Episcopal Diocese of Albany - Priests and Deacons Update

Business Office: 68 South Swan Street - Albany, NY 12210 - (518) 465-4737
Christ the King Spiritual Life Center: 575 Burton Road - Greenwich, NY 12834 - (518) 692-9550

May 9th, 2005

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Carol and I returned late Saturday night after the successful delivery of our newest granddaughters Grace and Sophia at Long Island Jewish Hospital. Bishop Dave presided at the burial of Fr Seime from Christ Church, Cooperstown.

Sunday had the joy of baptizing Elijah Quinn, son of Fr Tom and Kathleen Trees in Ilion.

BEAVER-CROSS 2005: The NYS Health Dept gave the go-ahead last week to install the septic system for the New Beaver-Cross camping facility. Much of the furniture, bunk-beds etc are already in place. Now the construction crews can put in this final ingredient! The New Beaver-Cross will have all the great attributes of its predecessor “Building Community in Christ” and also safer and greater surroundings.

The new Welcome Center (including the dining room) is scheduled to be completed June 1. This single magnificent structure presides on the great hilltop southeast of the chapel. (It remains a major naming opportunity and can be had for a gift of $1 million.) There are four free-standing Youth Cabins and each of them can be named for $100K each.

** This is the signal to prepare for our Diocesan-wide appeal to ask every attender in our missionary outposts to come along side to complete this project. I want to ask each person to ask the Holy Spirit for direction. From the gifts You have given me/us what portion do you wish I return to this project? One person on a modest income said, “I don’t have a lot, but I can give $1 a day for the next 60 months” (5 years). That generosity from ordinary folks is going to Build Beaver Cross.

An email from Mother Miriam tells us that “The Sisters at Luwinga are expecting over 400 for the Profession next weekend! Three parishes are mobilized to handle all the details – right down to the Brahman steer out in the goat pasture waiting to be slaughtered on Friday. (No caterers to call on there!)

Plans for the profession and dedication are massive. A committee of 35 from all three nearby parishes has been working since February on all the details for housing, feeding, and transporting 400 people for next weekend. I’ll bring home a copy of all the meeting minutes. Quite impressive, and the Bishop had no part in it. Yes, Archbishop Bernard Malango and Bishop Biggers are coming, and so are the Tanzanian Sisters of St. Mary and all the RC Sisters in the area. There will be a video tape made, and Alfred Chambezi, a Diocesan staffer, will take pictures with our camera. He took some last year so I know he will be good.

The Sisters tell me this is going on national TV, too. As Sister Martha would say, “Oh, my!” I have to do the presentation of the Sisters in Chichewa. That should be interesting. All the verbs are eight syllables long and start with at least three consonants each syllable!

I ask your supportive prayers. This is the first new convent in Africa in this millennium. Also the first profession of Life Vows for this community in Malawi.”

Pray for Mother Miriam’s ministry of blessing, for save travel and good health in her visitation.

Upcoming at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center:

- May 22, 5pm Dedication of the Healing Center
- Aug 14, 4pm Dedication of Saint Mary’s Convent.
- Today, Episcopal Charities, Standing Committee and Growth committee for the SLC.

- Next Wednesday, May 18, is the Spring Gathering for the Retired Clergy and Spouses, at Christ the King beginning with the Eucharist at 11:00. Many thanks to Fr Irv and Dottie Ballert and their Committee members for all the work they put into this. The retired clergy are a hidden gem, continually to serve the Lord with vigor and enthusiasm. One guy told me, “…after years of being an administrator, fixer, scheduler and problem-solver, I’m getting to do what I started out to do- be a priest.”

- Saturday, May 28, “Journey into Healing” at the Healing Center with the Rev. Dr. Russell Parker as guest speaker. He is from the UK and has worked very closely with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the British & Irish Governments in the area of reconciliation and healing. He is a very gifted and entertaining speaker. This is a day program from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and ends with prayer and the laying-on of hands. Cost is $39.00 per person (includes lunch). For further information, contact the Healing Ministry Office at 518-692-3198.

VOCATION CONSIDERATION: Do you know someone who would make a good priest or deacon?

The Diocese of Albany continually seeks more ordained leadership. We believe that God is right now calling dozens of people to serve his church as priests and deacons. But they may be waiting for an invitation from you to confirm that call. We believe that the right people will exhibit some of these qualities:

- They will have habits of piety: reading the bible, daily prayer, frequent attendance at Mass;
- They will be known for their high standard of morality
- They will exhibit Christian leadership. They may have been a warden, a Cursillo team member, an Alpha small group leader, a Disciple group teacher
- They will have skills in teaching or working with people
- They will be well thought of and respected in their church

If someone comes to mind as you read these qualities, go to them and ask them to speak to their rector or clergy-in-charge. If he or she approves, they should attend the spring HOLY ORDERS INTEREST MEETING on Saturday, May 21, at 3 pm in the Library of Christ the King Spiritual Life Center. Please write Canon Jerry Carroll and let him know of anyone who is attending.

We continue to want to foster vocations among the young. There is ample reason for making a college student a postulant for holy orders. (It helps structure daily living, not to speak of averting spiritual danger.)

LORD JESUS, ascended to glory you now live as our great high Priest, ever interceding before the Father’s throne: we ask you to pour out your Holy Spirit in plenitude on all your people, but especially on the people and priests and deacons of this diocese. We seek more of Your power so that we can live spiritually potent and fruitful lives for your glory. Amen.

In Christ,
+ Dan

Next Sunday is Pentecost as we commemorate the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus gathered with Mary in the upper room. Only the power of the Spirit moves the church forward. We need to pray for that energizing and empowering work of the Father in every missionary outpost. Jesus reminds us, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

The Diocese of Albany as One Church:
organized around the Great Commandment and the Great Commission,
moving from membership to discipleship,
rooted in the catholic structure of Anglicanism,
and
equipping ever disciples to make disciples.

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