In this Issue:

Diocese of Lexington reaches out to Survivors of Katrina

St. Raphael's first ever J2A Pilgrims Rock Ireland

Part of the Heart of Our Mission: Announcements

Solo Flight ritual: the art of loving

EYE: Can You Cathch The Spirit Off The Beaten Path?

Hurrican Katrina News and Notes

Commentaries

From the Bishop: Matthew Goes to College

Reflection: Finding a home in the storm

X-ercizing: Community, solidarity, and humanity

Diocesan Calendar

Past Issues

Diocese of Lexington reaches out to survivors of Katrina

By Kay Collier McLaughlin

Carrying buckets, work gloves, brooms and mops, some 215 men, women, youth and children from across the Diocese of Lexington streamed across the parking lot of All Saints Church/Trent Blvd. campus in Lexington to prepare the dormitory facilities to serve as long-term living facilities for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. On Sunday, Sept. 11, and currently, local authorities join other government and religious leaders in frustration over lack of information that would guarantee how many families might arrive and when. Milton Dohoney, Chief Administrative Officer for Lexington Fayette County Urban Government, spoke with The Advocate just prior to press time, stating that they were still uncertain when the evacuees might be arriving. Still, the chance to do something concrete that might help those who have lost everything to the storm was a welcome opportunity for those who worked throughout Sunday afternoon in near 90 degree weather. Clear-out and clean-up saw all four buildings cleared of debris and clutter, and major clean-up accomplished. Now comes the work of repair.

Carpenters, electricians and plumbers needed

A carpentry crew from St. Andrew’s, Fort Thomas, has been hard at work on repairs in Building #4.

Project Manager Richard “Bo” Geib is looking for volunteer carpenters, electricians
and plumbers to ready all four buildings for occupancy. (Call 216-534-2748.)
Geib is in need of

•at least 56 more hours of carpentry work.
•136 hours of electrical help
•126 hours plumbing work
•150 hours of volunteer cleaning
(40 volunteers are needed to clean for 4 hours on Saturday, September 24th.)

Geib, an experienced industrial project manager, was “surprised and pleased” by the turn-out and the amount of work accomplished on Sunday. “All too often, fewer volunteers show up for a project than promised. In this case, we had more than we asked for, and they worked constantly and hard, without any complaints, and with smiles on their faces.”

The majority of those involved in the clear-out-clean-up project on Sunday were visiting All Saints and the Trent campus for the first time. “If I were to find myself here after living in the Superdome or the Astrodome and losing everything, I’d think it was pretty close to Heaven,” said Jane Hansen, a volunteer from St. Peter’s, Paris, looking around the tree-shaded grounds.

Many of the volunteers had questions about the buildings, and their relation to All Saints.

The Trent Blvd. property was built by private parties to house Excepticon, a mental health residential care facility. It came on the market after that institution suffered financial hardship, and was purchased by the Episcopal Church of the Apostles, with the assistance of the Diocese of Lexington and was owned by the Diocese of Lexington. The major community building serves as the church, with chapel, kitchen and teaching rooms, and Building #1 had previously served as offices. A third building remains leased to a private music school for teaching purposes. Four additional dormitory-style buildings with common or community rooms have remained unused. When the former members of the Church of the Apostles left the Episcopal Church in January 2005, the property reverted to the Diocese of Lexington. A group of young adults served as the leadership team to start a new congregation, which was formally received as All Saints at Diocesan Convention in February of 2005. The buildings which are now being restored appear to have been used for storage by both previous owners.

Alayne White of the LFCUG inspected the Trent Blvd. property with Canon Ross, Deacon Shanklin and Geib, and found it appropriate for long-term living for evacuees or others in ongoing need.
Bishop Sauls and Canon Ross are also in ongoing conversation with Episcopal Migration Ministries and bishops in the affected dioceses.

Project Teddy Bear and St. John’s, Laurel, Miss.

The Diocese of Lexington has been asked to send teddy bears for children, who have lost all of their belongings. The Diocese is working with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Laurel, Miss., on this project. Communicants are asked to purchase new teddy bears, place each one in a gallon zip lock bag, and take it to their congregation on Sunday, Oct. 2. Each congregation will bring their bears to Mission House to be shipped to Mississippi the following week.

Work groups going to Mississippi

Work Group No. 1 will leave Oct. 8 and return on Saturday, Oct. 15. This trip is limited to adults and college age students. Work Group No. 2 will leave on Nov. 19, returning on Saturday, Nov. 26. Some older high school students may be able to participate in this group.

Both skilled and unskilled persons are needed. The tentative cost is $150 per person to cover food, fuel, water, etc. The work groups must be self-supporting while they are on site. The probable work site will be near Pass Christian, Miss.

Interested persons should contact the Rev. Canon Bryant C. Kibler Sr., Canon for Mission Development, 820 Highway 1746, Irvine, Ky. 40336-8701, (606) 464-9714; bkibler@diolex.org.

Shanks named Disaster Relief Chair

The Rev. Margaret Shanks, Deacon, has been named Disaster Relief Chair, and may be reached either at 338-5752, 859-259-0144, or by e-mailing mshanks@diolex.org.

Episcopal Relief and Development will receive and send donations

Financial contributions, both the small and the large, continue to be needed, and may be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development individually, or to parishes and/or the Diocese memo’d “ERD.” At press time, The Advocate had received information from approximately two-thirds of local congregations, whose initial Sunday offering for Hurricane relief had surpassed $20,000. Contact Episcopal Relief and Development, P.O. Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101; Telephone: 1-800-334-7626 Ext. 5129. Episcopal Relief and Development may be visited on-line at www.er-d.org.

ERD received a donation of $500,000 from Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, the largest single donation ever to be received to date. In the first week following the hurricane, ERD sent $100,000 in emergency funds to the Dioceses of the Central Gulf Coast, Louisiana, Mississippi and Western Louisiana to be used for immediate needs such as food, shelter and medical supplies. They continue to work with local contacts to provide further assistance.

In congregations across the Diocese of Lexington, Sunday, Sept. 11, was a day when Episcopalians remembered the World Trade Center tragedy, and joined their prayers with action to assist in the aftermath of “this horrendous combination of natural disaster complicated by human evil,” as Bishop Sauls stated in his pastoral letter. “But I can tell you at the same time, when I look at the people of the Episcopal Church here in Kentucky, it is easy to see through to the ultimate goodness and love of God reflected in you and your desire and willingness to help those in need in the name of Christ our Saviour.” Tears were in many eyes as musicians sang “America the Beautiful” on Sunday morning, and litanies were offered for those suffering in the aftermath of the hurricane. And later, prayer and action joined hands as the Diocese of Lexington prepared to offer hospitality to those victims who may be finding their way to Central Kentucky.

Bishop Sauls continues to be in conversation with the Bishops of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Central Gulf Coast, and the Rev. Canon Johnnie Ross, Diocesan Administrator Margaret Hall and Deacon Margaret Shanks are in ongoing communication with city officials.
Bishop Sauls stated:

“It appears that what is needed is long term housing for survivors. We have been told by officials that our facility is right for this usage. Although no one can tell us definitely at this point that it will be used, I believe the only compassionate thing to do is to move forward in preparation. If God doesn’t have this use in mind, I’m sure God will have another use in mind. We are perhaps taking some risk, but risking for the sake of the Gospel is the essence of who we are as Christians.”

Among the risk-takers in these efforts is Moveable Feast, the Diocesan ministry which feeds HIV/AIDS patients. The ministry is moving to All Saints’ commercial kitchen, where they will add the feeding of survivors to their work. “Amid the destruction,” the Bishop concluded, “…your overwhelming desire to help has been a source of inspiration and hope to me and to others…I know it is difficult, but for now, please be patient. Please be generous. And please pray.”

Advocate Online Staff:

© 2005 The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington

The Advocate is mailed free to all Episcopalians in the Diocese of Lexington. The Advocate is published 10 times a year (monthly Sept.-Mid-Summer, bi-monthly Mid-Summer-June, July-Aug.) by the Diocese of Lexington, a non-profit organization.

Additional subscriptions: $10 per year and address changes should be sent to: The Advocate, P.O. Box 610, Lexington, Ky. 40588-0610.
The deadline for submitting articles, photographs, announcements, and letters is the last Friday of the month prior to publication. These should be sent to:
The Advocate, Kay Collier McLaughlin, Ph.D., Editor, P.O. Box 610, Lexington, Ky.
40588-0610 (Kcollierm@diolex.org).

Member: Episcopal Communicators; Associated Church Press Office: The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Lexington, Mission House, 203 East Fourth Street, Lexington, Ky. 40508-1515. For information call (859) 252-6527.

All rights reserved. The Advocate reserves the right to refuse publication and to edit all contributions. Permission required for reprinting.