Clergy Association Meeting on Immigration at Central Falls

Six weeks ago, clergy and lay leaders in the diocese unaminously passed three resolutions at Convention dealing with immigration. As a founding member of our clergy association, I was thrilled that our diocese chose to support our immigrant communities, especially the congregations being led by Fr. Jose Roberts. One of those congregations, St. George's in Central Falls, has invited our clergy association to visit next Thursday, December 11th at 10:30 AM to learn more about what they are facing, as a community of faith and as individuals.
Come show your support for Fr. Jose and the community at St. George's, learn about what it feels like to be called 'illegal', listen to those who fear rounding the corner in broad daylight, and meet people who have lost relatives and friends to immigration raids. Afterwards, we'll take Fr. Jose and others to lunch at El Paisa, some of the best ethnic food in Rhode Island. Please let me know that you'll be there.

Welcome our new Communications Officer

Please join us in welcoming Ruth Meteer, our new Communications Officer.

Ruth comes to us from Massachusetts by way of Seattle, Washington. She studied Literature and a combination of Anthropology/Theology in her undergraduate work at UMass Boston and Oxford University. She won various poetry prizes in both places, and served as the Poetry Editor of “The Watermark” literary journal.

For the past 8 years Ruth has worked in a marketing/communications capacity within several fascinating disciplines, including Archaeology and the Music Industry. On personal time, she has been very involved with Young Adult Ministry at her home parishes, the Church of the Advent in Boston and St Paul’s in Seattle. Ruth likes to knit, plays 8 different musical instruments, collects antique garments, and is the proud mother of two cats named Romeo and Moses.

As Communications Officer, Ruth will have oversight of the new Diocesan website and serve as editor of RISEN, E-RISEN, and the Diocesan blog. She will also assist Diocesan programs and departments with their communications needs.

_____________________________________________________________
Mr. Tylan Creason
Canon for Program and Administration
Bishop's Chaplain
Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island

Go to church services and get bonus ... live longer!

Religion May Help Extend Your Life

By Serena Gordon
Original article may be found here

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Attending a weekly religious service, regardless of your faith, may lower your risk of death by 20 percent compared to people who don't attend services, researchers are reporting.

"Religion is always a hot topic, but particularly now, when people are perhaps in fear because of the recession and the threat of terrorism, people are looking for stability, and religion is something we find people reach out to for that stability. And, we see some health benefits here," said the study's lead author, Eliezer Schnall, a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva College at Yeshiva University in New York City.

"Maybe it's the sense of community, or the support, or maybe people are less depressed when they join in religious services," he said, adding that the researchers tried to control the data to account for many of these factors, but "we have not completely explained it all."

Results of the study were published in the current issue of the journal Psychology and Health.

The study participants came from the large Women's Health Initiative observational study, and included nearly 95,000 women from all over the United States. The women were all between 50 and 79 years old at the start of the study.

When the study began, each woman filled out extensive questionnaires regarding health history, health behaviors, psychosocial factors, demographics and religion. Medical information was obtained yearly for each study volunteer, and the average follow-up time was 7.7 years.

Before adjusting the data, there was no significant difference in the risk of death between regular religious service attendees and those who chose not to attend. Schnall noted that there were many reasons why this could be so. But the main reason, he said, could be that people who go to religious services every week may be in better physical shape. "Maybe they're just healthy enough to go to services," he said.

When the researchers adjusted the data to account for physical health, age, ethnicity, income, education, social support, important life events and life satisfaction, they found that weekly religious service attendance was responsible for a 20 reduction in the risk of death. Attending less than once a week was responsible for a 15 percent drop in the risk of death.

But, attending religious services didn't improve the risk of death from cardiovascular disease or improve heart outcomes, the study found.

Although the study noted a decreased risk of death, Schnall wouldn't say that the prescription for good health is to attend religious services regularly.

"I'm not saying our study yields such a prescription, but our findings are intriguing and we do at least have some ideas of why there is a benefit, but we have not completely explained it all," he said.

Dr. Harold G. Koenig, founder and co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University Medical Center, called the new research "a very well-done study that provides good, well-controlled evidence that religious attendance is related to lower mortality."

"And, they [the researchers] show it's not just the social factor, it's not just the behavioral factors, and it's not just that some people might be too sick to be able to go to church. The researchers controlled well for these, though they still don't explain it all at the end," said Koenig.

"But," he added, "that doesn't mean there are supernatural effects, just that we don't fully understand the mechanism by which religion does this yet."

More information

Read about another study on religion and health at the American Heart Association.

A new era for the website

A few weeks back, our new website quietly launched. I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and notes of appreciation. The site will be fine-tuned over the next few months and is ultimately going to be a wonderful tool for our whole diocese.

www.episcopalri.org

That said, there are glitches. Bumps. A few roadblocks. We know about them. We ask your patience while some of them are ironed out.

If there are any critical or urgent items that need to be addressed, please direct your questions, requests and comments to risen@episcopalri.org.

Celebration of New Ministry - Richard Shippee

The Wardens, Vestry and Congregation of
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
cordially invite you to attend
The Celebration of their 125th Anniversary
held in conjunction with
The Celebration of a New Ministry

at which
The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island
will institute
The Reverend Richard C. Shippee
as Rector of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church

Sunday, the second day of November, two thousand eight,
at four o'clock in the afternoon

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
10 Turner Avenue
Riverside, Rhode Island

Your prayers and presence are requested.

Reception following
Clergy: white stoles

Celebration of New Ministry - Greg Lisby

Celebration of New Ministry
The Wardens, Vestry and Congregation of
Church of the Ascension
Cordially invite you to attend

The Celebration of a New Ministry
at which
The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island
will institute
The Rev. Gregory C. Lisby
as sixth Rector of
Church of the Ascension in Cranston.

Sunday, the sixteenth day of November,
Two thousand eight,
at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Church of the Ascension
390 Pontiac Ave
Cranston, Rhode Island 02910

www.ascensioncranston.org

Your prayers and presence are requested.

Reception following
Clergy: white stoles

Commission on Ministry Offers 2008-2009 Discernment Program

Commission on Ministry Offers 2008-2009 Discernment Program

Are you hearing a call to ministry?

Once again, the Commission on Ministry is happy to come to you with our Discernment Program for the coming year. This is a wonderful opportunity for adult members of the Body of Christ in Rhode Island to reflect and grow in their faith. It is also the first step in the process leading to ordination for the diaconate and the priesthood.

The program is very similar to the one offered last year. As a result of feedback we received from last year’s participants, we are including a presentation on lay ministry, in addition to the presentations on the diaconate and priesthood.

The first session is an Introductory Dinner that is being held at the Church of the Epiphany, 1336 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, on Thursday, November 13th at 6:00 PM. All clergy have information on the program, so please speak with your parish clergy if you are interested.

Priest inhibited as a result of her conversion to Islam

See full story here.

By Lisa B. Hamilton, October 14, 2008

[Episcopal News Service] Bishop Geralyn Wolf of the Diocese of Rhode Island has inhibited the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding for publicly professing her adherence to the Muslim faith.

The notice states that the diocesan “Standing Committee has determined that Dr. Redding abandoned the Communion of the Episcopal Church by formal admission into a religious body not in communion with the Episcopal Church. The bishop has affirmed that determination.”

The inhibition prevents Redding from “exercising the gifts and spiritual authority conferred on her by ordination and from public ministry” and is in force until March 31, 2009. In accordance with Episcopal canons, unless Redding “reclaims” her Christian faith, said Wolf in an interview, the inhibition will automatically lead to a deposition, ending Redding’s priesthood.

“In the process of deposition, we shouldn’t dismiss each other easily,” the bishop said.

According to the “notice of inhibition,” dated September 30 and signed by Wolf, “Dr. Redding has acknowledged taking her Shahadah to become a Muslim.”

“’Shahadah’ is a phrase used in the Koran that translates from the Arabic into English as ‘There is no God but God, and Mohammad is his prophet,’” said Thomas Ferguson, associate deputy for ecumenical and interreligious relations of the Episcopal Church, in an interview.

“The recitation of the Shahadah, said with the intention of becoming a Muslim, in the presence of at least two other Muslims, is how one becomes a Muslim. It’s also part of Islam’s daily prayers,” Ferguson added.

Redding’s knowledge of Islam grew after her arrival at Seattle’s St. Mark’s Cathedral (http://www.saintmarks.org) as director of faith formation and renewal in 2001. “There was already interest in the parish about interfaith relations, and of course interest in Islam grew exponentially,” she said. She currently lives in Seattle, but no longer works at St. Mark’s. She teaches at a Jesuit seminary but is canonically resident in Rhode Island and therefore under Wolf’s authority.

While serving at St. Mark’s, said Redding in an interview, “I was facing a personal crisis and I needed to surrender. I did know that the word ‘Islam’ means ‘surrender,” but I was surprised when I received what I believe is one of the few invitations I’ve received from God in my life, and that unexpected invitation was to surrender by taking my Shahadah. MORE

Celebration of New Ministry

The Wardens, Vestry and Congregation of
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Cordially invite you to attend

The Celebration of a New Ministry
at which
The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island
will institute
The Rev. Alan K. Gates
as Rector of
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Sunday, the nineteenth day of October,
Two thousand eight,
at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
1956 Main Road
Tiverton, Rhode Island

Your prayers and presence are requested.

Reception following -------------------- Clergy: white stoles

Absolutely Safe

St. Augustine’s Church at Episcopal Center
35 Lower College Rd. Kingston
www.staugustineURI.com 782-0587 for info


PRESS RELEASE: Film on Breast Implant Safety 10-23-08 7pm

Did you know that more and more teens and even preteens are having cosmetic surgery of all kinds at an earlier age? The press reports that breast augmentation, for example, is now being done by some surgeons on girls whose breasts haven’t even finished developing. This alarming trend reflects the struggle many girls (and the adults in their lives) have with self-esteem, realistic body-image, and the pressure of media and peers to look like certain celebrities - to appear grown-up too early, and then have difficulty adjusting to the changes of age.

Absolutely Safe is a documentary film that takes an open-minded but close look at the subject of breast augmentation, interviewing adult women choosing to have implants, choosing to have them removed, surgeons doing both procedures, a regulatory agency spokesperson, family members of women who have had implants, and some whose implants have failed. It is important viewing for anyone considering such surgery.

As part of a Hot Topics, Hot Speakers Series offered by St. Augustine’s Church in Kingston, for the URI campus and the surrounding communities, we invite young people and their parents and advisors to see the film and join in a discussion led by Family Practitioner Dr. Mary Lyster, at St. Augustine’s Church and Episcopal Center, 35 Lower College Rd., Thusday October 23 at 7pm. All are welcome to this free program, and refreshments will be served.