Presiding Bishop's Huffington Post Article: A Lesson from the Gulf Oil Spill

A Lesson from the Gulf Oil Spill: We Are All Connected

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Huffington Post May 26, 2010

The original peoples of the North American continent understand that we are all connected, and that harm to one part of the sacred circle of life harms the whole. Scientists, both the ecological and physical sorts, know the same reality, expressed in different terms. The Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) also charge human beings with care for the whole of creation, because it is God's good gift to humanity. Another way of saying this is that we are all connected and there is no escape; our common future depends on how we care for the rest of the natural world, not just the square feet of soil we may call "our own."... Read the full article at the Huffington Post

Join the Hispanic Ministry in Opposition to Arizona-like Immigration Law Under Consideration in RI

24 May 2010

Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

On this Thursday afternoon the Rhode Island House will be considering the proposed new law H 8412. This proposed statute is similar to the new anti immigrant law recently passed in Arizona. If passed, it would put our state alongside Arizona as being aggressively anti-immigrant and, one could say, anti-Hispanic. We are strongly opposed to this law as a Committee working within the Hispanic community here. Our two congregations are also strongly opposed.

There will be a rally outside the State Capitol on Thursday afternoon at 4PM. We have been asked to bring as many people as we can find to this rally – especially clergy. Please consider being there and bringing others. Numbers are important. We want to turn out a large and diverse crowd of people who support the cause of comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants who have committed no crime other than striving to better their situation and that of their family.

Please consider giving an hour or two of your time to stand with our brothers and sisters who must live in constant fear of arrest and deportation.

For the Hispanic Ministry Committee, St. George’s Church, and Mission El Mesias, and the Social Justice Committee:

Father Jose Roberts
Deacon Buck Close
Deacon Ricky Brightman

Let There Be Light; Solar Sister in the Diocese of Ezo

By Katherine Lucey

There are 1.6 billion people on the planet who don’t have access to reliable electricity. That’s one quarter of the world’s population. 70% are women and girls living in developing countries.

They rely on kerosene lanterns and candles for light. They spend hours each day collecting wood to burn for cooking and heat. They spend up to 30% of their family income on energy that is insufficient, hazardous and unhealthy. Unhealthy for people and unhealthy for the planet.

Lack of access to electricity is both a cause and an effect of unremitting poverty. Our companion Diocese of Ezo in the Sudan suffers from acute energy poverty and its devastating consequences, but the Diocese of Rhode Island is working with a social enterprise called Solar Sister to bring light, hope and opportunity to the people of Ezo.

Solar Sister provides women with training and support to create solar micro-businesses, providing much needed household income for the women, and much needed light for their communities.

The most important step to ending poverty is to create employment and income opportunities. Solar Sister does just that by empowering women. The women sell solar lanterns which replace the kerosene lanterns and candles, providing clean, dependable solar light in homes, schools and clinics. Solar light enhances education, improves health and safety and provides economic opportunity, enabling the women to lift themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty.

The women form a by-women, to-women distribution network that is strengthened by women’s natural circles of family, friends and community. This direct-sales network brings the solar technology right to the women’s doorstep and provides income generation opportunities for the women.

In April, the Diocese of Rhode Island is bringing the Solar Sister program to Ezo. Women will be chosen by the Ezo Mother's Union on the basis of their entrepreneurship potential and economic need to become "Solar Sisters". These women will receive a "business in a box" of solar lanterns that bring clean, affordable light to their community. The Ezo program will be the first Solar Sister program in war-torn Sudan, where light is an important element of safety as well as opportunity.

Keep an eye out in future issues of RISEN Magazine for updates about Ezo and the Solar Sister program there. You can also visit http://www.solarsister.org/ for current updates or just to learn more about the organization.


Solar Sister was founded by Katherine Lucey, the wife of The Rev. David Lucey, who is the Rector of St. Michaels Episcopal Church in Bristol, RI.

To learn more about what you can do for our companions in Ezo, or to get involved with our Companion Diocese Committee, please email Mary Ann Kolakowski, our Director of Christian Formation, at maryann@episcopalri.org

RISEN Magazine's Spring 2010 issue "New Growth, Together"

It is spring! This season's Risen Magazine has been printed and mailed so keep an eye on your mailboxes. If you can't wait, you can view it in a fun e-book gadget at the bottom of this page or on the website

RISEN Magazine is The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island's News and special interest magazine. We switched from a newspaper format to the current full color journal in 2007. By doing so, we have been able to focus our attention on producing an award winning print periodical with staying power. Each issue of RISEN centers on a timely theme and features articles that aim to inform, enlighten and inspire. It is published quarterly and has a circulation of around 9,000.

Don't see the ebook reader? Read RISEN on our website instead

The Latest eRISEN

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN May 6th 2010 issue

Want to sign up to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit our website

From the Companion Diocese Committee: Bringing Louisiana to ECC Summer Camp

Dear Diocesan friends:


Here is your opportunity to both support ECC (our Episcopal Camp and Conference Center) and our companion relationship with the Diocese of Louisiana! LARI, the Louisiana/Rhode Island subcommittee of the Companion Diocese Committee, is seeking to bring campers from New Orleans to ECC for the four sessions serving kids 13-17.

There are four ways you can help:

• Sponsor a camper $335-345 per session
• Make a donation toward a campership (any amount appreciated)
• Make a donation toward airfare ($200-$400)
• Donate frequent flyer miles

As we continue to build our relationship with the Diocese of Louisiana, and especially with the people and congregations of New Orleans, members of LARI would love to come and talk with your parish about the opportunities this covenant relationship holds for all of us.

The Diocese of Louisiana has made a commitment to the renewal of New Orleans, and especially to addressing some of that city’s most intractable problems of poverty and racism. LARI believes that we have a lot to learn about our own challenges here in Rhode Island by working with our brothers and sisters in Louisiana, and we are eager to share our enthusiasm for this ministry around the diocese.

Connecting youth from our two dioceses is one way to strengthen the bonds between us. It will be a great opportunity for our own kids, as well as for the young people who will be our guests this summer. Please help us bring a little bit of Louisiana to ECC!

For financial donations, please make checks out to The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, with “LARI ECC Scholarship Fund” on the memo line. To donate frequent flyer miles, please contact Jim Rezendes via email: jimrez@cox.net.

Thank you for your support and good will.

The Rev. Clare Fischer-Davies, Mary Ann Kolakowski and Jim Rezendes for LARI

Flood recovery information from FEMA

Disaster News
April 22, 2010
DR 1894-RI-NR021
FEMA News Desk: 401-468-3163
Governor's Office, Amy Kempe: 401-954-3873
SBA, Michael Lampton: 404-331-0333
RIEMA Contact, Steve Kass: 401-663-9776

LOCATIONS SET FOR FLOOD CLEANUP TIPS
Specialists Offer Tips To Fight Mold

WARWICK, R.I. - FEMA mitigation specialists know one of the most destructive effects of flooding is the contamination of homes and buildings with mold. In order to help Rhode Islanders deal with mold cleanup and other aspects of flood damage, information booths staffed by FEMA specialists will be at several area stores over the next few weeks.
In addition to help with reducing mold and mildew, Federal Emergency Management Agency specialists will be available to discuss other flooding-related issues such as: protecting electrical systems, furnaces, and other appliances; reinforcing structures; safeguarding valuables; and securing other important personal property. Information on flood insurance will also be available.
Locations and hours of operation for the FEMA flood recovery information booths are:
Lowe's
510 Quaker Lane
Warwick, R.I. 02866
(7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday, April 24, 25, 26, 2010)

Home Depot
1255 Ten Road
N. Kingston, R.I. 02852
Opens Saturday, April 24, 2010 through May 5, 2010
(7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) ( 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday) (Closed Tuesday, April 27, 2010)

LOCATIONS SET FOR FLOOD CLEANUP HELP-2

Sam's Club
25 Pace Blvd
Warwick, R.I. 02886
Opens Saturday, April 24, 2010 through May 5, 2010
(7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday) (Closed Tuesday, April 27, 2010)

Lowe's
247 Garfield Ave
Cranston, R.I. 02920
Opens Wednesday, April 28, 2010 through May 3, 2010
(7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday)
(7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday)

Information is free. No registration is required. There is no limit on the number of times someone can visit with a specialist or on the number of publications they can have.
Mold problems often appear five to six weeks after a flood has occurred, but steps can be taken to combat mold growth and its potential to cause serious health problems as well as structural damage to homes, according to state and federal officials. Warm weather speeds up mold growth.

Removing some flood contaminated materials and household goods and thoroughly cleaning or drying out others are essential steps to combat mold.

Flood waters compromise household fixtures in different ways. Porous materials are nearly impossible to clean. Flood soaked carpets, carpet pads, linoleum, fabric covered furniture, wet insulation and ceiling tiles should be discarded. There is no way to clean them. For heirloom rugs and furniture, contact a professional cleaner.

Appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, cooking stoves, dishwashers, hot water heaters, washing machines and driers contain insulation which may harbor mold spores without visible evidence and should be discarded.

Heating and air conditioning filters should be changed and the system ductwork cleaned by a professional so that mold spores don't circulate in the dwelling or business.

Damaged wallboard should be discarded. Water can rise in the material higher than the visible water line. The best practice is to remove the wall board at least two feet above the water line.


LOCATIONS SET FOR FLOOD CLEANUP HELP--3
Non-porous surfaces, including glass, ceramic, metal and plastic, can be cleaned. A combination of household bleach and soap or detergent can be used to wash down walls, floors and other mold-contaminated areas. Follow directions on containers and take particular note of warnings. Mixing chlorine liquids and ammonia creates an extremely dangerous poisonous, potentially explosive gas. Wear rubber gloves, protective clothing and a tight-fitting face mask when working around mold.

Remove heating and cooling registers and ducts, and then hose the ducts to prevent contamination from flowing through the ducts when the unit is turned on. After hosing ductwork, wash with a disinfectant. If ducts are in slab or otherwise inaccessible, have them cleaned professionally.

Links to additional information about mold and mildew may be found at the Rhode Island State Health Department web site, www.health.ri.gov/, or www.epa.gov , or http://www.fema.gov/

###
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call (800) 659-2955 (TTY 1-800-977-8339).

Mission Task Force 2010: Where Meaning and Mission Collide

The vitality of any organization depends upon a periodic review of its mission. The mission priorities in the Diocese of Rhode Island have long been the Hispanic Ministry, Episcopal Camp and Conference Center, Congregational Development, and Christian Formation.

Last year a group of RI Episcopalians believed that it was time to look at these priorities again, and so they presented a resolution to Diocesan Convention in October calling for their review. The resolution was adopted by the clergy and delegates of Convention, and the “Mission Task Force” was created.

The Mission Task Force will spend this year listening to you, parishioners, clergy, committees, and other leaders of our diocese as you reflect and express your sense of purpose, meaning and mission as Christians and Church in our communities and the world. Our goal is to present a report and resolutions to Convention next October, which will articulate the energy and commitment of our diocese to new and/or renewed mission priorities.

So far we have been busy at work. In February we began our communication launch with an exhibit at Convocation and our blog.

The months of March, April, and May will be spent in the actual listening process. We will seek feedback from the youth and adults in our parishes, the leaders of the current mission priorities, and the diocesan staff and committees. At this same time, Diocesan Council has convened four groups to review the effectiveness of our current mission priorities.

The listening process is probably the most important part of our work. So we hope, dear reader, that you will be looking for opportunities to pray, reflect, and share your ideas with us about where you find meaning and mission colliding in your personal experience of being Christian and Church.

It is important that our conversations in this process reflect the diversity that we find in our churches and communities, so we request your feedback on these key questions:

• What are you doing when you feel most passionate and alive in the spirit?
• What is your congregation doing that you can celebrate and share with other parishes?
• What could we do as RI Episcopalians that would bring us together and make a difference in our community and the world?

In April and May we will be having regional gatherings to hear your reflections, and we also invite you to share your thoughts and enter into a conversation with others across the diocese by going to the Mission Task Force blog.

We intend to use the latter part of May and June to synthesize, discern and meet with Bishop Wolf and Diocesan Staff about our findings. During July and August we will prepare our reports and formulate resolutions for October’s Convention in plenty of time for your review.

We hope you’ll think about this in the days ahead and offer your feedback at the meetings listed below,as well as on our blog. Feel free to email us your thoughts.

Listening Gatherings:
Saturday April 24th, 10 am, St. Paul’s, Pawtucket
Wednesday April 28th, 7 pm, The Cathedral of St. John, Providence
Thursday April 29th, 7 pm, St. Mark’s, Warwick
Wednesday May 5th, 6:30 pm, St. Columba’s, Middletown
Saturday May 8th, 10 am, Epiphany, East Providence
Wednesday May 12th, 7 pm, St. Luke’s, East Greenwich

Clergy will gather:

Wednesday May 19th, 10 am, St. Paul’s, Pawtucket

Task Force Members: Modesta Pellot, Diocesan Council; Fran Gammell-Roach and The Rev. Jennifer Pedrick, Standing Committee; Brian Ehlers and Scott Nicholson, appointed by Bishop Wolf. Deanery Representatives: The Rev. Pam Mott, Aquidneck; Jim Segovis, Central; Susan Wright, West Bay; The Rev. Dcn. Ricky Brightman, Narragansett; David Isherwood, East Bay; and The Rev. Buck Close, Blackstone. The Rev. Bill Locke is the Mission Task Force Chaplain.

Advocacy, partnerships bolstered as Sudan approaches general elections

By Matthew Davies, April 09, 2010


[Episcopal News Service] As Sudan heads to the polls this weekend to hold its first democratic elections in 24 years, Episcopalians in the U.S. have been ramping up advocacy and raising awareness of the issues that confront Africa's largest and most war-torn nation amid fears that it could plunge back into civil war.

Richard Parkins and Russ Randle, two leading Episcopal Church advocates for Sudan, have continued to pursue the U.S. Congress and Obama administration pressing them to make the African country's peace agreement a priority and to ensure that fair elections are conducted... read more

Flood Relief in the Diocese of RI

What is your parish doing to help flood victims this Easter season? Please email ruth@episcopalri.org to let the diocese know. We may be able to connect your parish with aid from outside agencies through an initiative of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, and we would love to share your creative ideas and inspiring stories with other churches across the state! Keep us updated.

In our own response to the flooding in RI last week, The Diocese of Rhode Island and the Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island are taking donations for flood relief. All contributions will go to "Neighbors Helping Neighbors", a fund set up through the city of Warwick.

You can make your contribution online through Episcopal Charities at the link below:

www.episcopalri.org/charities

Please specify that donations are for Flood Relief. If you prefer to donate by mail you can make your check payable to the "Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island" and mail it to The Diocese of RI, 275 North Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903.