ESE Christmas 2017

CHRISTMAS 2017 

Prayer-Centered page 4-7 

Mission-Shaped page 10-13 

a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton

Contents: 

In This Issue: 

06 

Finding Meaning 

and Community 

“It is our questions that define us. It’s 

also our questions that drive us.” 

10 

The Restoration of the 

Year the Locusts Ate 

“And when are you going to do what 

you KNOW you are supposed to be 

doing?” 

01 Bishop’s Letter 

02 Bishop’s Christmas Message Divine Hope in the Midst of 

a Broken World 

04 Prayer-Centered Church Francie Thayer contemplates 

what it means to be a prayer-centered church 

06 Prayer-Centered Church Christ Church Easton’s Alpha 

program builds community 

07 Prayer-Centered Church St. Paul’s Centreville opens 

prayer garden 

08 Snapshots Pictures from around the Diocese 

10 Mission-Shaped Diocese Wicomico Churches work 

together on community VBS 

11 Mission-Shaped Diocese Christ Church Denton expands 

partnership with local Shelter 

12 Mission-Shaped Diocese The Rev. Barbara Fisher reflects 

on her journey to ordination 

14 Camp Wright Registration Open 

16 Diocesan Events & Announcements 

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND 

Nine counties, 42 worshiping 

communities, and more than 

5,000 people engaged in living 

out our call to welcome all, share 

Jesus love, and serve the world. 

BISHOP 

The Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray 

Welcome All 

Share Jesus Love 

Serve the World

A Note from your 

Friend and Bishop 

My Beloved in Christ, 

We are fulfilling a very important 

commitment made to Diocesan 

Convention 2017 to revamp 

and redesign the publication of 

the Eastern Shore Episcopalian. 

This is the first edition of our 

new publication and I wish to 

welcome you to what I believe 

will be an exciting and helpful 

addition to our growing and 

diverse communication efforts 

in the Diocese of Easton. It is my 

sincere hope that you will find the 

articles and announcements in this 

magazine to be informative and 

helpful in your life as a member of 

the Jesus Movement and Christ’s 

evangelists and missionaries in this 

part of the Episcopal Church family. 

My dream and one that was 

embraced and confirmed by 

convention is for a diocese that 

aligns itself into what it means to 

be a Prayer-Centered Church + 

Mission-Shaped Diocese. 

To be a Prayer-Centered Church 

means to focus our attention on 

God in our daily lives. When we 

take the time to invite God into 

our lives, we become much more 

aware of the multitude of blessings 

that God has bestowed upon us. 

We confess that we are living in a 

lovely part of the world, surrounded 

by the beautiful water, green 

vegetation and diverse wildlife. We 

are blessed to be able to look 

to the generations of faithful 

people who have lived on 

our shores and who have 

gifted us with a rich heritage and 

culture. When we enter into prayer, 

we become a part of this great cloud 

of witnesses who have called the 

Eastern Shore home. 

To be Mission-Shaped means that 

we are open to the work of the 

Holy Spirit. The very act of serving 

our neighbors changes us. When 

we meet other people, we can’t 

help experiencing the feeling that 

we knew them before, especially 

in hearing their stories and being 

influenced by their presence. A 

mission-shaped people means that 

we are living into our Baptismal 

Covenant, that we are ‘seeking and 

serving Christ’, and with God’s 

help, we will continue to see him in 

everyone we encounter. 

I have been blessed to be called to 

be your bishop; I am blessed to live 

and minister among you; I pray that 

I may be as much of a blessing for 

this diocese as you have been for me 

and my family. 

With much love and affection! 

Together in Christ’s service, 

+ San 

PUBLICATION INFORMATION 

A publication of the Bishop and Diocese of Easton 

Copyright 2017 The Bishop and Diocese of Easton 

Published Quarterly 

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: 

Eastern Shore Episcoplian (ESE) 

314 North St., Easton, MD 21601 

OFFICE AND MAILING ADDRESS 

314 North St., Easton, MD 21601 

410-822-1919 dioceseofeaston.org 

joanne@dioceseofeaston.org 

The Right Reverend Santosh Marray 

Bishop of Easton 

Joanne Fisher 

Director of Communications, Senior Editor 

The Reverend Loretta Collins 

Deacon, Editor 

1

Divine Hope 

in the Midst of a 

Broken World 

By Bishop Santosh Marray, 

PHOTO: Used with permission, Jill & Gordon Muirhead, Rivendell Alpacas

Bishop’s Christmas Message 

“They shall name Him Emmanuel” 

which means, “God is with us”. 

(St. Matthew 1:23) 

The word “Christmas” is a shortened version of the 

words “Christ-Mass”. It is the great gathering of the 

faithful to celebrate the birth of the Savior and Messiah 

of the world. As we commemorate his birthday, I feel 

obliged to quote one the Church’s most inspired and 

spiritual Fathers of the fourth century, West African 

early church Father, Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. 

In one of his Christmas sermons to the faithful he said, 

“Beloved, our lord Jesus Christ, the eternal creator of 

all things, today became our Savior by being born of 

a mother. Of his own will he was born for us today, in 

time, so that he could lead us to his Father’s eternity. 

God became human like us so that we might become 

God. The Lord of the angels became one of us so that 

we could eat the bread of angels”. What a beautiful and 

profound way to sum up the Christmas message. 

The center of attraction in the manger, the child Jesus, 

by coming among us offers God’s healing and love to 

our broken and hostile world. Believing and receiving 

him means putting him first, far ahead of the fading 

glory and shifting hopes offered by this world. 

Christmas is the bridging of two realities reminding 

us that God is not just the God of heaven but Lord and 

Creator of the universe. Christmas is God’s incarnation, 

that is, God taking human flesh and becoming one like 

us. God became human, not just to save the world, but 

to bless the world, to bless being human, to endorse 

being human, to join us in our humanness. Jesus invites 

us to come to him as a child. 

When we look around, and see the children in their 

many Christmas presentations, that excitement and 

thrill goes a long way in helping to lay aside, even for a 

moment, the realities of daily struggle. For children, all 

the experiences of life are new and thrilling adventures. 

They take them in and take them on willingly and 

eagerly. Adults will do well to adopt this attitude of 

childlike innocence at Christmas, and allow the gift of 

this sacred birth we celebrate a chance to fill us with 

PEACE! JOY! and LOVE! 

Gifts are a major focus on Christmas - the many gifts 

that we have been buying for one another, the gifts that 

we have been hoping for and hinting at, but most of 

all, the great gift of God, the baby born in Bethlehem. 

Beloved, the birthday of Jesus marks our own birthday 

since we all share his life in baptism. This accounts for 

the reason why over the centuries the practice of gift 

sharing had become so popular. In essence, all of us are 

celebrating our birthday with Jesus, hence the exchange 

of gifts. 

However, as we do so let us spare some time in our 

celebration to invite the Christ child of Bethlehem 

stable, Jesus the Lord and Savior, into our lives. Let 

us give him the freedom to lead us where he wishes, 

recommitting ourselves to the guiding principles of love 

for all, peace, joy and Christian harmony. 

Every blessing on this Christmas from your friends! 

+San & Lynn 

3

BEING 

The Spiritual 

Practice of 

By Francie Thayer 

Here in the Diocese of Easton, we are in the midst 

of a journey of discernment to name who we are. 

The current descriptor under consideration is a 

prayer-centered church and a mission-shaped 

Diocese. This is a lovely description, but what does 

it actually mean? Honestly— how might these 

words shape who we are? Since the whole is made 

up of its many parts, the question really becomes: 

how might these words shape who I am? What 

would it mean in my life if I actually lived into this 

description? 

Through one lens, in a culture that values what 

you do, the mission part is the more accessible 

part. “Mission” draws our attention to projects: 

outreach, feeding, clothing, visiting; helping the 

marginalized. All of this is really good work, work 

that Jesus did, that God calls us to do today… 

important… central to who we are. 

What about that prayer-centered part? Because 

prayer, in our culture, really doesn’t fall 

resoundingly into the category of “doing”… it’s 

more about “being.” Yes, we “do” Morning Prayer, 

or we “do” Sunday morning worship. But I would 

suggest that being prayer-centered is more than 

“doing” liturgy. Don’t get me wrong: “doing” 

liturgy is beautiful, grounded prayer. It holds 

communities together and is essential and good. It 

supports a prayer-centered life. But there is a lot 

of life that we live when we are engaged in things 

other than liturgy. So what does a prayer-centered 

life look like? 

1Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: Rejoice always, pray 

without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

These verses are just a little overwhelming for me. 

I mean, if I am to pray without ceasing, how will I 

get anything else done? I’ve got this massive list... 

it’s Christmas, you know?

PRAYER-CENTERED CHURCH + MISSION-SHAPED DIOCESE 

Whenever I get into a tight spot like this with 

scripture, I return to my favorite Go-To Wise 

One… Barbara Brown Taylor. An Episcopal 

priest and now a professor in Georgia, BBT (as we 

fondly call her) has books and books of sermons, 

powerful writings on living as a child of God and 

much wisdom to share. In her book An Altar in 

the World, in the chapter on prayer, she writes 

of Brother David Stendl-Rast who “was the first 

person to tell me that prayer is not the same thing 

as prayers… Prayer, according to Brother David, is 

waking up to the presence of God no matter where 

I am or what I am doing.” (pg. 178) 

Let’s hold that next to our potential Diocesan 

descriptor. Prayer is waking up to God’s presence… 

everywhere at every moment. So to be prayercentered—to 

“pray without ceasing”—invites me 

to notice God in every thing, all the time. Notice 

God while commuting to work… while doing 

the dishes… while in a meeting, on the internet, 

having a meal. Wake up to God’s presence in every 

thing and every one. We are invited to be open to 

God’s Love in all we do, say, see, hear, touch, know. 

To be prayer-centered is a life-style, not a practice. 

It’s who we are, not what we do. 

If we choose to describe ourselves as a Diocese 

that is prayer-centered, we are holding out an 

invitation to all of us to wake up to God here and 

now. There are practices we can embrace to help 

with that, but it is also a gift God gives each one 

of us when we ask for God’s help to grow into that 

life-style. To be prayer-centered is to be grounded 

in God’s Presence, God’s Love and to walk into the 

Diocese—into the world—with a heart open to 

God. 

Francie Thayer is the Director of the Retreat House 

at Hillsboro, a ministry of the Diocese of Easton. 

5


Finding Meaning and Community 

By Michael Valliant 

Life can be rough. That’s not even worth a bumper 

sticker, it’s just a given. Even the most positive 

people have dark nights of the soul. And we all run 

up against questions we can’t answer. I think Fr. 

Bill Ortt is on to something when he says it is our 

questions that define us. It’s also our questions that 

drive us. 

“Is there more to life than this?” That’s one of the 

first ones we come across in the Alpha Course. 

Alpha is a phenomenon that took off in London 

under the leadership and vision of Nicky Gumbel. 

The notion was and is to take people who aren’t 

church-goers, but who wonder about life’s big 

questions, bring them together, to eat a meal, to 

enjoy each other, to watch some short films and 

talk. No judgment, no pressure, but plenty of 

laughter, connection, and fun. And funny things 

begin to happen when you put like-minded seekers 

together, no matter how different they may seem. 

Last winter and spring, 

approximately 60 

adults and 40 youth 

went through Alpha at 

Christ Church Easton. 

It was a transformative 

experience for just 

about all involved. I 

went from feeling like a 

newcomer to knowing 

I was a part of a 

community of people. 

And I saw the same thing happen to other people. 

It wasn’t about “church,” it was about relationships, 

conversations, and connections. The weekend away 

itself left me reeling and inspired. 

It seems a rare thing today to make the time to 

sit down with people, to eat together, to have 

meaningful discussion about things that matter, to 

admit we don’t have all the answers, but we have 

plenty of questions, and to put that on the table. 

The humor, the honesty, the laughs that follow are 

amazing. 

There are different ways to find meaning and 

community. Alpha is a great beginning. 

Michael Valliant is the Minister for Christian 

Education and Small Groups at Christ Church 

Easton. His blog can be found at www. 

michaelvalliant.com.

A Place for Generations 

By Reed Hazuda 

On Nov 12, 2017 at St. Paul’s Parish, Centreville 

Bishop Marray blessed and dedicated a Prayer 

Garden that was constructed by lifelong member 

and Boy Scout, fourteen year-old Reed Hazuda. 

Bishop Marray, Reverend Mary Garner, and Reed 

Hazuda, along with the entire congregation were 

present for the blessing. Reed created his Eagle 

Scout Project Idea and presented it to his church 

family for fundraising. Reed executed the physical 

aspects of the project with the help of fellow scouts 

and his church family. Reed is a Life Scout with 

Troop 464 out of Ruthsburg, MD and a freshman at 

QACHS. He will sit for his Eagle Board of Review 

sometime in 2018. Reed’s favorite part of the 

service was unveiling the Jesus statue to his church 

family, and seeing their joyful reactions! 

7

SNAPSHOTS... 

A joyous gathering of diocesan 

leaders, planning for the future – 

together. 

The poignant Farewell liturgy for graduating 

Agape campers. 

A New Beginning at St. Paul’s by the Sea, Ocean 

City as they break ground on their new building. 

Clergy from around the diocese gathered 

in retreat for a time of continuing 

education. 

8

Can you find our 11 youth and 3 adult leaders 

in this Province 3 group photo taken at the 

Episcopal Youth Event 2017? Hint: 

they are wearing purple 

The members of St. Paul’s, Centreville make a 

statement on Refugee Sunday. 

A playful moment with Bishop San and 

Julia Connelly celebrating the building of 

the Sudlersville Cabin. 

A committed group of volunteers gather to begin 

planning for our joyous 150th (sesquicentennial) 

celebration. 

9


Working Together 

Wicomico Episcopal Cluster’s Vacation Bible School 

By Leighann Yackel, St. Alban’s Salisbury 

Vacation Bible School is a special time in the life 

of a child and the church. It puts a focused lens 

on what living into the baptismal covenant can 

look like. Adults of all ages combine their time 

and talents to “do all in their power to support 

[children] in their life in Christ.” At the end of the 

week, the hope is that it leaves everyone wanting 

more – more time together to seek and serve 

Christ in one another and the world. Our churches 

seek to be that place. 

The Episcopal churches of Wicomico county 

combined resources to have just such a week of 

Vacation Bible School (VBS) for children in the 

community. The organizers attribute the success 

to the volunteers, coordinators and helpers who 

shared their time and talents. 

Bible lessons were shared through puppets, crafts, 

songs, and snacks. The daily Bible memory verses 

included “Live in harmony with one another” 

(Romans 12:16), and “Whether you eat or drink, 

or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of 

God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Teaching focused on 

how one’s voice and actions can hurt another on 

10 

the inside as well as learning how to help others 

through ministries… 

The Society of St. Andrew taught a lesson about 

how food that isn’t sold in grocery stores can still 

be used to feed others by gleaning the fields for the 

imperfect fruits, vegetables and grains and using 

those to feed people in need through food banks, 

soup kitchens and more. 

During the week they collected non-perishable 

food and canned items. On Friday a visitor from 

the Maryland food bank talked to the children. He 

told them how the Maryland food bank works, as 

well as the process of getting the food and sorting 

it and sending it to where it is needed in Maryland. 

In all, the VBS children and staff collected 72 

pounds of food which the Food Bank equates to 

60 meals. The children also collected $55.35 in 

coins to send to the Society of St. Andrew for their 

mission to end hunger. 

All in all, it was a busy, fun filled week of learning 

about the Bible and learning about ways to help 

others.

Community Partners 

Christ Church Denton & His Hope Haven 

by the Rev. Blake Wamester 

All it took was a spark and willing hearts. This is how it all began for Christ 

Church, Denton, and its involvement with His Hope Haven. 

His Hope Haven, a ministry of the North Caroline Clergy Association, has been 

around for a while operating a shelter program for those who are homeless in the 

area. It receives support for this program from community agencies and groups. 

This shelter serves Caroline and four surrounding counties in Maryland as well 

as two counties in Delaware. This past year His Hope Haven shelter has provided 

16,391 meals and 4,358 safe and secure nights of shelter for people in need. They 

have sheltered 100 people, including 47 children; ranging in age from 3 months 

to 83 years old. 68 people have been placed into permanent housing through this 

ministry, and 8 more were able to remain in their homes through the His Hope 

Haven Rapid Rehousing Program. 

Although a small church with relatively limited resources, we at Christ Church, 

Denton, nevertheless realized that we were being called to serve the needs of 

our community in a more specific way. Starting in 2015, while working through 

prayer and spiritual direction, we saw that the Spirit was calling us to reach 

out to the “least of these.” Through goal setting activities, with consultants 

recommended by the Diocese, and guidance from the Spirit, we embarked on a 

new focus in ministry. 

Together with His Hope Haven and Lynn Keckler, the ministries leader, a dream 

of theirs and ours was visualized: the His Hope Haven Resource Center. Utilizing 

the downstairs area of the Christ Church parish hall, Monday through Thursday 

from 9:15am-5:15pm, guests from the shelter are now able to access case 

management services, engage in housing and employment searches (including 

learning how to write a resume), participate in workshops designed to increase 

self-sufficiency (particularly financial literacy), learn to shop for food on a 

budget, become involved in smoking cessation programs and so much more. 

As a symbol of our commitment to this ministry: once a month, we the members 

of Christ Church use our own gifts and talents to provide and share a meal with 

the entire shelter community from our kitchen and parish hall. 

11


The Restoration of the Year 

the Locusts Ate 

By The Rev. Dr. Barbara Anne Fisher, Deacon 

“I will repay you for the years that the swarming fourteen years before I would once again pursue 

locust has eaten, the other locusts and the locust an ordained call to ministry, and it would be a 

swarm….Then you will know that I am in Israel, calling recognized by an LGBTQIA ministry that 

that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no had no problem that I was either woman or samegendered. 

other; never again will my people be shamed.” 

(Joel 2: 25, 27) 

It was a query by my Dad in June of 2008, that 

A number of years ago, at a time when I doubted I would once again light the Episcopal-fired calling 

ever would be found worthy to be ordained in the within me. As he looked deeply into my eyes 

Episcopal Church, I received a “prophetic word” he asked, “And when are you going to do what 

from the pastor who was a founder of the group you KNOW you are supposed to be doing?” 

by which I was originally ordained. It was the That piercing question moved me to retire from 

promise of God, given through Joel to Judah, that teaching, accept a lay ministry position and move 

the years of hardship would not only come to an to the Eastern Shore, and be accepted into the 

end – but that there would be restoration of that Doctor of Ministry in Educational Leadership 

which was lost. What has always been difficult program at Virginia Theological Seminary. It 

for me is to believe that prophetic words are the was also my Dad’s query which would lead to the 

fore-telling of God’s actions in the future, and that most important conversation of my life: It was the 

means one must watch – and wait – for them to initial conversation with Bishop Henry Parsley, 

come to fruition. I had been waiting almost fifteen at the reception of the Rev. Mary Garner for her 

years at that time, but little did I suspect then there Installation at St. Paul’s, Centreville, that he was 

would be another seventeen to go! 

establishing a discernment process by which to 

assess my calling to the priesthood. 

At the time that the Philadelphia Eleven and the 

Washington Four women were being “irregularly” In June 2015, I began the formal discernment 

ordained, I was in the throes of wrestling with process with a wonderfully prayerful and sincere 

my own call to ministry. It became a call that was team. I completed my Clinical Pastoral Education 

to be denied in the mid-80s when I was “outed” (CPE) during the winter/spring of 2016, and began 

during seminary. I ended up graduating with a my year of Anglican Studies at Virginia Theological 

Masters of Christian Education degree instead of Seminary in August 2016. While there, I moved 

a Master of Divinity degree. It would be another through the postulancy and candidacy process for 

12

Holy Orders. After graduating with the Anglican 

Studies Diploma on May 18, I was ordained to the 

transitional diaconate June 24, 2017. Even that 

moment in time had its own wrinkles: Due to 

Bishop Santosh’s health issues which surfaced just 

the week before my ordination, I was ordained by 

Bishop Chilton Knudsen, Diocese of Maryland. 

October 26, 2017, the knowledge the prophecy 

finally was coming to fruition was confirmed 

when the Standing Committee of the Diocese of 

Easton gave their letter to Bishop Santosh Marray 

which supported my ordination to the priesthood. 

Awaking in the wee hours each morning since 

that date, I breathe deeply in humbleness and 

awe the reality granted me: God willing, and 

the people assenting, on Saturday, December 16, 

2017, at 11:00 a.m., in Trinity Cathedral, Easton, 

Maryland, I will be ordained to the priesthood of 

the Episcopal Church by Bishop Santosh Marray. 

And, in the true depth of restoring the years the 

locusts ate, it will be the Rev. Carter Heyward, one 

of the Philadelphia Eleven, who will be preaching 

at my ordination to the priesthood. 

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Fisher currently serves as 

Assistant to the Rector at St. Alban’s Episcopal 

Church – Salisbury, Maryland. Her ordination to the 

priesthood will be held on December 16th at Trinity 

Cathedral. 

13

14 

Register for Summer Camp 2018 

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on! 

15

Opening the Ordination Process 

Process Opens January 1st 

By The Rev. Michael Moyer, Commision on Ministry 

At the end of his tenure as Bishop of Easton, 

Bishop Shand decided it was prudent to close the 

ordination process. During his time as Bishop 

Provisional, Bishop Parsley opened the ordination 

process for those feeling a call to the priesthood. 

This process was open for one year. That year we 

had one applicant, Barbara Anne Fisher. She is 

being ordained to the priesthood on December 

16th. 

During the time when Bishop Parsley was Bishop 

Provisional the Commission on Ministry spent 

time clarifying the ordination process and began 

having conversations about many aspects of 

ministry, both ordained and lay. Included in 

this discussion was a conversation about what 

Vocational Diaconate would look like in our 

diocese. 

Now that Bishop Marray’s episcopate has been 

established for more than a year, he has decided 

to open the ordination process for those called to 

both the Vocational Diaconate and the Priesthood. 

The November Clericus was presented by the 

Commission on Ministry and focused primarily on 

local clergy as the first step in the discernment of a 

call. The majority of the time was focused again on 

the Vocational Diaconate stressing that this order 

of ordained ministry acts as a bridge between the 

Church and the world. 

If you have been feeling a sense of call, the 

Commission on Ministry encourages you to have a 

conversation with the priest serving your Church. 

The Commission on Ministry looks forward to 

seeing who the Lord has called to serve this part of 

the Kingdom. 

A Gift Idea that Transforms Lives! 

From Episcopal Relief and Development 

By The Rev. Mary Garner and Kit Bainbridge 

The Christmas season is upon us. A simple gift can 

bring great joy. Send “Gifts of Life” from Episcopal 

Relief and Development (ERD) this Christmas and 

give people in need the chance to transform their 

lives in lasting ways. Gifts include animals and 

agriculture, basics for life, “green” gifts, health and 

wellness and economic opportunities. Shopping 

from the “Gifts for Life” catalog means that your 

tax-deductible gift will support ERD’s mission 

to fight poverty, hunger and 

The angel said to 

disease worldwide. You can 

them, “Do not be 

send a personalized card to 

your friends and loved ones 

afraid; for see, I am 

to tell them about the life 

bringing you Good 

changing gift made in their 

News of great joy 

honor. You can order online 

for all the people: to 

at episcopalrelief.org/gifts or 

you is born this day 

from a catalog. 

in the city of David 

This year, ERD is launching a 

a Savior, who is the 

$760,000 Holiday Matching 

Messiah, the Lord.” 

Gift Challenge. All donations, 

Luke 2:10-11 

including “Gifts for Life”, will 

be matched, dollar for dollar, 

until December 31. What a wonderful way to 

celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! 

For over 75 years, ERD has served as a 

compassionate response to human suffering in 

the world. The agency works with more than 3 

million people in nearly 40 countries worldwide 

to overcome poverty, hunger and disease. An 

independent 501 (c) (3) organization, ERD works 

closely with the Anglican Communion and 

ecumenical partners to help communities create 

long-term development strategies to rebuild after 

disasters.

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Bishop’s Christmas Appeal 

Hurricane Relief for Our Island Neighbors 

Not too long ago, and for many years, the Diocese 

of Easton had a Companion Diocese relationship 

with the Diocese of North Eastern Caribbean 

and Aruba. Of the 12 islands that make up 

their Diocese, six were decimated by hurricane 

Irma leaving much of those islands in ruin. On 

the island of Barbuda alone over 95% of the 

homes were destroyed, leaving almost the entire 

population homeless. 

The Diocese of North Eastern Caribbean and 

Aruba has embarked upon an unimaginable effort 

to bring comfort, dignity and hope to the people 

of these islands. Property, human life, and the 

spiritual well-being of God’s people in the diocese 

are a priority. 

Bishop Errol Brooks of the Diocese of North 

Eastern Caribbean and Aruba has reached out 

to us for assistance in achieving their goal for 

restoration. In response, this year’s Bishop’s 

Christmas Appeal will go toward the rebuilding 

efforts of our former Companion Diocese, as a sign 

of our commitment and empathy with their efforts. 

In this season of gift giving, the gospel is clear and 

poignant in its admonition to “love our neighbors 

as ourselves” and reach out with a ‘helping hand’ to 

those who need our assistance. When we do so for 

‘the least of these’ we are doing so for Christ. 

We invite you share the hope of Christ this season 

through a gift to this noble and hopeful cause. You 

may do so through your parish or send checks to 

Bray House, 314 North Street, Easton, MD 21601, 

with a notation indicating “Bishop’s Christmas 

Appeal”. 

NOTABLE DATES 

January 5-7 

OCEAN CITY YOUTH RALLY 

Youth in Middle and High School are gathering from 

around the Diocese and Province to enjoy a weekend of 

worship, workshops, and fun. 

February 5 

NORTHERN CONVOCATION MEETING 

St. Paul’s Kent at 7pm. A preview of convention business 

for clergy and delegates. 

February 6 

MIDDLE CONVOCATION MEETING 

A preview of convention business for clergy and delegates. 

February 8 

SOUTHERN CONVOCATION MEETING 

A preview of convention business for clergy and delegates. 

February 23-24 

DIOCESAN CONVENTION 

The annual meeting of the Diocese of Easton including 

elections and voting. Young people are also invited to 

attend the coinciding “Youth at Convention” event. 

The Bray House (Offices of the Bishop) will be closed on 

12/22 (half day), 12/25, 12/26, 1/1, 1/15, 2/19, and 2/26. 

SIGN UP FOR THE WEEKLY ENEWS 

dioceseofeaston.org 

and stay up-to-date on: 

Diocesan-Wide Events 

Parish Events 

Camp Wright Corner 

Retreat House Happenings 

Bishop’s Blog & Spotlight 

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer 

Diocesan Prayer List 

National Church and Wider Events 

Submit Your Event to joanne@dioceseofeaston.org

DIOCESE OF 

E P I S C O PA L 

E A S T O N 

ESTO FI DELIS 

CHURCH USA 

The Episcopal Diocese of Easton 

314 North Street 

Easton, MD 21601 

410-822-1919 

dioceseofeaston.org 

DIOCESAN CONVENTION 

February 23 rd & 24 th 2018 

Hya Regency, Cambridge, MD 

Our theme this year will be: “Faith Healing 

Fate” and our Chaplain will be The Right Rev. 

Clion “Dan” Daniel 3 rd , the 7 th Bishop of East 

Carolina (ret.) and the rered Provisional Bishop 

of Pennsylvania. We look forward to seeing the 

clergy and delegates from each parish. Visitors 

are welcome! If you are not a delegate and wish 

to be present at Convenon, please contact Lynn 

Ansta at Bray House – 410.822.1919 or lynn@ 

dioceseofeaston.org for costs and registraon 

informaon. 

150 TH CELEBRATION EUCHARIST 

with The Most Rev. Michael Curry 

Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church 

Sunday March 3 rd , 2019 

Hya Regency, Cambridge, MD 

Please mark your calendar now for this very 

important event in the life of our diocese. We are 

all invited to come together as a diocesan family for 

this celebraon to remember our first 150 years as 

a diocese and kick off the next 150 years. You won’t 

want to miss this diocesan-wide Sunday morning 

fesve event. 

“GROWING YOUNG” COHORT REACHING ACROSS GENERATIONS 

March 3rd, May 5th, July 7th, and September 8th - Hillsboro Retreat Center 9am-3pm 

We are passionate about reaching young people and young families with Jesus’ message of hope and love. 

Bring a team from your church to the table in 2018 as we explore innovave and effecve ways to share faith 

across generaons. Facilitated by Ministry Architects and in partnership with Fuller Youth Instute.

ESE Christmas 2017

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