RI Deacons to Celebrate 30 Years of Ordained Ministry!

 

Join The Rhode Island Diaconate in Celebrating

30 years of Ordained Ministry!

 

May 30, 2015 2:00 PM

St. Martin's Episcopal Church

50 Orchard Ave., Providence, RI, 02906

 

 

 

On July 13, 1985, Bishop George Hunt ordained the first class of Deacons who completed their formation and academic preparations at the Diocese of Rhode Island School for Deacons.  This was the beginning of the revival and resurrection of the vocational Diaconate in our Diocese.  Since that time, there have been 42 people ordained to this order and several others who have transferred their orders to our diocese for a total of 46 vocational deacons to serve here.  Some of these have moved to other dioceses or denominations, some renounced their orders, and others are deceased.  Today, there are 27 canonically resident vocational deacons in Rhode Island, with nine active and eighteen retired.  All active deacons serve in a parish or mission in collaboration with the Rector, Vicar or Priest-in-Charge.

 

2015 is being designated as a year of celebration for this outstanding ministry in our diocese.  There is a Diocesan wide diaconal ministry event being launched to raise funds for St. Mary's Home for Children, with the current deacons working with parishes and missions to raise funds for this vital work in our community, and to raise awareness of the financial needs of the agency to sustain this work.  The fundraiser was kicked off with the collection of $534 from The Episcopal Church Women's Annual Meeting designating their loose offering collection during their Eucharist for this initiative!  Parishes are being asked to do creative activities to raise money throughout the winter and the spring which will be gathered and presented to St. Mary's at a Festive Eucharist on May 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM at St. Martin's Church, Providence.

2nd National Conference for Deacons, June, 1981

2^nd Annual Conference for Deacons

First publication: June, 1981

 

There are 700 vocational deacons in the Episcopal Church today, and the Second National Conference for Deacons, held May 21-23 at the center for Continuing Education at Notre Dame, Indiana, heard the rev. Dr. John. E. Booty challenge deacons to be, “true and lively catalysts of the universal servanthood of all Christians, both in their actions and their inner beings.” 

Dr. Booty,  professor of Church History at the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, pointed to the revival of the vocational diaconate and the mushrooming numbers of deacons in the church as offering and opportunity to personify, sacramentalize and enable the servant ministry to which all Christians are called to at Baptism.

Approximately 100 vocational deacons and friends of diaconal ministry from 39 states and two Canadian provinces attended the conference.  Twenty Five workshops sharing the diversity of ministry of deacons and and the issues of diaconal ministry were at the heart of the conference.  A previous conference in 1979 explored the theological undergirding of the Diaconate.  The conference was a cooperative part of a six year effort  called for by the 1979 General Convention of the Episcopal Church, directed at raising the consciousness of the church about the work and ministry of deacons, setting up pilot programs and evaluating the national effort.  The conference recommended that province-wide deacon gatherings be held in the spring of 1982, and that another national conference  be held in 1983. 

The worship of the conference incorporated the many ways the deacon serves liturgically and was arranged by  The Associated parishes, Alexandria VA., who co-sponsored the conference  with the National Association for The Diaconate, Boston, MA.

The National Center for The Diaconate, formerly known as the Central House for Deaconesses, is a 35 year old agency working to promote the distinctive, vocational diaconate, to educate the church and to support deacons and others in diaconal ministry.  The Center is located at 14 Beacon Street, Boston, MA., 02108.  The Rev. James L. Lowery, Jr. provides executive services to the Center and Gail D. Hinand is the Administrator.

 

Manual on "The Deacon in the Liturgy" published; April, 1981

Manual on “The Deacon in the Liturgy” Published

Original publication date of this article: April, 1981

 

“The Deacon in the Liturgy” by Deacon Ormand Plater has been published by the National Center for The Diaconate to clarify the Deacon’s role in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer’s restoration of diversity of ministries as a cardinal principle of worship.

In the book’s introduction,  Deacon Plater writes, “…although this booklet may appear to be a manual of ceremony for a limited audience, the Deacons of the Episcopal Church, its deeper purpose is to help deacons be what they ought to be in the liturgy, neither ostentatious nor sloppy, but serving with grace and manners, and to help bishops, priests and lay persons realize the value of deacons in  the life and worship of the church.  …The deacon’s role in the liturgy reveals the true nature of the deacon as proclaimer and evangelist, messenger and bearer of good news to the poor, as well as servant in the image of Christ.

For some 700 vocational (permanent) deacons in the Episcopal Church today, the book will serve as a manual and guide.  The deacon in the liturgy is presented in the total context of all of the church’s services and offices, and a congregation can make complete or partial use of the material.

Deacon Ormande Plater, Ph.D. serves as assistant at Saint Anna’s Church and as medical chaplain at Touro Infirmary Medical Center, both in New Orleans.  A native of New York City, Deacon Plater’s undergraduate work was done at Vanderbilt University.  He received a doctorate in English Languages and Literature from Tulane University.

The book is available from The National Center for the Diaconate, 14 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108, for $6.

 

CONFERENCE SCHEDULED

We also take note that the National Center for the Diaconate and Associated Parishes will jointly sponsor a conference titled, “The Deacon” May 21-23 at the University of Notre Dame.  Registration, due in writing on or before May 14…..For further information, contact either the Rev. James L. Lowery, Jr. or Ms. Gail D. Hinand, 14 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108.

Rev. Deacon Heddie Neale

With sadness, we mark the passing of The Rev. Heddie Neale into the next chapter of Life.

Dear brothers and sisters;

We've learned that the memorial service for Heddie Neale is to be held at 3 PM on Sunday Oct 19th at St. Luke's in East Greenwich. A reception will follow at the church and will offer us a time to support each other and Heddie's family.

Clergy who wish to, are invited to vest and process as part of the service. White stoles please.

+Nicholas

--


The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, DD, SOSc

Bishop
The Diocese of Rhode Island

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I find it difficult to write to you this afternoon.  I trust that all of you have heard the news by now, either through the Bishop’s email to the clergy, the newsletter from St. Luke’s or by other means that Heddie Neale died last evening.  Heddie went to be her Lord after a brief illness in the hospital.  I spoke with her daughter this morning, and she informed me that all of her children were able to gather around her.  She also mentioned that Heddie shared “I am ready to go home,” a final witness of the faith that she lived in all of her affairs.

The rain is coming down outside of my windows, and I am wondering if God isn’t shedding a few tears over the loss of one of His beloved deacons.  But I also know that He embraced her mightily as she entered into His eternal kingdom.

I first met Heddie through Cursillo back in the early 80’s, but was reintroduced to her at our School for Deacons when I enrolled.  We became friends quickly, and shared many wonderful memories during our formation process.  I was privileged to have her be one of my presenters at my ordination, and will hold that memory close to my heart.  She was an inspiration and an icon into the true meaning of the Diaconate.  She modeled dedication and commitment to the process as well as the vocation.  I am grateful for all that she did for me, and all that she did for this Diocese and those she served through her ministry.

I have not heard of the funeral arrangements as of this writing, but hope to know soon so we can all try to gather in celebration of a humble, gracious, gentle, and inspiring servant.

Peace be with you, and may light perpetual shine upon Heddie.  We love her and miss her already!

Jan
The Ven. Archdeacon Janice Grinnell

The Deacons’ School: An Historic Account

The following comes from The Rev. Shirley Woods, who became the first Dean of the School for Deacons, Diocese of California in 1979.  She, with the help of Fr. Richard Fabian, writes about deacons:

DEACON: Enabler, Facilitator

--Enabler: One who provides opportunities and makes possible the work of others.

--Facilitator: One who paves the way, gives instruction and makes hard work easier.

The Great Enabler was Jesus.  When questioners came to Jesus with problems, He did not hand out answers from the Teacher’s Answer Book.  How many times did He preface His answer with, “What do you think of this case?” or, “Have you not read…?”  Jesus had the skill of stating the problem in new terms or in such a way that the answer became apparent to the listener, who could then reply and then act for himself.  The Christian experience is one of liberation; it does not demand the rote following of commands and fiats.

We often hear the plaintive question, “What can the deacon do that no one else can do?”  The answer is another question: “What is it that the deacon cannot do that others can do?”  The answer (to the latter question) is, “Precious little.”  The deacon is the palace official, member of the kitchen cabinet, the man behind the scenes, whose job it is to see that all runs smoothly.  It is true that upon occasion one might see a deacon all dressed up in a brocade dalmatic (most likely it is borrowed).  But usually the deacon is standing in the background, giving orders with a nod, a raise of the eyebrow, or a gesture, making sure that everyone else in the show does his part.  So also out in the world.  Our deacon friend may not be the keynote speaker at the meeting, but it is he who found the keynote speaker.  He also found the table, the lectern and the chairs.  (Let us hope that he found a group of young people to set up the chairs.)  Should the speaker be late, the deacon will get up and tell a few jokes or lead us in a song.  It is true that the deacon may occasionally end up giving the speech.  Just so, the deacon is often found on a mid-summer day when everyone else is off on vacation, presiding at a funeral.

I have heard deacon candidates in worrisome voices, trying to tot up their talents and abilities.  They make lists: (1) can visit convalescent homes; (2) can take old ladies to church; (3) can babysit young children.  When the list is finished, the candidate in frustration is ready to throw the whole idea out the window.  Deacons don’t really want to take old ladies to church and babysit young children.  The list should read, (1) Can bring together persons who would profit by visiting convalescent homes, and train them; (2) Can organize convalescents to visit each other; (3) can organize car pools; (4) can raise money to buy a church bus; (5) can organize a group of nursery school teachers.  In other words, “Can run things.”  Perhaps another word should be added: “Unobtrusively.”

Those first deacons in the Book of Acts were not asked to cook meals; they were asked to round up the food and distribute it.  I hear a lot of inquiry , “What is the difference between a deacon and a lay person?”  Or, more bluntly, “What can a deacon do that a lay person cannot do?”  The unimaginative answer is, “Read the Gospel.”  But everyone knows that almost anyone can read the Gospel, and the4 deacon feels he has been thrown a sop.  The deacon’s job is to organize the laity, to get them moving.  It has been noted that the laity often have other fish to fry; the deacon will find that he has to do the job himself if he doesn’t get his organization into gear.  One deacon cannot visit all the convalescent homes, but One Deacon has become a facilitator for helping others to visit.  One deacon is only a drop in the bucket so far as rehabilitating alcoholics goes, but One Deacon has a study to define the problem and to set up a center for dealing with the problem.  A deacon can offer sympathy to a parent with a mentally disadvantaged child, but One Deacon has set up classes for such children and has taught others  how to teach them. 

Jesus said, “The man who holds out to the end is the one who will see salvation.  This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all the nations.”

Via The Rev. John Edmunds,

who will become the first director

of the School for Deacons in Rhode island

Next time:  Learn more from our history, as we hear about The Rev. John Edmunds and his background and vision for the School for Deacons

The Venerable Janice Grinnell in the latest edition of Diakonia

Hi Everyone,
The Association for Episcopal Deacons (AED) sends out a quarterly magazine to the national church, to highlight the work of deacons throughout the church.  As it happens, our own Archdeacon, The Ven. Janice Grinnell, has the page one story, which is all about her campus ministry!  I am giving you the direct link to the latest edition of Diakonia below.  Enjoy reading about the efforts of deacons and particularly those of our own Archdeacon.


http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102230245650-195/Vol36_Aug14.pdf

Deacon Mary Ann Mello Helps New Work Begin

Hello Everyone,

Deacon Mary Ann Mello has been helping to establish Church of the Advent, which will offer its services to those whose lives are affected by Autism. 

 

Rhythms of Grace at Advent is a new worship offering by the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.   It is a liturgical program developed by the Rev. Dr. Audrey Scanlan and Linda L. Snyder to serve the Autistic community and their families. An empty church and a diocesan desire to serve the under-served presented a great opportunity for the church to use its resources to reach out to the Autistic community and their families in our own diocese.  The program seeks to provide an alternative way to meet their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.  While the Autistic community is the focus, the liturgy is appropriate for all people who wish to experience another expression of how we can worship God and serve God’s people.

 Advent, Coventry (formerly St. Matthias) is centrally located in Rhode Island.  The property has been vacant and unused for several years. The church’s location, ample sanctuary space, and redesign potential made it an obvious place to begin this new offering!  Currently, the sanctuary is being reconfigured to host this unique and interactive worship experience.While much work is still required, a soft start is planned for June.

 

A number of families, professionals, and clergy will  work through  the  program  to ensure it has the correct balance to best serve those who God brings together to form  this new   community.  A large-scale opening service is planned for September.  If you are interested in volunteering for a work Saturday or have any questions, feel free to email the Rev. Dennis Bucco at father.dennis@hotmail.com or the Rev. Deacon Mary Ann Mello at deaconmaryannmello@verizon.net.

To find out more about the Liturgy “Rhythms of Grace” you can check out the website at http://www.rhythms-of-grace.org. We have been greatly inspired by the support and enthusiastic encouragement by so many people in the diocese that we are glad to be able to provide you with this update. Thank you for all you interest and prayers.

 

Maryann writes on their blog,

 

"We are putting down a floor in a church nursery and this is something I have never done before. I have also never helped to start a ministry before either. All new to me. Part of putting down a floor is making sure that the old flooring underneath is level and strong, so whatever type of floor you lay on top, lays flat but also has a balanced support system underneath.

I think that is what we are doing at Rhythms of Grace at Advent, laying a firm foundation and building a support system for this ministry before we open the doors. I am finding that it does take time and patience just like laying down the floor board by board but once it is finished it will be this sweeping space where anything can happen, anything can grow, anything can be.

For me, part of the foundation of this new ministry is listening to a community that is underserved and offering a place of freedom and comfort to be able get to know and hear God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in a way that includes our own unique way of communicating, in our own language.  Happy Pentecost!

Peace,

Mary Ann"

 

You can follow their progress, and let anyone you know who may have need of their services by clicking here.

 

In Memorial, Paul Pickens, Deacon

Hello everyone,
Today it is my sad duty to let you know that Paul Pickens has passed on to the next chapter of life.  His obituary is below.

"Father of all, we pray to you for those we love, but see no longer: Grant them your peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and, in your loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of your perfect well; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Bishop Knisely

Hermon, NY: Paul G. Pickens of Trout Lake Road died June 8 at his home surrounded by his loving family. He had been a resident of Lincoln, RI prior to moving to Hermon three years ago. 

Paul was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1942, son of the late Jim and Stella McCullough Pickens. Survivors include his wife, Lynne Santosuosso Pickens, daughter Rebecca Pickens and her husband David Nelson of Hermon, three grandsons: Elias, Josiah and Walden Nelson, a brother Bob and Cheryl Pickens of Mallorytown, Ontario; sister Kathryn and Harold Ribble of Whitby, Ontario; brother in law John and Janet Santosuosso of Lakeland, FL; sister in law Jane Ball of Philadelphia, PA; several nieces and nephews. 

Paul graduated from Barrington College with a Bachelors Degree in 1965 and earned his Masters of Social Work from Simmons College in 1968. He served as Executive Director of Vocational Resources and as President of Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island for 25 years. He was also a psychotherapist with Plaza Psychiatry of Woonsocket, RI. He was past treasurer of the Rhode Island AIDS Project, past president of the Association of Community Service Executives, and past president of the Rhode Island Rehabilitation Association. 

He served faithfully as a deacon at Christ Church, Lincoln, RI for 25 years. He was a recipient of the George F. Moore award, the Louis E. Baker Award, and the Bishop Higgins award. He authored The History of Christ Church Lonsdale 1833 - 1883, The History of Episcopal Charities, and Transition: Building Bridges from School to Work for Young Rhode Islanders with Disabilities. 

 He was a member of the board of the Church and Community Program of Canton serving on the Personnel Committee; he served on the Town Council of Hermon, and was a volunteer for the Sustainable Living Program. 

Paul was an avid horse lover and was well loved by all of the children and their parents to whom he gave pony rides. 

Mr. Pickens will be remembered at a Memorial Service to be held Saturday June 21 at 10:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church of Canton. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 17 Park St., Canton, NY 13617 or Christ Church Memorial Fund, 1643 Lonsdale Ave., Lincoln, RI 02865.

Precious in the site of the Lord is the death of His Saints.

RI Deacon's Retreat April 11-12, 2014



The deacons of Rhode Island will have a retreat on April 11-12, 2014 at The Episcopal Conference Center, 872 Reservoir Road, Pascoag.  It will begin on Friday evening at 6:00.  Bishop Knisely will be there for the evening with the deacons. 

After that, a period of silence will begin which will continue until after breakfast Saturday morning.  Beginning at 9 AM, a time of reflection will be led by Sister Elizabeth Broyles.  She is from Holy Cross Monastery in Hyde Park, NY, is an ordained priest and is very supportive of the diaconate.

Adjournment will be at 3:00 PM Saturday afternoon.

The deadline to register is March31.

 

Click here for the flyer and application. Click here for the guidelines for obtaining funds for the retreat fees.

Barbara Mays-Stock: 20 years of Service as a Deacon

(Editor’s note:  Since I write the blog entries, I will write about myself in the first person in this edition.)

This March 20, I will celebrate my 20^th anniversary of ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons.  On April 19, I will also celebrate my 60^th birthday, so it seemed a perfect time to write a blog entry about my ministries in the Diocese of Rhode Island.

I was ordained on March 20, 1994.  As a committed lay person, and then as an ordained deacon, I had begun to do Chaplaincy for people whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS in the late 1980’s.  Our work centered in offering both spiritual and physical help to those afflicted by HIV.  During that time, my work included being a hospital chaplain, as well as working with the State Prison Chaplaincy Department and hospices throughout the state.  I worked with The RI State Council of Churches to establish the AIDS Task Force for the Council, providing monthly services throughout both Christian denominations and in the Jewish and Muslim communities in the state.  This continued to be the focus of my diaconal ministry for over 10 years.  After that, I began working with at-risk families through my work at Head Start, eventually becoming the head of the Statewide Fatherhood Initiative.  Our work brought together family centered non-profit agencies and state agencies that included departments of Education, Taxation, Job Training, and Human Services.  We worked to provide needed education to young fathers, so that they could begin to address their child support arrearages and get back into the lives of their children.  Spiritual components often included special services and safe haven for our patients or parents so that they could re-focus on developing positive relationships. 

As I learned skills in embroidery and sewing, I was able to learn to make fair linen and vestment embellishments, and have, from time to time, offered them in memoriam or as a special gift to parishes.  Also, I was honored to have been asked to make the wedding cake for our now retired bishop, Geralyn and her husband, Tom.

 


More recently, I have focused on gathering people with talents for sewing, knitting and crocheting, especially in parishes, who make infant hats, afghans, quilts, as well as sweaters, scarves and hats for adults in need and in the military.  We have also produced many Prayer Shawls.  I am now, in addition to my on-going fiber arts ministries, helping to develop technology opportunities for our deacons.  I started and run this blog, which provides us and the wider community information about members of our community.  In my time at the Cathedral, I oversaw the website, printed media and the Cathedral newsletter publications, as well as their Social media on the Net.  I am excited to continue to help bring the diocese into a new and helpful era of technology support for their various ministries.

I have served in a variety of parish settings, the most recent being as deacon at The Cathedral of Saint John, until it closed in April of 2012.  Having served at the Cathedral twice as deacon and earlier as a student, a large majority of my ministry occurred while on assignment there. 

One of the most exciting projects that I was able to engage the Cathedral parish in was the making of a story quilt, which, through knowing what the squares mean, helped bring escaped slaves to freedom prior to the Civil War.  This quilt was made and dedicated at The Cathedral, to acknowledge the 200th anniversary of the legal end of allowing the importation of Africans to be sold as slaves in this country.  I truly miss my time and ministry there.

I am currently unassigned in a parish setting.  However, this does not mean that I am not functioning as a deacon in the world!  In addition to the electronic media work mentioned above, I am currently working on "The 60th Year Project," which is the making of 60 quilts for babies at risk, to celebrate my 60th year.  Who says deacons can't have fun with life?!

Deacon Joyce Thorne Strives to Help the Unemployed

While the Rev. Dcn. Joyce Thorne has been ordained since May 22, 2010, her outreach and ministry to those in need has covered several decades.  She has worked for Rhode Island Housing, where she helped people who were to become first-time home owners to attain their goal.  She has been a part of the congregation of The Cathedral of Saint John for most of her adult life, and was involved in outreach there. She helped with the Meal Site that was begun there by parishioners and Deacon Ida Johnson.  She also had a hand in the creation of a quilt to recognize the end of the importation of slavery in this country, along with parishioners and Rev. Dcn. Barbara Mays-Stock.  Joyce had an ongoing presence at the altar, serving in early years as part of the Altar Guild, and later as subdeacon and lay reader.

But it wasn’t until she attended the ordination of Deacon Ricky Brightman that she began to sense her call to the diaconate in a more direct way.  “I was sitting at the ordination, and at several places, I felt a presence, a hand on my shoulder, though I knew there was no one next to me.  I began to feel drawn to ask about the Diaconate.”

She had discussions with Deacon Ricky and eventually spoke to the Dean, Maria DeCarvahlo about the idea.  But it was when she spoke to Dean Harry Krauss that he told her to consider involving herself in the Discernment Program offered by the Diocese.  This program is set up to help people find where God is calling them to serve.

When Deacon Joyce began attending classes, she was one of two students going through the process, but in the end, she finished alone.  “That was hard,” said Joyce, “because there was no one to bounce ideas to, or to hear what they were thinking.  It was a little bit lonely. “

Joyce had two ideas for her ministry as she went through the process.  First, she thought of working at a nursing home, listening, helping, talking and being a presence.  When that choice was not accepted, she decided that her other option was to utilize the opportunity that she had to obtain regular information about job postings and make them available to parishioners, friends, and ultimately provide a Diocesan wide service of information and networking.   “In this declining economy, it seemed that I could offer this every day and help those who needed this information to find work,” she said.

Deacon Joyce brings her ministry into the church in specific ways.  First, she let all the priests of the Diocese know that this service was available and there are 10 or 12 priests who have asked that her daily emails be sent to their parishes for any who might need them.  Then, she began to receive emails from priests, asking to add some of their parishioners directly to her email service, which she has done.  She is still looking to do more with this and asks that if anyone would like to be added to her list, for them to contact her at lbmp1805@cox.net.  Deacon Joyce is currently assigned at Saint Luke’s Church in Pawtucket, and can be reached there as well.  In addition to her diaconal work, Joyce was elected to serve on the Commission on Finance at the most recent Diocesan Convention.

Deacon Joyce has also been working on the new database at the Diocesan House on a voluntary basis, and is helping Episcopal Charities to update all important data for their mailings.  She enjoys her time at the Diocese.  “I think it’s great to be there, because there is always so much going on.  I see new young people, meet new priests coming into the Diocese and I have learned that what is involved in running the diocese is remarkable.  It’s an eye-opening experience to see all the work that is done there to protect and serve all the parishes of the Diocese, and it is clear to me that they really do care,” she said.

Deacon Joyce’s journey into her life as a deacon had some twists and turns.  Her family did not always think that it was something that she could do, but came to support her in the end.  Two of her grandchildren died while she was in training to become a deacon.  “It was my faith in God that kept me going.  If I had not had that deep faith, I would have thought at that point that God had just given up on me.  I know that God has taken my right hand and walked with me throughout all of this, and that God would never leave me,” she said.

Deacon Joyce celebrated her 72^nd birthday in January, and since this is the mandatory age of retirement for deacons, she requested that the Bishop allow her to continue her work as a deacon.  National canon law allows the Bishop at his/her discretion to allow a deacon to serve going forward.  There is then a yearly meeting and review with the deacon going.  Joyce says, “I feel great, and don’t want to give it up because I feel that I can be of service.  I will continue to do this on a yearly basis until I can’t anymore, but until then, I hope to continue in my diaconal duties.”

A Remembrance of The Rev. Deacon Susan J. North

The Rev. Dn. Susan J. (Gardner) North, 59, passed into the next chapter of life on Monday June 3, 2013.  She was an ordained Episcopal Deacon of the Diocese of Rhode Island since 1991, and was serving at Trinity Church, North Scituate at the time of her death.

In her own words, she has described her journey of service through the Diaconate:

            “My call to the diaconate kind of surprised me, as I was very much going about doing other things.  It was quickly affirmed by my family, friends, and parish, however, and it was not long before I was enrolled in the School for Deacons in September of 1986.  During the time of preparing for ordination, I began dating my husband, Chris, got married, and had a baby.  Between September of 1986 (when my ordination track began), and March of 1991 (my ordination), my life couldn’t have changed more.  I began “ministry” by believing my call to be with the dying and their families.  I spent some years in Hospice Chaplaincy, and it was wonderful.  Over the years, however, my experience has led to an equal or even greater passion for being with those living in poverty.  I worked for Children’s Friend and Service for four years, doing home visiting, and I have worked for the Providence School Dept., in South Providence, for seven years.  It doesn’t matter.  Deacons are called to serve the helpless, particularly, the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely.  That’s a wide umbrella.”

The Ven. Jan Grinnell, Archdeacon for the Diocese of Rhode Island, had this to say about Sue:

"I was blessed to be able to attend Deacon's school with Sue, and eventually be ordained on the same day.  She was completely devoted to her ministry to those who were less fortunate than many of us.   She is missed by all of us who were blessed to know her.  It is so fitting that her last sermon has become a source of inspiration for all of us who serve as deacons.  She continues to bless and inspire me, and will for the remainder of my ministry.”

Sue was passionate about her role as a deacon and gave a sermon earlier this year at Trinity Church.  Here are some brief segments from that sermon:

            “You’re always a deacon.  By the way, they think that ordination may not end with this life.  Just so you know.”

            “As for expectations, what do you have the right to expect of me?

·        You have the right to expect to see that I am aware that I am always a deacon.  As I make decisions and conduct my life, you should be able to trace an awareness of who I am and the vows that I’ve taken in my actions and in my thought processes.  Just like I did in my job decision, I should know and seek counsel from others who know, how being a deacon affects the end result of those processes.

·        You have the right to expect that I will keep a spiritual discipline, including daily Bible study or reflection and prayer and that this discipline is evident in my perspective, knowledge, and outlook in various aspects of my life.

·        You have the right to expect that I will look for Christ in all people.  Even in those that others might consider the least desirable?  No, ESPECIALLY in those that others might consider the least desirable.

·        You have the right to expect that I will support equity and justice for others, and take delight in their achieving it, even when it means that I will lose something by their gain.

·        You have the right to expect that, even though I will fail in all of the above from time to time, I will always be willing to engage in the struggle, and, when you are willing, to join with you in your struggles with the same issues, that we might work them out together.

·        Finally, most importantly, you have the right to expect that the Gospel is my guide, my hope, my strength, and will, in the end, be my final word.”
  

 

Many of Sue’s friends and work colleagues commented that she was a kind, caring woman, who showed great compassion to many students, a true professional, always offereing questions and comments that showed she knew what she was talking about and truly cared about her kids at school. Sue was a great co-worker, a very warm, personable lady and a dedicated teacher.

The community of Deacons sends its fondest regards and deepest sympathies to Sue’s family, especially her husband Chris, her mother, Alice Phyllis Gardner and her sons, Jonathan J. North and his wife, Sarah and Joshua J. North.  We also extend our sympathy and support to her parish.  She will be greatly missed.