Pope Benedict To Create Australian Ordinariate For Anglicans

From Australia-

Pope Benedict XVI will continue the expansion of the new Catholic Church structure created for former Anglicans by launching an ordinariate for Australia on June 15.

“I am confident that those former Anglicans who have made a journey in faith that has led them to the Catholic Church will find a ready welcome,” said Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, who serves as president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Australia’s Anglican ordinariate will be called the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, under the patronage of St. Augustine of Canterbury. It will have the status of a diocese.

The ordinariate is intended for Anglicans and former Anglicans who wish to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining some of their customs and liturgical traditions.
More here-

http://www.eurasiareview.com/12052012-pope-benedict-to-create-australian-ordinariate-for-anglicans/

Ellicott City church shooter forgiven by Episcopal leaders

From Baltimore-

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is offering forgiveness and a funeral service for a homeless man who killed himself after fatally shooting a priest and church secretary last week.

Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton and an academic expert on forgiveness likened the diocese's attitude to that of an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa., that forgave the man who fatally shot five school girls there in 2006.


"That is a painful, hard process," Sutton said after last Thursday's shooting. "But we learned something a few years ago, made manifest by the Amish community, when a gunman came into that school: Eventually, that community went to the family of that murderer and extended forgiveness."
Church officials said Wednesday that the family of Douglas Franklin Jones hasn't decided whether to accept offers from several parishes to hold a Christian burial service for the man police have deemed responsible for the bloodshed at St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Howard County police say a small-caliber handgun registered to Jones and found near his body was probably the same weapon used to kill the Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn and administrative assistant Brenda Brewington.

More here-

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bs-md-ho-church-shooting-forgiveness-20120509,0,803544.story

‘An opportunity to marshal our spiritual strength’

From The Washington Post (Episcopal version)

The people of The Falls Church (Episcopal) stand on the cusp of a new season of ministry and mission after a long and painful season of division.

As we give thanks and prepare to move back to our historic Episcopal Church home, we are also mindful that this time has been difficult for all parties involved. Our prayer is that both The Falls Church (Episcopal) and The Falls Church Anglican are able to move forward into our respective ministries and missions and carry out the work each feels God is calling us to do.


In December 2006, those who sought to continue in the Episcopal traditions were prevented from continuing to hold Episcopal worship in our historic church property. Now, as the litigation that divided friend from friend and Christian from Christian is close to winding down, leaders from both churches are working on transitional plans in a manner that all parties hope will allow each congregation to once again to devote its full attention to living out its mission in the world.

Rather than being discouraged by our situation for the past five years and our ongoing uncertainty, our Episcopal congregation has taken this time in the wilderness as an opportunity to marshal our spiritual strength.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/an-opportunity-to-marshal-our-spiritual-strength/2012/05/11/gIQA0HcPJU_story.html

Congregation of The Falls Church must begin again

John Yates in the Washington Post- ("Anglican" version)

Our Anglican church in Virginia, The Falls Church, faces a hard hour this month. A Virginia court has ruled that buildings and funds we believe to be ours actually belong to the Episcopal Church. Our congregation of 4,000 must begin again, finding a new home and place of worship.

As the rector of the church since 1979, I believe I speak for all in saying that we leave without resentment or acrimony; we pray only the best for those who will follow us in our old and historic church, and that the transforming good news of Christ will always be proclaimed on this spot.


In 2006, The Falls Church and six sister congregations in Northern Virginia voted (overwhelmingly) to pull out of the Episcopal Church because, in our view, it had drifted so far from orthodox Christianity that we could not remain in good conscience.

Reasons for the division have been mainly theological, particularly focused on how we interpret the Bible, and what doctrines of the Christian faith are essential for leaders to maintain. The doctrinal divides have been widening for several decades, and in 2003 when a practicing homosexual was consecrated as Episcopal bishop, many realized that the divisions in the church were unresolvable.
More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/congregation-of-the-falls-church-must-begin-again/2012/05/11/gIQA7zZMJU_story.html

Calif. Court Rules in Favor of Episcopal Diocese in Property Dispute

From Christian Post-

A California judge has ruled in favor of The Episcopal Church in a years long legal battle over the property of a couple breakaway congregations.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Kim Dunning granted the motion made by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles against St. David's Anglican Church of North Hollywood and All Saints Anglican Church of Long Beach over the church property.

"After nearly eight years, we appreciate the Court's conclusion confirming the church properties of All Saints and St. David's belong to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles," said the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the diocese in a statement.

Fr. Jose Poch, senior pastor and rector at St. David's Anglican, which left The Episcopal Church in August 2004 and has an average weekly attendance of 130, told The Christian Post that theological differences were the root cause of their departure.

"We felt that they were going away from the Bible, from the teachings of Christ, and we tried for many, many years to see if we could change things from inside," said Poch.

"Meeting with the bishops, coming to convention and arguing our point. And it eventually got to the point where we just … felt that we had no other recourse but to separate ourselves."
More here-

http://www.christianpost.com/news/calif-court-rules-in-favor-of-episcopal-diocese-in-property-dispute-74762/

Suit settled in case dividing state's oldest Episcopal church

From Georgia-

Christ Church Anglican in Savannah has agreed to settle a four-and-a-half-year legal battle with The Episcopal Church and The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia.

At the heart of the dispute was a lawsuit against CCA, the senior pastor and 14 members of the 2007 vestry – including money damage claims by the diocese against those individuals in excess of $1million. “While we never agreed that our people had any personal liability, we are pleased to see these claims dropped as this threat of personal financial loss has hung over our people for more than four years,” said John Albert, CCA senior warden.

“These parishioners served as volunteer directors on a non-profit 501-C3 board and made decisions to try to stand for their beliefs and fulfill their duty to protect the non-profit corporation they served,” Albert added.


In 2007, Christ Church Anglican, established in 1733 and predating the formation of TEC by 56 years and the TEC Diocese of Georgia by 90 years, conducted a congregational vote by which 87 percent of the congregation supported the vestry’s decision to disaffiliate from TEC over core theological differences.

That decision led to the suit. After the Georgia Supreme Court ruling on Nov. 21, 2011, CCA turned over possession of its three buildings – including the church building constructed in 1840 on Johnson Square –and the parking lot, all worth in excess of $6 million.

More here-

http://www.times-herald.com/religion/20120512Christ-Church-Savannah-MOS

From Catholic Culture-

The members of ARCIC III--the third phase of dialogue of the Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission--have concluded their most recent meeting in Hong Kong.

ARCIC I, which lasted from 1970 to 1981, produced documents on the Eucharist and ministry and authority in the Church; the Anglican Communion and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity issued responses to ARCIC I between 1988 and 1994.

ARCIC II, which lasted from 1983 to 2005, produced documents on salvation, Church authority, morality, the Church as communion, and the Virgin Mary. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith critiqued ARCIC II’s document on salvation in 1988, and portions of the Anglican Communion in time abandoned ARCIC’s 1994 consensus statement that homosexual relationships are not “morally equivalent” to marriage.
More here-

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=14277

From USA Today--

Today at 5:30 p.m. a new stone carving of civil rights icon Rosa Parks will be dedicated at the Washington National Cathedral.

A live webcast of the event will be featured on the Episcopal church's website.

From the program book for this evening' event:

Rosa Louise Parks, nationally recognized as the mother of the modern day civil rights movement in America, was born in Tuskegee, Alabama,on February 4, 1913. her refusal in 1955 to surrender her seat to a whitemale passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus triggered a wave of protest that reverberated throughout the United state

Rosa Louise Parks, nationally recognized as the mother of the modern day civil rights movement in America, was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. Her refusal in 1955 to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus triggered a wave of protest that reverberated throughout the United States.

The sculpture of Parks will sit in the Cathedral's Human Rights Porch alongside a carving of Mother Teresa. Both carvings were designed by Chas Fagan, an artist from North Carolina, and carved in the spring of 2011 by cathedral stone carver Sean Callahan.


More here-

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/05/national-cathedral-dedicates-stone-carving-of-rosa-parks/1#.T60HZ-1YzjQ

Episcopal Church is rightful owner of properties, court rules

From California-

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Thursday ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church in its long-running legal dispute over the rightful ownership of the properties of two congregations that seceded from the church years ago.

Judge Kim Dunning granted a motion for summary judgment filed by the Episcopal Church in its cases against St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood and All Saints Anglican Church in Long Beach, declaring the church properties were held in trust for the diocese and national church.

St. David's and All Saints left the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national church in 2004 because of differences over biblical interpretations and liberal views on homosexuality and other issues.

After the churches left, the diocese sued to retain its property.

The California Supreme Court in 2009 ruled in favor of the Los Angeles diocese in its battle against St. James in Newport Beach, stating that the property was held in trust for the diocese and national church.

Though deeds showed St. James owned its property, the congregation had agreed to be part of the national church and was bound by its rules, the court said. The Episcopal Church in 1979 adopted a rule making clear that local parishes owned their properties only as long as they remained within the larger church body.

More here-

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/episcopal-church-properties-court.html

Va. Beach, church reach agreement over dispute

From Virginia Beach-

Leaders of a 170-year-old Kempsville church and the city have reached a proposed settlement over an eminent domain dispute that has spanned nearly 12 years.

The city announced Thursday morning that it will pay Emmanuel Episcopal Church $1.1 million in exchange for half an acre of church property sought by the city to widen and move Princess Anne Road. The city also will transfer to the church about 1.5 acres next to it and will seek closure of a half-acre portion of the old Princess Anne Road to add to the church's property under the proposed deal.

The church will use some of the money to build a 300-foot wall along the new Princess Anne Road to buffer its preschool from the traffic.

The agreement requires approval of both the City Council and the church's vestry.

The city previously offered the church an $852,716 settlement, according to Virginia Beach court records.

More here-

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/va-beach-church-reach-agreement-over-dispute

Episcopal leaders forgive Maryland church shooter

From Maryland-

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is offering forgiveness and a funeral service for a homeless man who killed himself after fatally shooting a priest and church secretary last week.

Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton and an academic expert on forgiveness likened the diocese's attitude to that of an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa., that forgave the man who fatally shot five school girls there in 2006.

"That is a painful, hard process," Sutton told The Associated Press after last Thursday's shooting. "But we learned something a few years ago, made manifest by the Amish community, when a gunman came into that school: Eventually, that community went to the family of that murderer and extended forgiveness."

Church officials said Wednesday that the family of Douglas Franklin Jones hasn't decided whether to accept offers from several parishes to hold a Christian burial service for the man police have deemed responsible for the bloodshed at St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Howard County police say a small-caliber handgun registered to Jones and found near his body was probably the same weapon used to kill the Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn and administrative assistant Brenda Brewington.

More here-

http://www.wtop.com/64/2859164/Episcopal-leaders-forgive-Maryland-church-shooter

From Philadelphia-

The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, a decade after withering criticism of what many viewed as a destructive renovation of its own ornate Victorian interior, is planning to demolish two historically certified brownstone structures in the 3800 block of Chestnut Street to make way for a 25-story apartment tower.

The project, which goes before the Philadelphia Historical Commission Friday, would obliterate the cathedral’s parish houses, designed by the noted ecclesiastical architect Charles M. Burns, and connect the proposed tower and administrative offices to the church itself via glass-enclosed walkways cut into the cathedral’s façade.

Originally built in 1855 and known as the Church of the Savior, the Philadelphia Cathedral was at one time the home parish of some of the city’s most illustrious families, who showered it with sculptures, decorative furniture, Tiffany stained glass windows, elaborate murals, wall stenciling, and countless other decorative details. In 2000 and 2001, virtually all of the interior was ripped out or obliterated by paint and plaster in an effort led by then-Dean Richard Giles, who favored clear white space. The experience shocked many parishioners and preservationists.

The current demolition and development plan, presented to the architecture committee of the historical commission on April 24, is necessary, cathedral officials said, because it is the only way enough revenue can be generated to maintain the deteriorating cathedral, which is also historically designated and also designed by Burns.

More here-

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120510_Cathedral_parish_houses_face_demolition.html

Episcopal leaders offer forgiveness, burial for Maryland shooter of priest and church worker

From The Washington Post-


The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is offering forgiveness and a funeral service for a homeless man who killed himself after fatally shooting a priest and church secretary last week.

Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton and an academic expert on forgiveness likened the diocese’s attitude to that of an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa., that forgave the man who fatally shot five school girls there in 2006.


“That is a painful, hard process,” Sutton told The Associated Press after last Thursday’s shooting. “But we learned something a few years ago, made manifest by the Amish community, when a gunman came into that school: Eventually, that community went to the family of that murderer and extended forgiveness.”

Church officials said Wednesday that the family of Douglas Franklin Jones hasn’t decided whether to accept offers from several parishes to hold a Christian burial service for the man police have deemed responsible for the bloodshed at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/episcopal-leaders-offer-forgiveness-burial-for-maryland-shooter-of-priest-and-church-worker/2012/05/09/gIQA18GrDU_story.html

In Down Economy, Man Expands Business With Help of Out-of-Work Tradesmen

From Illinois-

When Manhattan businessman Mark Ritter was 7, he skipped past a kids' typical lemonade stand and instead carted soda around a construction site, selling it to the workers there.

Now, Ritter is making lemonade out of the sour economy by hiring out-of-work tradesmen while expanding the services his own business offers.

The business, Ritter Services, provides property maintenance and construction services for homeowners and businesses, including site selection and development, new construction, remodeling and additions.
Growing a business is something Ritter is accustomed to. When he was 9, he started mowing neighbors' lawns, building 15 clients. That continued throughout high school.

"It just kept growing and growing," Ritter said. "That kept me busy."

He went on to study horticulture at Joliet Junior College, and at 19 he got a loan from First Bank of Manhattan to start his business. Throughout the years, the business has grown in the number of services it offered. But facing new challenges, Ritter hopes to offer even more. 


More here-

http://newlenox.patch.com/articles/in-down-economy-man-expands-business-with-help-of-out-of-work-tradesmen

N.C. passes Marriage Amendment

From North Carolina-

A majority of North Carolinians voted Tuesday in favor of a Constitutional amendment that recognizes the marriage of a man and woman as the only valid domestic union in North Carolina, with a 61 percent to 38 percent victory with 85 of the state’s 100 counties reporting.

Locally, Orange and Durham counties voted overwhelming against Amendment One, with 78.9 percent against it in Orange County and 69.7 percent against it in Durham County. Person County voted 72.4 percent for the amendment.

The Rev. C.J. Bordeaux, senior pastor of Gorman Baptist Church in Durham, watched returns Tuesday night in Raleigh with Vote for Marriage NC, the largest pro-amendment group in the state.

Bordeaux said they’re very humble and grateful for the amendment’s passing.

“I’m proud North Carolinians stood their ground and voted their conscience,” he said. “Now the people have decided, and it’s not up to a radical judge.” Bordeaux said he heard misrepresentations from the opposing side, and said that if the amendment had not passed, a radical judge could have overturned the existing state law.

“I’m not going to gloat on it. We cast our ballot. It’s a very democratic way of going about it, and we’re proud of it,” he said.

More here-

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/18505627/article-N-C--passes-Marriage-Amendment

Brenda Brewington, church administrator

From The Baltimore Sun-


Brenda Brewington, an ecclesiastical administrator at St. Peter's Episcopal Church of Ellicott City who had taught earlier in its preschool, died Thursday in her office in a double shooting that also claimed a pastor's life. She was 59.

"Brenda had a big, infectious laugh and was the loudest cheerleader at any track meet in Howard County and a few other counties as well," said her sister-in-law, Lisa Brewington of Centerville, Va. "She was a world-class mom, to her own boys and to so many other young people."

She was born Brenda Davis in Norfolk, Va. Her father was a member of the Cherokee nation and a handyman. Her mother, Lily May Thomas, was a homemaker.

She was a 1970 graduate of Robert E. Peary High School in Montgomery County and studied nutrition at the University of Maryland, College Park.

She met her future husband, Will Brewington, at a social event at the Bottom Line in Washington after a rugby match. They married in 1987.

Mrs. Brewington had been an administrative assistant at the B.F. Saul Mortgage Co. for several years before moving to Ellicott City. She initially ran an informal child day center at her home.

"She helped children who needed before- and after-school care," her husband said.

More here-

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-brenda-brewington-20120508,0,2414609.story

Fate of North Hollywood church’s burial ground uncertain

From California- (LA Times)

The ashes of 17 people are buried in the rose garden at St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood, but the burial ground's future is uncertain as the church continues a long-running property battle with the Episcopal Church, from which it disaffiliated years ago.

In a disagreement over the Episcopal Church's biblical interpretations and views on homosexuality, St. David's -- along with All Saints Church in Long Beach and St. James Church in Newport Beach -- seceded from the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national church in 2004.

What has followed has been years of litigation over the rightful ownership of the breakaway churches' buildings and property. An Orange County Superior Court judge is expected on Wednesday to rule on a motion that could determine who owns the memorial garden and the churches in North Hollywood and Long Beach.

The memorial garden, built around 1996, was the idea of Father Jose Poch, the priest at St. David's, after his mother was buried on church grounds in Houston when she died in 1995. The church burial meant so much to Poch's family that he wanted to offer the same opportunity to St. David's.

Poch is concerned that, if the diocese wins the legal battle and sells the property, the memorial garden will be removed or paved. Should that happen, it would be difficult to respectfully deal with the remains because the ashes of each person have been placed directly into the ground, not in a container, Poch said.

More here-

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/north-hollywood-episcopal-church-burial-ground.html

Kenya: Wabukala in Secret Wedding After Paying Sh140,000 Bride Price

From Kenya-

THE Head of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Archbishop Eliud Wabukala over the weekend tied the knot with one of the church's senior pastors, in a private wedding conducted in Mombasa.

Sources privy to the on goings informed The Star that prior to the wedding that was held at the St Peter's ACK church in Nyali area, the prelate had conducted a civil wedding during that week, at the District Commissioner's office, which was only attended by three witnesses.

The church wedding, in which Mombasa ACK Bishop Julius Kalu married Wabukala to Pastor Rhoda Luvuna, was attended by less than 100 close family members, few friends and church officials, the Star can reveal. The prelate and his relatives two weeks ago paid Sh140,000 to Luvuna's family in Shimba Hills, as part of the dowry.

Wabukala's wife died almost one year ago, leaving him with several children and sources intimated that due to his position in church, he was expected to get another wife to replace her.
More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205071602.html

Dioceses of Quincy, Chicago continue reunification talks

From ENS-

On Saturday, April 28, leaders of the Dioceses of Chicago and Quincy met in Chicago to continue discussing the possible reunification of the two dioceses, which were created when the Diocese of Illinois divided into three in 1877. Provisional Bishop John Buchanan of Quincy, and Bishop Jeffrey Lee and Assisting Bishop Christopher Epting, both of Chicago, attended the meeting along with clergy and lay leaders from both dioceses.

The assembled leaders agreed to develop a plan and timeline for future reunification discussions, which will continue with a meeting on August 18. Both dioceses hold their annual conventions in the fall — Quincy in October and Chicago in November — and plan to discuss reunification possibilities at those meetings.

Before the August meeting, the dioceses will form a due diligence working group to examine various issues involved in reunification, including the Diocese of Quincy’s ongoing efforts to regain buildings and funds currently in the possession of a breakaway group of Anglicans who left the Episcopal Church in 2008.

While acknowledging the complex legal and practical issues inherent in reunification, Lee expressed his hope that a spirit of discernment would continue to guide the discussions. “This is not just a structural conversation,” echoed Buchanan. “It is about people.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/05/07/dioceses-of-quincy-chicago-continue-reunification-talks/

National Cathedral to install statue of Rosa Parks

From Fox-

Washington National Cathedral is preparing to dedicate a new carving of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks in a section of the church devoted to human rights.

The Episcopal cathedral formally installs the new sculpture Thursday with a ceremony of evening prayer songs. The carving of Parks will join others on the cathedral's Human Rights Porch that celebrates those who struggled to bring equality and social justice to all people. Other figures include former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

One of Parks' nieces, Rhea McCauley, will join the ceremony, along with Elaine Eason Steele, co-founder of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development.
Parks' refusal to give up her Montgomery, Ala., bus seat to a white passenger in 1955 is considered a key moment in the movement against segregation.


Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/08/national-cathedral-to-install-statue-rosa-parks/#ixzz1uH8qSPWs

Head of Episcopal Church urges help for Va.'s Saint Paul's College

From Virginia-

Saint Paul's College, the historically black school in Lawrenceville that is in a financial battle for survival, is getting a boost from the leadership of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.


Saint Paul's, a private liberal arts school affiliated with the church, is $1.2 million shy in its campaign to raise $5 million by May 17 — before its accreditation comes up for final review in June by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.


The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, has issued an open letter to Episcopalians, urging them to help Saint Paul's in its time of need.


In another development, Charles M. Royce, a Wall Street investor with ties to the Episcopal Church, and his wife, Deborah, have issued a $250,000 challenge grant, pledging $1 for every $2 in unrestricted grants raised until the May 17 deadline. Under terms of the grant, the first $500,000 raised would become $750,000 toward the school's goal.


"As Episcopalians, we share a deep, spiritual commitment to support educational institutions and strengthen communities," said Royce, president and co-chief investment officer of Royce & Associates LLC and president of The Royce Funds.

More here-


http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/may/08/tdmet01-head-of-episcopal-church-urges-help-for-va-ar-1898215/

The Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn, Episcopal co-rector

From Baltimore-

Mary-Marguerite Kohn, the popular co-rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church who was an outspoken advocate for social justice, died Saturday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center of gunshot wounds she suffered Thursday in a double shooting at her Ellicott City church.

The Relay resident was 62.

"She had gotten her degree in pastoral counseling, and she was the one I wanted to use in the diocese to counsel and help congregations get through their grief," the Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, said Monday.

"She was in my office a week before she was killed talking about this. And the irony is, she would have been the one I would have called upon to go to St. Peter's" after the shootings], he said.

"She was a loving presence, very warm, sensitive and spiritually centered person. She also was colorful and playful," he said. "We will miss her deeply."

More here-

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-mary-marguerite-kohn-20120507,0,484163.story

Hundreds attend Falklands memorial

From the Falklands-

Hundreds of veterans and members of the public attended a memorial service held to mark 30 years since the war in the Falkland Islands.

The service, held at Portsmouth's Anglican Cathedral, was led by the Very Rev David Brindley and included a sermon by Canon Roger Devonshire, who served for 24 years as a naval chaplain and who was on board HMS Hermes during the conflict.

Among the congregation were soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who served in the South Atlantic in 1982.

Following the service, a Royal Marines band led a parade to the nearby Falklands Memorial where a wreath was laid by veterans and dignitaries from the armed forces and local authorities. The events were concluded with a ceremony of beating the retreat and a veterans' parade at Portsmouth Naval Base.
Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: "This is an important day to remember the people who left from this city to defend the Falklands and to defend people's rights to choose who governs them and that is important for everyone.

"It is right to do that in Portsmouth as it is where the task force left from and we have to make sure we remember conflicts like this for the people who didn't come home."

Retired Commander Steve Hopper, from Portsmouth, attended the wreath-laying ceremony to remember his colleagues whom he served alongside during the conflict.

More here-

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gwXfJCwWpE1X8szuGttu4GEs0Q_g?docId=N0126661336308820755A

Pope Gives Quarter of a Million Dollars to Anglican Breakaways

From England-

Pope Benedict xvi donated $250,000 to the UK Catholic organization set up to receive defecting Anglicans—the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Monsignor Kieth Newton, head of the ordinariate, thanked the pope for his gift May 1, saying: “This gift is a great help and encouragement as we continue to grow and develop our distinctive ecclesial life while seeking to contribute to the wider work of evangelization in England and Wales.”

The group has come out of the Anglican Church with little to no property or funds, making the pope’s donation a key lifeline.

A priest and spokesman for the group, James Bradley, said the money “will help us get up on our two feet.” But this money is just the beginning, he said, “we are also looking at some serious fundraising.”

Thus far, Anglicans leaving for Rome have had to worship with regular Catholics. But, Bradley said, “we will need funds for the acquisition and upkeep of our own church buildings.” The money will also be used to “finance clergy, pay for the training of seminarians, missions and evangelization. We don’t want to be hand to mouth,” he said.

Part of the need for cash comes because the orginariate has been “inundated by success,” according to Bradley. “We did not realize there would be these numbers or such a spread in the UK.” So far, around 1,200 members and 60 clergymen have joined.

More here-

http://www.thetrumpet.com/9376.8225.0.0/religion/roman-catholicism/pope-gives-quarter-of-a-million-dollars-to-anglican-breakaways

Burlington City fire trucks receive St. Florian blessing

From Philadelphia-


It wasn’t flames that drew the city’s fire and emergency vehicles to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Sunday afternoon.

The fleet that lined Broad Street was being blessed, for the first time, in honor of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. The Feast of St. Florian is celebrated during the first week of May.

Firefighters and emergency responders and their families looked on from the sidewalk as the Rev. J. Connor Haynes read a prayer and sprinkled holy water on each of the vehicles, which represented the Mitchell, Neptune and Niagara stations, and the Endeavor Emergency Squad.

The blessing followed an evening service, known as an evensong, that included a firefighter’s prayer, choir music and moment of silence dedicated to men and women killed while serving the community.
“When we bless equipment, we’re giving thanks to God that we have it, we’re asking for his blessing of the equipment itself, and we’re asking for his blessing for the people who use the equipment. This is a way of our congregation participating in the life of the community,” Haynes, the church’s rector, said after the blessing.

More here-

http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/burlington/burlington-city-fire-trucks-receive-st-florian-blessing/article_460d5f35-c807-546d-8747-f7f91cc656a7.html

Episcopal nonprofit El Buen celebrates 25 years of service

From Texas-

When it opened its doors in 1987 at a 6,000-square-foot space on West Mary Street, El Buen Samaritano relied on church bake sales to help pay the bills and the sweat equity of volunteers to get things done. Sometimes literally. One summer, the air conditioner blew out, making for furnacelike working conditions.

The nonprofit, a mission of the Episcopal Church, serves mostly Latino families and began modestly at a time when new immigrants from Mexico, South America and Central America were stirring the local demographic landscape. It provided free lunches and ran a small clothing closet for women and children.

This year, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary, El Buen, as it is often called, still relies on volunteers — about 600 of them — along with 67 employees. But as the nonprofit expanded its services to respond to growth in the population it serves, it did so with head-turning growth of its own.

With a roughly $5 million annual budget funded mostly by Episcopalian support, corporations and private foundations, the nonprofit now operates out of three buildings on 11 acres near William Cannon Drive and Manchaca Road in South Austin. El Buen said in 2011 it exceeded its goal to serve more than 12,000 people a year and projected it would double that figure in the next five years.

More here-

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/episcopal-nonprofit-el-buen-celebrates-25-years-of-2342243.html

A testament to their faith Members of St. Michael’s Episcopal prepare for renovations

From Vermont-

It was quiet and below the radar, but immensely successful.

Following the 10:15 a.m. worship service on Sunday, the congregants of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on Putney Road in Brattleboro celebrated the completion of their capital campaign and the beginning of building renovations.

"This has been a real testament of the faith of the people in their church," said Judith McBean, the co-chair, with Caroline Taylor-Olsen, of the building committee.

Mike Wilmott, the co-chair, with Gayle Potter, of the capital campaign, said nearly $770,000 was raised for the renovations -- money that came solely from the 225 or so congregants of St. Michael’s.
"We received some very substantial contributions from people who were not in a position to step up and give," he said.

Some made a one-time gift and others are taking up to five years to fulfill their pledges, said Wilmott.
"They are committed to the church and know it needs some improvements," he said.
The church needs about $30,000 more to meet its $800,000 goal, but Wilmott is confident "We’ll get there."

McBean said the project started as a "dreamcatcher," in which a master plan was developed to identify areas that could use some work.

More here-


http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_20563698/testament-their-faith-members-st-michael-rsquo-s

Second woman dies after Ellicott City church shooting

From Baltimore-

The Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn, 62, died Saturday night at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center of injuries sustained Thursday in a double shooting at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, police said Sunday.

Kohn was co-rector of the Howard County church.

The second woman, church employee Brenda Brewington, 59, died Thursday.


Kohn had been on life support at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center since Thursday.

Police said they had taken Kohn's body to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The church said in a statement that her family planned to donate her organs.

Howard County police said the suspected shooter, Douglas Franklin Jones, 56, was found in the woods nearby, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

More here-

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-ho-kohn-dead-20120506,0,2499563.story

A Blessing for Those Who Brave City Streets on Two Wheels

From The New York Times-

There were, to be sure, lighthearted, even silly moments at the Blessing of the Bikes at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Saturday, but some cyclists had gone there for very profound reasons.

For Nadette Stasa, 47, a casting director, it was a chance to honor a friend, Marilyn Dershowitz, who died while riding her bicycle in July. “Any extra help you can get on the streets is good,” said Ms. Stasa, who wore a red clown’s nose to the festivities.

More than 200 cyclists brought their bicycles into the enormous Episcopal sanctuary to receive a blessing that included sprinkling of holy water. Many said they believed that the ritual, the 14th annual Blessing of the Bikes, would help keep them safe while pedaling through the frenzied and sometimes dangerous city traffic.

“You need all the help you can get on some of these streets,” said Allen Wong, 44, a Roman Catholic, who added that Saturday’s service was the first time in a long time that he had been to a church.
More here-

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/a-blessing-for-those-who-brave-city-streets-on-two-wheels/

Church says priest shot at Maryland Episcopal parish on life support to donate her organs

From Maryland- (Washington Post)

A Maryland Episcopal church where a gunman opened fire said Saturday that a priest who was critically wounded remains in critical condition but is not expected to survive.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church released a statement saying the Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn, co-rector of the parish, is on life support to assist her family’s intentions to donate her organs.


Parish Warden Craig Stuart-Paul says the 62-year-old Kohn never turned away a person in need. He says even in death, she is giving life through her organs.

Brenda Brewington, a church secretary, also was fatally shot Friday. Police say a disgruntled homeless man shot the women after he was turned away from the church’s food bank and became angry. Douglas F. Jones then killed himself in the woods where he lived nearby.
More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/church-says-priest-shot-at-maryland-episcopal-parish-on-life-support-to-donate-her-organs/2012/05/05/gIQAjv1a4T_story.html