Holy InnocentsDear Brothers and Sisters, Soon after the pleasing and peaceful story of the manger, shepherds and angels, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the disturbing underbelly of the Christmas story. King Herod the Great, upon hearing from the wise men that a “king” has been born in Bethlehem, decides to rid himself of any competition for his throne, and orders the slaughter of all boys under the age of two. This is the same man who would later have his own sons killed to avoid their threat to his rule and power. Usually, we don’t celebrate this feast day – partly, I suspect, because it comes right on the heels of our Christmas, and partly because it is such a gruesome and unthinkable act in the wake of the beautiful manger scene. Perhaps, it seems like an awful event locked into the long ago past. A closer look might be in order. The fact is, there are wholly innocent children still being sacrificed. I have recently been involved with an effort to stop child sex trafficking – a reality in these days of internet agility. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and I are signatories to an open letter to the Village Voice Media corporation, asking them to shut down the “Personals” section of their online website “Backpage.com.” In the wake of efforts to get Craigslist to remove their adult personals ads, many of those using these ads to pimp underage children for sex have moved to the Village Voice website. Village Voice Media depends on this website for some $20 million in revenue. It is big business. Leaving aside the morality of adults advertising themselves as escorts, masseurs, and prostitutes, many young vulnerable boys and girls are advertised here as well. Sometimes, the pictures are real, showing photos of teens who appear much younger than the age of consent. Sometimes, a photo of an older teen is used, but when the user shows up for sex, the person they find is only 13 or 14.
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The Episcopal Church January 11, 2012 As the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti is marked on January 12, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori reflected, “We are all diminished by the reality of the situation in Haiti.” The January 12, 2010 earthquake devastated the Caribbean island country. Leveled were churches and diocesan facilities, including Holy Trinity Cathedral in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti is the largest in the Episcopal Church. Since that time, the Episcopal Church has undertaken a focused effort on rebuilding the cathedral complex. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori issued a statement, and Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin of the Diocese of Haiti narrates a powerful video depicting the damage still evident in Port-Au-Prince as well as images of rebuilding.
Presiding Bishop’s statement In a statement on the second anniversary, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said: The people of Haiti have suffered enormously in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2010. At the same time, their creativity, faith, hope, and joy continue to lead them into a more gracious future. Yet we are all diminished by the reality of the situation in Haiti. Reconstruction has been painfully slow, funds promised by other nations have not yet been paid or paid in full, and many, many people still live in tents. The Diocese of Haiti has been serving the people of Haiti with schools (with more than 250 of them back in operation a few short months after the earthquake), with medical facilities, and the beginnings of spiritual and cultural healing. The partnership of Episcopal Relief & Development has helped to provide shelter, clean water, and some employment. The Episcopal Church as a whole is partnering to help the Diocese of Haiti rebuild the cathedral complex in Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake, that complex included not only the cathedral with its world famous murals (three have been conserved), but a music school and philharmonic orchestral, a vocational school, a convent, and diocesan offices. Partnerships have helped to provide necessary infrastructure for strategizing and planning the redevelopment work. The Episcopal Church as a whole has had its heart expanded in the support and partnership with our sisters and brothers in Haiti. I encourage you to continue your prayers, your active partnership in fundraising, and the solidarity that comes from learning about the situation and caring about the future. We all begin to experience more abundant life in caring for our neighbors. I give thanks for the treasure that is Haiti, and urge the faithful accompaniment of the whole Episcopal Church with Haiti!
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Election and Transition Committee announces Meet & GreetMark your calendars now with dates and locations of the Meet & Greet sessions for candidates for Bishop of New Hampshire. Meet & Greet is the opportunity for clergy, lay convention delegates, and members of congregations across the state to come and meet the nominees for elections to be 10th Bishop of New Hampshire. All sessions will be held in the early evening, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and each will be followed by a time of fellowshiop and refreshments. Dates and locations are: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 ~ Exeter High School, Exeter
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 ~ Holderness School, Plymouth
Thursday, May 3, 2012 ~ St. Paul's School, Concord
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You are Invited to a Book-Signing with Barbara Brown TaylorEpiscopal priest and author of twelve books including An Altar in the World (2009) and Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith (2006) The Screening Room at Red River Theaters January 18, 2011 6:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Gibson’s Booksellers and St. Paul’s School Admission Free and Open to the Public Click here for poster. Connection to Barbara Brown Taylor’s website: http://www.barbarabrowntaylor.com/ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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