one of us tutors a young mother at Malta House.

We serve our community by opening our building to a variety of local organizations.

We are exploring the possible merger of our parish with the congregation of Iglesia Betania, and we have worshiped and socialized together.

Our new ministries were the subject of a full-page article with pictures in GOOD NEWS, the newspaper of the Diocese of Connecticut.

We all should be excited by and proud of the ministry and mission, which, with God’s help, our congregation is involved in. To accomplish all that we are doing we need the time, talent, and treasure of all of us. As a congregation we are blessed by God. As individuals and families we are blessed by God. A pledge card for 2010 is enclosed. In consideration of all that God has done for us and for you, please make your generous financial commitment to God by filling out and returning the card by November 22nd. Note that nine members of the Vestry have already made their pledges, totaling $$29,380, an average of $3164. A fine example for us all.

Your brother in Christ.

John Sutton, Senior Warden and Pledge Chairman

If Grace Episcopal Church in Norwalk closed, would anyone notice?

2009-05-31T23:58:00.002-04:00

Not to be confused with Grace Baptist Church, on West Avenue in South Norwalk, or Grace Family Church on Wall Street, we’re talking about Grace Episcopal Church at 1 Union Park.

In 1890, 31 members of Saint Paul’s-on-the-Green Episcopal Church, Norwalk, “walked down the hill” and founded Grace Episcopal Church. Originally located at Belden Avenue and Cross Street, the Great Flood of 1955 caused the church to relocate to its current address at the corner of Mott Avenue and Union Park in 1964.

Grace Church was a thriving parish, with a congregation large enough to boast over 200 children in its Sunday School. However, Episcopalians are awful at replacing themselves, and as people moved out of state or died, the congregation dwindled. Today, average Sunday attendance at Grace, for all ages, is 50 souls. The average age of membership is over 60.

Grace Church is now having to decide what its future will be, and one of the options for that future is to close the doors of Grace forever.

The question is, will anyone in Norwalk notice if Grace Episcopal Church closes?

Of course, the members of the three groups of Alcoholics Anonymous who meet at Grace on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, will notice if Grace closes. The Thursday night Manic Depressives Support Group will notice. The Literacy Volunteers and their students, who study English almost every day of the week at Grace, will notice. The Senior Services Umbrella Group will have to find a different place for their quarterly meetings. Two churches rent space for worship, prayer and study at Grace – L’Eglise Baptiste des Haitiennes, who have been at Grace for over fourteen years, and the Remnant of God Church will have to relocate. The Fairfield Symphony, who only just found Grace as a replacement for their previous home, will be looking again for a place to make music together if Grace Episcopal Church closes.

It’s hard to believe that closing might be in the offing, with so many good things happening at Grace.

Grace Episcopal Church was the first organization to catch the vision of helping to build a school for girls in Waterloo, Sierra Leone. Grace Church connected with FAWE, a pan-African organization of women dedicated to education and, through donations that involved the community outside of the congregation of Grace itself, raised the money to build a two room classroom block, the first such block.

Other organizations visited the school and, seeing the plaque on the side of the building, commemorating Grace Church Norwalk’s sponsorship, asked if they could piggy-back on Grace’s work. As a result, an organization in New Haven, Connecticut has been working to provide a library, and another in the Netherlands has contributed to a second block of classrooms and a computer lab.

Three of Grace Episcopal Church’s members visited the school and met the girls and their teachers and families. The real need, now, is scholarships so the girls can continue their education. I can guarantee that, without Grace’s leadership in raising those scholarships, the entire village of Waterloo, Sierra Leone will notice if Grace Episcopal Church closes.

Meanwhile, the work of the Gospel continues at Grace. A service of prayers for healing and laying on of hands is offered at 10:00 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month. On the fourth Sunday of the month, at 8:00 a.m., people gather to perform some service to the community outside of the congregation of Grace Church. On the second Saturday of the month, The Mission Congregation of Grace Church meets at 1:00 p.m. for three hours of study, reflection and worship. On the second Sunday of each month, at 11:30 a.m. following the 10:00 service, Practicing Prayer offers support for people’s prayer lives.

This year we had three special events for children: The Real Hallowe’en! offered crafts and activities and lunch, followed by the story of The Real Hallowe’en, where Hallowe’en came from and what it means in the life of Christians. The Real Christmas! was a big party, with games, crafts and lunch, followed by the story of The Jesse Tree, Jesus’s family tree.

The Real Good Friday!: A Walk to Easter saw sixteen children gathered with adults at Grace for the noon service. With a time of meditative music and silences for adults, and activities and an egg hunt for children, the Walk to Easter concluded with all ages joining to experience the last week of Jesus’s life, and a taste of the resurrection.

Meanwhile, children’s Sunday education and adult Wednesday night studies continue. Sunday worship and Holy Days are observed, the Gospel is preached, the sick and shut-ins are visited, and the work of the church goes on.

If it weren’t for the dwindling savings and the shrinking congregation to support the work of the Gospel at Grace Episcopal Church, you wouldn’t be able to tell the church faces closure.

Almost in defiance of this threat of closing, Grace is now looking at a liturgical ministry with people who live on the streets of Norwalk. Sunday worship outside, followed by a meal, armed with spiritual support and information on resources, and maybe even a place for people without traditional homes to have a mailbox, or a place to store their belongings during the daytime – this is what may be in the near future for Grace Episcopal Church.

Grace Episcopal Church is not closing anytime soon. If indeed Grace does close, it will leave a hole in the city of Norwalk, and it will do so not with a whimper but with a bang, preaching, learning and living the gospel for all to see, here at the corner of Union Park and Mott Avenue, one way or another, every day of the week.

Community Thanksgiving Luncheon

2008-11-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

East Norwalk United Methodist Church, with the cooperation of Grace Epsicopal Church, will be preparing and serving their annual thanksgiving Dinner for those in need in Norwalk. Please consider signing up on the sheets in our Memorial Room to share your bounty with others. There is, of course, always the need for prepared food. There is also an opportunity to give the gift of set-up and clean-up. You could also help peel potatoes. And pray for the volunteers and the guests. Be generous! This is how we may help East Norwalk UMC provide for others so no one need go hungry during the week we celebrate what we have been so graciously given by our Creator.

Here is a letter from Jessie McGarty, the Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Coordinator:

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear friends:

We are celebrating 10 years of the Community Thanksgiving Luncheon at the East Avenue United Methodist Church. Our holiday feast of turkey and all the trimmings and homemade desserts completely FREE of chart has happened for a decade because of you!

This year our luncheon will be held as always, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 23rd at 12:00 noon until 2PM. Please spread the word! All are welcome and it's a terrific way to begin the holiday season.

For our previous volunteers, I look forward to working with you again and hope this message finds you well and happy. For folks considering joining us, our returnees can tell you it's well worth the effort.

I appreciate your valuable time so therefore I try to keep this as simple as possible by multitasking our preparation. For example, Saturday, November 22nd from 10 AM until noon, we begin. While some people may be peeling potatoes, others will be setting up the dining area including table arranging and decorating. At this time I will explain how Sunday will run and answer any questions.

On Sunday, volunteers arrive at 11AM. Everyone will be given an assigned position to work. If there is a specific job you would like to do i.e. cooking, serving, cleanup, please contact me before the day of the luncheon and I'll do my very best to place you there. Please be aware that everyone will need to be flexible. Positions will ultimately be determined where help is most needed.

I understand not everyone can commit to both days. Please know I am grateful for however much time you are able to contribute. In order for this tremendous undertaking to succeed, it is important that I do have a strong idea of how many volunteers will be joining us and when. Please let me know at your earliest convenience.

There are also many tasks that need to be done in the weeks before the luncheon. Flyers need to be distributed and donation requests made, just to name a few.

Soon I will send out our Perishable and Non Perishable Items Wish List. Contributions can be dropped off at the church as well as the Senior Center on Allen Road. Details will follow.

I must also mention we have a terrific bunch of volunteers from Grace Episcopal Church joining us this year. WELCOME and thank you in advance!

You can contact me by e-mail at jjdivamom@aol.com (preferred method) or by leaving a message at the church at 866-6757.

I cannot thank you enough for being a part of this feast that brings joy to so many.

Most sincerely,

Jessie McGarty

Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Coordinator @ E.A.U.M.C.

A Letter From Eugenia Chinsman

2008-03-30T21:48:00.002-04:00

The provision of quality education and Education for All (EFA) is an ambition and a goal that can not be acheived by the efforts of just one person. Such levels of education can only truly be acheived with the support and aid of others. This is especially true for a country like Sierra Leone where more than 70 % of its citizens live on less than a dollar a day. A large majority of these people come from a rural area known as Waterloo. Without aid children of all ages especially girls will not have access to a quality education which can enable them to have a brighter future.

Waterloo is a highly populated village that has only two Junior Secondary schools. The vast majority of students travel every day to the city to access their education. The cost of transportation coupled with the distances they have to travel can leave these young children exposed to various risks like road accidents, gender based violence, sexual abuse that may in turn lead to HIV/AIDS, etc. The provision of school facilities to more girls will greatly reduce the financial burden on parents having to send their children daily to the city.

Over a year ago I brought this project to the attention of Grace Episcopal Church Outreach Program, Norwalk CT. As a result, Grace Episcopal Church Outreach Program agreed to support this project through The Forum of African Women in Education (FAWE).

A number of fund raising efforts were held during the course of last year and proceeds from the events and contribution from the church funds enabled us to construct a classroom which was meant to house one class but at the moment houses two classes. Most of the girls at FAWE school in Waterloo were abused and raped during the devastating war in Sierra Leone and an education will allow them to make a better life for themselves and arm them with tools that can never be taken away. This project calls for the construction of three additional classrooms and the provision of furniture and other teaching and learning materials.

In order for Grace Episcopal Church to continue with the project, we are inviting you to our Sierra Leone Day fund raising effort which will be held during our regular Sunday 10:00 am service on June 1, 2008 at Grace Episcopal Church, Union Park at Mott Avenue, Norwalk CT.06850. The service will be followed at 11:30 am by lunch and some presentations on Sierra Leone.

We are appealing to Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans to come in numbers to support Grace Church Outreach program in a huge way. Sierra Leonean foods and of course monetary contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please remember that one of the greatest gifts anyone can give is education . We are appealing to you to be a part of the future education of these girls. Attached is list of Sierra Leone food which you can donate.
May God Bless you all

Eugenia Chinsman
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OUTREACH PROGRAM

A Letter From Eungenia Chinsman

2008-03-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

Dear All,

...

Whilst I was in Freetown I had a meeting with Mrs. Eileen Hanciles, Executive Director of FAWE. We discussed the Waterloo Project and the proposed visit of Grace Church to Sierra Leone. Please find attached a proposal from FAWE for the continuation of the project and pictures of the classroom which Grace Church built. Unfortunately the classroom was built to accommodate one class but had to be divided into two to accommodate two classes. FAWE hopes that they will be able to complete the second classroom and move the second class out of the new building once the funds from Grace Church are sent.

During my meeting with Mrs. Hanciles we spoke about the proposed visit to Sierra Leone by Grace Church. Mrs. Hanciles was extremely excited and has mentioned in the proposal the benefit of such a visit to the Girls at FAWE Waterloo School; the congregation at Grace Episcopal Church and to the people of Sierra Leone.

I am working on the cost of the airline ticket and will inform you all once I have the rates.

See you all on Good Friday.

Eugenia

FAWE's Director of Projects in Sierra Leone Visits Norwalk

2007-02-27T21:25:00.001-05:00

Eileen Hanciles, director of the Federation of African Women Educationalists (FAWE)’s projects in Sierra Leone, joined Grace Church’s Sierra Leone project committee for dinner at the home of parishioner Eugenia Chinsman on February 27, 2007.

Ms. Hanciles described the origins of FAWE and the organization’s mission to educate girls and young women throughout Africa. She spoke of the group’s progress in changing cultural biases against educating girls and women throughout the continent and described the specific work underway at the Junior Secondary School for Girls in Waterloo, Sierra Leone.

The members of our project committee - Eugenia Chinsman, Pat Neil, Gay King, Kathy Dies, Doris Ash, John Sutton, and Lois Keen - then presented Ms. Hanciles with $3,300, the first installment of money raised by Grace Church for the Waterloo School Project.

First Secretary of the Sierra Leone Mission to the UN Visits Grace Church

2006-12-03T21:05:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, December 3, 2006 the First Secretary of Sierra Leone’s UN delegation, Mr. Kpukumu, visited Grace Church and described the horrors of the war in Sierra Leone, especially those heaped upon women. Mr. Kpukumu also carried a message from Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the UN offering to join us at our fund raising events.

Among the most compelling observations reported by Mr. Kpukumu was that, like those in post-apartheid South Africa, the people of Sierra Leone are genuinely seeking reconciliation with one another. Rebel soldiers who kidnapped and abused women and girls of Sierra Leone during the war are now actively seeking the forgiveness of their victims. And in the same generosity of spirit and of God’s love that Nelson Mandella and Desmond Tutu led in Johannesburg, the victims of Sierra Leone are forgiving. Our project is intended to support these remarkable people with prayers and funds.
This project also addresses four of the eight "Millennium Goals" defined by the United Nations and adopted by the Episcopal Church of the United States.

Grace Church Undertakes Sierra Leone School Project

2006-12-01T20:51:00.001-05:00

Grace Church is raising funds to build-out and improve a school for girls and young women in Waterloo Village, on teh outskirts of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The funds are being distributed by the Federation of African Women Educationalists - FAWE (http://www.fawe.org/), a group committed to helping the young women and girls who were brutally victimized in Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war. FAWE has provided us with a "wish list" of items from the school that has helped us set goals and drive toward them.