Communiqué Spring 2022

Articles appearing within the Communique’ do not necessarily represent the opinions of the National Episcopal Church Women nor the Episcopal Church. The organization strives to provide a platform for women to present ideas and opinions that affect women’s issues. The editor may be contacted for comments or questions at: editor@ecwnational.org

Message from the President

Karen Patterson Episcopal Church Women President 2018 to 2021

Karen Patterson Episcopal Church Women President 2018 to 2022

Dear Sisters in Christ,

Greetings to all of you as we prepare for the 50th Triennial. Lots of things are being planned so that you will have an informative wonderful time. Registration opened on March 18. Don’t forget you register with the General Convention and you certify your delegates with Triennial. We will have more information added to our website as it comes out. Don’t hesitate to contact any member of the board if you have any questions about Triennial.

We hope to see all of you in Baltimore!

The board meeting was very productive in working on the plans for Triennial. We hope that each of you will be there to help us celebrate ECW’s 150th “birthday”.

Karen O. Patterson
National President 2018 -2022

Cornerstone Kids: A Long History of Service and Evangelism

Cornerstone Kids Incorporated has served the Tampa Heights Community for 38 years. It started as Cornerstone Club in 1984, founded by Rev. Bruce Caldwell, who was the rector of the Episcopal House of Prayer. His intent was to provide a safe place for the children in the underserved Tampa Heights community to play and avoid the negative influences in the neighborhood. The club was financially supported by the church and operated successfully two or three days a week for many years.

Una Larga Historia de Servicio y Evangelización

La compañía “Cornerstone Kids” ha servido a la comunidad de “Tampa Heights” por 38 años. Comenzó a fungir como “Cornerstone Club” en el año 1984, fundada por el Reverendo Bruce Caldwell, quien fuera el rector de La Casa Episcopal de Oración. Su intención fue la de proveer un lugar seguro para los niños en la zona menospreciada de “Tampa Heights” para su entretenimiento y el poder evitar la negatividad del vecindario en cuestión. El Club fue financieramente apoyado por la iglesia y operada de manera exitosa dos o tres días a la semana por largos años.

Good Samaritan Feeding Tampa Bay

Our church is going through changes. The first is that we are adapting to being in the middle of a pandemic, and next, we are going through a transition period of welcoming a new priest. Our new priest supports our Episcopal Church Women ministry and urges our Bishop’s Committee along with our ECW to continue to look beyond our church walls to serve our community in its needs. Our ECW ministry consists of a small group of dedicated, caring women who do exactly that!

El Buen Samaritano Alimentando a la Bahía Tampa

Nuestra iglesia está pasando por cambios. El primero de ellos es que nos estamos adaptando a estar en el medio de una pandemia, y el siguiente de los cambios, es que pasamos por un proceso de transición para darle la bienvenida a la nueva sacerdotisa. Nuestra nueva sacerdotisa apoya el ministerio de Mujeres de la Iglesia Episcopal y conmina al comité del Obispo junto al Grupo de Mujeres de la Iglesia Episcopal a continuar en la búsqueda mas allá de la misma iglesia para servir a la comunidad y sus necesidades. El Ministerio de Mujeres de la Iglesia Episcopal consiste en un grupo pequeño

Gathering Grace Feeding Program

Grace Episcopal Church in Muncie, Indiana, has been located in the southeast area of downtown Muncie for 140 years. Through the years, the area around the church has changed, and Grace has changed, too, by participating in various neighborhood projects and generating many outreach programs, including its feeding program, Gathering Grace, which began in 2008. Before the pandemic, they served more than 100 hot meals every Sunday. When COVID hit, they were unable to continue sit-down meals, but that didn’t stop them from giving out hot food. The volunteers hand out a hot meal in a sack every Sunday and include a sandwich for later, plus a bottle of water. They average about 70 meals per week and have anywhere from six to 10 volunteers helping with the meal each Sunday. Rev. Dr. Paul Jacobson, the church’s rector, believes that opening the parish to the community in this way is the most important work their parish does.
To avoid this

El Programa de alimentación “La Gracias que alberga”

La Iglesia Episcopal de La Gracia en Muncie, Indiana, ha sido ubicada en el sureste del Centro de la ciudad de Muncie por los últimos 140 anos. A través de los años, el área alrededor de la Iglesia ha cambiado, y la Iglesia de La Gracia también, tras participar en varios proyectos vecinales y al generar muchas iniciativas de voluntariado, incluyendo su programa de alimentación, la “Gracia que Alberga”, la cual comenzó en el año 2008. Antes de la Pandemia, sirvieron más de 100 comidas caceras todos los domingos. Cuando la Pandemia empeoro, no fueron capaces de continuar administrando dichas comidas en persona, pero ello no se interpuso en la repartición de estas. Los voluntarios entregaban una ración de comida cacera cada domingo en un saco el cual incluía un emparedado para ingerir en horas posteriores como merienda, al igual que una botella de agua para su hidratación debida. El promedio era de alrededor de 70 comidas por semana y para ello se necesitaba un personal de seis a diez voluntarios ayudando todos los domingos. El Reverendo y Doctor Paul Jacobson, el rector de la iglesia, cree que la reapertura de la parroquia para la comunidad es el trabajo más importante que la parroquia efectúa.

Nourish Babylon

Babylon Village in Long Island, New York, is widely known to be a safe and friendly neighborhood and beautiful place to live. Babylon is on the south coast of Suffolk County in Long Island, making it a popular summer destination, but the downtown area exhibits fine restaurants, a historic theatre, and trafficked bike paths that keep both locals and visitors busy year-round. Christ Episcopal Church has been nestled among the now multi-storied homes and quaint parks since the 1930s.

Nutriendo a Babilonia

La Villa de Babilonia en Long Island, New York, es notoria por ser un lugar seguro, amigable y hermoso para habitar. Babilonia es la costa del sur del condado Suffolk en Long Island, haciéndola así en un lugar bien popular durante las vacaciones de verano, pero el área del centro pone en despliegue restaurantes de lujo, un teatro histórico, al igual que bicicletas que mantienen a la gente oriunda de la zona y a los visitantes ocupados todo el año. La Iglesia Episcopal de Cristo ha surgido entre las casas de múltiples pisos y pintorescos parques desde 1930.

St. George Food Bank

Archdeacon Lois Maberry Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana and assigned to St. George Episcopal Church, Bossier City, LA
St. George is a small parish located in Bossier City, Louisiana, and geographically located one block from an interstate highway. Our church is also situated between two local motels that have become long-term rental motels. Because of the considerable number of transient friends and those who have limited cooking facilities living in the area, St. George began a food

El Banco de Comida de San Jorge

El Archidiácono Louis Maberry de la Diócesis Episcopal del Oeste de Luisiana y asignado a la iglesia Episcopal de San Jorge ubicado en la ciudad de Bossier en el estado de Luisiana.

La iglesia de San Jorge es una parroquia pequeña ubicada en la ciudad de Bossier en el estado de Luisiana, y geográficamente localizada a una cuadra de la autopista interestatal. Nuestra iglesia también está situada entre dos moteles que se han transformado en moteles a la renta a largo plazo. Debido al considerable número de amigos transeúntes y aquellos que poseen limitadas instalaciones para cocinar y acceder a alimentos, la iglesia de San Jorge comenzó un banco de comida para satisfacer necesidades especiales ya hace más de 15 años atrás.
Grandes cantidades

St. James Food Truck

With CHANGE comes CHALLENGE, and parishioners of St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Florida, met the challenge when COVID arose and a change in local needs presented itself. A plan was developed to meet the community’s food needs through a program named FOOD DROP.

El Camión de comida de St. James

Con los CAMBIOS vienen RETOS, y los feligreses de la iglesia episcopal de St. James ubicada en leesburg, Florida, asumieron uno de tantos retos cuando la pandemia del COVID-19 surgió a la palestra y cambio la dinámica. A raíz de ello, un plan fue desarrollado para satisfacer las necesidades alimenticias de la comunidad a través de un programa denominado ENTREGA DE COMIDA.

First Nations Kitchen

The story of First Nations Kitchen has its roots in the late 1990s with the Reverend Melanie Spears, her husband George and family, and the congregation of All Saints Indian Mission. During this time Path Crossing conferences were being held. Path Crossing encouraged the exploration of cross-cultural partnerships, linking predominantly Native American congregations with mostly Anglo congregations in the United States.

Food Insecurity in our Community

St. John’s Episcopal Church is located in downtown Lafayette, Indiana, and maintains three direct opportunities of service to help alleviate food insecurity in our community of Tippecanoe County (population about 200,000). Communicants at St. John’s support these efforts by praying, volunteering at the different sites, and donating money and goods. Working with the Lafayette Food Finders Food Bank (an outreach of the Feeding America program) in Lafayette, Indiana, the three sites include Food Finders Food Bank, the local pantry at our church, and the Fowler Apartments in downtown Lafayette.

La inseguridad alimenticia en nuestra comunidad

La iglesia Episcopal de San Juan está ubicada en el centro de Lafayette y mantiene tres oportunidades directas de servicio para aleviar la inseguridad alimenticia en nuestra comunidad del condado de Tippecanoe (Una población cerca de los 200.000). Los participantes en la iglesia de San Juan apoyan estos esfuerzos por medio de la oración, voluntariado en las diferentes localidades, y la donación de comida y bienes. Trabajando con el banco de comida de Lafayette (una iniciativa perteneciente al programa llamado “Alimentando América”) en Lafayette, Indiana, las tres ubicaciones incluye al Banco de Comida llamado “Descubridores de Comida”, la lacena local de nuestra iglesia, y los apartamentos “Fowler” en el centro de Lafayette.

Everyone Deserves a Full Belly

Since the pandemic started back in 2020, the Communique’ editorial staff has witnessed as well as discussed what services local ECW groups provide that have the largest impact in their community. Food by no surprise continued to rise to the forefront of community needs. Many of our groups rose to the need and focused on mask making and looking for ways to support those who were shutoff from their normal daily lives. We have seen the creation of sharing libraries stocked with books donated by church goers, technology support teams reach out to those who may need help with online-video meeting, and the reestablishment of the old-time telephone tree, but in the end, food drove the most basic requests.

Communiqué Spring 2022

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Message from the President