2019 International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
The Winooski Peace Initiative is planning an evening peace vigil and encourages others to plan activities as well. Visit here for ideas: https://
VT Christian Rock-toberfest
CITIZEN WAY – JASON GRAY
with THE YOUNG ESCAPE
The VT Christian Rock-toberfest is coming EARLY this year!
On September 28, 2019 @ 7PM at the Barre Auditorium the “Love is a Lion Tour” will be rocking out with featured artists CITIZEN WAY (“Wavewalker”, “Bulletproof”) and JASON GRAY (“With Every Act of Love”, “More Like Falling in Love”) with special guests THE YOUNG ESCAPE (“Love Me Like You”).
If you saw how CRAZY last year’s Rock-toberfest was with CITIZEN WAY crowd surfing – you WON’T want to miss it this year!!!
This event will be hosted by Barre City Auditorium, Barre, VT.
Tickets available online at www.VTChristianMusic.com
STDA Fall Classes
Are you, or someone you know, in need of compassionate, achievement oriented, faith-driven education? Are you feeling frustrated with the confines of traditional schools, a lack of individualized attention, or dogged transportation woes?
With academics, instructors, and curriculums tantamount to those offered at state renowned Rice Memorial High School in Burlington, Vt., NOW you have a choice!
Saint Therese of Lisieux Digital Academy is an ONLINE Diocesan Catholic High School whose rigorous program is grounded in the firm foundation of a Christian Faith. STDA works with parents in their role as the primary educators of their children by providing flexible options to assist with the diverse educational needs of students and their families. Our goal is to develop well-grounded, well-educated, global citizens to serve as Christ-like ambassadors within our society and beyond.
Registration is now open for 2019-2020 Fall classes. The Fall semester classes will start on September 23, 2019.
For more information about registration, tuition assistance, scholarships, and partnering with St. Therese, please go to http://stdavt.org, or contact Mr. Bob Goudreau at stdavtorg@gmail.com.
11th Episcopal Bishop of Vermont
The Episcopal Church in Vermont Elects Shannon MacVean-Brown as Eleventh Bishop Diocesan
On May 18, 2019 the Episcopal Church in Vermont announced the election of the Rev. Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Interim Rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Franklin, Ind., as its 11th bishop diocesan.
MacVean-Brown was elected on the first ballot of the Special Electing Convention in Burlington, receiving 41 votes in the clergy order and 69 votes in the lay order. A minimum of 31 clergy votes and 58 lay votes were necessary for election on that ballot.
The other nominees were:
- The Rev. Dr. Hillary D. Raining, Rector, St. Christopher’s Church, Gladwyne, Pa.
- The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith, Rector, Holy Comforter, Richmond, Va.
The Rev. Dr. Rick Swanson, president of the Standing Committee of The Episcopal Church in Vermont, said, “I am thrilled to welcome the Rev. Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown as bishop-elect. Her gifts and skills for ministry will not only lead The Episcopal Church of Vermont into the future, but her role in the wider Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion will be a voice of hope and promise for all of God’s people throughout the world.”
Commenting on the election MacVean-Brown said, “I’m excited that the people of The Episcopal Church in Vermont are so willing to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and try something courageous. I am looking forward to forging relationships, participating in ministry, and joining in the work of the Church in the Brave Little State of Vermont.”
This historic election marks the first time an African American has been elected as bishop of The Episcopal Church in Vermont. Additionally, MacVean-Brown will be one of only three African American women to hold the title of bishop in any of the seven dioceses that make up The Episcopal Church in New England, also known as Province I of The Episcopal Church. The first was the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, who served as a bishop suffragan (assisting) bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts from 1989-2003 and the Rt. Rev. Gayle Harris, who is presently serving as bishop suffragan in that diocese.
MacVean-Brown holds a Master of Divinity degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ecumenical Theological Seminary. She was ordained deacon in 2004 and priest in 2005 in the Diocese of Michigan. MacVean-Brown and her husband Phil have been married for 26 years. Together they have three daughters. MacVean-Brown resides in Indiana but will be relocating to Vermont.
Pending the consent of a majority of Episcopal bishops with jurisdiction and a majority of the Diocesan Standing Committees, MacVean-Brown will be ordained and consecrated on September 28, 2019, at Ira Allen Chapel in Burlington. The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, will serve as the chief consecrator.
MacVean-Brown will succeed the Rt. Rev. Thomas. C. Ely, who has served as bishop diocesan since 2001 and will retire in October.
The Episcopal Church in Vermont encompasses 45 congregations across the Green Mountain State.
Sister Pat McKittrick Receives Award
A Lifetime Devoted to Improving Our Communities
By Eleanor J. Osborne
Sister Pat McKittrick believes that true well being extends beyond hospital walls. Her work in the Health Ministries Program – apart of Community Health Improvement – is in many respects a precursor to the concepts behind population health, and unquestionably an invaluable source of support for many in our communities.
Sister Pat started the Health Ministries/Faith in Action Program in 1994. Her work, which has taken on many forms over the years, is focused on improving people’s physical, social, emotional, spiritual and psychological health by strengthening existing community partnerships and making them self-sustaining, both in Winooski and surrounding areas.
Much of that work has been carried out by what is now called the Winooski Peace Initiative, a group of organizations including UVM Medical Center departments, local churches, businesses, schools, other city agencies and more to work together to make improvements in the lives of our community members. Work made possible by this group includes:
• Ensuring that people have access to healthy foods through programs like the Summer Lunch and Activity Program, which provides food and activities for school children whose families might not otherwise be able to afford them
• Raising awareness of diversity and cultural issues in Winooski schools and the community through programs that include sponsoring the reading and sharing inspirational books in our schools
• Promoting safety and non-violence through programs like a free self-defense class for women; and establishment of a multi-disciplinary committee to address education and awareness around the subject of vulnerable adults, some of whom may be victims of abuse Sister Pat says she comes by this work naturally through a blend of nature and nurture: raised in Jersey City, her father was social justice-minded, and she saw in her neighborhood plenty of people who had less. Trough her training as a nurse, then joining a convent in Montreal, she traveled to places around the world where, again, she gained a perspective on what it means to “have” – and “have not.”
“That perspective has fueled my work,” she says. “I’ve seen firsthand how, even though there’s a scale of 1-12, not everything is a 12. But we have to come together to do something when the scale starts tipping towards a 12.”
She’s always looking for ways to be creative in addressing the needs of our community. She serves
on the Board of the Winooski Food Shelf.
She has been involved in implementing innovative programs like “soul collage,” an exercise in which
individuals can post images that they find meaningful to share as they feel comfortable.
“It helps people forget the problems of everyday life,” she says, “and reconnects us all to what’s important.”
And for Sister Pat, what’s most important is our community.
“That’s what drives everything,” she says. “How can we come together as a community to be our best?
Sister Pat McKittrick Receives Women’s Center’s 2019 Outstanding Social Justice Activist Award!
Outstanding Social Justice Activist Award in recognition of her lifetime devoted to serving the undeserved, and the many programs aimed at ending oppression which she has helped bring to fruition.
Every year, the Women’s Center hosts the Women’s Award Banquet. This celebration is an opportunity to recognize the contributions and activism of those in our community working to dismantle systems of oppression.
This award is given to a person who has worked in antisexist endeavors and who has drawn connections between various communities to end multiple forms of oppression. This award recognizes that various forms of oppression (e.g. sexism, ableism, racism, classism, heterosexism, religious discrimination) are connected and support one another. Tis year’s Awards Banquet was held on Tuesday, March 19th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Silver Maple Ballroom at the Davis Center.
Congratulations and THANK YOU, Sister Pat, for all you do to make our community a better place.
Make A Difference – Bethany Christian Services Fundraiser
Saturday, April 27, 2019
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Hampton Inn Colchester
42 Lower Mountain View Dr
Colchester, VT
Children need to know that they are safe and loved. This is the basic foundation on which their lives are built. Without this foundation, children struggle with core issues, including identity and trust. Early on, children learn to see the world as either a threatening place or a place of opportunity. Carrying this lens into adulthood, it shapes how they see their place in the world. Our goal at Bethany is to give all children a safe, loving family
— a foundation on which they can build the rest of their lives.
Reception begins at 6:00 p.m.
Dinner and program begin at 6:30 p.m.
Dinner is complimentary, and reservations are required. Guests will have an opportunity to financially support Bethany’s ministry.
Please RSVP by April 15, 2019 to
Rebekah DePinto <rdepinto@bethany.org>
Daily Lenten Reflections
| The 40 days of Lent gives us an opportunity to turn our hearts back towards God and offers us a chance to reflect on our lives and renew our commitment to God through prayer. So we invite you to pray with us these… Daily Lenten Reflections Students, faculty, staff, and members of the Sunday Worshiping Community at St. Michael’s College have written reflections based on the daily liturgical readings in Lent. We encourage those who are interested to go to our blog to read the dailyreflections or request a printed booklet by emailing Laurie Sabens at lsabens@smcvt.edu. To read a reflection online, simply go to the Daily Lenten Reflections blog site. You can choose to follow the blog to receive daily notices when new posts appear. |
Bible Walk & Holy Land Pilgrimage
Bible Walk invites you to participate in an unforgettable spiritual, archeological journey in the footsteps of Jesus from July 10-22, 2019. Bible Walk is an ecumenical pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel and Palestine) and Petra (Jordan) exploring the path and ministry of Jesus and enabling you to personally experience the region, settings and sites where Jesus lived and traveled during his ministry. Bible Walk is more than a tour, it is a faith journey incorporating Bible study, sacred space, worship, spiritual reflection, meditation and archeological discoveries related to important places and events mentioned in scripture allowing participants to feel more intimately connected to their faith. The cost is $4,235 (from JFK Airport). The deposit deadline is March 15, 2019. For more information and registration, log onto the following site:
https://www.lionsgatetravel.com/holyland-jordan-tour-785697.html
January is national slavery and human trafficking prevention month
Small and rural states are not immune from human trafficking. This crime occurs within Vermont as well as beyond our borders.
Did that headline get your attention? Maybe you already are feeling uncomfortable about whether you will read this item. Please do keep reading.
The reality is that we may all unconsciously be connected to human trafficking or enslavement.
Human trafficking is recognized by the United Nations as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining a person for exploitation through labor, services or a commercial sex act by force, fraud or coercion.” This crime is a human rights issue, public health issue, and child abuse issue when minors are victimized.
Think of the clothes you buy, and the countries where they are made. Think of the fish you eat. Are workers paid a fair wage – or does your bargain item come to you via the cost of enslaved labor?
Who provides your manicure or your massage? Could enslaved or trafficked workers be on the cleaning or hospitality staff where you are vacationing? How would you know?
Then there is the local opioid crisis – people with opioid use disorder, as well as people addicted to other substances, are particularly vulnerable to being forced, frauded or coerced into doing things they do not want to do, including commercial sex work, for the perpetrators’ profit.
A multi-disciplinary approach is needed to support victims and reduce the occurrence of the crime. The State of Vermont utilized some of the Victims of Crime Act federal funds to create and maintain a statewide human trafficking case manager position which is housed at the South Burlington Police Department. Due to its success, a second position is being added and based at the Rutland Police Department. The state also received $1.2 million dollar federal grant to greatly enhance its Human Trafficking Task Force.
So what can you do? Consider ways to increase your knowledge and awareness – first steps count! People in helping professions, such as teachers, social workers, faith community staff and nurses may be able to play a direct role, but we all should be aware of what we can do to eradicate this crime.
Give Way to Freedom, an Essex-based private operating foundation who provides training, outreach and direct services to potential victims, and which awards grants for domestic and international projects, is partnering with Alpha Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (an organization of leading women educators) to sponsor a community-wide informational session and panel on Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St. Panelists will include a law enforcement officer, advocates, a medical professional, social worker and researcher.
Continuing education credits can be arranged for those who would like them.
Questions and RSVP for the Jan. 10 event direct to edevent4@gmail.com.
Jan E. Hughes is a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma organization. She is a retired educator and librarian with Vermont schools and lives in South Burlington.
For more information please contact Sr. Pat McKittrick at 8476534 or pat.mckittrick@uvmhealth.org
Original publication of this article can be found at – https://www.otherpapersbvt.com/opinion/opinion_columns/january-is-national-slavery-and-human-trafficking-prevention-month/article_c84a4e66-0e2b-11e9-a1f1-7f82862743bb.html
Prayer Service and Potluck
ALL INVITED
JANUARY 20, 2019 – 4-7PM
Join us in celebrating Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2019. Our annual Prayer Service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Shelburne VT and will be followed by a casual networking potluck dinner in the parish hall. Everyone is invited, but we encourage people to bring something to share. So we can make sure we have enough food, please sign-up online to bring a dish (https://vecncc.org/2019-prayer-service-potluck-dinner/) or email us at info@vecncc.org with an RSVP and/or any questions you have. If you are an ordained Pastor and would like to participate in helping lead the prayer service, please email us your contact info and we’ll follow up with you. More information available at https://vecncc.org/2019-prayer-service-potluck-dinner/
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