Episcopal NewsT h e

Episcopal NewsAutumn 2017

www.episcopAlnews.com serving the six-county diocese of los Angeles

Saying farewell...moving forward

2 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

By John harvey TaylorBishop Coadjutorof Los Angeles

When colleagues and I visited St. James’ Church on Via Lido in Newport Beach this week, I spotted a wall calendar still

showing the page for June 2015, a month that will long be remembered in the Diocese of Los Angeles. It signified the end of weekly worship at St. James and the beginning of a season of wearying conflict that, in one way or another, has affected the minis-tries each member of our diocesan family.

Among the casualties: The reputations of a be-loved and courageous bishop and his talented vicar, deep disappointment experienced by a congrega-tion, deep mistrust between diocese and congregation, strained relationships among bishops, deacons, laypeople, and priests, and a black eye for our diocese in the local media and national church.

A new season, we pray, began this month. Before too long, as standard operating procedures

dictate, the mission church of St. James the Great will open its doors on Via Lido. Mission and dio-cese, vicar and bishop’s office will work collabora-tively, collegially, and by the book.

Then all of us will have the opportunity to turn faithfully and purposefully to the hard but necessary work of truth-telling and reconciliation.

The latest season of struggle began in July, when Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gave the Standing Committee, its president, the Rev. Dr. Rachel Anne Nyback, and me the responsibility for mediating a pastoral solution to the controversy over the im-pending sale of the St. James property. On Oct. 11, the buyer decided not to proceed. Vicar Cindy Ev-ans Voorhees and other leaders of the St. James con-gregation offered to purchase the property so they could use it as a community church unrelated to our

polity, a proposal we considered but re-jected. After further conversations with St. James, we and church leaders decid-ed to issue our Nov. 9 joint statement de-tailing the way for-ward for St. James, Canon Voorhees, and the diocese.

It is the product of considerable dis-cernment and prayer and frank conversa-

tion among the parties. It is also likely to leave few feeling completely vindicated.

Thus it has been these two and a half grueling years. Many advocates of St. James were frustrated in August when the Standing Committee and I de-cided not to run the legal and financial risk of vio-lating the existing sales contract. Some said that our appearing to reward Bishop Jon Bruno flew in the face the case that had been mounted against him for conduct unbecoming a bishop during March’s eccle-siastical trial before a hearing panel of The Episco-pal Church. Loyal advocates of Bishop Bruno may well be unhappy with the Nov. 9 announcement, since it appears to reward leaders of St. James for what some feel was conduct unbecoming a Chris-tian community.

Winners and losers. Polarization and accusations of duplicity and betrayal. Inflexible positions and disrupted friendships. Not the church at its best — but inevitable consequences whenever controversy erupts, the fog of conflict descends, and colleagues in leadership and ministry take up sides instead of tending relationships. In the midst of conflict, we’re often at our worst when we think or know we’re right. As the parties wrote in our statement, “We will end the cycle [of hurt] by sharing our narratives openly and honestly, using reconciliation in relation-ship to rediscover our unity and purpose as a dioc-esan family in Christ.”

The Standing Committee and I do not envision the people of St. James returning to the church building as the end of the story but the beginning of the final and perhaps most important chapter. It amounts to a call (one that is binding on the signatories) to a sea-son of truth-telling, mutual discernment, and recon-ciliation. Undistracted by participants’ preferred out-comes when it comes to occupancy of the building on Via Lido, we stand a better chance of constructing an accurate narrative about our recent troubles.

Details are coming soon about how our reconcili-ation work will be organized. It won’t be easy, and sometimes it won’t be pleasant. But the psalmist got it right (133:1): “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” Let us begin today, each of us, by taking a moment to behold the world as it is, its deepening hunger for meaning and justice; to face up to the wealth of energy and treasure we have spent on the question of St. James these 28 months; and to imagine the work we may accomplish in unity for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ?

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The volume 67, number 6

F R o M T h E B I S h o P C o A D J U T o R

A time for truth, reconciliation

“We will end the

cycle [of hurt]

by sharing our

narratives

openly and

honestly, using

reconciliation

in relationship

to rediscover

our unity and

purpose as a

diocesan family

in Christ.”

“...I spotted a wall calendar still showing the page for June 2015, a month that will long be remembered in the Diocese of Los Angeles.” — John Harvey Taylor

The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 3

The 122nd meeting of the Diocese of Los Angeles’s annual convention Dec. 1 – 2 at the Ontario Conven-

tion Center will mark the transition from the sixth to the seventh bishop of the dio-cese as lay and clergy delegates consider the work of its congregations and institu-tions, vote on a budget for 2018, elect offi-cers, and hear reports of work carried out in the past year.

Retiring Bishop J. Jon Bruno is slated to pass the crozier, or bishop’s staff, to Bishop Coadjutor John H. Taylor at the opening Eucharist, set for 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. Taylor, as the new bishop diocesan, will preside over the convention proceedings. The convention theme is “Feeding Hungry Hearts,” which Taylor has chosen as the theme of his episcopate.

Bishop Minerva Garza Carcaño, Sac-ramento-based area bishop of the United Methodist Church, will deliver the fifth bi-ennial Margaret Parker lecture during the Friday session, at a time to be announced.

Her visit follows a draft proposal for full communion between the United Method-ist and Episcopal Churches, titled A Gift to

the World: Co-Labor-ers for the Healing of Brokenness, released by the Episcopal Church-United Meth-odist Dialogue Com-mittee on Oct. 23.

Carcaño will join a list of distinguished church leaders who have delivered the Parker lecture, which was established in 2008 by St. Cross Church, Hermosa Beach, in memory of Canon Margaret Parker, parishioner, activist and wife of its longtime rector, the Rev. Canon Rich-ard I.S. Parker. Previous lecturers include former Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori; Bishop Barbara Harris of Massa-

chusetts; the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners; and the Rev. Renita Weems, Episcopal priest, author and New Testa-ment scholar.

The first Latina to be ordained a bishop in the United Methodist Church, Carcaño is her denomination’s chief spokesperson on immigration issues and has taken an active role in promoting LGBT rights and interreligious matters. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Pan American and Perkins School of Theology. Ordained in 1976, she has served congregations in Texas, New Mexico and California. In 1986, she became a district superintendent in the continental United States, serving in West Texas and New Mexico. She was elected to the episcopacy in 2004 by the Western Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church, and has led the Phoenix and Los Angeles areas.

This year’s convention will begin on Friday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. with Eucharist, followed by legis-

for everything you need to know about diocesan convention, visit

www.ladiocese.org/ convention/home.html

on the cover: With Bishop John Taylor standing by, Bishop J. Jon Bruno addresses attendees at a reception bidding him farewell upon his retire-ment. Photo: Robert howe. Story: pages 5 – 8.

in this issue:page 4: Resolutions for Diocesan Conventionpage 5: Statement: “Making All Things New”pages 6 – 9: heartfelt tributes to the Brunospage 10: Churches respond to o.C. firespage 12: Priest builds bridges in Jerusalempages 14 – 15: Schools and Institutionspages 16 – 17: Peoplepages 18 – 19: Connections, obituariespage 20: Arts & Liturgy Calendar; Take Note

Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño will deliver biannual Margaret Parker lecture

Minerva Carcaño

L eaders of the Diocese of Los An-geles and St. James the Great have determined a “way forward” for

Episcopal Church ministry in Newport Beach, according to a statement released Nov. 9 by Bishop Coadjutor John Harvey Taylor; the Rev. Rachel Anne Nyback, president of the Standing Committee; and the Rev. Canon Cindy Evans Voor-hees of St. James.

“The diocese will continue to engage in discernment about mission and min-istry in south Orange County,” said the statement, titled Making All Things New. “The diocese has no plans to sell the church. The diocese reserves the right to make whatever decisions about its re-sources that it may think best for the glo-ry of God and in service of God’s people.”

The congregation of St. James will be-gin its new life by applying for mission status; once such status is approved, the congregation will be invited to resume use of the Newport Beach property. Bish-op Taylor, after he becomes bishop dioc-

esan at Diocesan Convention on Dec. 1, intends to name Voorhees as its vicar. (See page 2 for a letter from Taylor about the agreement.)

“Until this preparatory work is com-plete, the diocese may reopen the church for weekly celebrations of Holy Eucharist by supply clergy,” the statement contin-ues. “Bishop Taylor and Canon Voorhees will be among those on the rota.

“The diocese and St. James will dili-gently observe all canonical and diocesan requirements and procedures governing mission churches ... The diocese will do all it can to assist St. James in restarting.”

Part of the Newport Beach property will be used for the Redeemer Center for Diocesan Ministries. “Tenancy will be at the bishop’s discretion. The bishop will oversee its work, and those leading its justice, outreach, service, or spirituality ministries will report to the bishop,” ac-cording to the statement.

The full text of the statement may be read on page 5. ?

New way forward announced for ministry in Newport Beach

(continued next page)

John Taylor to begin tenure as bishop diocesan at convention

N E W S

4 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

lative sessions. The diocesan community is invited to attend any part of the conven-tion, including the Eucharist and Parker Lecture, but only certified delegates may sit in the main convention area; others, in-cluding alternates, may sit in a designated visitor’s gallery. Visitors do not need to register for convention.

Delegates will consider two resolutions; one concerning the proposed reorganiza-tion of The Bishop as a Corporation Sole, a California corporation of which the incum-bent bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles is sole trustee; and one calling for a two-year study of youth and young adult ministries in the diocese, with results to be reported to convention in 2020. The latter resolution would be funded by contributions from the congregations of the diocese. Texts of the two resolutions are on this page: further explanations are on the convention website (select “Resolutions,” then “Report of the Committee on Resolutions”).

Elections for a range of diocesan offices

will also be held during the meeting. Information about the offices and candidates for each appear on the website (select “nominations”).

The Exhibit Hall will be open during the day on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat-urday. Exhibitors include many ministries of the diocese and the wider church, as well as a num-ber of organizations with goods and services for sale. A cocktail hour will be held in the Exhibit Hall from close of business on Friday until 6:30 p.m.

A buffet lunch will be offered on both Friday and Saturday at $12 per person. The buffets will be set up in the pre-function lobby outside the Exhibit Halls. Seating will be available outside or in the meeting room. No reservations are necessary, and tickets will be sold on site (cash only); visit the meal ticket table during registration.

Childcare will be available for children from infancy to age 11: visit the website and select “Registration for Childcare” for forms and information. Registration dead-line is Nov. 20.

Photographer Cam Sanders will be on hand to take photos of clergy during con-vention; more information will be avail-able soon on the Angelus page. ?

resolution regarding the reorganization of corporation sole

Resolved, that the 122nd Annual Meet-ing of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles affirm the work of the Special Committee on Corporation Sole as out-lined in its joint statement with Bishop Co-adjutor John Taylor to the Diocese of Los Angeles dated August 21, 2017, and that it endorse the Key Principles, Vision for the Future, and Proposed Implementation and Timeline detailed therein; and be it further

Resolved, that the Special Committee on Corporation Sole monitor the implementa-tion process, working in collaboration with Bishop Taylor, and bring to the 123rd An-nual Meeting of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles a report including such ca-nonical changes as may be necessary to en-sure that Corporation Sole continues to op-

erate in a manner consistent with the Key Principles outlined in the August 21, 2017 Statement Regarding Corporation Sole.

resolution regarding diocesan youth and young Adult ministries

Resolved, that the 122nd Annual Meet-ing of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles declare a period of self-evaluation in youth and young adults—assessing church communities, their ministries, and their financial commitments associated with youth and young adult ministries in an effort to identify a path forward for engaging and supporting youth and young adult ministry throughout the diocese; developing and planning for diocesan re-sources to support those ministries; and identifying opportunities for the church at the diocesan level to provide support for

youth and young adult ministries to indi-vidual parishes; and be it further

Resolved, that Bishop John H. Taylor form a Survey Committee comprised of or-dained leaders, including at least one mem-ber from the Program Group on Youth and Young Adult Ministries, charged with creating, administering and evaluating a qualitative and quantitative survey of each community and the diocese as a whole over a period of two years, the results of which will be shared at the 125th Annual Meeting of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles; and be it further

Resolved, that the Survey Committee will work in communion with the Pro-gram Group on Youth and Young Adult Ministries throughout the process; and be it further

Resolved, that each church community, as it is able, will contribute a total of six hundred dollars, over the course of the two years the Survey Committee is active, to support the financial requirements to assess this demographic church, its com-munity, and its presence diocesan-wide.

Additional information and explanations may be found at www.ladiocese.org/conven-tion/home.html: select “Resolutions.” ?

Report of the Committee on Resolutions

Under Diocesan Canons, the Committee on Resolutions has the duty to consider all resolutions submitted to the Secretary of Convention as specified in the Rules of

Order and to report on each resolution so submitted. The Committee is enjoined from including in its report any judgment on the merits of the substance of any resolution’s passage or defeat. However, the Committee may finalize the form of the resolutions, which has been done to the extent possible with the proponents of the resolutions.

— Canon Ann Seitz, chair, Committee on Resolutions

CoNvENTIoN (continued from page 3) Delegates and visitors to Diocesan Conventionare invited to a preview of

open bethlehemA film directed and produced by Leila Sansour that spans seven momentous years in the life of the world’s most famous little town. A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the preview.

friday, december 1, 6:30 p.m.Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E Convention Center Way, OntarioHosted by the Program Group on Global Partnership

www.openbethlehem.org

The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 5

st. James the great episcopal church and the redeemer center for diocesan ministries

Key principles:u The church’s sudden closing hurt the people of St. James. Their leaders counte-nanced hurtful statements and tactics. This cycle of hurt strained relationships in the diocese. We will end the cycle by sharing our narratives openly and honestly, using reconciliation in relationship to rediscover our unity and purpose as a diocesan family in Christ.u The diocese will continue to engage in discernment about mission and ministry in south Orange County. The diocese has no plans to sell the church. The diocese reserves the right to make whatever deci-sions about its resources that it may think best for the glory of God and in service of God’s people.u While this reconciliation and discern-ment work goes on, the people of St. James should be able to worship in the church and experience renewal and inspiration from the celebration of Holy Eucharist and service to God’s people in community. St. James pledges to participate fully in the work of diocesan reconciliation and dis-cernment and abide by their outcomes.

Next steps:u The diocese will use a portion of the facility as the Redeemer Center for Di-ocesan Ministries. Tenancy will be at the bishop’s discretion. The bishop will over-see its work, and those leading its justice, outreach, service, or spirituality ministries will report to the bishop.u Once St. James has been granted mis-sion status, it will be invited to resume use of the church. Once Bishop Taylor, by the grace of God, is diocesan bishop, he intends to name Canon Voorhees as vicar. All understand that vicars and bishop’s

wardens serve at the discretion of their bishops and that bishops, as rectors of mis-sion churches, oversee all their operations, mission, and ministry. Once formed and seated, the St. James Bishop’s Committee and wardens will enter into a standard let-ter of agreement with the vicar, requiring the signature of the bishop.

Until this preparatory work is complete, the diocese may reopen the church for weekly celebrations of Holy Eucharist by supply clergy. Bishop Taylor and Canon Voorhees will be among those on the rota.

The diocese and St. James will diligently observe all canonical and diocesan re-quirements and procedures governing mis-sion churches. St. James understands that the proposed 2018 Mission Share Fund budget for mission churches is fully obli-

gated for the sake of communities where the need is great. The diocese will do all it can to assist St. James in restarting.u St. James will stop using communica-tions strategists and social media to advo-cate in connection with its relationship to the diocese. The diocese and St. James here-by repudiate all past and future anonymous correspondence sent on their behalves. If those responsible for Save St. James The Great wish it to persist as a non-profit orga-nization, they will change its name and de-vote it to a religious or charitable purpose.

Signed:The Rev. Dr. Rachel Anne Nyback [for the Standing Committee]The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor The Rev. Canon Cindy Evans Voorhees ?

A Statement From Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor, Standing Committee President Rachel Nyback, and Canon Cindy Evans Voorhees

The statement below describes the way forward for St. James the Great Church and the Redeemer Center for Diocesan Ministries. A further statement from Bishop Taylor is on page 2. Information about timing and other matters will be announced as available.

The National Fund for Sacred Plac-es, a program of Partners for Sa-cred Places and the National Trust

for Historic Preservation, on Oct. 18 announced that it has accepted Church of the Epiphany, East Los Angeles, as one of 17 congregations nationwide to participate in a national grant-making program that supports capital building projects at historic houses of worship.

Launched last year with grants total-ing $14 million from the Indiana-based Lilly Endowment Inc., the Philadelphia-based National Fund will offer plan-ning grants, professional services, and capital grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to a minimum of 50 congre-gations over four years.

Chad Martin, director of the Na-tional Fund, said Epiphany was well positioned to be included in the award-

ed congregations, citing its long his-tory and its connection to the Chicano Rights Movement.

Epiphany began in a Romanesque-inspired building in 1883. Thirty years later, in 1913, architect Arthur Benton incorporated the structure into a larger design that featured Gothic and Mission Revival styles. In 2005, Los Angeles named the church a historic landmark.

The congregation will use the award-ed funds to renovate the basement, an artifact in itself. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, it functioned as a hub for the Chicano Rights movement and its news-paper-turned-magazine La Raza (cur-rently featured in an exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American West).

Epiphany is the only Episcopal church and the only California church among the 2017-18 grant recipients. ?

epiphany, L.A., receives preservation award

Making All Things New

6 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

rom L.A. City Hall to a gala dinner and five re-gional receptions, expressions of thanks and love for Bishop J. Jon Bruno and Mary Bruno flowed from nearly 1,000 participants gathered in advance of his November retirement 18 years after being elected to lead the six-county Diocese of Los Angeles.

“Love has always been the guiding principle,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said of the bishop’s min-istry, standing with the Brunos in City Council cham-bers Oct. 18. Speaking of Bruno’s role as both pastor and prophet, Garcetti called the bishop “a man with the biggest heart I know, who pastors unlike any-body I’ve ever met. But he’s also been a prophet… at difficult moments and at crises we’ve faced, he’s always steered our faces and our feet toward justice.”

Underscoring Bruno’s “Hands in Healing” and “Seeds of Hope” initiatives, Garcetti cited the bish-op’s work of “fighting for justice, raising his voice for the voiceless for so many years.” Whether it was

his work… to address our homeless brothers and sisters, LGBTQ Angelenos, folks in our immigrant communities, he’s not only stood up for those voices, he has brought us all together to do the same.”

Before presenting Bruno with a commemorative scroll on behalf of L.A.’s 4 million residents and the region’s 18 million people, Garcetti said the bishop “has been so important in my life, but I know I’m not the only Angeleno who has those sorts of memo-ries. In fact, you could probably multiply that ten-thousand-fold in this city…. This truly is an angel in

this City of Angels.”A few weeks later, with 370 seated in the nave of

St. John’s Pro-Cathedral, the Nov. 4 Bishop’s Din-ner raised more than $180,000 to benefit the dio-cese’s 41 mission congregations and mission centers while honoring the Brunos for their extensive service across the diocese where the bishop first entered or-dained ministry 40 years ago.

All dinner proceeds apply to mission thanks to generous underwriting of the dinner by Geoffrey Rusack and his wife, Alison Wrigley Rusack, both present among the dinner’s honored guests. Geof-frey Rusack’s father, the late Rt. Rev. Robert Claflin Rusack, served the Diocese of Los Angeles first as bishop suffragan beginning in 1964 and then as di-ocesan from 1974 until his untimely death in 1986.

Bishop Coadjutor John H. Taylor offered closing remarks and prayer, co-hosting with his wife, Kathy Hannigan O’Connor. Retired Bishop Suffragan Chester Talton gave the invocation, and the honor-ary canons of the diocese stood to lead an ovation for the Bruno family, pledging particular ongoing support for Mary Bruno’s Educate for Hope pro-gram in Zababdeh, a West Bank township.

The dinner was planned and coordinated by the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija with the cathedral’s operations team overseen by the Rev. Fernando Valdes. An original anthem composed by Brian Driscoll in hon-or of Bishop Bruno was performed as a gift to him with singers conducted by cathedral music director Christopher Gravis with Zach Neufeld as organist. A video presentation produced by diocesan commu-nication specialist Chris Tumilty recapped highlights of the Brunos’ ministries.

In remarks to the dinner attendees, the bishop ex-pressed his gratitude to the diocesan community and to his family. Acknowledging the difficulty of the last two years’ property disputes and related ecclesiastical proceedings, he said that “No matter what happens in our lives, I thank you, the people of the Diocese of Los Angeles for standing by me and supporting me.”

Bruno recounted several highlights of his min-istry, including his ordination by Bishop Rusack, early ministry when Bruno

Farewell events offerheartfelt tributes toBishop, Mary Bruno

T R I B U T E c

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ilty

(continued on page 8)

Top right: Jon and Mary Bruno pose with Council President herb Wesson at Los Angeles City hall.

Above: The Brunos listen to a tribute from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

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The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 7

From top: Diocesan develpment officer Lorenzo Lebrija serves a guest; Mary Bruno greets Mary Zabala, wife of Bishop Artemio Zabala; Mary Bruno and Lebrija listen as Bishop Jon Bruno addresses the assembly.

The gala Nov. 4 Bishop’s Dinner raised more than $180,000 to benefit the diocese’s 41 mission congregations and mission centers while honoring Bishop J. Jon Bruno and Mary Bruno on the occasion of his

retirement. With some 370 seated in the nave of St. John’s Pro-Cathedral, the dinner was planned and coordinated by the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija with the cathedral’s operations team overseen by the Rev. Fernando valdes. The dinner was generously underwritten by the Rusack Family, allowing all proceeds to apply to mission. An original anthem composed by Brian Driscoll in honor of Bishop Bruno was performed as a gift to him, and a video presentation recapped highlights of his ministry. Bishop Coadjutor John h. Taylor offered closing remarks and prayer, sharing in co-hosting with his wife, Kathy hannigan o’Connor. Retired Bishop Suffragan Chester Talton gave the invocation, and the honorary canons of the diocese stood to lead an ovation for the Bruno family, pledging particular support for Mary Bruno’s Educate for hope program in Zababdeh, a West Bank township. Above: Seated at Bishop Bruno’s table, lockwise from front left, were Gail Urquidi, Chad Druten, Rachel Nyback, Mary Bruno, Jon Bruno, Geoffrey Rusack, Alison Rusack, Annette Graw, and Glenn Libby.

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Bishop’s Dinner raises funds for missions, bids farewell to Bishop Jon & Mary Bruno

8 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

FAREWELL To BRUNoS (continued from page 6)

served as rector of Echo Park’s St. Athana-sius Church which at the time was torn by internal conflict, and that parish’s subse-quent donation of its site for construction of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul.

More memories were shared the previ-ous Saturday at Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights, the congregation through which Bruno as a young teen began attend-ing the Episcopal Church. Canon Patsy Briereley was present to recount how she, 55 years ago, knocked on the Bruno fam-ily’s door while inviting neighborhood residents to a youth dance. Then a young football player, Bruno answered the door, attended the dance, and the rest became history. Canon Lydia Lopez, also long as-sociated with the Epiphany congregation, also shared memories and praised Bruno among the Episcopal Church’s greatest urban bishops of several generations. Ma-riachi joined Epiphany priest Tom Carey in welcoming some 150 guests present for a brunch fiesta on the street facing the histor-ic church, its parish hall dating from 1886.

Similar gatherings were held on preced-ing Saturdays in the south, east and north of the diocese. On Sept. 30 at St. George’s Church in Laguna Hills a brunch gather-ing included music performed by a Japa-nese choir and a soloist who sang “Time to Say Goodbye,” a ballad made popular by the vocalist Andrea Bocelli that re-flected Bruno’s Italian heritage. The event was hosted by the Rev. Canon Pat Mc-Caughan, vicar. An Oct. 7 afternoon gath-ering at St. Michael’s Ministry Center in Riverside featured presentations of multi-cultural gifts and music, as well as reports of local mission to the needy in ministries established by the bishop. The Rev. Canon Mary Crist, program director, hosted the program. On Oct. 14 St. Patrick’s Church in Thousand Oaks, the first congregation where Bruno served as curate, hosted a re-ception and announced the renovation of a parish-owned residence in honor of the Brunos. The celebration was hosted by the Rev. George Daisa, rector.

On Oct. 1 at San Gabriel’s Church of Our Saviour, Stillpoint, a diocesan insti-tution dedicated to spiritual direction and formation, hosted an evening reception and program highlighted by reflections and a litany of thanksgiving for ministries ad-vanced by the Brunos. The gathering was

welcomed by the Rev. Gary Bradley, rector, and the litany was led by presenters includ-ing the Rev. Elizabeth Rechter, Stillpoint ex-ecutive director.

Based on gospel pas-sages of Matthew 25 and culminating with attendees assembled in a candle-lit circle, the litany was divided into sections recalling areas of service established and strengthened dur-ing the Brunos’ tenure, including the following:

“i was hungry, and you gave me food: For Seeds of Hope, Abundant Table, Chef’s Kitchen, and the Diocesan Food Pantry program, pastoral care spiritual, emotional and financial support; aid for parishes and missions in need; commitment to the spiritual life of leaders through the ministry of Stillpoint.

“i was thirsty, and you gave me some-thing to drink: For courageous work in the Middle East in partnership with the Cathedral of St. George;

“For acknowledging our One Light as people of faith in Interfaith and Ecu-menical leadership in Los Angeles in a post-911 world, especially his leadership of the Council of Religious Leaders in Los Angeles;

“For courageous leadership and com-passion on the journey toward marriage equality, equal rights for our LGBTQ sisters and brothers, and for his support of women in leadership; for lifting up the ministry of the diaconate, the ministry of the Laity through Liderazo, and for his the support of the Episcopal Seminary at Bloy House.

“i was a stranger, and you welcomed me: For the work of the First Sanctu-ary movement in Los Angeles, and the Sanctuary Task Force; the expansion of the ministry of IRIS, the Interfaith Refugee and Immigrant Services; and his leadership in the founding of Chirla, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights; for the establishment of the Refugee Law Center; for his support of the ministries

of our Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Korean congregations; for envision-ing a place of hospitality in Echo Park through the Cathedral Center and Retreat House; for the continuation of Holy Fam-ily Adoption and Foster Care Services and for his sustaining support of the Neighborhood Youth Association.

“i was sick, and you took care of me: For his support of the work of Good Samari-tan Hospital and its CPE and chaplaincy programs;

“For his compassion and care in the AIDS crisis, and for his support of ministries serving those with HIV/AIDS throughout the diocese; for his leadership convening the 2015 churchwide climate change webcast.

“i was naked, and you gave me clothing: For the Nehemiah Housing Project; for HUD Housing; for the founding work of the Institute for Urban Research and Development.

“i was in prison, and you visited me: For his initiative in the work of nonviolence and reconciliation through the Hands in Healing Youth Initiative, Kaleidoscope; PRISM, and the Community of Divine Love.

“We give great thanks for the steward-ship of the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno in caring for the resources and property of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the national Episcopal Church, and for a heart that sees and respects the dignity of every hu-man being.” ?

Jon and Mary Bruno’s children and grandchildren surround them at the Bishop’s Dinner on Nov. 4.

The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 9

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‘Bruno House’ in Thousand Oaks

Canon Robert Bland and Canon Mary Ann Seage make a presentation to the Brunos during the Aug. 14 reception at St. Patrick’s Church,

Thousand oaks. The parish dedicated its newly renovated rectory, where the future bishop lived as a curate in the 1970s, as Bruno house.

Prayer and fellowship at Stillpoint

Candlelit prayers and singing close a gathering hosted oct. 1 at Church of our Saviour, San Gabriel, by Stillpoint, a diocesan institution

dedicated to spiritual direction and formation. With text drawn from Matthew 25, an original litany guided attendees in thanksgivings for the Brunos and their wide spectrum of ministries — ranging from help for the hungry and homeless to clergy wellness and Middle East ministries — during the bishop’s 17-year episcopate. ‘Order of St. George’

in Laguna Hills

At St. George’s Church, Laguna hills, a dragon and St. George

(portrayed by parishioners Kathie Killen and Mike Ziegler) surround the retiring bishop, who later was inducted into the order of St. George by Joyce Swaving, bishop’s warden — a parish honor also awarded in 2005 to Mary Bruno. About 100 people in attendance enjoyed John Taylor’s preface, in which he related St. George’s deeds to Jon Bruno’s hands in healing anti-violence ministries.

Multicultural festivities in Riverside

Members of congregations in Deaneries 5, 6 and 7 gathered at St. Michael’s outreach Center in Riverside to bid them farewell in a gala

festival of cultures, including representatives of a ministry to the working poor and homeless carried out at St. Michael’s by the Rev. Canon Mary Crist; Native American musician Singing Bird (pictured above with Crist), who offered two songs of blessing; young folkloric dancers from St. John’s Church, San Bernardino; a blessing from the Samoan congregation that uses St. Michael’s; the Chinese ministry at St. Thomas’, hacienda heights; and the Pakistani ministry at St. George’s, Riverside.

Events honor Jon & Mary Bruno

Fiesta in East Los Angeles

The historic Church of the Epiphany, Lincoln heights, where 55 years ago a youthful Jon Bruno became involved in parish life, hosted a

fiesta oct. 28 in the Brunos’ honor. Tom Carey, vicar, and Canons Patsy Brierley and Lydia Lopez were among the speakers who reminisced and thanked Jon and Mary Bruno for their ministries, especially in the Latino community.

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10 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

he recent Canyon 2 Fire in Orange County was 90 percent contained by Oct. 16, but for the Rev. Abel Lopez, its sudden, devastating eruption was a shock-ing reminder to put a disaster plan in place.

“I’ve never been through anything like this be-fore,” said Lopez, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana, who was among 10 church families told to evacuate.

In all, the fire scorched about 9,000 acres of land, destroyed 25 structures and damaged another 55. Four people were injured; there were no reported fa-talities. The fire began about 10 a.m. on Oct. 9 and was nearly contained a week later, according to the Cal Fire state website.

The suddenness, proximity and severity of the fire initially felt disorienting for some Episcopalians while Lopez and others scrambled to make a speedy response. As he packed in readiness for evacua-tion Lopez called church families to check on them, along with the Rev. Norma Guerra, associate rector.

“We divided up the church directory and just started calling, to see if families had a plan, if they needed help moving things, if they needed another home to stay at,” Lopez told the Episcopal News. “We focused on people who lived in the evacuation area, including me, and to see if they have a Plan B, to have a place to go in case we really had to evacu-ate,” he said.

Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce also called

all the churches in the area, to check if members were affected by the wildfire or evacuation orders or if they needed special assistance.

“What was evident was that many of our Episcopal families had family members or close friends in the area that they could evacuate to,” Bruce said. “What was most important is that our clergy were getting in touch with people and people were reaching out to the clergy to let them know they were safe.”

Parishioners at a handful of Orange County churches were notified of potential evacuations, in-cluding St. Paul’s, Tustin, St. Andrew’s, Fullerton and Trinity, Orange. None of them reported damage to their homes.

Commissioner Richard Vogl, retired Orange County Superior Court judge, who attends Messiah, went to his son’s home in Orange.

On Oct. 10, the second day of the fire, he tried to go to his gym “but it was closed ‘due to smoke’ and so I took a chance and drove up here to the house,” he said in an email.

“There is one of those huge fire engines in our driveway ... imagine! There were two firemen sleep-ing on our patio,” he added. “They were there all night looking for ‘hot spots,’ but besides a 30-foot by 30-foot burn below the slope, we are entirely safe. It was great to shower in my own bathroom and know everything is resolved.”

St. Paul’s, Tustin parishioner Cheryl Dow said she returned to her home across from Orange Park Acres in Orange on Oct. 11, “but I don’t know if I’m supposed to be here. I hear sirens right now, and I’m hearing helicopters, which is not good.”

She had packed up her two Corgis and a cat and left as soon as she heard that her home, located across from Orange Park Acres in Orange, was located in a somewhat confusing evacuation zone map.

But she didn’t hesitate. “I was not going to wait with the animals until somebody knocked on the door,” she said.

“I got up and noticed the wind was blowing and being that I live in a canyon area, it always puts my nerves on edge,” she recalled. What she thought were clouds turned out to be smoke, and “the more con-cerned I became about where the fire was moving to.

“I live across the street from a horse stable with a lot of trees and brush. Embers can light those things on fire really fast and I started gathering important things and packing a suitcase.”

Yet, Dow, 60, admitted she could be more orga-nized, especially since a broken leg has decreased her mobility.

“I was trying to grab stuff I knew I would need immediately, my medicines and passport and I was more concerned about the animals than anything. Everything else, that’s what

Congregations offer support to families

affected by Canyon 2 Fire in Orange County

Last-minute

evacuations

are grim

reminder that

disaster plans

are essential

for families,

churches

By Pat McCaughan

At top: Flames from the october Canyon

Fire 2 threaten homes in Anaheim hills.

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The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 11

insurance is for.”For the Corgis and the cat, “it was a

great adventure,” but the friend’s house she went to was also in an evacuation zone. “As we watched the helicopters and planes dropping water on TV, we’d look outside and there they were,” Dow recalled.

St. Paul’s staff also quickly organized and created a network, reaching out to parishioners, requesting they text the Rev. Kay Sylvester, St. Paul’s rector, if they were forced to evacuate and needed space, or if they had space to offer evacuees.

Dow said she was overwhelmed by en-couraging Facebook messages, offering space or to come and get her.

Two families from St. Andrew’s Church in Fullerton evacuated, according to the Rev. Beth Kelly, rector. At Trinity, Orange, the Very Rev. Jeannie Martz said about eight families evacuated but “nobody suf-fered damage.”

Most stayed with family or friends, Martz said, adding that the church opened its parish hall and youth center for people in need of a place to stay and its back field for their animals.

“We have an enclosed area for big ani-mals, but no one needed to take advantage of that,” Martz said, “but we let everyone

know that both people and animals were welcome.”

Christina Coggins, 34, a member of St. Paul’s, Tustin, said packing up four chil-dren under the age of five, and heading for a hotel was an overwhelming ordeal. So was watching the fire line creep closer to her home.

Coggins returned to her home on Oct. 11, and said the land near her house was scorched, but her home was not burned.

Messiah’s Lopez said that in addition to phone calls the church sent an email to parishioners, asking anyone with avail-able space willing to shelter evacuees to text him.

Lopez, preparing to evacuate himself, said: “I wasn’t sure I was going to have computer access, only the phone.” The response was “quite moving,” he said. “More than 30 parishioners replied. Be-cause of this, this is what we’re learning.”

“I just had a meeting with the staff. This is prompting us to do an earthquake

response so the church is ready. So, if it happens, when we are in church but also what will be the plan if that happens and people in their homes, how will we reach out to them.

“I am working on creating a plan for that, and having specifics about what to do and how to communicate for help. Even with other local churches. St. Paul’s, Tustin, members might be in the same neighborhood. How do we all reach out

to each other?“We just can’t wait to until it happens.

We have to have it ready to go and be pre-pared.”

Those whose homes were destroyed by the fires, as well as those in the Southeast U.S. and the Caribbean affected by recent hurricanes, will require relief and assistance for a long time to come. Diocesan leaders encourage Episcopalians to contribute to Episcopal Relief and Development’s disas-ter relief funds. For more information, visit episcopalrelief.org. ?

FIRE RESPoNSE (continued from page 10)

A California firefighter surveys the progress of a wildfire in this FEMA photo.

Recent events remind us that disaster can happen anywhere, anytime. Cali-fornia may not be subject to hurri-

canes or major tornados, but fire, earthquake and flood — or active shooters — can wreak havoc on its communities. Churches can be resources for their neighbors in case of emer-gency, and can also be prepared to minimize damage or injury to their own people and property if an event should take place during Sunday services or other church activities.

Bishop Diocesan Jon Bruno has repeatedly called for congregations to prepare and up-date crisis-response plans, and appointed a team of disaster coordinators who are avail-able to assist any congregation, either in plan-ning for emergencies, or when something does happen. The coordinators are the Rev. Can-on Michael Bamberger, rector of Church of the Ascension, Sierra Madra (mab@ascension sierramadre.com), and retired Pasadena police commander Bruce Linsenmayer (brucelinsen

mayer@att.net).Several congregations recently have de-

veloped disaster plans, which are posted on their websites. Two such are Grace Church in Glendora (graceglendora.org/news/emergency-preparedness.html) and St. Mark’s Church, Upland (www.stmarksupland.org/stmarksadmin/pdfs/doc42.pdf). The plans are available for any interested congregation to use for reference as they develop their own courses of action.

Episcopal Relief & Development, an agen-cy of the Episcopal Church that responds to emergency situations in the United States and around the world, offers many resources to help congregations make the plans they hope they’ll never have to use, offering practical, achievable steps any congregation can take. The agency’s disaster preparedness web page at www.episcopalrelief.org/what-we-do/us-disas-ter-program/us-disaster-program-preparedness-resources also includes suggestions for indi-viduals and families. ?

How would your church respond in an emergency?

“We divided up the church directory and just started calling, to see if families had a plan, if they needed help.”

— The Rev. Abel Lopez, rector of Church of the Messiah, Santa Ana

12 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

hen a Jewish school choir asked to per-

form at the cultural center at St. Paul’s

Church in Shefa’amr, Galilee, the rector, the Rev. Canon Fuad Da-gher, seized the oppor-tunity to build bridges.

“I invited some parents of our local Arab com-munity to come and to bring their children,” he said Oct. 11 during a visit to the Diocese of Los Ange-les, with which his home diocese, Jerusalem and the Middle East, has a companion relationship.

“This is part of our calling, to be able to facilitate the sense of being together. Here were Jewish chil-dren, in our Episcopal Church, and they sang the Ave Maria,” he told The Episcopal News. “It was stunning, really moving to see it.”

Afterwards, Jewish and Arab parents and children gathered in the parish hall for refreshments and con-versation.

“I thought, wow, why can’t our Israeli politicians and leaders who are the decision-makers do the same thing?” Dagher said. “See how simple it is; a Jewish kid with an Arab sitting here doing music, chanting, smiling.”

His ministry of building bridges is legendary in the Arab city in Galilee’s northern district where, as in much of Israel, peace is more often a desire than a reality.

Located about eight miles from the Mediterra-nean Sea and about 95 miles north of Jerusalem, Shefa’amr’s population is about 40,000. The major-ity is Sunni Muslim, with Druze and Christian mi-norities, and all are welcomed to the center, he said.

Dagher was in Los Angeles to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of St. Paul’s sister congregation, the Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel. Dagher preached Oct. 8 at the church and addressed a gath-ering of ICUJP (Interfaith Community United for Justice and Peace), a group founded by the Rev. Can-on George Regas, retired rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena, and which advocates that “religious communities must stop blessing war and violence.”

Dagher also attended the Oct. 7 farewell celebra-

tion in Riverside for Bishop Jon and Mary Bruno, and met with Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor and with Troy Elder and the Rev. Pat O’Reilly, co-chairs of the diocesan Program Group on Global Partnership.

A cultural center dedicated to peace and reconciliation

A little more than 16 years ago, Dagher was new-ly ordained, newly married, and the new rector of St. Paul’s, and nurturing a huge dream: to build a cultural center for all people on an untended lot ad-jacent to the church — a place where Sunni Mus-lims, the Druze and members of various Christian denominations, including the Maronites, the Latins, the Melkite Greek Catholic, the Greek Orthodox and Episcopal churches, could gather.

In 2004, he met the Rev. Canon Denis O’Pray, then Our Saviour’s rector, and members of the con-gregation, including Canons Sandy and Sue Smock. It was the beginning of an abiding friendship that has grown to encompass meetings with Bishop Jon and Mary Bruno, and contributed to the companion relationship between the two dioceses.

Partnering with the L.A. diocese, Our Saviour and others, Dagher purchased the land and enlisted local townspeople to renovate the existing building. The center was dedicated in June 2011.

In addition to the Jewish choir, the center has hosted a recent breast cancer awareness workshop and fundraiser, has show-

Fuad Dagher builds bridges in

the Diocese of Jerusalem

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By Pat McCaughan

At top: St. Paul’s Community Center

was built by the Anglican congregation in Shefa Amr, Galilee,

with the help of Church of our Saviour,

San Gabriel, and the Diocese of Los Angeles. It was

dedicated in June 2011. At right: Fuad Dagher, rector of St.

Paul’s, Shefa Amr, visits the Diocese of

Los Angeles.

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FUAD DAGhER (continued from page 12)

cased local artists and hosted educational workshops, and served as a hub for inter-faith and ecumenical gatherings.

In October 2016, Dagher was desig-nated diocesan canon for reconciliation by the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and pri-mate of the Middle East, which includes 25 congregations in Jerusalem, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

As he expands his ministry, Dagher is “proud to say that every single parish of our diocese is focusing on interfaith and ec-umenical work, on themes of peace-build-ing and reconciliation. Being a priest there, you can’t help but be involved in that.”

ministry in challenging times; church as the community’s heart

In a nation divided for decades, tensions between Arabs and Israelis have increased markedly in recent years, according to the U.S. Institute of Peace, an agency dedicat-ed to Middle East peace.

An Oct. 16, 2017 New York Times ar-ticle noted the government’s intention to move ahead with Israeli settlements on the West Bank, even though most of the world considers the settlements, built in the ter-ritory that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war — the heartland of any fu-ture Palestinian state — to be a violation of international law. (The article may be read at nyti.ms/2gMblTD.)

Despite challenging political and eco-nomic realities, the people maintain “something I have never experienced any-where else, a very strong sense of belong-ing to the church,” Dagher said. “The church is something very valuable, pre-cious; it plays an important role in their lives. They cannot be without the church.”

Unlike the U.S.’s separation of church and state, in Israel the church is expect-ed to be involved in the community, he said, “from the smallest issues up to the greatest.”

Dagher said that the complexities of life and the culture sometimes factor into the challenges: “We are Arabs, but not Mus-lims. We are Palestinians, but not terrorists. We are Christians, but not new converts to Christianity. We are Israeli, but not Jews. We are Anglicans, but not British.

“Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. We are Arab Chris-

tians and we trace our origins to the very first Pentecost,” he said.

Yet Palestinian Christians who are also Israeli citizens are lobby-ing for equality, instead of being treated as second-class citizens, Dagher said. For example, the government reduced funding for Christian schools but not Jewish schools in Israel and Galilee, an action affecting about 33,000 Episcopal school students. The action jeopardizes the schools’ existence, he said.

For those living in the West Bank, the situation is even worse. It is “hell on earth” with residents’ access to basic servic-es severely limited, he said.

Among the most pressing is-sues are providing young people with a sense of community as well as offering practical aid, such as developing jobs and edu-cational opportunities for them, he said.

peace-making, bridge- building, hope for the future

Dagher said he wanted to thank the Brunos and the Los Angeles dio-cese and its people for their support and solidarity, and encouraged a continued deepening of the relationship.

“We are your ambassadors in the land where it all started,” he said. “Therefore we challenge you people to be our ambas-sadors in your communities, your church-es, and we complete each other. We can’t do it by ourselves.”

The cultural center is a symbol of what can happen “when people put their hands together with each other; wonders and miracles can take place,” he said.

Like a group of Jewish kids singing and chanting in an Arab Episcopal church cen-ter in Galilee. “To see those kids, to see their faces, which shed peace and love and happiness … I thought, ‘this is heaven. What more do you need?’”

He hopes future partnerships could include linking schools between the two dioceses. And he has another huge dream: to build a kindergarten school near the church on land purchased with the help of partners.

“So many Americans have been in our part of the world where many people think it is hopeless, darkness, that it won’t work out. But the church is always send-ing this message of hope, of willingness to work despite all of the challenges we face and we can do it together.”

He added: “Your solidarity with my people means a lot. Your visits are a sign of this solidarity. You can’t imagine how important it is for us to have you come and visit and meet our people and tell them how much you love them and stand in support of them, because we need it.”

He added: “We walk the Via Dolorosa every day. Sometimes the cross becomes too heavy for us. But, because of peo-ple like you here in the diocese and the Church of Our Saviour who are willing to walk with us … to walk and talk with us, it helps us carry this heavy cross. And it helps us fulfill God’s calling and God’s mission in his land, and in your part of the world. “And then we will all really be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” ?

In 2007, Fuad Dagher, center right, shows Bishop Jon Bruno and a group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Los Angeles the derelict building in Shefa Amr, Galilee, he purchased with the help of Church of our Saviour, San Gabriel, and the L.A. diocese. Dagher and his congrega-tion of St. Paul’s refurbished and enlarged the building as a community center, which opened in 2011.

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St. John’s Episcopal School, Rancho Santa Margarita, dedicated its new playing field Sept. 15 in honor of

a former student. Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor, who took part in the ceremony, told the story later that day on Facebook:

“Last December, NFL star and St. John’s Episcopal School alumnus Konrad Reuland died at the UCLA Medical Cen-ter after suffering a brain aneurysm. He’d chosen to be an organ donor. A Califor-nian in his 70s received Konrad’s heart

and a kidney. Donors and recipients often remain anonymous. But within weeks, the world learned that Konrad’s strong, gen-erous heart now beat in legendary Twins and Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew — as the Holy Spirit would have it, himself the parent of two St. John’s School gradu-ates. Head of school Michael Pratt and his colleagues, including the school’s gen-erous benefactors, went to work quickly in the light of this mysterious and happy

coincidence. The culmination of their ef-forts: The Konrad A. Reuland Memorial Field, dedicated today at St. John’s, with Carew present alongside Konrad’s par-ents and grandparents — together as the Carewland family, as he calls them.” ?

More than 100 people joined the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce and city leaders Oct. 9 to honor

St. Martin’s Episcopal School with a “long overdue” ribbon-cutting celebration on its 60th anniversary; a ceremony omitted, ap-parently for lack of time, in 1957 when the congregation and school were founded.

St. Martin’s Episcopal School has for decades provided affordable private Chris-tian education to preschool through eighth grade children in the West San Fernando Valley, where the school is renowned for its small class sizes, challenging curricu-lum, nurturing environment, and its expe-rienced and devoted faculty and staff.

“We are overjoyed,” said St. Martin’s rector and school headmaster, the Rev. Gabriel Ferrer. “The 60th anniversary is such an amazing and exciting milestone for our beloved school. The school was originally established with the hope that

it would be a beacon in the Winnetka area, and here it is, still standing tall today and living into its motto of being ‘a community of grace and blessing where truth and love are practiced daily.’”

St. Martin’s Episcopal School offers a fully traditional academic program for kindergarten through eighth grade that provides a solid foundation in mathemat-

ics, reading, language arts, penmanship, literature, study skills, science, history, so-cial studies, and health. A comprehensive enrichment program is also offered, con-sisting of art, computers, music and dra-ma, performing arts, religious instruction, Spanish, physical education, library, char-acter development, educational field trips, and community service projects. ?

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After 60 years, school celebrates its founding

One heart, two athletes honored at dedication

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Above: Former Angels player Rod Carew addresses students, faculty, parents and guests at St. John’s School, and afterward signs autographs for students.

Joining children from St. Martin’s School at an “long overdue” celebration on oct. 9 were, from left, Winnetka Chamber of Commerce President Dara Laski; Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor; Wendy Byrnes, principal; Canon Julian P. Bull, Campbell hall headmaster and chair of the diocese’s Commission on Schools; Gabriel Ferrer, vicar of St. Martin’s Church and headmaster of St. Martin’s School; and Los Angeles City Council member Bob Blumenfield, Third Council District.

The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 15

Good Samaritan chapel rededicated

The restored All Souls Chapel at Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, where Sen. Robert Kennedy’s family

kept vigil as doctors tried desperately to save him after he was shot in June 1968, was standing room-only Nov. 2 during re-dedication ceremonies.

Speakers paid tribute to the Rev. Ronald David, M.D., who retires next month after 12 years as Good Samaritan’s supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education. Dozens of Episcopal deacon and priest graduates of the program were present. Acting for Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno, Bishop Coadjutor John H. Taylor named David an honorary canon of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul.

The chapel restoration work was begun by former chaplain the Rev. Jerry Anderson, and finished under the leadership of current chaplain the Rev. Michael S. Bell, who also led the rededication service.

The chapel, built in the 1920s, was designed by architect Reginald John-son, son of Joseph H. Johnson, first bishop of Los Angeles. It is a scale replica of his design for St. Paul’s Cathedral, which opened in 1924 and was demolished in 1979 due to earthquake damage. ?

Above left: Bishop John Taylor, acting for Bishop Jon Bruno, names retiring CPE director Ron David an honorary canon. Above right: The restored All Souls Chapel at Good Samaritan hospital. At right: Bishop Taylor and Canon David (at rear) gather with David’s former CPE students at dedication service.

I N S T I T U T I o N S

Retiring CPE director Ron David named an honorary canon

I write in the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving season, with gratitude for you as our diocesan community,

and with appreciation for the ministry we together have accomplished in the years that I have been privileged to serve as your bishop. As I take my leave before re-tirement, I give great thanks for you and wish you every blessing in your lives and ministries ahead.

One key area of diocesan ministry at this time of year is the annual Thanks-giving Day offering benefiting Good Sa-maritan Hospital, a fundraising tradition established by Diocesan Convention in 1899. Through this effort, congregations are asked to designate the offerings col-

lected on Thanksgiving Day or Thanks-giving Eve services to benefit the healing ministries of Good Samaritan Hospital, a diocesan institution dating from 1885. I hope that you will share generously in this work.

This week in particular the hospital has marked a milestone by celebrating the renovation of its All Souls Chapel, which has been in service for 90 years. A meaningful prayer service held on All Souls Day, Nov. 2, marked the occasion and also upheld the importance of the on-site Clinical Pastoral Education program, from which the Rev. Ron David, M.D., is now retiring after years of outstand-ing service. I hope that you will consider ways in which to help support the ongo-ing program, very capably overseen by

the hospital’s di-rector of pas-toral care, the Rev. Michael Bell. Please join me in generous giving to assure that the hospi-tal’s pastoral care programs will thrive going forward. To contribute, send checks to the Diocese of Los Angeles, earmarked “Good Sa-maritan pastoral care” in the memo line, to 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles 90026.

In this way we reach out once more with hands in healing, bringing the touch of Christ to all in need of wholeness and health. May God bless you always. ?

Thanksgiving spirit and hospital ministry

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Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor threw the first pitch at the 24th annual Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 8 as the stadium’s grounds crew finished prepping the diamond for the game between the Dodg-

ers and the Colorado Rockies. The bishop described his effort as “high and outside,” but it flew into the waiting glove of Andrew J. Guilford, member of St. John’s Church, Rancho Santa Margarita, and catcher pro tem. Guilford (pictured above right with Taylor) is a judge of the U.S. District Court, and a leader of efforts to have Maury Wills, Dodger shortstop and All-Star play in the 1960s and early 70s, inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. He wore an autographed Wills jersey on the field. Taylor also took a pre-pitch selfie (below right) with his wife Kathy Hannigan O’Connor, Guilford and Canon Greg Larkin, rector of St. Columba’s Church, Camarillo, and Dodger Night coordinator for the diocese. Despite a sellout crowd and the presence of some 1,200 Episcopalians, the Dodgers lost to the Rockies 5 – 4. ?

Bishop Taylor throws first pitch Sept. 8 at Dodger Stadium

B ishop Taylor led diocesan staff

members at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in bidding farewell Sept. 6 to two of their number. Canon Ted Forbath (at left in photo) concluded his 14-year tenure as the diocese’s chief financial officer. he has accepted a similar position at Breck Episcopal School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and relocated there with his wife and two daughters. Bishop Bruno named him a canon of the Cathedral Center in 2014. Canon Janet Wylie retired from her position as diocesan program coordinator in September, and will complete her final term as secretary of convention during this year’s meeting of Diocesan Convention. Wylie has served the diocese for more than 25 years; first as secretary and executive assistant to Bishop Frederick Borsch and Bishop Jon Bruno, then as program coordinator. She was elected as secretary of convention in 2005, and reelected each year since. Bruno named her an honorary canon of the Cathedral Center in 2008. ?

Ted Forbath, Janet Wylie depart staff

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Young teens, many of them in costume, rocked St. Mark’s Church, Glendale, on

oct. 28 at the first-ever Bishop Suffragan’s Ball for middle school students. Modeled on the traditional Bishop’s Ball for high school students, the event featured hallowe’en-themed activities along with music and dancing, including an energetic conga line (at right) led by Bishop Suffragan Diane

Jardine Bruce. The Program Group on youth & young Adult Ministries, which sponsored the ball, intends it to be an annual event. ?

Girls from around the diocese gath-ered Nov. 4 at St. Joseph’s Church, Buena Park, for the organization’s

autumn Rally Day, themed “Fall in Love with GFS.”

Attendees engaged in worship, enjoyed a potluck lunch, made crafts, and shared information about their congregation-

based chapters, which include girls from ages 5 to 28. Participants brought medical supplies, such as bandages, alcohol wipes, disposable thermometers and gloves, to donate to the Buena Park Free Clinic.

To learn more about GFS, a worldwide organization for women and girls in the Episcopal Church, visit gfscalifornia.org. ?

Since his consecration July 8, Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor has visited congregations and ministries all over

the diocese. An avid user of social media and an enthusiastic photographer, Taylor frequently posts photos and descriptions of the people and places he encounters. Here’s an example, from his recent visit to St. Stephen’s Church, Hollywood; for more, follow John H. Taylor on Facebook.

“If you want graduate-level tutoring on cutting-edge progressive urban ministry, just stop by St. Stephen’s Hollywood and spend a couple of hours with its rector of 18 years, the Rev. Jaime Edwards-Acton. I did today, and I can’t wait to go back.

“An authority on social enterprise, a leader in Episcopal Sacred Resis-tance – Los Angeles, and the longtime executive director of the Jubilee Consor-tium, Jaime and his fellow parish lead-ers squeeze glory for God from virtu-ally every inch of the historic church and grounds — an innovative preschool, a community garden, youth boxing, third-party events, and much more.

“Lively, contemporary Episcopal wor-ship is offered Sundays at 10:30 a.m. in English and noon in Spanish, with a bi-lingual service every first Sunday at noon. Read more about the church at www.ststephenshollywood.org; check out the preschool at www.delaneywrightfineartspre school.org.” ?

Kids have a spooky good time at first-ever Bishop Suffragan’s Ball

Travels with Bishop John Taylor

GFS members and friends pose for a photo at Nov. 4 Rally Day at St. Joseph’s Church, Buena Park.

Girls learn, play, serve at GFS Rally Day

Jaime Edwards-Acton, rector of St. Stephen’s Church, hollywood, and Lauren Scott of the current class of Episcopal Urban Interns visit the congregation’s community garden.

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18 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

connections

P E o P L E News of the D iocesan Communi t y

u The Rev. Ricardo Avila began serving as rector of St. Luke’s Church, Los Gatos, in the Diocese of El Camino Real in Oc-tober. He previously assisted at St. Luke’s Church, Long Beach.

u The Rev. Todd Blackham begins serving as vicar of Church of the Epiphany, Oak Park, in November. He previously assisted at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel.

u The Rev. Gary Bradley has announced his intention to retire as rector of Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, in January 2018.

u The Rev. Lyn Crow began serving as interim rector of Emmanuel, Fullerton in October.

u Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce installed the Rev. George Daisa as rector of St. Patrick’s, Thousand Oaks, on Nov. 11.

u The Rev. Steve DeMuth was called as rector of Trinity, Covina, in October. He previously served there as associate, then as priest in charge.

u The Rev. Jane Gould will begin her ministry as rector of St. Luke’s, Long Beach, in December 2017. She previously served as rector at St. Stephen’s in Lynn, Massachusetts. A graduate of Stanford

University and Episco-pal Divinity School, she worked in urban, subur-ban, and campus min-istry in the Diocese of Massachusetts since her

ordination in 1986. She was dean of that diocese’s North Shore Deanery, president of the Lynn Community Health Center board. She and her husband John, a writer and teacher, have two adult sons.

u Bishop Bruce will install the Rev. Nick-olas C. Griffith as rector of Christ Church, Redondo Beach, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. The diocesan community is invited to attend.

u The Rev. Sally Howard has been named senior associate for pastoral care at All Saints Church, Pasadena.

u The Rev. Steve Huber will retire as rec-tor of All Saints, Beverly Hills, in January.

u The Rev. Joshua Lee and his family will be joining Christ Church, Redondo Beach in early December. He is currently work-ing in Hokkaido, Japan. His ministry at Christ Church will focus on the cultivation and development of Asian ministry and to develop Korean language educational plat-forms in conjunction with the diocese and the Iona Collaborative.

u The Rev. Joy Magala has been called as interim priest at Christ the King Church,

Goleta. She previously was associate priest at St. Mark’s, Van Nuys.

u The Rev. Connie Ng-Lam has been called as rector of St. Gabriel’s Church, Monterey Park. She comes from the Dio-cese of Massachusetts,

where she was canon for Asiamerican min-istries and served at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Boston. A native of Guangdong, China, Ng-Lam was ordained at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral in 2007. She served on the Dio-cese of California’s Commission on Minis-try and chaired its Asian Commission, and served at True Sunshine Episcopal Church, a Chinese ministry, and Christ Church Sei Ko Kai, a Japanese congregation. ?

ordinAtions

The Rev. Robin Denney, right, was ordained to the priesthood on Oct.

11 by Bishop Mary Gray Reeves of the Diocese of El Camino Real at St. Cross Church, Hermosa Beach, where she has been called as associate priest.

Original icons of St. Francis of Assisi by Josie Contreras, congregant at holy Spirit Fellowship in Atwater village,

were blessed by Bishop Coadjutor John Taylor during Eucha-rist at the Cathedral Center oct. 4, feast day of the popular patron of animals and creation. The four icons depict St. Francis in different contexts, said Contreras, a former ink-and-paint artist at hanna Barbera Productions. her rendering of “St. Francis Weeping over Creation” (pictured

at right) features detail illustrating humanity’s failure to protect the environment. With Contreras’ agreement, Cathedral Center Press will print greeting cards, to be available within the coming year, featuring the four images. ?

Blessing of icons marks St. Francis Day

The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017 19

reQuiescAnt

u Jane Ayers, widow of the late Rev. Richard Ayers, a former rector of Trinity Church, Santa Barbara, died Sept. 30.

u The Rev. Lee Marshall Harris, popular chaplain, religion teacher, winning debate team coach and vocational deacon at St. Mark’s Church and School in Upland, died Tuesday,

Oct. 10, after a short bout with pancre-atic cancer. He was 69. His early career was spent in retail and hanging wallpa-per. He was ordained a vocational deacon Feb. 4, 2010 during a school Euc harist by Bishop Suffragan Chester Talton. Sur-vivors include a son, Nicholas (Kathryn) Harris, a daughter and son-in-law, Steph-anie and Joe Landrum, and four grand-children. A memorial Eucharist has been set for Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, located at 330 E. 16th Street, Upland.

u The Rev. Dr. Duc X. Nguyen, former vicar of the Church of the Redeem-er in Garden Grove, died Nov. 5 in Vietnam where as chairman of the Viet-namese World Christian

Fellowship, he travelled to coordinate and speak at the gathering celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation held Nov. 2 – 3. Nguyen was the first Viet-namese to become a priest in the Anglican Communion, ordained in the Diocese of Los Angeles in 1984 by Bishop Robert C. Rusack. Services were held on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Garden Grove United Meth-odist Church.

u Canon Janice Morrison Overfield Rusack, widow of the late fourth Bishop of Los Angeles, the Rt. Rev. Robert Claflin Rusack, died Aug. 29. She was 97, and had been in declining

health in recent years. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Ru-sack Waycott and Richard Waycott; son and daughter-in-law Geoffrey Claflin Ru-sack and Alison Wrigley Rusack; and five

grandchildren, Louisa and Colin Waycott and Robert Hunter, Austin and Parker Ru-sack. A memorial Eucharist was held on Oct. 21 at St. Matthew’s Church, Pacific Palisades. Janice Overfield was born Nov. 3, 1919 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She at-tended Wellesley College, and took classes at both Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University. She and Robert Ru-sack were married at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Salt Lake City, in 1951. They lived in Deer Lodge, Montana, where he was vicar at St. James’ Episcopal Church, and where their daughter and son were born. In 1958, the family moved to San-ta Monica where the future bishop was newly elected rector of St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. He was elected bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Los An-geles, and eight years later as bishop coad-jutor, becoming bishop diocesan in 1974. During these years Canon Rusack engaged in her own ministries of support for clergy spouses and families, and in significant fundraising for Wellesley College, Planned Parenthood, Neighborhood Youth Asso-ciation, St. George’s College, Jerusalem, and General Theological Seminary. She re-mained active in these ministries following

Bishop Rusack’s death in 1986, and later that year was named by Interim Bishop OIiver B. Garver, Jr. an honorary canon of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

u The Rev. Karen Ann Wojahn, assisting priest and educator at several Orange County congre-gations, died Sept. 30, the day after her 70th birthday, at her home in

Orange. In recent months she had been hospitalized with a worsening pulmonary condition. She is survived by her husband of more than 50 years, Roy Wojahn, their daughters Trudy Franzen (Gary) and Beth Wojahn (Curtis Price); their son, Nathan Wojahn; six grandchildren; a sister and two brothers. Requiem Eucharist was cel-ebrated on Nov. 18, at St. Paul’s Church, Tustin. Wojahn assisted most recently at St. Paul’s, and previously at St. John Chrysostom Church, Rancho Santa Mar-garita, and St. Wilfrid of York Church, Huntington Beach. From 1989 through the 1990s she was a staff writer for The Episcopal News, and also has written his-torical articles for the diocese. ?

For full obituaries, visit www.episcopalnews.com

20 The ePISCOPAL NeWS Autumn 2017

n SUNDAY, NOVeMBeR 19, 4 p.m.haydn’s Missa in AngustiisSt. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles 90066. stbedesla.org. Featuring the Laudamus Te Singers, under the direction of Dr. James Vail, St. Bede’s Choir and instrumental ensemble; also music of Mozart and Vivaldi. Suggested donation: $15. Free parking in the church lot.

n SUNDAY, NOVeMBeR 19, 5 p.m.Jazz Vespers: LA Jazz QuartetAll Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101. allsaints-pas.org/jazz-vespers-in-november-la-jazz-quartet. Chuck Manning and the L.A. Jazz Quartet, including Larry Koonse, guitar; Jason Harnell, drums; and Darek Oles, bass. Childcare provided.

n SUNDAY, NOVeMBeR 19, 6 p.m.SacramentumSt. James’ Church, 1325 Monterey Road, South Pasadena. 626.799.9194. This month we will ask: What does it mean to be a people of love? Child care is provided.

n WeDNeSDAY, NOVeMBeR 22, 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving eve Mass with hymnsSt. Thomas the Apostle Church, 7501 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046. 323.876.2102. Guest organist: Daniel Lozier.

n WeDNeSDAY, NOVeMBeR 22, 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving eve ServiceAll Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101. 626.583.2750 or ddaniels@allsaints-pas.org. Members of Canterbury and Coventry Choirs will offer music. Child care provided. All are welcome.

n SUNDAY, NOVeMBeR 26, 3 p.m.8th Annual Messiah Community Sing-AlongSt. Cross Episcopal Church, 1818 Monterey Blvd., Hermosa Beach 90254. 310.376.8989 or stcross.org. Bishop John Taylor, narrator. Featuring members of the North Torrance Youth Musicians Ensemble, soloists, and the St. Cross Chancel Choir.

n SUNDAY, NOVeMBeR 26, 7:30 p.m.Compline, Schola Cantorum of St. James’St. James’ in-the-City Church, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010. 213.388.3417. James Buonemani, director. No charge.

n FRIDAY, DeCeMBeR 1, 7:30 p.m.‘Chloë’s Christmas’ with Chloë AgnewSt. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 South California Avenue, Monrovia 91016. 626.357.7071. Tickets: ticketleap.com. Agnew, a founding member of Celtic Women, and special guest Dermot Kiernan will perform a program of their favorite holiday music. Tickets: $20 plus $2 handling.

n SATURDAY, DeCeMBeR 2, 7 p.m.O.C. Women’s Chorus: iSing of a MaidenSt. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church, 18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach. www.ocwo menschorus.org or 949.451.8590. New works for chorus and electronic media alongside more traditional favorites and Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs. Tickets: $20.

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 3, 5 p.m.Advent Festival of Lessons & CarolsAll Saints’ Episcopal Church, 504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210. 310.275.0123, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org. Craig Phillips’ “Rejoice and Exalt,” Franz Biebel’s “Ave Ma-ria,” and G. P. Palestrina’s Vesper Responsory.

n FRIDAY, DeCeMBeR 8, 8 p.m.Annual holiday ConcertSt. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Av-enue, Pacific Palisades. MusicGuildOnline.org or 310.573.7422 Haesung Park, organ; Chamber Orchestra, choir and soloists of St. Matthew’s; Tomasz Golka, conductor. Bach: Keyboard Concerto in D minor; Corelli: “Christmas” Concerto; Handel: Messiah, Part I and “Hal-lelujah” Chorus (sing-along). Tickets: $35

n SATURDAY, DeCeMBeR 9, 5 p.m. Advent Lessons & Carols with the LAScholaSt. Thomas the Apostle Church, 7501 Hol-lywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90046. 323. 876.2102. Classic favorites and other gems by Mendelssohn, Lassus, Britten, Rutter, and Howells. Jae Park, guest conductor.

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 10, 4 p.m.Choral Christmas ConcertSt. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 6201 E. Wil-low Street, Long Beach 90815. 562.420.1311 or www.stgregoryschurch.com

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 10, 4:30 p.m.Christmas Concert with Sing-a-LongSt. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1231 E. Chapman Avenue, Fullerton 92831. 714.870. 4350. Featuring The Golden State British Brass Band.

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 10, 4:30 p.m.Advent Procession of Lesson & CarolsSt. James’ in-the-City Church, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010. 213.388.3417. James Buonemani, director.

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 17, 4 p.m.The Joyful Sounds of ChristmasGrace Episcopal Church, 555 E. Mountain View Avenue, Glendora. 626.335.3171. Parish choir, directed by David Aldrete, and handbell choirs, directed by Marilyn Scran-ton. Rick England, organist.

n SUNDAY, DeCeMBeR 17, 5 p.m.Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons & CarolsAll Saints’ Episcopal Church, 504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210. 310.275.0123, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org. All Saints’ Choir, Parish Choir, and Choristers.

For more listings, visit www.ladiocese.org and select “Calendars” and “Arts/Music/Liturgy.”

A R T S A N D L I T U R G y T A K E N o T E

camp stevens to dedicate new lodge in honor of peter & vicki bergstrom

Camp Stevens will dedicate its newest building, the Bergstrom Lodge, on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. in the presence of John

Taylor, bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, and Katharine Jefferts Schori, bishop assisting in the Diocese of San Diego and former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. The new lodge is named in honor of Canon Peter Bergstrom, who served for 40 years as director of Camp Stevens, and his wife, Vicki Bergstrom. The dedication day program will include a light brunch, a late lunch, camp activities and more. Res-ervations are requested; email to info@campstevens.org.

interfaith prison chaplains to share stories at guibord center event

Join The Guibord Center on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2 – 4 p.m., for “I Visited You In Prison And ...” a conversation with Monks Behind Bars at St. John’s ProCathedral, 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 90007. Buddhist, Jewish,

Muslim and Christian chaplains will offer “a glimpse into what it is like to join those walking the hard road of suffering and grace that is life locked behind bars.” A few formerly incarcerated people will speak about the value of spiritual companionship. This event is free and open to the public. Registration at conta.cc/2zukvfh is required to assure sufficient seating and parking.