News

The bishops of the seven Episcopal dioceses of New England have issued the following joint statement urging advocacy for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as it faces the threat of its reservation lands being taken out of trust and disestablishment by the federal government. Statement…

Most of the people I know moved to online worship quickly, recognizing its necessity for public health. But shifting to online service just as quickly showed how digital interactions are so different than being together in person. The Reverend Kit Lonergan, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in…

This Easter message from Bishop Alan M. Gates was preached during the special filmed service for Easter Day, April 12, 2020, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. In these days of Sheltering-in-Place and Working-at-Home, a recent Twitter post told the following tale: My 5yo stormed out…

Videotaped worship services for Maundy Thursday (from the Monastery Chapel of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge, with Brother James Koester, SSJE, preaching), Good Friday (from the Convent Chapel of the Society of St. Margaret in Duxbury, with Bishop Gayle…

Videotaped worship services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day are offered here as a diocesan resource for congregations which do not have live-streaming capability and as a complement to the offerings of those that do.  The videos also will be available on…

After losing a loved one, millions of Americans turn to their religious communities for support and comfort. But social distancing measures are changing what that support and comfort looks like. Rev. Bill Parnell, a leader in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, told me that many people in the…

The following message was shared by Bishop Alan M. Gates with clergy gathered online on Holy Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Good morning, my colleagues and friends.  It is good to be gathered, even in this unaccustomed and virtual way.  It is good to catch a glimpse of one another – and to…

With crowds banned to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, faith leaders throughout the South Shore have turned to the internet to broadcast services and reach out to the faithful.  Even for the Rev. Tim Schenck, who was an early adopter of social media and already does a portion of…

April 3, 2020 These are the times that try our souls.           - Paraphrase of Thomas Paine quote Guide My Feet Lord, while I run this race,  For I don’t want to run this race in vain           - Black Spiritual Often in times like…