Hefty, scholarly biography does not ignore Chesterton's quirky side

From The Catholic Sentinel-

Any adjective denoting great size — gargantuan, titanic, huge — seems to apply aptly not only to the literary output of G.K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton but to his physical appearance as well. Chesterton, best known today as the author of the Father Brown stories, was 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed close to 300 pounds. He usually wore a cape and walked with a sword in his hand and a cigar in his mouth.

In his writing career, which spanned the years 1895 to 1936, he wrote 80 books, hundreds of poems, 200 short stories and more than 4,000 essays. He wrote literary and art criticism, detective novels, political commentary and Christian apologetics. Chesterton could dictate without hesitation a complete essay to the exact word count required by the newspaper or magazine's requirements.

Ian Ker's new biography of Chesterton is the first in several decades. It is a scholarly biography with perceptive analysis of his major works of apologetics — "Orthodoxy," "The Everlasting Man," "St. Francis of Assisi" and "St. Thomas Aquinas" — but it does not ignore the quirky humanity of Chesterton. Chesterton could produce penetrating criticism of Dickens, but he frequently lost his way on trains and would have to telegraph his wife to find out where he was and how to get home.

More here-

http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=31&ArticleID=16150

Bishop: Seek God first

From Trinidad-

Citizens are being urged to seek God first and live a life filled with respect and discipline.

The advice comes from Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley who addressed members of the Judiciary yesterday morning at a service held at the Trinity Cathedral to commemorate the opening of the 2011/2012 law term.

Berkley, in addressing those seated in the Cathedral, made reference to the "Nelson Street 21", letters to the editor and radio programmes, the latter two having been inundated with responses from members of the public expressing concern over the State of Emergency.

Berkley said: "All is not well in the State of T&T, in terms of the State of Emergency."
The Bishop said blame should be heaped on the shoulders of all in society for the present state of affairs.

More here-

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Bishop__Seek_God_first-130001988.html

Episcopal Church House of Bishops Fall 2011 meeting: Daily Account for Friday, September 16

From ENS-

The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church is meeting in Province IX in Quito, Ecuador (Diocese of Ecuador Central) from September 15 to September 20. The following is an account of the activities for Friday, September 16.

The House of Bishops opened its session on Friday with Morning Prayer, with parts in English, Spanish and French.

Emcee for the day was Bishop Julio Holguín, Diocese of Dominican Republic.

The morning discussion focused on Scriptural and Theological Foundation for Liberation Theology, presented in Spanish by Silvia Regina, Director of Departamento Ecumenico de Investigaciones (Department of Ecumenical Research).

At noon, Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Bishop Alfredo Morante, Diocese of Ecuador Litoral. Preachers were the HOB chaplains, the Rev. Simone Bautista, Diocese of Washington, and the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, Diocese of Massachusetts.

Bishop David Alvarez, Diocese of Puerto Rico, moderated the afternoon session on “Prophetic Proclamation and Liberation Theology” with Don Compier, professor at St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO; the Rt. Rev. Naudal Gomes, Bishop of Curitiba, Brazil; and Professor Silvia Regina, the morning speaker. All three speakers spoke of how the principles of liberation theology, which is God’s good news for the poor, can speak to our various church contexts. “There is only God and the poor,” said Prof. Regina, highlighting the importance of this theological understanding for authentic biblical witness today.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/newsline_129844_ENG_HTM.htm

Central Florida nominates seven priests for bishop election

From ENS-

The Diocese of Central Florida announced Sept. 15 that seven priests had been nominated to stand for election as the diocese's fourth bishop.

The nominees are:
the Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, 60, rector, Episcopal Parish of Calvary-St. George's, New York, New York, Diocese of New York;

the Very Rev. Anthony P. Clark, 50, dean, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, Florida, Diocese of Central Florida;

the Rev. R. Jonathan Davis, 51, vicar, Episcopal Church of the Incarnation and director, Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center (Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, Oviedo, Florida), Oviedo, Florida, Diocese of Central Florida;

the Very Rev. Charles L. Holt, 40, rector, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Lake Mary, Florida, Diocese of Central Florida;

the Rev. Timothy C. Nunez, 49, rector, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Belleview, Florida, Standing Committee member, Diocese of Central Florida;

the Rev. Mary A. Rosendahl, 60, rector, Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Port St. Lucie, Florida, Diocese of Central Florida; and

the Rev. James A. Sorvillo Sr., 48, rector, Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Orlando, Florida.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_129804_ENG_HTM.htm

Diocese of Haiti announces three nominees for bishop suffragan

From ENS-

Three priests in the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti have been nominated to become bishop suffragan in that diocese.

The nominees, who were announced Sept. 16 in a press release from the Episcopal Church's Office of Public, are:

the Rev. Ogé Beauvoir, dean of the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Port-au-Prince;

the Rev. Bernier Noe, priest-in-charge of St. Esprit Church in Cap-Haitien; and

the Rev. Joseph Jean Jeannot, priest-in-charge of St. Pierre Church in Mirebalais.

The election will be held on Nov.25. Pending all necessary consents, the ordination and consecration will be held on a date to be determined in 2012.

This marks the first time that the Diocese of Haiti will elect a bishop suffragan.

The bishop suffragan will assist Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin as he serves the needs of the people and clergy of the diocese, the largest diocese in the Episcopal Church, which continues to recover from a devastating January 2010 earthquake, according to the press release. The new bishop suffragan will be headquartered in the Greater North Region of Haiti, according to an earlier report.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_129839_ENG_HTM.htm

Church should be a safe place for kids

From Mississippi-

Rachel Misener's church ran a background check on her when she became a vacation Bible school leader.

Offended? Nope.

She appreciated that St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral had policies in place to safeguard children against potential predators - an approach she believes all places of worship should take.

"At St. Andrews, they have so many different things in place that help protect the children," said Misener, the mother of Jude, 4, and Hazel, 1. "We feel very safe to allow our children to go to events at church where we might not be the parents supervising.

"There's even background checks done on people who help volunteer with the youth. I feel like our church covers all the bases."

More here-

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110917/FEAT04/109170315/Church-should-safe-place-kids?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CHome%7Cp

Sheffield synod votes in favour of women bishops

From The Sheffield Telegraph (England)

REPRESENTATIVES of the Anglican Church in the Sheffield region have voted in support of women bishops.

A motion was carried by 37 votes to 28 with six abstentions. The Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev Steven Croft, voted in favour at a meeting of the Sheffield Diocesan Synod last Saturday.

The outcome indicated the laity was more convinced that the clergy. Laity voted 23-16 in favour with one abstention, clergy 13-12 with five abstentions.

All 44 dioceses in the Church of England must vote before November. If a majority of the diocesan synods give consent, approval will rest with the General Synod, likely to be in July 2012, and finally with Parliament. The earliest that the first woman could be consecrated as a bishop is in 2014.

Bishop Steven said: “Personally, I have been convinced for many years of the rightness of ordaining women as deacons, priests and bishops.

More here-

http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/sheffield_synod_votes_in_favour_of_women_bishops_1_3774819

Anglicans (sic) and Episcopalians still at odds over ownership of churches

From Virginia-

Litigation over ownership of St. Stephens Church in Heathsville and eight other churches that formerly housed Episcopal congregations entered a new phase when the parties filed their post-trial briefs in August.

The briefs followed a 22-day trial at which 67 witnesses appeared and "thousands of exhibits" were filed, according to the brief for the defendant churches all of which have disassociated themselves from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and joined the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). According to the schedule set up by the Circuit Court of Fairfax where the case over ownership of the nine churches is being tried, the parties may respond to each other's briefs by Sept. 23 and after that the court may hear oral argument and decide the cases.

The briefs filed by the CANA churches, which includes the St. Stephens Anglican congregation, and those filed by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the national Episcopal Church all run to about 200 pages and are packed with court citations and arguments over what the cases cited mean.

More here-

http://www.northumberlandecho.com/news/view_sections.asp?idcategory=49&idarticle=2949

Anglicans Back Youths for Top Jobs

From Kenya-

The Anglican Church yesterday unveiled an initiative meant to mentor the youth on leadership roles and forestall their abuse by politicians intent on forming militia groups ahead of the general election.

Bungoma ACK Bishop George Mechumo said the church seeks to equip the youth holistically by addressing the spiritual, educational and social transformation needs.

He explained that his church has lined up a series of meetings "exclusively for the youth to equip them with necessary life skills empowering them to refrain from deviant behaviour but pursue challenges relentlessly as leaders to realise prosperity". The clergyman told the Star at St Crispins Diocesan Headquarters that Kenya is at crossroads. "The devolution is soon taking off yet more than 50 per cent of the youth in the country face serious challenges including unemployment, drug abuse, Hiv Aids, involvement in militia groups and abuse by politicians.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201109160062.html

No promises were broken, says GRAS

From The Church Times-

A NEW report published by the Group for Rescinding the Act of Synod (GRAS) says that promises made to opponents of women’s ordination “have not been broken”. Traditionalists should be confident that provisions in the draft legislation for women bishops will be upheld, it argues.

Promises — kept, broken or never made?, which was published this week, says that the provision made by the General Synod for those who are unable to accept the ministry of women bishops is “very similar” to that made for opponents of women’s ordination in 1993. Last year, the Synod approved a code of practice for traditionalists, the contents of which have not yet been worked out (News, 16 July 2010). It fell short of the statutory provisions for which traditionalists had asked.

The author of the new report, the Revd Rosalind Rutherford, a Team Vicar in Basingstoke Team Ministry, examined records of the debates in General Synod in July and November 1993, when the Act of Synod was proposed and debated. The Act introduced the concept of extended episcopal oversight and of Provincial Episcopal Visitors (PEVs), or flying bishops, to care for parishes that could not accept women priests.

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=117978

House of Bishops daily account, Sept. 15

From ENS-

The fall meeting of the Episcopal Church House of Bishops meeting started with a Eucharist with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presiding and preaching. By considering the life of James Chisholm, priest in tidewater Virginia during a yellow fever epidemic in the 1800s, she connected the HOB meeting theme of liberation theology with incarnational ministry. The least unlikely person can be an instrument of God's healing love when presented with challenges that call forth a sacrificial offering of self.

Emcee for the day was Bishop Nedi Rivera of Eastern Oregon.

Bishop Stacy Sauls, chief operating officer for the Episcopal Church, greeted the bishops and talked about the Everyone Everywhere 2011 conference, a conference on domestic and global mission, will be held in October.

Bishop Scott Hayashi of Utah introduced the discussion on the Denominational Health Plan and the Lay Pension. Details were presented by representatives of Church Pension Group: Frank Armstrong, chief actuary and senior vice president; Laurie Kazilionis, vice president; Michael McDonald, vice president.

The afternoon was dedicated to a presentation and discussion on the "Spiritual Foundation for Prophetic Proclamation to the Least," presented by Don Compier, professor at St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri, and in Spanish by the Rt. Rev. Naudal Gomes, bishop of Curitiba in Brazil. They impressed upon us the seeds of liberation theology present in our own Anglican history. They also made connections with our Eucharistic liturgy, Incarnation, and God's preferential option for the poor.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_129803_ENG_HTM.htm

Bishops make Alabama immigration law matter of religious freedom

From Orlando about Alabama-

Episcopal, Roman Catholic and Methodist bishops have joined with civil rights groups to challenge an immigration bill signed into law in June by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on grounds it violates religious freedom.

The law makes harboring, transporting or shielding undocumented people a criminal offense. Yet faith communities are often transporting immigrants to church, hospitals, and events, while assisting them with food, shelter and school supplies—the very hospitality commanded by scriptures.

“Religion is not just about what we do on Sunday morning in worship, it’s about how we live and love our neighbor, how we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God in our dealings with each other. But the law creates a climate of fear…” says the Right Reverend Henry Nutt Parsley, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. ”We are people under the law and we have to be obedient to the laws, but laws have to reflect the morality of the culture.”

Republican Senator Bryan Taylor claims the law is meant to crack down on employers who are knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and to provide more employment opportunities for the citizens of Alabama, one reason his constituents largely support it.

More here-

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2011/09/15/bishops-make-alabama-immigration-law-matter-of-religious-freedom/

Lawyers Summoned Over Anglican Church Feud

From Zimbabwe-

Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has summoned lawyers representing the feuding Anglican Church factions to a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Chidyausiku on Tuesday ordered lawyers representing the Bishop Chad Gandiya-led Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) and those aligned to ex-communicated Anglican Bishop Nolbert Kunonga to report to his chambers at 12:00 on Wednesday.

Although the agenda of the meeting was not clear, informed sources indicated that Chidyausiku wanted to engage the lawyers over the church feud which escalated following a ruling which he delivered last month in favour of Kunonga and giving him custody and entitlement to some Anglican church property.

More here-

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/zimbabwe/9057-lawyers-summoned-over-anglican-church-feud.html

Anglican ‘conclave’ makes Roman version look transparent

From Commonweal-

It can be hard to make the Vatican look good these days, what with sex abuse victims suing the Pope for crimes against humanity and such.

But with the head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, looking ready to retire next year, Nelson Jones at The New Statesman notes that the way a new Anglican leader is chosen is easily as obscure as a flock of cardinals meeting in a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel — and the art isn’t as good:

The process of choosing bishops and archbishops of the Established church is convoluted and arcane, but its underlying philosophy (like much in Britain) seems to be that some matters are too important to be left to the vagaries of a democratic process. Technically, senior posts in the Church of England are appointed by the Queen, in her capacity as Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister (who isn’t required to have any religious affiliations at all). Some recent prime ministers, including Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, are rumoured to have intervened in the selection process. These days, however, the practice of submitting two alternative names to Downing Street has been superseded, which means that bishops and archbishops are now effectively chosen by an obscure committee.

More here-

http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=15111

Christ Episcopal Church welcomes people with disabilities

From Connecticut-

People with Disabilities are welcome at Christ Episcopal Church, Avon, which has added a communion service adapted for people with disabilities. The service will be held the first Sunday of every month at 11:30 a.m., beginning Sunday, Oct. 2. The communion service is known as Rhythms of Grace, and has several sites around Connecticut. Rhythms of Grace is a creative hour that includes a lesson from the Bible, therapeutic arts and crafts and a time of Holy Communion. Rhythms of Grace provides a way for all families to participate in a community of faith in an informal and inclusive setting.

Co-founder Linda Snyder, a Christian Formation consultant with over 30 years of experience notes, “Rhythms of Grace brings all sorts of God’s people together for a time of formation and fellowship. We share our challenges and our blessings.” Rhythms of Grace is a “perfect fit” for individuals on the Autism Spectrum and those with sensory, intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities, but all are welcome. There is no age limit. Parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, caregivers and people without disabilities are invited to participate. People do not have to be Episcopalians to participate. All faith traditions, and those who do not yet have a faith tradition, are welcome.

The Rev. Dr. Audrey Scanlan, an Episcopal priest, acts as the Celebrant of the service. “Rhythms of Grace is a place where families can relax and feel at ease in church,” Scanlan says. “The typical ‘acting out’ behavior that causes stress for families in typical worship settings is not a problem for us. It is just another way that some of our members communicate. God hears our many voices.”

More here-

http://www.foothillsmediagroup.com/articles/2011/09/14/avon/news/doc4e70df5815d4b375498393.txt

Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Funeral of Controversial Episcopal Bishop

From Christian Post-

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) has announced on that it will picket the funeral of Bishop Walter C. Righter, who fought to provide greater equality for homosexuals and women in the Episcopal Church and drew controversy when he ordained a gay man as a deacon in 1990.

"Westboro will picket the funeral of Biship [sic] Walter C. Righter, 9/15/11 at 11am, Calvary Episcopal DogKennel, Pittsburgh, PA," tweeted Shirley Phelps-Roper, spokesperson for the fundamentalist Baptist church, Wednesday, adding the hashtag "#GoneToHell."

Phelps-Roger continued, "Don't follow his example! He ordained the first woman preacher in Iowa. In 1990 he ordained a fag! #GodHatesFags"

The Christian Post contacted Rich Creehan, a spokesperson for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Creehan chose not to comment on Westboro's picketing announcement.

In 1990, Righter ordained an openly gay Barry Stopfel, a deacon, just one rank below that of priest.

More here-

http://global.christianpost.com/news/westboro-baptist-church-to-picket-funeral-of-controversial-episcopal-bishop-55630/

Human bones scattered in churchyard by rabbits

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" department (Scotland)

AN ANGLICAN minister told of his horror yesterday after he discovered human bones scattered in the grounds of a historic Scottish monastery.

The Rev David Fox said he had been confronted by the "stuff of nightmares" when he visited the ancient graveyard at Kinloss Abbey near his home at Forres in Moray.

Scattered across the grass on the surface of the cemetery - once a Cistercian monastery - were pieces of skulls, arms, ribs and even teeth.

Rabbits are believed to have been responsible for the gruesome desecration of the graves, some dating back to the 1700s. The graveyard is one of four separate cemeteries in the vicinity of the ancient abbey, close to the air base at RAF Kinloss. There are also two municipal cemeteries and one military cemetery in the area.

Mr Fox, 37, who alerted Moray Council to his gruesome discovery, declared: "It's the stuff of nightmares. Dead servicemen have been buried here. Potentially, their bones could be strewn across the graveyard in years to come. It's horrific. This is not something that has happened overnight. The more I looked around, the more I saw.

More here-

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Human-bones-scattered-in-churchyard.6835936.jp

Lawyers Summoned Over Anglican Church Feud

From Zimbabwe-

Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has summoned lawyers representing the feuding Anglican Church factions to a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Chidyausiku on Tuesday ordered lawyers representing the Bishop Chad Gandiya-led Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) and those aligned to ex-communicated Anglican Bishop Nolbert Kunonga to report to his chambers at 12:00 on Wednesday.

Although the agenda of the meeting was not clear, informed sources indicated that Chidyausiku wanted to engage the lawyers over the church feud which escalated following a ruling which he delivered last month in favour of Kunonga and giving him custody and entitlement to some Anglican church property.

“Please be advised that the Honourable Chief Justice will see the parties’ legal practitioners at 12:00 noon on Wednesday 14th September 2011,” reads part of the brief letter written by Supreme Court Registrar, Nomonde Mazabane.

More here-

http://www.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/7090-lawyers-summoned-over-anglican-church-feud.html

House of Deputies president presents award to family of Church Army pioneer

From ENS-

Episcopal Church House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson recently presented an award to the family of late Sister Margaret Hawk, a missionary and church leader, to honor her pioneering ministry posthumously.

The presentation came Sept. 10 during the Diocese of South Dakota's annual diocesan convention in Pierre. The President of the House of Deputies Award for Distinguished Service honors "individuals and communities who have exhibited an exceptional commitment to the work of reconciling a broken world," according to a press release.

Hawk was a native of Red Shirt, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Sioux. In 1963, at the age of 50, she joined the Church Army, a society of lay missionaries in the Anglican Communion. After training in New York and missionary work in Buffalo, New York, she returned home to the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations where she served for 18 years, the release said.

Anderson presented the award to Hawk's granddaughter Alice Testerman and her family. Anderson said she was especially struck by Hawk's commitment to seek training and education in New York, 1,700 miles from her home in South Dakota.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_129759_ENG_HTM.htm

South Bend church tries to fight crime after shootings in the area

From Northern Indiana-

People who live in one South Bend neighborhood are taking matters into their own hands to increase safety around their homes.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church hosted a community meeting and invited neighbors to come together to speak out about the violence in the area.

“Years ago, there wasn't the shootings and the problems we have now,” said John Zanka, a member of the congregation. “I just feel bad for the people that live around here that have children and the older people that are afraid to come outside.”

The glare of police lights is a sight that has become all too familiar for the residents along Olive and Fredrickson streets.

In August, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed on the corner of those two streets. The South Bend Police Department reports that there have been about six shootings in the past six months in this area.

“If something happens on that street, the cops are all over this part,” Rosetta Hamilton said.

Hamilton has lived in the neighborhood for 14 years and said she has seen the violence escalate over time.

“If there's shootings over there anybody’s kid can get hurt and that's just not right,” she said.

More here-

http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/South_Bend_church_tries_to_fight_crime__129763468.html

9/11 Revisited

From Canada-

This is a day of mixed emotion for churchgoers in North America. On the one hand, many parishes are celebrating some form of “Round Up Sunday” – when the congregation comes together after the summer hiatus. Sunday school registration takes place, a parish luncheon is served and ministries rev up again.

And yet, today happens to be September 11 – and ten years ago on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning the worst attack on any country in the western hemisphere happened in New York City, in Washington, D.C. and in the skies over Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Many of us know where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news of the first attack. It was about 6:00 am in San Diego and I was in the bathroom shaving when Heather called out about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I immediately thought it was the pilot error of a small aircraft. Only when I saw the images on the television did I realize something far more terrible was happening.

The horrors of hell – how else do you describe that day? The 9/11 attack was an act of unmitigated evil designed to inflict the maximum number of casualties possible in the most shocking way possible.

More here-

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/nc/news-update-items/article/911-revisited-10035.html

Archbishop of Canterbury may quit in 2012

From UPI-

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has told friends he wants to step down next year as head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Sources told The Daily Telegraph Williams said he would leave after Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, the 60th year of her reign. He said he would like to remain in office until the Church of England votes to consecrate women as bishops, the report said.

Williams, 61, was installed as the 104th archbishop of Canterbury in 2003 and would be eligible to serve until he turns 70. But he told friends he would like to return to academic life at Cambridge University.

Richard Chartres, the bishop of London, has been saying privately it is time for Williams to leave, suggesting other bishops should get a chance to head the church, the Telegraph reported Sunday. Chartres has denied the report.

Williams, who was archbishop of Wales when he was named to Canterbury, has presided over the church during a time of turmoil in England and globally. Issues have included the ordination of women and gays.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/09/13/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-may-quit-in-2012/UPI-63551315893541/#ixzz1Xph0xOqa

Bishop Walter Righter / His 'pastoral heart' moved Episcopal Church beyond old prejudices

From The Post-Gazette-

Bishop Walter Righter, whose 1990 ordination of a gay deacon opened the Episcopal Church to partnered gay clergy after a church court dismissed heresy charges against him, died Sunday at his home in Export. The retired bishop of Iowa, who was first ordained in Pittsburgh, was 87.

"Bishop Righter is one of the giants on whose shoulders gay and lesbian Christians stand," said Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who in 2003 became the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. "Long before it became popular, Walter became a straight ally of the gay Christian community, putting his life and ecclesiastical career on the line for us."

"The Episcopal Church can give thanks for the life of a faithful and prophetic servant," said Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. "His ministry will be remembered for his pastoral heart and his steadfast willingness to help the church move beyond old prejudices into new possibilities."

The heresy charge stemmed from his early retirement, when he became an assisting bishop to the firebrand liberal Bishop John Spong of Newark, N.J. Until then, Bishop Righter had been known as an unassuming centrist. But the conservative attempt to declare him a heretic ricocheted, and many conservatives ultimately left the Episcopal Church.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11256/1174247-122-0.stm#ixzz1XperOdzR

LA Times-

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-walter-righter-20110913-1,0,4375979.story

Washington Post-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/walter-c-righter-dies-episcopal-bishop-played-role-in-gay-rights-in-church/2011/09/12/gIQAAcbuNK_story.html

Retired Iowa Bishop Walter Righter dies

From ENS-

Retired Diocese of Iowa Bishop Walter C. Righter, 87, died Sept. 11. He had lived just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"The Episcopal Church can give thanks for the life of a faithful and prophetic servant. He proclaimed the gospel for more than 60 years in this church, through trials and great joys," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said Sept. 12. "His ministry will be remembered for his pastoral heart and his steadfast willingness to help the church move beyond old prejudices into new possibilities. He embodied the one of whom it is said, 'well done, good and faithful servant.'

"May Walter rest in peace and rise in glory, and may all who mourn be comforted."

He will be remembered at a service Sept. 15 at 11:00 a.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh diocese said in a press release that "we can uniquely recall his time of youthful service, as well as years of reserved retirement, in southwestern Pennsylvania."

Entering the ministry from St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley, he was sent to Ligonier to help organize what would later become the parish church of St. Michael's of the Valley, the diocese said. After ordination, Righter led congregations in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, for a while simultaneously serving the people of Aliquippa and Georgetown.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_129748_ENG_HTM.htm

VIDEO: St. Paul's Chapel Pays Tribute to 9/11 Victims

From New York

Manhattan's St. Paul's Chapel held an early morning service to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.

The chapel, an Episcopal church located at 209 Broadway, was a haven for first responders following the attacks.

Check out Patch's coverage of the early morning service on Sunday and the scene in front of St. Paul's.

http://foresthills.patch.com/articles/video-st-pauls-chapel-pays-tribute-to-911-victims#video-7709070

'Remember What The American Spirit Is'

From New Jersey-

There are no words, yet Jonathan Clifford had to find them.

Ten years after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and both horrified and united an entire nation, Clifford, 22, took to the lectern at Trinity Episcopal Church Sunday to encapsulate as best he could the emotion and the significance of Sept. 11.

“There’s no combination of words in the English language that can aptly describe the feeling that day,” said Clifford, the featured speaker at the Burlington County 200 Club’s annual 9/11 memorial service. “It was nerve-racking, cause I don’t think words can do it justice ... I wanted to do the victims justice.”

A crowd of police officers, firefighters and paramedics, along with everyday citizens and several politicians, including Mayor John Button and U.S. Rep. John Runyan, filled the church to hear Clifford speak.

At 13, Clifford had gone to Ground Zero only months after the attacks to volunteer at St. Paul’s Chapel, an Episcopal church a block from the World Trade Center towers that became both a memorial and a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers in the days after the attacks.

More here-

http://moorestown.patch.com/articles/remember-what-the-american-spirit-is

Priest Recalls the First Days After Flight 93 Crash

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

On the sunny morning of Sept. 12 , 2001, a Catholic priest and FBI chaplain from Pittsburgh stood on an overlook where a command post had been established above the Flight 93 crash site, said the prayers for burial and consecration and cast holy water toward the crater.

"By the Lord's own three days in the tomb he hallowed the graves of all who believe in him and made the grave a sign of hope and a promise of the resurrection, even as it claims our mortal bodies," the Rev. Joseph McCaffrey prayed at the first official consecration of the Sacred Ground where the Flight 93 National Memorial was dedicated Saturday.

"We pray that all who lost their lives here may live forever in the mercy of God."

Father McCaffrey, who became a law enforcement liaison to the Flight 93 families of the 40 passengers and crew who lost their lives, returned for the dedication in Somerset County. He spent hours stuck in traffic and wasn't able to speak with them prior to the ceremony. But he had a sense that his ministry at the site had come full circle, even as he worried that the nation wasn't practicing the lessons of unity and moral courage that the passengers and crew gave their lives to demonstrate.

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11254/1173883-84.stm#ixzz1XdjSBTN4