'Mother Teresa of Las Vegas' following a vision to help the needy

From Las Vegas-

She has been called the Mother Teresa of Las Vegas by some, and others have questioned her sanity. Bonnie Polley, 73, laughs at both assertions.

As chaplain of the Clark County Detention Center, she has looked into the eyes of some of society's worst. As a deacon in the Episcopal Church, she has looked into the eyes some of the town's poorest.

Polley and her husband of 54 years, David, moved to Las Vegas in 1964. Her husband, an attorney, struggled with alcoholism. Her middle son was eventually diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. With her thick Louisiana accent still firmly intact, she explains how raising her three boys in a dysfunctional marriage "just about broke me."

The turning point for Polley came while walking home alone from a New Year's Eve party in the late 1970s. She had refused a ride from her intoxicated husband. As she walked, she realized she was "at the bottom of the barrel" and that her "life was a mess."

More here-

http://www.lvrj.com/view/-mother-teresa-of-las-vegas-following-a-vision-to-help-the-needy-143442126.html?ref=126

Mass pays tribute to time period of Shakespeare

From Las Vegas-

Queen Elizabeth I made an appearance in the 21st century at a special mass Sunday sponsored by St. Jude's Episcopal Church.

For 478 years old, her highness, portrayed by Barbara Costa of Las Vegas, was quite lively and animated during the worship service, transcribed from John Booty's "The Book of Common Prayer 1559: The Elizabethan Prayer Book" from the Church of England.

"It's always a delight to come back to what I think of as my church," Costa said in royal character. "I shall see you all again next year."

The form of mass from the time of Elizabeth I is a tradition for Cedar City's Episcopal church to celebrate the time of Shakespeare during the Utah Shakespeare Festival. As such, actors from the festival participated in the service complete with the administration of communion.

More here-

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110815/FAITH/108150328