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March 1, 2021
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Thank you for sustaining your heroic efforts to maintain parochial community as we continue to combat the coronavirus. I share everyone’s longing to return to in-person gathering. The numbers are finally trending in a positive direction, as a result of adherence to the protocols requested and required by federal, state, and local government agencies. Just last Thursday, the first four of the 48 counties in the Diocese of Ohio have turned from red to orange, one of which is home to an Episcopal congregation. At the same time, a number of epidemiologists are expressing caution about a potential surge at the end of March from the variant strains currently being diagnosed across the country. While we monitor that possibility, we can begin to consider the possibility of return to in-person gathering for worship, formation, and governance. To that end, the decision of whether in-person gathering for worship, formation, and governance is safe and appropriate will return to parish leadership for services and events beginning on the 5th Sunday in Lent, March 21. This will give every congregation time to consider carefully and thoughtfully what will be best in their specific context. No congregation is required to return to in-person gathering and no communicant is expected to participate if and when it does. The parochial responsibility for making this decision in no way implies that in-person gathering is necessarily appropriate. The decision of whether to participate is an individual obligation that concerns one’s own health and that of others. No member of the Clergy is required to participate in in-person gathering for worship, formation, or governance at this time. Members of the Bishop’s Staff will not be expected to visit parishes for gatherings of any sort until the county in which they live and the county in which the parish is situated are at Level 1 or 2 (Yellow or Orange, respectively) and the staff member has received a COVD-19 vaccination or otherwise feels secure. To every extent possible, all vehicles for “virtual” participation (Zoom, Facebook Live, YouTube, etc.) should be continued and enhanced. In carrying out this responsibility, it will be critically important for clergy and lay leaders to give serious consideration to a range of available data and guidelines. These include:
Beginning the 5th Sunday in Lent (March 21), parishes resuming in-person gathering must:
A pre-recorded, online worship service for the Second Sunday of Easter (April 11) will be made available to all congregations by the end of this month. The hope is that this will provide a modest break in responsibilities following Holy Week and Easter. Finally, if any vestry, clergyperson, or lay leader is experiencing difficulty in making these decisions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Bishop’s Staff for assistance. There is a wide diversity of perspective on every aspect of COVID-19 response, and I know that when decision-making about gathering moves from me back to parish leadership, so, too, will move some of the division and divisiveness that accompany it. The challenges of this time need not threaten our unity, rather may they bring out the best in our vocation to be Christian and exhibit, within our congregations and beyond, what it means to be the Body of Christ. Know that you remain always in my prayers and affection. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio A Special Message from Bishop Mark Hollingsworth January 8, 2021 Sisters and brothers in Christ, Wednesday evening, the Rev. Noah Sutterisch and the Rev. Christopher Decatur were ordained to the sacred Priesthood at Trinity Cathedral. Against the backdrop of violent and unthinkable insurrection in our nation’s capital, it was a moving and healing event. This was not because it provided for us a distraction from the seditious breach of both the Capitol Building and the Constitution, but because it focused each of us on the brokenness and divisions of our nation and on our vocation as Christians: to bring God’s gifts of justice, mercy, truth, and peace to a country and world desperately in need of them, and like the Magi, to do so with honesty, fidelity, humility, and courage. In the inspired and inspiring sermon preached by the Rev. Dr. Patricia Lyons – delivered, significantly, from Washington, D.C. – we were reminded that each of us is formed after the model of Jesus to receive the divine gifts God desires for us and bring them to the world, each in our own particular and courageous ways. What we witnessed on the Feast of the Epiphany in Washington illuminated hard truths about who we are as a country, and equally, our responsibility as Christians. The stark light of the assault on the Capitol, and its incitement by a variety of elected and appointed leaders, has led us to see with clarity the state of our disunion, the vulnerability of our democracy, and the critical role of responsible leadership. In light of the unconscionable violence and vandalism, we are led to see how fragile is respect for the dignity of every human being, to say nothing of the rule of law. In light of the fatalities of both protesters and police, we are led to see the extreme consequences and destructive power of words. In light of the absence of preparation by law enforcement for an armed, white mob of what police and government agencies have defined as domestic terrorists, particularly compared to the forces amassed previously for demonstrations about racial justice by predominantly black citizens, to say nothing of the comparative number of arrests, we are led to see the irrefutable reality of racism in our society and social structures. Most importantly, in the light of Christ Jesus, we see our own responsibility not just to speak, but to act – to confess and repent and hold one another, every one of us, accountable to God’s expectations as described by the prophet Micah: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly. What happened on Wednesday in Washington was undeniably the act of specific individuals. At the same time, none of us is without some responsibility for the national divisions and divisiveness of this moment. At some level, every one of us is complicit – by our words, our actions, or the absence thereof. All of us, regardless of political perspective, must resist allowing the images of Wednesday’s events, of rioters and lawmakers alike, to provide new targets at which to throw our stones of contempt. Rather, those images must challenge us to redouble our efforts in bridging divides and establishing common ground, to be again a people of hope with a gift of compassionate democracy to model for the world. The power of God to bring good out of this horrific time is without question or measure. As has been the case throughout human history, however, it will require our surrender to what God wants and our sacrifice of self-interest for the common good. Indeed, Jesus taught that common good is our highest self-interest. It is impossible for a society to incarnate such moral values without political implications, and our imperfect, human efforts to do so will need always to be sacrificial, with giving forever surpassing receiving in the divine economy. We cannot expect this of our leaders and legislators if we are not willing to practice it ourselves. I join you in praying for our President, for our President-elect, for our country, and for one another. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio December 21, 2020 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 Not for a long time, have these words of Isaiah fallen on our ears as significantly as they do this Christmas. Particularly, perhaps, for those of us who live in a culture of privilege and comparative security, the darkness of fear and uncertainty has been as novel as the coronavirus, itself. For months, we have strained our eyes in search of even a glimmer of hope. The combined pandemics of COVID-19, racial injustice, and political animosity have conspired to obscure our vision of a safe, stable, and just future. They have made us starkly aware of what Isaiah called this world’s yokes of burden – illness, poverty, inequality, and oppression – the bars on our shoulders and, more significantly, the shoulders of others, and the countless forms that the rod of their oppressors takes. This year has presented us with an absence of light that, ironically, has itself illuminated the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing necessary for the wholeness and holiness of the world. The “Great Conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn this week, that vicennial astrological event dubbed the Christmas Star, feels an apt metaphor of the light for which we yearn: something brighter than usual in this year when we have walked through unexpected darkness of many sorts. The star of the Nativity, which some imagine to have been a similar conjunction of two planets, was not the true light of the world, rather it pointed to it. In the words of Reginald Heber’s beautiful hymn, the “star of the East, its horizon adorning, guide[s] where our infant Redeemer is laid.” In the story of the Incarnation of God in Christ Jesus, there are innumerable lights. The two most obvious are the light of the Star of Bethlehem and the Light of the World to which it led shepherds and kings alike. At the same time, the shepherds and kings themselves were lights, their adoration and devotion guiding generations of seekers to the Christ child, including our own. In turn, of course, you, too, are a Christmas Star. Each of you. It is your vocation as a Christian to shine brighter than the usual, especially in times of extraordinary darkness, to illumine the divine love born in all of God’s children and brighten their lives with a hope whose source is God alone. Because you are beloved of God, you have an inner light that cannot be contained by any fear or shame or conviction of inadequacy. As fragile and dim as you may feel it is, by the spirit of holiness it can pierce even the deepest darkness, because that is the very nature of both light and love. In this season of new light, I give thanks for each of you and for all that you do to illuminate the love of God, incarnated in the birth of Jesus. In him, you, too, are the light of the world, and the darkness can and will never overcome you. With every Christmas blessing, The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio 12.25.2020 Holy light, shining from before time and beyond place, focused like the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass on the lowly stable of divine birth, there ignites in humankind the perfect love of God. In the softly beating heart of the humble and sacrificial Savior, begins to burn a flame of justice and peace, safeguarded by the humility and sacrifice of generations through whom will shine its holy light. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Christmas 2020 December 4, 2020 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Today the Ohio Public Health Advisory System designated 7 counties in the Diocese of Ohio as Level 4, the highest health threat alert – Severe Exposure and Spread. Every other county is at Level 3, save one. Given the continuing surge in every metric – positive tests, symptomatizing patients, hospitalizations, Intensive Care Unit overcrowding, and COVID related deaths – it is time for all of us to take extreme safety measures for ourselves and others. In common deliberation with Bishop Price in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, we have come to a common understanding of what this means for Episcopal congregations in Ohio. To that end, all congregations will suspend in-person worship by Sunday, December 13, if they have not done so already, and return to worshiping by online services only on that day. This will continue until further notice, certainly through the end of the month and very likely into the new year. As well, beginning no later than December 13, all other in-person gathering for purposes of formation, governance, and outreach will be suspended, save for feeding, clothing, and recovery ministries. It will be essential to work closely with leaders of those ministries and organizations to determine whether they can be safely continued. Live-streamed and pre-recorded worship may be offered from churches, with a minimum number of participants, masked and at least 6 feet apart. I suggest a limit of 5 people in any room should accommodate any necessary liturgical roles and technological assistance. Holy Eucharist may continue to be celebrated, with only the Celebrant receiving the consecrated elements on behalf of all. Singing remains restricted to individuals alone in a room. “Drive-through” and “drive in” worship continue to be prohibited, as does any form of “virtual communion” (in which a minister “blesses” bread and wine through a phone or online connection or distributes pre-consecrated and packaged elements to the same effect). For any questions about the implications of these and other expectations, Canon Brad Purdom will remain the principal contact person. Be encouraged, however, to reach out to me or any other member of the Bishop’s Staff for assistance. Every one of us will doubtless be disappointed not to be gathering in person with our parish companions as we make the Advent journey to the stable of the Incarnation and celebrate the birth of the Savior anew in our hearts, communities, and world. To help address that loss, the Diocesan and Cathedral staffs are working to provide both a diocesan-wide Christmas Eve service of Holy Eucharist and an intergenerational Christmas Day service of hymns, scripture, and prayer, available beginning at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and 7 a.m. Christmas Day, respectively. Both services will include participants from across the diocese, and included hymns by a “virtual” choir. Every congregation has been encouraged to provide choristers, and emails went out this week to all parishes with directions and necessary resources. The hymns will be available for congregations to download and use in their own online services throughout the Christmas season. As a religious community, we may be afforded certain exemptions by our government. As Christians, however, we are never exempt from caring for our neighbor and putting the safety of others before our own needs and desires. Taking these steps in this unprecedented emergency is, indeed, an act of faith and a witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus. I appreciate all that you continue to do in modeling and meeting the practical responsibilities demanded of us in this time of challenge, and thereby providing hope and companionship to those who are suffering illness, fear, and loss. In spite of all of this, we will hear again the angels sing and proclaim joy to the world with unfailing confidence in the incarnate love of God, who is Christ the Lord. Please know that you are in my every prayer. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio |
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A Message from the Diocese
As the Bishop previously announced, all parishes will begin operating under Phase 2 Guidelines this coming Sunday, May 31, 2020, whether they are regathering then or at some later date. This, along with your questions and ideas, have raised several issues we want to clarify here. All worship from the church where there is more than one person from different households present, either live or recorded, both indoors and outdoors, must comply with Phase 2 guidelines, including 1) the use of masks by all participants; and 2) the restriction against live singing. If only household members are present and there is singing or masks are not used, please explain to viewers why that is the case.
These clarifications are in addition to those you received last week regarding singing, wind instruments, and the phrase “deep clean.” It is almost certain such clarifications will continue to be needed as we work out the guideline’s implementation over the coming weeks and months. To that end, as with this letter, we will send clarifications by email and post them on the Leadership Basecamp as soon as we have them available. At the beginning of each new month, we will also send an amended Phased Return Guideline document incorporating all clarifications or changes from the previous version. Please contact Brad Purdom at bpurdom@dohio.org with any questions or comments. A Message from the Bishop on Current Concerns, Pentecost Sunday 2020 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, On this Day of Pentecost, we have awoken to incidences of widespread violence and injury across the country, including numerous places in our Diocese. I pray that you are safe and will do all in your power, by prayer and presence, to bring peace and reconciliation to our deeply divided communities. The isolation, frustration, and insecurity of this pandemic time has left a great many citizens frayed at the edges and vulnerable to reactive response. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and a disproportionate number of black victims of COVID-19 provide a mirror in which we see, face to face, the reality of continued racism and inequality in our society. Emotions are understandably and justifiably high. They are also being leveraged in irresponsible ways to escalate divisive rhetoric and political reactivity at a time that, in calling for truth, also calls for calm and de-escalation. In providing the witness of Jesus to justice, reconciliation, and love, we must concurrently work to assure the safety of all of God’s beloved. Political and social divisions are deep, and the power of evil will employ every available means to divide us further. As Jesus did when Peter cut off the ear of Malchus in John 18, we, as the body of the same Christ, must do all we can to sheathe the swords of division and violence. We have a dual responsibility: to draw lines of justice and circles of unity. The challenges inherent in that are great. By the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and in our Baptism, we have the power to heal. I urge us all, as we exercise our vocation to be Christian, to remain always on the side of the angels – uncompromised in our Christian values of justice, mercy, and peace and, led by love of our neighbor, to walk humbly with God. Please know that you and all in your communities are in my every prayer. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio A Message from the Bishop Regarding In-Person Gathering Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, As we take cautious steps forward into this new reality of living with Coronavirus and COVID-19, the physical and spiritual safety of God’s beloved is foremost in my concerns and prayers. The desire to be with one another again in all the varied activities of life is great, and for many of us, the yearning to gather in worship, service, and fellowship is paramount. Our transition to in-person gathering must be careful and thoughtful, putting the well-being of others first, as Jesus taught us. Attached you will find a letter from the six bishops serving the two dioceses in Ohio outlining our common perspective, followed by a document describing requirements and suggested procedures for phased, in-person regathering in the Diocese of Ohio. It is important that you read the entire document to get a clear understanding of the process. Please remember that the progression may not be linear, as we may well have to return to a previous phase at some time. We have been in Phase 1 of this process since the suspension of public worship two months ago. Beginning on the Day of Pentecost, May 31, we will move into Phase 2. That does not mean that a particular congregation or communicant must resume in-person gathering at that time, only that it will be permitted, given suitable preparations. Each parish and individual’s decision will be particular to its own context and circumstances. For some, regathering may be appropriate, for others it may not. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out for assistance. The bishops and staff of the Diocese are ready to help in every way possible. Again, know that you are in my prayers always. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio A Follow-Up Message from the Bishop on In-Person Regathering Dear colleagues and communicants, I write following up to the regathering protocols you have received this week. Recognizing how complex and serious are our preparations for the care of God’s beloved in this pandemic, there are a few immediate reflections and clarifications that arise from our continuing conversations. In the past 24 hours, it has been heartening and encouraging to hear of the patience, caution, and thoughtfulness with which clergy and lay leaders are approaching the possibility of in-person ministry and worship. Understanding that each “phase” refers only to what may be possible in a particular season of this new reality, it should be clear that the guidelines make no assumption or expectation for in-person gathering at any specific time. The timing of appropriate implementation will be specific to each congregation’s demographic, size, location, and context. Some parishes may explore outdoor options in good weather, others may continue sustaining community and participating in worship via internet and social media for weeks to come. In looking ahead to what gathering physically for worship may look like, whenever that may occur, some have asked for clarification regarding the restriction on singing. For now, that prohibits all singing, including vocal soloists, even at an increased distance. Prerecorded vocal music is permissible, as it has been for online worship. In planning liturgies, however, I encourage a pastoral sensitivity to worshipers for whom the absence of participatory singing will be very difficult and urge you to avoid familiar hymns in familiar places that will be difficult for many not to sing. Instrumental music or prerecorded vocal pieces may be best suited to more contemplative moments in the service. In some places, the use of woodwinds and brass in worship has been suspended for the same reasons as singing. This seems both prudent and responsible. It will be impossible to imagine all eventuality, but I have confidence that you will always err on the side of safety and caution in your decision making. There has been an understandable question about what constitutes “deep cleaning,” as this is a term used in hospitals and other public facilities. The intention in our protocol is not to define a specific practice, but to underscore the need for conscientious sanitization. Please read the guideline to mean: Before any public use of church-owned spaces, congregations must thoroughly clean and appropriately disinfect each part of the church building that will be open to public use, including pews, bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, stair railings, and microphones. A thorough cleaning is expected before public use with special emphasis on where people will touch things. It is not necessary to clean the spaces of the building that will not be used until later. Those spaces must be similarly cleaned prior to their public use, which may be some months later. Gratefully, The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio A Pastoral Letter from the Bishop (Please distribute to communicants by every practical means available.) Friday, April 24, 2020 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, First and most importantly, please know that each of you and those you love are in my prayers daily. My appreciation and admiration for all you are doing to remain connected pastorally and spiritually with one another, and with the communities you continue to serve so faithfully, is without end. The lay and clergy leadership exhibited during this challenging time is encouraging and inspiring, and every day there are reports of the difference you are making within and beyond your congregations. How you are living through this pandemic and its consequences witnesses powerfully to the resurrection of Jesus. With Governor DeWine’s announcement of a three-phased “reopening” plan scheduled to begin on May 1, we are all imagining how it might inform our own decisions about our common life, work, and worship as the body of Christ. As the descriptions and directives of Phase 1 continue to emerge, it is clear that what we are currently doing is in accordance with both the federal and state guidelines. While religious institutions have been excluded from the ban on gatherings of a certain size in Ohio, our Christian responsibility to the safety and security of others mandates that we err on the side of caution and adhere to what medical and scientific professionals define as best practices. Those of us who have family members who have contracted COVID-19, and that includes me, are painfully aware of how vulnerable all of us are to this virus, and that, moving forward, our vigilance must not be compromised, especially for the sake of those who are most susceptible. Thirty-five percent of communicants in The Episcopal Church are 65 years old or older. Two thirds are 50 or older. It would reasonably follow, therefore, that half of our communicants should continue to shelter in place at least through Phase 2. As well, schools and organized youth activities are directed to remain closed through Phase 1. With this guidance, and a clear understanding of our moral and gospel responsibility to act first for the benefit of others, all congregations of the Diocese of Ohio will continue the suspension of public worship until further notice. Most of us had imagined, for some time at least, that on a particular date and time, perhaps of our own choosing, we would be able to gather as we have in the past and celebrate in a grateful and triumphant way our victory over, or at least survival of, the novel coronavirus. We are seeing now that our emergence, if not out of this, at least in to what lies ahead, will be less precise and more humble. As a society used to a high expectation of certainty, we are being challenged and called to live into greater ambiguity and at a yet undetermined cost. I know how hard this is, particularly for those who yearn for the pastoral services of our faith and tradition. My father-in-law died on Good Friday, and not only were we unable to travel to be with him in his final days, we are unable to gather as family and friends and do those familiar things we have long relied upon to process our grief and affection. Likewise, I am in a number of conversations with couples planning to marry who are coming to terms with the fact that their celebration of matrimony will differ substantially from what they had for some time imagined. And we have candidates for Holy Orders whose ordinations will be unlike any they or we have experienced previously. If we are to be realistic, these examples represent the tip of the iceberg. We will learn new ways to be the church and to carry out the practice of our faith, but whatever our reopening, it will not open up onto the landscape where we were before. To that end, we are continuing conversations with clergy and lay leaders about how we will move forward into this new reality, taking into account the complex pastoral, spiritual, liturgical, and financial implications with which it presents us. The power of evil would have us be anxious and disheartened, for that will leave us vulnerable to contention and division. But, we are Easter people, and this is a time to be energized by the prospect of new life. This is a moment in which we may well come to understand the promise of resurrection more as the first followers of Jesus did and replicate in our own lives the courageous faith of our spiritual forbearers. As we move ahead, questions of when and how will continue to be explored in detail. Members of the Bishop’s Staff have been working tirelessly to collect, interpret, and provide resources pertinent to all aspects of parochial life, relying on the contributions of clergy and lay leaders from across the Diocese. The collaborative spirit of so many is a testament to the collegiality and strong fabric of the church. As we imagine gathering for worship, formation, and service in the months ahead, we will need to ask searching questions about whether we do so for those who can take the risks or wait until it is safe for all. Might small congregations begin sooner than large ones? Young ones sooner than older ones? In gathering for worship, how do we handle the Eucharistic elements, if at all? Can some partake and others not? Do we act as one body, or meet individual needs and desires? How do these values inform the parochial context? How do they play out in the diocesan context? How do our practices for gathering for worship, virtually and in person, inform our gathering for youth programming and summer camp, and vice versa? How do we explore the implications of potential changes in financial resources? What will it cost us in our giving and spending practices – as individuals, congregations, diocese, and wider church? How do we imagine the practice of ecclesial governance in each context? Each of these questions, as do countless others, reflects the extraordinary opportunity given us in this time to reflect, redirect, and recommit ourselves to the life of corporate faith, being the body of Christ in the world. The Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Mission Area Deans, Trustees, and other groups have been engaging these discussions, and more such conversations are being planned. Most of these questions do not have simple, clear answers, and will take the combined wisdom and sacrifice of many to discern what is the next right thing. I have every confidence in God that we will find a variety of roads forward. There is rarely only one approach; God is not that stingy. The challenge is our willingness to walk together. As we continue to explore the next steps, there are a number of things that warrant mention now. Weddings If it is necessary to celebrate Holy Matrimony at this time, please limit participants to the priest, the intendeds, and the two required witnesses. A subsequent celebration of the marriage may be held at a future date, if and when circumstances for such public worship allow, in the spirit of the celebration of a civil marriage. Please contact me with any questions. Funerals Please continue to abide by the direction that, if interment is necessary, only a minimal number of immediate family (ten or fewer, including the priest) may be present for a graveside service outside, observing current norms of distancing. A memorial celebration of life may be held at a future date, if and when circumstances for such public worship allow. Again, contact me with any questions. Clergy Conference For the annual Clergy Conference scheduled for May 12-14 at Geneva State Park, we will not gather in person. I ask all required participants (actively serving parochial clergy) please to hold that time open. We will not use all of it, but we are as yet uncertain how much time and when will be needed for virtual gathering. Additional information will be forthcoming. As we have found with other such meetings, more extra-parochial and retired clergy may be able to participate in a shorter, virtual format. Ordinations Candidates for Holy Orders who have completed their pre-ordination formation and been approved by the requisite ecclesial bodies will be ordained in the presence of the canonically required participants. We will do all we can to provide access for others to participate online, which may well make it possible for many to be a part of these important services who might previously not have been able. Summer Camp As with schools and organized youth activities that are currently closed, camp is not permitted in Phase 1. Whether the restrictions and procedures in Phase 2 will allow us to provide summer camp at Bellwether Farm this year is still unknown, but the summer camp and Bellwether staffs are preparing for all possibilities. As soon as details become more clear, registered campers, their families, and the wider public will be notified. Bellwether Farm Farm life continues unabated in terms of birthing lambs and kids, fattening pigs, collecting eggs, seeding and planting vegetables, and installing four new colonies of bees. Seventeen gallons of maple syrup have been processed and bottled for Chef Lonny’s culinary creations. The dining hall remains shut down, as do all restaurants, but plans continue for when the facility will again be available for public use. It is possible to visit the farm for a hike in the woods and fields, respecting physical distancing and using masks, homemade or otherwise. Please call or email the Bellwether office in advance to let the staff know of your desire to visit. As soon as reopening is possible, and there is clarity under what conditions, all will be notified. Trinity Commons Trinity Commons and the Cathedral itself remain closed to the public. All diocesan staff are working from home with effective procedures for receipt of mail and email, and access to voicemail and necessary databases. Each office has established its own schedule for being in the building for limited and essential tasks, in collaboration with appropriate Cathedral and Commons staff. Diocesan Convention At this time, it is not imaginable that we will be able to gather as four hundred lay and clergy delegates and staff in one place (save perhaps First Energy Stadium or Progressive Field) in November. We are currently reviewing the canonical and secular requirements that pertain to Diocesan Convention and the governance of corporate entities in Ohio to explore how to accomplish our work virtually. The dates will remain Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14. At this time, it is uncertain how much of which day will be needed. We are not alone in facing the future of a church that is yet to be revealed. It has ever been thus; only now is it for us more starkly evident. Across The Episcopal Church, all of these challenges are being experienced and the corresponding opportunities being explored. In weekly Zoom conversations with the bishops of the fourteen dioceses of the Province of the Midwest (Province V), as a member of the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice, on wider church task forces and committees, and in the countless conversations with lay and clergy leaders that I and our staff colleagues engage in every week, we are finding generous companionship in sharing insights, resources, and encouragement. Throughout all of God’s creation, from the sub-atomic to the intergalactic, loss always leads to newness. We can have confidence that this is a time when our vocation to be Christian comes alive in ways many of us have neither experienced nor ever expected. That indeed is the stuff of new life, what the resurrection of Jesus promises us, and that for which each of us is created in God’s imagining. I was reminded recently of Winston Churchill’s Mansion House speech in November of 1942, after British forces had defeated Rommel, driving the German troops out of Egypt. In our battle against the coronavirus and its consequences, his words seem apt: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Let us hope that this end of the beginning will lead us, in patience, humility, and courage, to the newness God dreams for us and God’s church. It is a singular privilege to be in this together with you. With gratitude and affection, The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio
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Also, please have your announcements to the office by Monday morning
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WINDOWS, CONT'D FROM HOME PAGE
The High Altar (East Wall) window portrays 11 medallions of Holy Week, reading from the bottom, left to right:
- Institution of Holy Communion
- The Betrayal: Kiss of Judas
- Christ Before Pilate
- Christ Bearing the Cross
- The Crucifixion
- The Descent from the Cross
- The Burial
- The Women at the Tomb
- The Resurrection
- The Ascension
- (Sexfoil) The Enlightenment
South Wall:
- The Lady Chapel: The Annunciation, and Nativity
- The Presentation, and Simon Blesses Jesus (with a trefoil of an angel and shield)
- Slaughter of the Innocents, and Flight into Egypt (with trefoil of the souls of little children)
- Angel’s Command to Joseph, and Return to Israel (with trefoil of “He shall be called a Nazarene”)
- Holy Family at Home, and Boy Jesus in Temple (with a trefoil “The child grew and waxed strong”)
North Wall:
- Baptistry and columbarium: Baptism of Jesus, and Jesus Blesses Children
- Christ the Lamb of God, and the Temptation (with a trefoil “Behold the lamb of God)
- Jesus the Healer, and Jesus the Teacher (with a trefoil “The son of man came to minister)
- Feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus Still the Storm (with trefoil of St. George fighting the dragon)
- Triumphal Entry, and The Transfiguration (with trefoil “Thine Oh Lord is the glory and victory”)
Sacristy: The events in the Upper Room
- Preparation for Last Supper
- Foot Washing
- Communion
- Thomas’ Revival of Faith
West Wall
- St. Paul the Apostle
Chancel Clerestory
- St. Raphael
- Uriel
- St. Gabriel
- St. Michael
Nave Clerestory
- St. Joseph of Aramathea (1st Century)
- The Christian Legionnaire (2nd Century)
- St. Alban (3rd Century)
- Bishop Eborius of York (4th Century)
- King Arthur (5th Century)
- St. Columba of Iona (6th Century)
- Queen Bertha of Kent (7th Century)
- St. Frideswide (8th Century)
- Alfred the Great (9th Century)
- St. Dunstan (10th Century)
- St. Margaret (11th Century)
- St. Edmund (12th Century)
- Stephen Langton (13th Century)
- John Wycliff (14th Century)
- William Tyndale (15th Century)
- Lancelot Andrews (16th Century)
- Robert Hunt (17th Century)
- Robert Raikes (18th Century)
- Queen Victory (19th Century)
A Message from the Search Committee:
“Did you know that early in St. Paul’s history, a former rector was tried for heresy? Or that in the 1950s, there were 90 churches of various denominations serving the Canton community? These are just two of the interesting and little-known facts unearthed during the extensive research into parish history and the Canton community that the Search Committee has been involved in as we prepare the parish profile. The majority of the profile has now been drafted; in addition to the sections on parish history and Canton community, our present church life is detailed, from worship to mission and ministry. The importance of this profile cannot be overstated; painting a picture of who St. Paul’s has been in the past, who we are now, and who we want to be in the future lays the foundation for the rest of the process and, as such, requires more than a slap-dash effort. The Search Committee appreciates your continuing prayers as we work with care and purpose to move the process forward!” Barb Anderson, chairperson
Wednesday Evening Bible Study continues. Bring your own Bible, bring your own dinner (dessert will be shared). Compline after fellowship.
Wednesday 9:30 am – Book Club meets weekly.
Below, recent letters from Bishop Mark Hollingsworth:
A Message from Bishop Mark Hollingsworth
"Holy Week and Easter"
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
Through this holiest of weeks, as we make our spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Cross, and the Empty Tomb, you are in my every prayer. I pray for your wellbeing and safety, and for a deeply holy experience of the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of resurrected life his resurrection brings us.
The celebration to which this particular Holy Week is leading us will be unlike any most of us have ever experienced. The context of uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation that is defining our common life is as novel as the coronavirus itself. Perhaps only the two World Wars of the last century have interrupted the norms of human life like this pandemic has. Together, those did not engage the number of countries that this contagion has already.
The current epidemiological models for Ohio, along with the continuation of Governor DeWine’s stay-at-home directive to May 1st, make it clear that we have a considerable way to go in our battle to subdue this virus. Following his and Dr. Amy Acton’s leadership, we will continue the suspension of public worship in our congregations until further notice and it is possible to gather safely, which may well be beyond the end of this month. This is our shared responsibility. Even masked and more than six feet apart, we are in this together.
In addition to the online Easter worship your parish provides, or in the absence of one, I encourage you to embrace our companionship through the diocesan-wide Easter Service of Holy Eucharist. It can be accessed via Trinity Cathedral’s website and YouTube page, anytime Easter Day from 10 in the morning on. Dean Owens will be the celebrant in the Cathedral and receive the sacraments on behalf of all. I will offer the homily and blessing from home, as will readers and intercessors from East Liverpool to Bowling Green.
The context of this Holy Week may provide many of us with an increased sensitivity to what the first Easter was like. Resurrection hope is often more evident and accessible to us in the context of loss – loss of security, stability, confidence, and loved ones. In the context of loss, we are often less defended from and more vulnerable to the sacrificial love of God that was most fully manifested in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
The “sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ,” to which the Committal service refers, is precisely what Easter provides, and what we, in turn, proclaim. It is a hope not reserved for the next life, but speaks equally to new life in this life. In the valley of fear, seclusion, and uncertainty through which we are passing just now, the saving hope of the risen Christ leads us onward to a new day, every day. And no isolation or quarantine will inhibit our celebration of that Resurrection truth.
With every Easter blessing and affection,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
April 20, 2019
Easter Greeting
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Only in Matthew's Gospel are we told who rolled away the stone that covered Joseph of Arimethea's burial cave, in which the body of the crucified Jesus had been laid. "Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it." (Mt 28:2) The other evangelists simply report that the stone had been removed and that Jesus was gone. The angel in Matthew's account then speaks words of comfort, assurance, and direction to the two Marys, filling the emptiness of their hearts with hope.
These centuries later, on Easter Day the emptiness of Good Friday and Holy Saturday is replaced by the same reassurance and expectation. In our churches, images of new life fill the liturgical and spiritual space we left vacant only two days before. Lilies and forsythia decorate the chancel where last Sunday's palms were spread; the altar stripped on Maundy Thursday is adorned with festival vestments and polished silver vessels that will hold the sacramental elements. For most of us, the day will bring comfort and the renewed assurance of God's generosity and grace.
In communities where resources are scarce and freedom limited, the promise of renewed hope is sometimes more deeply embraced, perhaps because the emptiness it meets is more extreme. To those for whom the tomb of death is always near in the form of poverty, oppression, or despair, the liberation to new life delivered by Jesus' resurrection is profoundly yearned for and gratefully welcomed. For them, the angel who roles away the stone is truly a godsend.
In our vocation as Easter people, as followers of the risen Jesus, we are called both to proclaim our own experience of deliverance from evil and paucity of spirit, and to role away the stone for others, that they might experience the same. It is our responsibility, as those who have seen the empty tomb and been to the Galilee to find that Christ indeed is risen, to make the triumph of good over evil come to life for others.
In response to the Resurrection of Jesus, how will you and I roll away the stone to reveal that Christ is alive and bring deliverance from fear and repression to those seeking a new life of freedom and grace? Empowered by Jesus' triumph over death, how will we be angels of God's mercy and justice to the lost, the lonely, and the stranger?
With every Easter blessing,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
March 5, 2019
Dear colleagues and friends,
As we approach the completion of construction at Bellwether Farm, it is wonderful to see parochial, diocesan, and outside groups exploring how to use it in creative and delightful ways. Watching young and old alike enjoy this new resource, it is easy to forget how long we have been at it. Perhaps nobody knows the realities of that journey as well as Project Director Katie Ong-Landini, now finishing her eighth year. She joined the project when it existed only in our imaginations and has seen it through to its remarkable realization.
Likewise, no one deserves an opportunity to come up for air more than she. To that end, Katie will begin a well-earned sabbatical at the end of this month. For April, May, and June, she will have an opportunity for restoration and renewal, and to consider what lies ahead as this role at Bellwether comes to an end. I invite you to join with me in keeping her in your prayers of thanksgiving and care.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
January 15, 2019
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
As he completes a decade of service on the Bishop’s Staff as Canon for Christian Formation, our colleague, the Rev. Vincent Black, will be transitioning from part-time to full-time parochial ministry at the Church of the Ascension in Lakewood. To that end, he will shift his focus fully to the parish sometime this summer. Of course, Vincent will continue to participate in diocesan and church-wide youth and young adult ministries and events, as part of his leadership as a priest and a Christian. The growth of both the parish and his vocation to parochial ministry, however, warrant this shift of his time and attention.
Beginning next month, Anna Sutterisch, currently a third-year seminarian in our “local cohort” M.Div. program, will start working with Vincent as a Diocesan Staff intern, while she completes her theological degree and her preparation for ordination. Her focus will include exploring congregational resources for Christian Formation and planning the summer programming for young people at our new camp facility. It is my expectation that Anna will continue in this capacity after the conclusion of her seminary studies and, as Vincent did before her, find it a fruitful context for post-ordination formation.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write to encourage your consideration of two important upcoming parish opportunities:
The church is always able to live more faithfully together than separate or isolated. It remains my conviction that the health of our congregations and diocese is dependent upon our collaborative involvement in programs like these. I look forward to seeing you at Winter Convocation, and to hearing about your participation in Connecting Communities.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Christmas 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
The chaos of Bethlehem during a census, when all who traced their heritage to the city of David returned to be counted, must have been overwhelming to residents and visitors alike. We can imagine how this might have been for Mary and Joseph, migrant parents, internalizing, as all parents do, the vulnerability of their newborn child. How, they might well have wondered, did they possibly count?
Into the chaos and uncertainty of our own day does God come, again and again, incarnating in the most vulnerable of lives and contexts the unfailing love of Christ Jesus, showing, through acts of mercy, grace, compassion, kindness, and justice, that in the divine economy, all count. No exceptions.
It is by our hands that the hungry are fed, by our sharing that the naked are clothed, by our words that the disconsolate are comforted, by our prayers that the disheartened find encouragement, and by our arms that the lonely come to know the embrace of the One who loves them without condition. Know that you are held in that same holy embrace, and also in my prayers, as we gather by the stable of new birth in adoration and thanksgiving.
With every Christmas blessing,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
12.25.18
He slept,
wrapped in rags, straw, and his parents' devotion.
The first holy breaths,
soft and shallow,
stirred the air no more than a Monarch's wing,
while news of his fragile presence
fanned Herod's monarchial conceit to murderous rage.
Minute fingers,
instinctively reaching for security,
began to feel, for the first time,
the brokenness of the world
he had been born to heal
and would die to save.
Only the angels might have known
how his soft cry,
calling for his mother's breast,
would come to give voice
to the divine hunger for justice and thirst for righteousness,
his tiny heartbeat, setting the metronome of love.
Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Christmas 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In church this morning, my prayers were filled with thoughts of yesterday's horrific attack at Tree of Life Synagogue. I imagine that yours were as well. Especially as we listened to the Hebrew scripture and recited the psalm, the presence and pain of the Jewish community, both in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and around the world, felt very immediate.
St. Andrew's Church, Akron, the site of my visitation today, is surrounded by an immigrant community. The congregation has a vibrant ministry mentoring the Bhutanese and Nepalese children of the neighborhood. It felt a particularly poignant place to gather in grief and spiritual solidarity with people around the world trying to come to terms with this profound act of anti-Semitic hatred and violence.
Following the service, I received word that the brother-in-law of a colleague on the Kenyon College Board of Trustees was one of the eleven killed. Such heartbreak is often closer to home than we think.
While the murders at Tree of Life were the actions of one hate-filled soul, they were equally the consequence of a polarized, weaponized, and increasingly xenophobic America. Only two days before, two people were gunned down in a Kentucky grocery store after the gunman had tried unsuccessfully to enter the First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, a predominantly African American congregation. And throughout the week, more than a dozen pipe bombs were discovered by the U.S. Postal Service, the intended targets all prominent members and supporters of one political party, just as the targets of the 2017 Congressional baseball team shooting were members of the other party.
In the face of such violence and division, we are vulnerable to feeling hopeless and helpless, as well as to increased polarization. That is, of course, precisely what the power of evil wants. Only when we are separated from one another does it win. But we are neither without hope, nor without help, because the God of Abraham is with us and has given us to one another as sisters and brothers, children of the same God.
Anti-Semitism is anathema to Christian faith. We are disciples of Jesus, a Jewish teacher to whom we refer in our own scripture as rabbi, the Savior who taught the Torah and kept the laws of Moses. We hold fast to the love he demands of each of us - love your neighbor, love your enemy, love one another. And we are empowered by the spirit of holiness to resist evil, not by taking up arms, but by opening our arms.
Jesus's response to hatred and violence is always the disarming power of love. And it behooves people of faith, of every faith, not only to stand together, but to act together, to act on behalf ofone another and on behalf of the other, whoever that may be - the stranger, the down-trodden, and the disenfranchised; the brokenhearted, the underserved, and all victims of injustice; the disdained and the disdainful, the hated and the hateful, and all who are different from us in ethnic heritage, religious tradition, political conviction, or any other way.
In response to these acts of evil, let us come together, stand together, and act together to heal the world that God loves and has given us to share. Because we all belong to God, we all belong to each other.
In God's holy love,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
October 1, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Last week, thanks to the designated gifts of a group of generous donors, the Diocese was able to purchase a 90-acre property across State Route 60 from Bellwether Farm. Some of you will remember that this tract of land includes six high-tech barns in which currently are housed close to 80,000 chickens. This purchase allows us to repurpose the barns for educational and resource conserving food production, as well as other uses, relieving Bellwether, our neighbors, and the village of Wakeman of the environmental impact of the current poultry operation.
Over the last few months, in anticipation of this opportunity, we have been working with potential partners who have expressed interest in using the buildings for a variety of purposes. It will take nine months for the chickens to complete their laying cycle and be removed. This will give us ample time to continue developing these collaborative partnerships for the conversion and self-sustainable repurposing of the buildings, as well as to determine the agricultural strategy for the majority of the land. We look forward to keeping you informed as this project progresses.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
June 19, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
This Father's Day was very difficult for me. Recollections of my own father were the same as always, filled with gratitude and familiar longing, now 33 years since his death. As well, the usual awareness of my own shortcomings as a dad and my appreciation for the patience and forgiveness of my children were similar to that of previous years.
As a foster, adoptive, and biological father, however, I was overcome with thoughts of the countless immigrant fathers separated from their children on this Father's Day - in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and here in Ohio. My prayers kept returning to Marco Antonio Muñoz, the 39-year-old Honduran father who led his wife and 3-year-old son across the Rio Grande last month, seeking asylum and hoping to bring them to a safer and more secure life. When Mr. Muñoz resisted being separated from them upon arrest, he became distraught and violent, and was taken to an isolation cell 40 miles away, where he took his own life.
It is natural for most fathers to protect and provide for their children. We want them to be safe and happy, to live without fear and have opportunities to grow into responsible citizens. After fleeing his homeland following the murder of his brother-in-law, Mr. Muñoz went to extraordinary lengths to protect and provide for his family, only to end his life in despair and the conviction that he had failed them.
Immigration policy is complicated and complex, and reasonable people hold a range of opinions on how it should be practiced. Compassion is comparatively simple, and reasonable people ought to be able to find ways of dealing with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrant workers in ways that "respect the dignity of every human being." Throughout this Father's Day, as I enjoyed my parish visitation and time with our younger two children afterward, I kept thinking about the zero-tolerance practice that is guiding our immigration practice and putting politics before God's beloved. I kept imagining with horror how it must feel for the children who are taken from their parents, for the parents who must relinquish them, and for the immigration and public safety officials who must carry this out.
As Christians, we believe that all children are God's own. They are, therefore, our little sisters and brothers, our daughters and sons, if we are God's own. As Americans, we can act to protect and provide for them, as their fathers and mothers yearn to, by making clear to our federal and state representatives how we expect these least among us to be treated in America. We will not all have the same perspective and opinion as to how this should be carried out, but we do all have the same responsibility to act on their behalf. That is the privilege and obligation of a democratic society.
We may or may not have an immigration crisis; that is up for debate. But we clearly have a moral crisis. We can hold immigrant parents accountable for their actions in bringing their children to our land, whatever their reasons and legality. But we must equally hold ourselves accountable for how we treat them when they arrive here. One important way of doing that is by entering the conversation. Contact your representatives and make yourself be heard. Let them know what you believe is acceptable and what is not. A helpful resource is the Episcopal Public Policy Network (https://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org). Select Take Action and you will find an action alert about family separation, through which you can submit a prepared statement or write your own. In filling out the form, your elected representatives will be identified.
How we act as a society in treating those who come to us seeking our help and God's love is our shared responsibility. Please exercise your responsibility as an American and your compassion as a Christian by joining the conversation.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
June 14, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write with an update on Bellwether Farm and its progress toward completion.
The cold winter and wet spring caused a number of unexpected delays in construction, though this month's weather has allowed things to move forward productively. Most recently, delays in the fabrication of mechanical elements essential to fire suppression and other safety systems forced us to modify the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women Annual Meeting and a couple of other events scheduled for May and June. Nonetheless, all participants reported that their events were highly successful, even in their altered design.
Because completion of all safety systems is required before occupancy permits can be issued, we have had to arrange alternative accommodations for St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights reading camp at a nearby scouting facility, though they will still have programming at Bellwether. The two weeks of Bellwether summer camp scheduled for mid-July, however, have had to be cancelled. While this is a disappointment to Camp Director Brandon Gooch and all who have been developing the camp program, it is essential that our facilities are safe and that construction on the site is complete before we initiate residential activities. Arrangements are being made to offer opportunities for those campers who had registered and their families to spend time at the farm later in the summer.
Elsewhere about the farm, things are very busy. Around the barnyard, goats, sheep, and chickens have taken up residence, and the bees are busy making honey. Farm Manager Kyle Mitchell has extensive crops planted and an abundance of produce already harvested. Please come by to see what is growing and take some fresh vegetables home with you.
It is beautiful at Bellwether this time of year, and there are many opportunities to volunteer and lend a hand. Don't hesitate to contact Kyle at kmithchell@bellwetherfarm.com and (440) 533-5689, or Brandon at bgooch@bellwetherfarm.com and (662) 832-5696 if you'd like to spend some time helping out. They would be delighted to hear from you.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
May 11, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write with mixed emotions to report that two of our long-time colleagues, Brenda Koenig and Rita Rozell, have decided to retire from their respective positions on the Bishop’s staff. After 15 years serving in the Finance Office, Brenda will return to being present full-time to her husband Jason and their children. And after 32 years serving in almost every capacity on the support staff, Rita retires to enjoy time with Bob and their children and grandchildren. I admire and support each of them in their choices. After such dedicated service to the Diocese of Ohio, they well deserve to turn their full attention to their families. At the same time, I am very conscious of the loss that this represents for all of us.
In addition to the commitment Rita and Brenda have given to their work and the generous companionship they have provided to countless communicants of the Diocese over these many years, both of them have been instrumental in building a healthy and collaborative community among their staff colleagues. Our daily Phase 10 games around the lunch table will not be the same without them.
On Tuesday, June 26, we will gather in the Gallery at Trinity Commons from
4 to 6 to recognize their exceptional service and give thanks for their cherished friendship. Please come celebrate all they have given of themselves to the work we share and wish them every blessing in this new season of their lives.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Bishop Hollingsworth's Visit to St. Paul's
The Right Reverend Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio, visited us and led worship on February 18th 2018. Here Bishop Hollingsworth is receiving a quilted hanging for a butterfly garden at Bellwether Farm, made by Carol Sutek and presented to him from our parish. Our Bishop has a great love, and knowledge of all things butterflies, monarchs in particular!
"Holy Week and Easter"
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
Through this holiest of weeks, as we make our spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Cross, and the Empty Tomb, you are in my every prayer. I pray for your wellbeing and safety, and for a deeply holy experience of the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of resurrected life his resurrection brings us.
The celebration to which this particular Holy Week is leading us will be unlike any most of us have ever experienced. The context of uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation that is defining our common life is as novel as the coronavirus itself. Perhaps only the two World Wars of the last century have interrupted the norms of human life like this pandemic has. Together, those did not engage the number of countries that this contagion has already.
The current epidemiological models for Ohio, along with the continuation of Governor DeWine’s stay-at-home directive to May 1st, make it clear that we have a considerable way to go in our battle to subdue this virus. Following his and Dr. Amy Acton’s leadership, we will continue the suspension of public worship in our congregations until further notice and it is possible to gather safely, which may well be beyond the end of this month. This is our shared responsibility. Even masked and more than six feet apart, we are in this together.
In addition to the online Easter worship your parish provides, or in the absence of one, I encourage you to embrace our companionship through the diocesan-wide Easter Service of Holy Eucharist. It can be accessed via Trinity Cathedral’s website and YouTube page, anytime Easter Day from 10 in the morning on. Dean Owens will be the celebrant in the Cathedral and receive the sacraments on behalf of all. I will offer the homily and blessing from home, as will readers and intercessors from East Liverpool to Bowling Green.
The context of this Holy Week may provide many of us with an increased sensitivity to what the first Easter was like. Resurrection hope is often more evident and accessible to us in the context of loss – loss of security, stability, confidence, and loved ones. In the context of loss, we are often less defended from and more vulnerable to the sacrificial love of God that was most fully manifested in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
The “sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ,” to which the Committal service refers, is precisely what Easter provides, and what we, in turn, proclaim. It is a hope not reserved for the next life, but speaks equally to new life in this life. In the valley of fear, seclusion, and uncertainty through which we are passing just now, the saving hope of the risen Christ leads us onward to a new day, every day. And no isolation or quarantine will inhibit our celebration of that Resurrection truth.
With every Easter blessing and affection,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
April 20, 2019
Easter Greeting
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Only in Matthew's Gospel are we told who rolled away the stone that covered Joseph of Arimethea's burial cave, in which the body of the crucified Jesus had been laid. "Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it." (Mt 28:2) The other evangelists simply report that the stone had been removed and that Jesus was gone. The angel in Matthew's account then speaks words of comfort, assurance, and direction to the two Marys, filling the emptiness of their hearts with hope.
These centuries later, on Easter Day the emptiness of Good Friday and Holy Saturday is replaced by the same reassurance and expectation. In our churches, images of new life fill the liturgical and spiritual space we left vacant only two days before. Lilies and forsythia decorate the chancel where last Sunday's palms were spread; the altar stripped on Maundy Thursday is adorned with festival vestments and polished silver vessels that will hold the sacramental elements. For most of us, the day will bring comfort and the renewed assurance of God's generosity and grace.
In communities where resources are scarce and freedom limited, the promise of renewed hope is sometimes more deeply embraced, perhaps because the emptiness it meets is more extreme. To those for whom the tomb of death is always near in the form of poverty, oppression, or despair, the liberation to new life delivered by Jesus' resurrection is profoundly yearned for and gratefully welcomed. For them, the angel who roles away the stone is truly a godsend.
In our vocation as Easter people, as followers of the risen Jesus, we are called both to proclaim our own experience of deliverance from evil and paucity of spirit, and to role away the stone for others, that they might experience the same. It is our responsibility, as those who have seen the empty tomb and been to the Galilee to find that Christ indeed is risen, to make the triumph of good over evil come to life for others.
In response to the Resurrection of Jesus, how will you and I roll away the stone to reveal that Christ is alive and bring deliverance from fear and repression to those seeking a new life of freedom and grace? Empowered by Jesus' triumph over death, how will we be angels of God's mercy and justice to the lost, the lonely, and the stranger?
With every Easter blessing,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
March 5, 2019
Dear colleagues and friends,
As we approach the completion of construction at Bellwether Farm, it is wonderful to see parochial, diocesan, and outside groups exploring how to use it in creative and delightful ways. Watching young and old alike enjoy this new resource, it is easy to forget how long we have been at it. Perhaps nobody knows the realities of that journey as well as Project Director Katie Ong-Landini, now finishing her eighth year. She joined the project when it existed only in our imaginations and has seen it through to its remarkable realization.
Likewise, no one deserves an opportunity to come up for air more than she. To that end, Katie will begin a well-earned sabbatical at the end of this month. For April, May, and June, she will have an opportunity for restoration and renewal, and to consider what lies ahead as this role at Bellwether comes to an end. I invite you to join with me in keeping her in your prayers of thanksgiving and care.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
January 15, 2019
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
As he completes a decade of service on the Bishop’s Staff as Canon for Christian Formation, our colleague, the Rev. Vincent Black, will be transitioning from part-time to full-time parochial ministry at the Church of the Ascension in Lakewood. To that end, he will shift his focus fully to the parish sometime this summer. Of course, Vincent will continue to participate in diocesan and church-wide youth and young adult ministries and events, as part of his leadership as a priest and a Christian. The growth of both the parish and his vocation to parochial ministry, however, warrant this shift of his time and attention.
Beginning next month, Anna Sutterisch, currently a third-year seminarian in our “local cohort” M.Div. program, will start working with Vincent as a Diocesan Staff intern, while she completes her theological degree and her preparation for ordination. Her focus will include exploring congregational resources for Christian Formation and planning the summer programming for young people at our new camp facility. It is my expectation that Anna will continue in this capacity after the conclusion of her seminary studies and, as Vincent did before her, find it a fruitful context for post-ordination formation.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write to encourage your consideration of two important upcoming parish opportunities:
- First, Winter Convocation – As I have written before, our annual Convention and the Winter Convocation are the two events each year where all of our congregations are invited to be together for inspiration, learning, fellowship, and worship. This year’s keynote theme of Speaking our Faith is essential to loving God and our neighbor and to changing the world. We also have an intriguing set of sixteen workshops covering a wide variety of topics. It remains my hope that your parish will send a team of people to the Winter Convocation.
- Second, Connecting Communities – Connecting Communities brings renewal and fresh spiritual energy to your congregation as members engage with God, each other, and their communities in practical new ways. If you remember Dwight Zscheile from our Convocation two years ago, this is a follow up process a number of dioceses and Lutheran synods have been participating in for several years now with meaningful results. Connecting Communities will be offered again in our diocese, but I want you to know that I believe in this process and I hope your parish will consider it sooner rather than later.
The church is always able to live more faithfully together than separate or isolated. It remains my conviction that the health of our congregations and diocese is dependent upon our collaborative involvement in programs like these. I look forward to seeing you at Winter Convocation, and to hearing about your participation in Connecting Communities.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Christmas 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
The chaos of Bethlehem during a census, when all who traced their heritage to the city of David returned to be counted, must have been overwhelming to residents and visitors alike. We can imagine how this might have been for Mary and Joseph, migrant parents, internalizing, as all parents do, the vulnerability of their newborn child. How, they might well have wondered, did they possibly count?
Into the chaos and uncertainty of our own day does God come, again and again, incarnating in the most vulnerable of lives and contexts the unfailing love of Christ Jesus, showing, through acts of mercy, grace, compassion, kindness, and justice, that in the divine economy, all count. No exceptions.
It is by our hands that the hungry are fed, by our sharing that the naked are clothed, by our words that the disconsolate are comforted, by our prayers that the disheartened find encouragement, and by our arms that the lonely come to know the embrace of the One who loves them without condition. Know that you are held in that same holy embrace, and also in my prayers, as we gather by the stable of new birth in adoration and thanksgiving.
With every Christmas blessing,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
12.25.18
He slept,
wrapped in rags, straw, and his parents' devotion.
The first holy breaths,
soft and shallow,
stirred the air no more than a Monarch's wing,
while news of his fragile presence
fanned Herod's monarchial conceit to murderous rage.
Minute fingers,
instinctively reaching for security,
began to feel, for the first time,
the brokenness of the world
he had been born to heal
and would die to save.
Only the angels might have known
how his soft cry,
calling for his mother's breast,
would come to give voice
to the divine hunger for justice and thirst for righteousness,
his tiny heartbeat, setting the metronome of love.
Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Christmas 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In church this morning, my prayers were filled with thoughts of yesterday's horrific attack at Tree of Life Synagogue. I imagine that yours were as well. Especially as we listened to the Hebrew scripture and recited the psalm, the presence and pain of the Jewish community, both in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and around the world, felt very immediate.
St. Andrew's Church, Akron, the site of my visitation today, is surrounded by an immigrant community. The congregation has a vibrant ministry mentoring the Bhutanese and Nepalese children of the neighborhood. It felt a particularly poignant place to gather in grief and spiritual solidarity with people around the world trying to come to terms with this profound act of anti-Semitic hatred and violence.
Following the service, I received word that the brother-in-law of a colleague on the Kenyon College Board of Trustees was one of the eleven killed. Such heartbreak is often closer to home than we think.
While the murders at Tree of Life were the actions of one hate-filled soul, they were equally the consequence of a polarized, weaponized, and increasingly xenophobic America. Only two days before, two people were gunned down in a Kentucky grocery store after the gunman had tried unsuccessfully to enter the First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, a predominantly African American congregation. And throughout the week, more than a dozen pipe bombs were discovered by the U.S. Postal Service, the intended targets all prominent members and supporters of one political party, just as the targets of the 2017 Congressional baseball team shooting were members of the other party.
In the face of such violence and division, we are vulnerable to feeling hopeless and helpless, as well as to increased polarization. That is, of course, precisely what the power of evil wants. Only when we are separated from one another does it win. But we are neither without hope, nor without help, because the God of Abraham is with us and has given us to one another as sisters and brothers, children of the same God.
Anti-Semitism is anathema to Christian faith. We are disciples of Jesus, a Jewish teacher to whom we refer in our own scripture as rabbi, the Savior who taught the Torah and kept the laws of Moses. We hold fast to the love he demands of each of us - love your neighbor, love your enemy, love one another. And we are empowered by the spirit of holiness to resist evil, not by taking up arms, but by opening our arms.
Jesus's response to hatred and violence is always the disarming power of love. And it behooves people of faith, of every faith, not only to stand together, but to act together, to act on behalf ofone another and on behalf of the other, whoever that may be - the stranger, the down-trodden, and the disenfranchised; the brokenhearted, the underserved, and all victims of injustice; the disdained and the disdainful, the hated and the hateful, and all who are different from us in ethnic heritage, religious tradition, political conviction, or any other way.
In response to these acts of evil, let us come together, stand together, and act together to heal the world that God loves and has given us to share. Because we all belong to God, we all belong to each other.
In God's holy love,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
October 1, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Last week, thanks to the designated gifts of a group of generous donors, the Diocese was able to purchase a 90-acre property across State Route 60 from Bellwether Farm. Some of you will remember that this tract of land includes six high-tech barns in which currently are housed close to 80,000 chickens. This purchase allows us to repurpose the barns for educational and resource conserving food production, as well as other uses, relieving Bellwether, our neighbors, and the village of Wakeman of the environmental impact of the current poultry operation.
Over the last few months, in anticipation of this opportunity, we have been working with potential partners who have expressed interest in using the buildings for a variety of purposes. It will take nine months for the chickens to complete their laying cycle and be removed. This will give us ample time to continue developing these collaborative partnerships for the conversion and self-sustainable repurposing of the buildings, as well as to determine the agricultural strategy for the majority of the land. We look forward to keeping you informed as this project progresses.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
June 19, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
This Father's Day was very difficult for me. Recollections of my own father were the same as always, filled with gratitude and familiar longing, now 33 years since his death. As well, the usual awareness of my own shortcomings as a dad and my appreciation for the patience and forgiveness of my children were similar to that of previous years.
As a foster, adoptive, and biological father, however, I was overcome with thoughts of the countless immigrant fathers separated from their children on this Father's Day - in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and here in Ohio. My prayers kept returning to Marco Antonio Muñoz, the 39-year-old Honduran father who led his wife and 3-year-old son across the Rio Grande last month, seeking asylum and hoping to bring them to a safer and more secure life. When Mr. Muñoz resisted being separated from them upon arrest, he became distraught and violent, and was taken to an isolation cell 40 miles away, where he took his own life.
It is natural for most fathers to protect and provide for their children. We want them to be safe and happy, to live without fear and have opportunities to grow into responsible citizens. After fleeing his homeland following the murder of his brother-in-law, Mr. Muñoz went to extraordinary lengths to protect and provide for his family, only to end his life in despair and the conviction that he had failed them.
Immigration policy is complicated and complex, and reasonable people hold a range of opinions on how it should be practiced. Compassion is comparatively simple, and reasonable people ought to be able to find ways of dealing with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrant workers in ways that "respect the dignity of every human being." Throughout this Father's Day, as I enjoyed my parish visitation and time with our younger two children afterward, I kept thinking about the zero-tolerance practice that is guiding our immigration practice and putting politics before God's beloved. I kept imagining with horror how it must feel for the children who are taken from their parents, for the parents who must relinquish them, and for the immigration and public safety officials who must carry this out.
As Christians, we believe that all children are God's own. They are, therefore, our little sisters and brothers, our daughters and sons, if we are God's own. As Americans, we can act to protect and provide for them, as their fathers and mothers yearn to, by making clear to our federal and state representatives how we expect these least among us to be treated in America. We will not all have the same perspective and opinion as to how this should be carried out, but we do all have the same responsibility to act on their behalf. That is the privilege and obligation of a democratic society.
We may or may not have an immigration crisis; that is up for debate. But we clearly have a moral crisis. We can hold immigrant parents accountable for their actions in bringing their children to our land, whatever their reasons and legality. But we must equally hold ourselves accountable for how we treat them when they arrive here. One important way of doing that is by entering the conversation. Contact your representatives and make yourself be heard. Let them know what you believe is acceptable and what is not. A helpful resource is the Episcopal Public Policy Network (https://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org). Select Take Action and you will find an action alert about family separation, through which you can submit a prepared statement or write your own. In filling out the form, your elected representatives will be identified.
How we act as a society in treating those who come to us seeking our help and God's love is our shared responsibility. Please exercise your responsibility as an American and your compassion as a Christian by joining the conversation.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
June 14, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write with an update on Bellwether Farm and its progress toward completion.
The cold winter and wet spring caused a number of unexpected delays in construction, though this month's weather has allowed things to move forward productively. Most recently, delays in the fabrication of mechanical elements essential to fire suppression and other safety systems forced us to modify the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women Annual Meeting and a couple of other events scheduled for May and June. Nonetheless, all participants reported that their events were highly successful, even in their altered design.
Because completion of all safety systems is required before occupancy permits can be issued, we have had to arrange alternative accommodations for St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights reading camp at a nearby scouting facility, though they will still have programming at Bellwether. The two weeks of Bellwether summer camp scheduled for mid-July, however, have had to be cancelled. While this is a disappointment to Camp Director Brandon Gooch and all who have been developing the camp program, it is essential that our facilities are safe and that construction on the site is complete before we initiate residential activities. Arrangements are being made to offer opportunities for those campers who had registered and their families to spend time at the farm later in the summer.
Elsewhere about the farm, things are very busy. Around the barnyard, goats, sheep, and chickens have taken up residence, and the bees are busy making honey. Farm Manager Kyle Mitchell has extensive crops planted and an abundance of produce already harvested. Please come by to see what is growing and take some fresh vegetables home with you.
It is beautiful at Bellwether this time of year, and there are many opportunities to volunteer and lend a hand. Don't hesitate to contact Kyle at kmithchell@bellwetherfarm.com and (440) 533-5689, or Brandon at bgooch@bellwetherfarm.com and (662) 832-5696 if you'd like to spend some time helping out. They would be delighted to hear from you.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
May 11, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write with mixed emotions to report that two of our long-time colleagues, Brenda Koenig and Rita Rozell, have decided to retire from their respective positions on the Bishop’s staff. After 15 years serving in the Finance Office, Brenda will return to being present full-time to her husband Jason and their children. And after 32 years serving in almost every capacity on the support staff, Rita retires to enjoy time with Bob and their children and grandchildren. I admire and support each of them in their choices. After such dedicated service to the Diocese of Ohio, they well deserve to turn their full attention to their families. At the same time, I am very conscious of the loss that this represents for all of us.
In addition to the commitment Rita and Brenda have given to their work and the generous companionship they have provided to countless communicants of the Diocese over these many years, both of them have been instrumental in building a healthy and collaborative community among their staff colleagues. Our daily Phase 10 games around the lunch table will not be the same without them.
On Tuesday, June 26, we will gather in the Gallery at Trinity Commons from
4 to 6 to recognize their exceptional service and give thanks for their cherished friendship. Please come celebrate all they have given of themselves to the work we share and wish them every blessing in this new season of their lives.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Bishop Hollingsworth's Visit to St. Paul's
The Right Reverend Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio, visited us and led worship on February 18th 2018. Here Bishop Hollingsworth is receiving a quilted hanging for a butterfly garden at Bellwether Farm, made by Carol Sutek and presented to him from our parish. Our Bishop has a great love, and knowledge of all things butterflies, monarchs in particular!
