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

February 7, 2008

Diocesan Update Addendum

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Benedictine Prayer Retreat. The sisters of the Community of Saint Mary are holding a Benedictine Prayer Retreat the weekend of February 15 -18. For details and more info, contact the Sisters here.

Lenten Healing Services. Bishop Love and Fr. Mumford will be leading the Regional Healing Services this Lent. All services will begin at 7pm. While the services are grouped by deaneries, you are welcome to attend any service that fits your schedule.
Mon, Feb 25 – St Matthews, Unadilla (Susquehanna & Western Mohawk Deaneries)
Tue, Feb 26 – St. Mark’s, Malone (Northern Adirondack & St. Lawrence Deaneries)
Thu, Feb 28 – St. Peter’s, Albany (Hudson and Metropolitan Deaneries)
Mon, Mar 3 – Messiah, Glens Falls (Southern Adirondack & Upper Hudson Deaneries)

The Bishop will host a supper for Deanery clergy and spouses at 5 PM prior to each service. Please RSVP to Canon Carroll here.

Waiting for Jesus: A Lenten Agape Retreat – March 1. This one day Lenten Retreat will be a feast of prayer and reflection where we will look at elements of the Passover Seder and spend time dwelling with the Spirit in prayer. The retreat will be from 9 – 4 in the Barry House Theological Library at CtK SLC. This is a date change from the previous Diocesan Update Addendum. Cost is $25 per person and includes meals and material. Register at www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/news/events and click on the Lenten Retreat at CTK. Questions: Contact Mother Laurie Garramone-Rohr here.

Chrism Mass Schedule. Bishop Love will host a meal for clergy and their spouses, and surviving spouses of deceased clergy following the Chrism Mass. If you are going to stay for the meal, please RSVP to the host parish by March 10.
Mon, Mar 17, 6 PM – Cathedral of All Saints: adasst@nycap.rr.com
Tue, Mar 18, 6 PM – St. James, Oneonta
Wed, Mar 19, Noon – St. Thomas, Tupper Lake

Welcome Home Initiative. The first healing retreat of the Welcome Home Initiative will be March 17 – 19. The Welcome Home Initiative is for combat veterans and their families and is open to combat veterans of all wars. To register for this retreat contact the Healing Ministry at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center at (518) 692-9550 or slester@ctkcenter.org. For more information and a Welcome Home Initiative brochure go to http://www.christ-the-king-center.org/Resources/welcome-home-brochure.pdf .

Save the Date. Details to follow
April 1 – 4. Priest Retreat at CtK
April 19 – Postulants and Candidates Dinner at CtK
April 25-27 – Men’s Retreat at CtK
May 2-5 – Clergy Wives Conference

Convention 2008 Coffee House. A reminder that the entertainment for Saturday evening at this year's convention will be a Coffee House featuring YOU! No auditions. You just need to contact Fr. Monica here, and let him know what you would like to do for our talent show. Please remember that this is a family gathering centered on Christ. Therefore, secular music is OK as long as it is appropriate to this type of gathering. If you want to sing but are unable to play an instrument, let Fr. Ted know and he may be able to arrange for someone to accompany you.

Your prayers for healing are invited for Amee Longbottom, wife of Fr Rob Longbottom, rector, St. John’s, Ogdensburg, who had surgery last week to repair a fractured arm, Margaret Haskell, wife of our Canon to the Ordinary, Fr Bob Haskell, who is undergoing chemotherapy, Fr Robert Lawthers, licensed retired priest, who is recovering from surgery.

Dr. Lloyd Cast, Jr., retired Choir Director and Organist at the Cathedral of All Saints died Saturday, January 26. His funeral will be held at the Cathedral on Saturday, February 9 at 11 AM. Alumni of the choirs and friends of Dr. Cast who wish to add their voices on that day are invited to arrive at the Cathedral in time for a 9:50 rehearsal. The Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys will vest for the service. All other singers will sit in the Quire and are asked to wear coat and tie for men and similarly appropriate dress for ladies.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with all who mourn; that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP pg 505)

Sanctity of Life. At Diocesan Convention 2007, we passed a resolution affirming the sanctity of human life as a gift of God from conception to natural death. Anglicans for Life – A Global Mission Affirming the Sanctity of Life – is circulating a petition asking the 2008 Lambeth Conference “to proclaim that the Anglican Communion affirms that human life is a precious gift from God that is to be protected at every stage, from conception to natural death;” and to encourage all Anglicans to oppose abortion and euthanasia. If you would like to support this petition, you may do so by going to www.anglicansforlife.org and signing the petition electronically.

Retired Clergy – Post Retirement Work. For our retired clergy community, the 2008 cap on earning as a retired cleric has increased to $31,500 before an application for “Exemption to the Rules for Work After Retirement.” The application is available at www.cpg.org.

Clergy Taxes. All individual active and retired clergy and all churches should have received from the Church Pension Fund the 2008 Tax Guide for Episcopal Ministers & Churches for 2007 Tax Returns by Richard R Hammar, JS, LLM, CPA. Please see that the Treasurer, Wardens, and Vestry Members know of its presence and where it is. This is an important reference tool. Also, Mr. Hammar’s comprehensive 2008 Church & Clergy Tax Guide is available at bookstores and on-line.

The Great Backyard Bird Count at CtK, Sunday, February 17, 10am - 3 pm. Join us at Christ the King for our first annual Great Backyard Bird Count! The GBBC is a joint project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. This annual event engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. Come out to CtK and enjoy the fields and woodlands for a long or short bird count. Bring your binoculars and we'll report our findings all together. Lunch is available. Please call Shirley at 518-692-9550 x103 to let us know you are coming.

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