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.

Cranston diner damaged by overnight fire

Cranston diner damaged by overnight fire



Miss Cranston Diner, a place where deacons of RI have met through the last 25 years, was damaged by fire last night.  No one was hurt, because the fire happened when the restaurant was closed, and the owners say they will rebuild.  Hit the link above this paragraph, to see the story.

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?!

Ash Wednesday brings our Archdeacon out for Ashes To Go!

It was a cold and blustery day, but the Rhode Island Archdeacon, The Venerable Janice Grinnell was at the train station at 5:45 AM, along with Rev. David Dobbins, rector of Saint Augustine’s parish in North Kingston and Pastor Mary Hansen-Joyce.  They were there to distribute ashes for the many Rhode Islanders who commute each day, oftentimes leaving their homes as early as 5:00, to get to work in Boston.  There being no time for these Christians to get to church on Ash Wednesday morning or evening because of their commute, this opportunity is given each year for them to receive their Lenten ashes, as a reminder that they “are dust and to dust they shall return,” and to call them to enter into the season of Lent in a mindful and prayerful way.

 

Here are some pictures of them as they met commuters and then, later in the morning, met students on the campus of the University of Rhode Island.  “We were there from 9-11 and had 71 people receive ashes on campus,” Jan said. She and Rev. Dobbins also held Ash Wednesday service at St. Augustine’s at 7 PM, where the Archdeacon preached the message.

 

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 Program for Diaconal Formation

In Province One, a school has been developed in Massachusetts that has opened its doors to those who are called to be deacons throughout the Province.  Bishop Shaw has said that he wants to be open to helping others move along in the formation of their deacons.  At the present time, there are 12 students in process, seven from Massachusetts, two from New Hampshire and three of them are from the Diocese of Rhode Island.  Jim Kelleher, Grace Swinski and Ed Dean represent Rhode Island as students in this new collaborative effort.  They attend weekend classes once a month and engage in a community and prayer life that is designed to bring them all together for learning and spiritual development.

 

 The formation of deacons has taken on a variety of faces throughout its 30 years in the Diocese of Rhode Island.  Deacons have been ordained here under different schools of thought and practice.  Since its beginning, there have been three bishops involved in the process, and each has branded the diaconate in their own particular way.  And as the diaconate in Rhode Island has continued to grow and develop, such has also been the case throughout Province One (New England), and, in fact, for the national church as a whole.  We struggle with who a deacon is, why they are called into service and how to educate and equip them for their future role in the church and the world.

 

  Deacon students in the Massachusetts program, with Archdeacons Grinnell & Zifcak

 When asked, Bishop Nicholas Knisely had this to say about the new opportunity for our Rhode Island deacon students:

“As three dioceses in Province 1 are in the process are revitalizing their diaconal ministries, the Dioceses of New Hampshire and Rhode Island have been welcomed into the existing formation program of the Diocese of Mass. This is happening at the same time that a working group is being formed to find ways that all the Province 1 dioceses will find common ground regarding diaconal formation. 

There are a number of reasons that I'm excited about this. Chief among them is that it allows us to start immediately forming new deacon classes here in Rhode Island, and will soon bring new energy and ministry to the diocese as a whole. It also allows us to work with other dioceses in New England toward finding a common vision and understanding of what diaconate means in the 21st century. As this vision emerges, all the bishops are hoping that it will create a network of deacons that will naturally look for ways that we can all coordinate ministry across diocesan lines as appropriate. Third it brings us a great deal of resources for formation, both in terms of class work and community that we simply wouldn't be able to do by ourselves here in Rhode Island.

 

Stay tuned about all of this. I'm hoping that Rhode Island will again be in the forefront working on the creation of new shared materials for our Province, and God willing, for the wider Church.”

 

The Venerable Pat Zifcak is the archdeacon in Massachusetts who oversees deacons-in-formation, so she is entirely involved in this diocesan program.  The archdeacon says that the program started about 15 years ago, and that Bishop Shaw began his journey of development of this program by looking at the program that was in place in Rhode Island.  There were conversations with the Canon to the Ordinary, Julia Slayton, and soon a program for deacons was envisioned.

 

The program today is very similar, with minor changes, and it has continued to be very strong, according to the archdeacon, right up to the present.  There are currently about 37 deacons in Massachusetts, and all except those who came after ordination from other dioceses have been ordained after completing this program.

Archdeacon Pat

 

 

In Massachusetts, a period of discernment begins the process for those who feel called into the diaconate.  During that time, the aspirant meets with their congregation and clergy, and also engages in a program meant to clarify to what ministry (laity, priest or deacon) he/she is being called.  The second phase is to meet with the bishop, Standing Committee and Commission on Ministry (COM), to further discuss and clarify.  Also, there are conferences, followed by applications being sent in August each year.  By September, the subcommittee set by the COM makes their decisions, in November interviews are held and postulants are notified before Christmas about entering the program.  The Rhode Island applicants would, of course, go through this part of the program in-house in our Diocese.

Preparing for dinner and sharing conversation with the deacon students

The program is a three year cycle and entry points are in September each year.  The students and staff gather for their weekends at the convent of the Sisters of St. Anne in Arlington, where they are supported, encouraged (and fed!) by the sisters while they are there.

The Sisters of St. Anne made a wonderful dinner for us!

For more information on discerning a call to the diaconate, speak to your parish priest and ask how to proceed.  You may also call the Bishop’s office and ask for a brochure called, “Diocesan Program for Diaconal Formation.”  This brochure outlines in detail the structure of the program and gives good insight into the Massachusetts program. As always, deacons throughout our diocese are very happy to sit and answer questions if you are simply looking to inquire into what our deacons in Rhode Island are doing.  And of course, follow this blog to "meet" the deacon students and deacons in Rhode Island, see what they are doing and where they are located.

 

I would like to thank the Sisters of St. Anne and the staff and students who welcomed me, along with the Archdeacon from Rhode Island, The Venerable Janice Grinnell to their January weekend.  We enjoyed the opportunity to meet the postulants and their supportive staff.





Deacon's Anniversaries!

This afternoon I want to make an important entry.  The community of deacons in Rhode Island are celebrating on Tuesday, February 4, the 25th anniversary of the ordination of  Lois Neilsen, Gail Wheelock and Betty Lou Wright.  Each of these deacons have a long and enriched history of diaconal service in Rhode Island.  In time, we will have the opportunity to meet each of them and hear about their work through this blog, but for the present, we could not let the day pass without offering our heartiest congratulations and hope that they will continue to share their gifts and service well into the future!