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

December 20th, 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last week into the weekend was an outstanding spiritual time. Bishop Bill Frey was originally scheduled to lead the Priests’ Retreat and a couple of weeks before was stricken with a mild heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery.

Bishop Dave Bena came out of his short sabbatical to lead in place of Bp Frey. His meditations had the usual clarity and forcefulness, solid spiritual nourishment. The call to holiness is the essential ingredient we can easily bypass as we become ‘busy’ in the work of the Kingdom.

The silence, the meal readings from Archbishop Michael Ramsey, the sung daily offices, the Eucharist, opportunities for Reconciliation and the Service of Healing enabled us to receive many graces from the Lord. Thanks again to Fr Bill Cooper, Spiritual Director for the Clergy, for so many hours hearing confessions, to Fr Darius, Fr Rob, Fr Christopher and Fr Wayne for the outstanding music, and Fr Nigel for healing ministry.

We got to worship with more plainsong and Anglican chant that week than we often do in a whole month elsewhere.

Thank you Lord for Bishop Dave.

Saturday was the priestly ordination of Father Scott Garno at St Matthew’s Unadilla where there was an impressive showing of the deanery clergy, along with lots of other priests and deacons from the diocese. Fr Bill Hinrichs, Scott’s father-in-law, delivered an excellent sermon drawing on the situation from Isaiah “in the year that King Uzziah died”. Bishop Bill and I were able to concelebrate the actual Ordination. Fr Dave Collum did a terrific job as MC for the Mass.

Carol and I headed home, and on Sunday morning to Christ the King for the Ordination of Father David Haig. A large number came from the Community of Jesus and the liturgy was enriched with singing of the propers and the ordinary in Latin, along with the Veni Creator. I was pleased to see Fr Gordon Mintz from the Grenville Christian College, Brockville (Ontario; across the St Lawrence from Morristown.) Deacon Barbara Letteney and Archdeacon Harvey Huth ably assisted in the liturgy. Several of our priests and deacons were able to participate.

Bishop Bill made a visitation to Saint Paul’s, Albany; celebrated the liturgy and met with the vestry and later the congregation.

Yesterday was a regular day for both of us. He was meeting with folks at Christ the King. I celebrated the Noon Mass at the cathedral and went down to donate blood afterwards. Later in the afternoon visited Father Fred Leach at Samaritan Hospital in Troy where he is recovering from a major fall last Friday during a funeral. He had surgery for six hours on Saturday to repair fractures in his leg. Please keep Fr Fred in your prayers.

I ask your prayers also for Mother Geri Bissell-Thompson who is undergoing chemo therapy; and for Laura Miller, in the ordination process for deacon, from Walton who is being seen for a pituitary growth.

Wednesday, Dec 20th, Bishop Bill has the Noon Mass at the cathedral. In the evening, at 7:00, I will be at Saint Luke’s, Catskill to induct two new Chapters of the Daughters of the King, from Coxsackie and from Catskill. This continues a most encouraging trend in the formation of these women committed to prayer, especially for the local church.

Thursday is our day off. I can reasonably predict that not many folks will be calling the offices on Friday. Thank you to all the parishes that have pushed to fulfill their diocesan apportionments by the end of the year. This makes a big difference and we are very grateful.

Mtr Ginny Ogden will be ordained Saturday, Jan 6, at St Stephen’s, Delmar. White stoles (for the feast of the Epiphany).

Healing the Shepherds is a special event for Clergy, offered January 10 and 11 at the Healing Oratory of Christ the King. The cost is $100 including meals and accommodations. More info at http://www.christ-the-king-center.org/Healing/EventsPrograms.cfm. A very suitable gift for a clergy friend.

I’ve begun reading an interesting book, Who Really Cares, by Arthur Brooks, a professor of public administration of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. It’s about giving and charity in America. It also offers an interesting contrast with patterns of giving (money and time) in other countries, some of it a surprise.

May each of you be blessed in this holy season. The simple truth that God became a Man is worthy of a lifetime of attention and assimilation.

While Santa’s gonna’ find out who’s naughty and nice, the great reality is that Jesus came because we are all in that first category. He came, St Paul reminds us, while we were yet in sin.

So this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we can turn to the crib and see the Saviour who loved us enough to become one of us, and to become the perfect offering for our sins.

O Come! Let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Bishop Dave and Bishop Bill join me in wishing each disciple of Jesus a holy and happy Christ-mass.

LORD JESUS, as we contemplate your en-flesh-ment,
so that you could be like us in all ways but sin:
give us hearts filled with faith and gratitude,
that in this Christ-Mass we make experience Your redeeming love.
Amen.

In Christ,
+ Dan

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