Once upon a time in America
Once upon a time, there was a parish in The Episcopal Church called S.Mark- on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque, in the Diocese of Rio Grande. Some two years ago, in the middle of 2009, a large number of parishioners left TEC to found the Anglican Church of Christ the King – a parish of the Anglican Church in North America. When they moved, they left everything behind: the church building and other real estate, furnishings, endowments, the lot! All in all, they walked away from some $2 million, because they thought that that was the right thing to do. But for the Diocesan Council, it seems that that was not enough. For S.Mark’s had pledged a diocesan contribution for 2009 of $100,000 in quarterly instalments and only half that sum had actually been paid by the date of the congregation’s departure. Cue a letter dated 31 August 2011 from the Bishop of Rio Grande, the Right Revd Michael Vono, to Christ the King’s Rector, the Revd Roger Weber, suggesting – in the friendliest of terms, of course! – that those who had left might like to help fill the shortfall for the quarter after their departure by contributing $20,000 (out of the $25,000 supposedly due) to the diocese on which they had understandably turned their backs two years earlier! Thus far, the parish’s response has not been published, so readers of 30DAYs will have to use their imaginations . . . (And, no, this isn’t a fairy story.)
News from the Hustings
(And neither is this.) Some two thousand miles away from Albuquerque, things are hotting up in the search for a Bishop Coadjutor for the diocese of New York, with the election due to take place at the end of this month. The imaginatively-titled Committee to Elect a Bishop Coadjutor for The Episcopal Diocese of New York has come up with five nominations, whilst two further nominations have been made from elsewhere in the diocese, so electors will have no less than seven candidates from which to choose! One in particular caught the eye of 30DAYs: the Very Revd the Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio looks to us to be a very strong candidate indeed. Aged just 57, Dean Lind is apparently ‘a true priest, mentor, administrator, leader, and preacher . . . a visionary and creative thinker’. The Dean’s ‘theology and style of leadership are grounded in the biblical principles of vision, change, collegiality, stewardship, and servanthood’. Married to Emily since 2010 (the wedding took place to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their relationship), Dean Lind is obviously the one to watch, particularly as her Christian name is Tracey . . .
Proof-reading cock up?
30DAYs hopes that this extract from the website of S.Swithun, Hither Green – Priest in Charge: the Revd Jane Kustner – is a misprint, but these days one can never be quite sure!
1 August 2011
Holidays
Rev Jane is off to Yorkshire for 10 days on 7 August — willies and waterproofs methinks!!
Patrimony in your pocket
Calling all iPhone users! What 30DAYs bets most of you are missing on your Smartphone is a handy little App available now from itunes.apple. com at just £1.49. Let’s let the online blurb for Confession: A Roman Catholic App take up the story:
Designed to be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance.
Ø Custom examination of Conscience based upon age, sex, and vocation (single, married, priest, or religious)
Ø Ability to add sins not listed in standard examination of conscience
Ø Confession walkthrough including time of last confession in days, weeks, months, and years
Ø Choose from 7 different acts of contrition
PC 1
Commiserations to a Forward in Faith member who recently tried to access the website of the Parish of S.Mary the Virgin in Arlington, Texas from the computer in his office in the headquarters of a certain County Council. Sad to say, access was automatically blocked on the grounds that the site was obviously pornographic, given that a virgin was involved!
PC2
Full marks to our good friend Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali for his response in The Sunday Telegraph to the news that the BBC is looking to phase out use of the offensive (sic) terms ‘BC’ and ‘AD’, in favour of the altogether cuddlier ‘BCE’ and ‘CE’. ‘These changes are unnecessary and they don’t achieve what the BBC wants them to achieve. Whether you use Common Era or Anno Domini, the date is actually still the same and the reference point is still the birth of Christ.’
Quite.
And finally . . .
A headline spotted in the Stourbridge News has to win this year’s prize for the most enticing – if misleading – intro to a really quite boring story: Two village vicars could be left juggling up to 8 churches.
30DAYs would pay good money to see that, if only it meant what it said!
Copy for 30 Days should reach the FiF
office by the 10th day of the month:
30days@forwardinfaith.com