On May 6, 2008, the Rev. Anna Lange-Soto took part in a rally in front of San Francisco City Hall protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that took place around the Bay Area over the weekend and declaring support for San Francisco's efforts to provide services to all its residents regardless of immigration status. The rally was attended by many Bay Area faith groups and others concerned about the treatment of immigrants. During the rally, Lange-Soto read a statement from the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus. The text of the statement appears below in English and Spanish.

Bishop Marc's Statement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform:

One of the most fundamental principles of Christianity is hospitality. Hospitality takes many forms, but at base it is an expression of the way to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ. Offering hospitality to the stranger, to the one who is unfamiliar to us, brings us into communion with each other and into communion with God.

This weekend, ICE raided El Balazo restaurants around the Bay Area. Those who follow Christ are called, as a people of faith to radical hospitality. Raids are antithetical to the radical hospitality. ICE raids are as cold as the acronym we use to name them. Raids are often carried out in ways that are neither compassionate nor humane. 

Uno de los principios más fundamentales del cristianismo es la hospitalidad. Hospitalidad adopta muchas formas, pero en base es una expresión de la forma de vivir el evangelio de Jesucristo. Ofrecer hospitalidad a los extraños, al que es desconocido para nosotros, nos lleva a la comunión unos con otros y a comunión con Dios.

Este fin de semana, ICE hizo redadas en los restaurantes El Balazo en el Área de la Bahía. Nosotros, como cristianos y pueblo de fe, somos llamados a una hospitalidad radical. Redadas son completamente opuestas a la hospitalidad radical.


En inglés, la palabra “ice” significa “hielo.” Las redadas de ICE son frías, tal como su nombre, ICE/hielo. Típicamente, las redadas se llevan a cabo de maneras que no son ni compasivas ni humanas.

The Diocese of Washington recently contacted us to share the news that they have proposed the inclusion of Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall on the Church's liturgical calendar to the Standing Commission on the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music. We will learn soon if the Standing Commission will recommend the proposal for consideration at General Convention 2009. Until that time, the Diocese of Washington has recommended that congregations throughout The Episcopal Church consider celebrating services in Marshall's honor during the month of May. Washington's diocese is recommending May 17th as the calendar day honoring Marshall as that is the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

The proposal to include Marshall in the Church's liturgical calendar (which would include publication in Lesser Feasts and Fasts) comes from members of St. Augustine's in southwest D.C., the parish Marshall attended after moving to Washington. His wife Cecilia (Cissy) is still a member of St. Augustine's. This article from the May 2007 edition of Washington Window gives a history of the resolution and further details about Marshall's life.

On March 31, 2008, Bishop Marc and Sheila Andrus arrived in Curitiba, Brazil, as guests of the Anglican Diocese of Curitiba – companion to the Diocese of California – and their bishop the Rt. Rev. Naudal Alves Gomes. It was a brief visit, a portion of which Bishop Marc spent at the meeting of the House of Bishops of the Province of Brazil, but the impressions made by the people and sites of Curitiba on the Andruses were deep and lasting.

At California’s annual convention in October of 2007, the diocese overwhelmingly approved a resolution to enter into a companion relationship with the Diocese of Curitiba. The two dioceses will enter a mission partnership, and Andrus has recommended that this partnership be viewed through the lens of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Both Curitiba and California are forming diocesan committees to coordinate and deepen the relationship and to begin to tell their stories, one to the other, within the framework of the MDGs.

MENLO PARK, Calif – April 15, 2008 – The Rev. Michael Spillane, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, died on April 15 from complications of a brain tumor. He was 58.

A memorial service to celebrate Father Mike's life on earth will be held this Saturday, April 19, at 3:00 pm at the church, 330 Ravenswood Ave at Laurel, followed by a festive reception in the courtyard.

Father Mike’s call to become the 17th rector of Trinity last year led him to return to Menlo Park where he’d earned his Masters in Divinity at St. Patrick’s Seminary. He became an Episcopal priest in 1992 and previously served in the Diocese of Idaho.

In an essay Father Mike wrote about his spiritual journey, he talks about an influential priest he met while he was a home beat officer (Bobbie) in London, describing him as “approachable, someone with a sense of humor who liked to kick the soccer ball around.” The description fit him just as well.

In less than 8 weeks, Diocesan Archdeacon, the Venerable Anthony Turney, will ride his bike over 545 miles in just seven days (June 1-7) from San Francisco to Los Angeles as a participant in AIDS/LifeCycle 7.  This will be the fifth time he has participated in the event.

In explaining his motivations for doing the grueling ride, Anthony says, “As was the case in 1999, the first year I did the Ride, and in all the subsequent years I’ve participated, my reasons for taking part in AIDS/LifeCycle 7 remain very simple: I ride to honor the memory of all those who have died of AIDS, especially the 108 loved ones, friends and co-workers of mine. I ride because we still have no cure and millions around the globe are infected. I ride to raise money for essential HIV/AIDS–related programs and services in the Bay Area. I ride because this year in the United States, 40,000+ people will test HIV positive and 50 percent of them will be under 25 years old. Last, but not least, I ride in celebration of my 70th year!

A central part of Anthony’s commitment to this year’s event is his pledge to raise at least $2,500 to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation:  “I’d love to raise $7,000, again as a gesture of celebration and thanksgiving for my 70th birthday. I can ride the 545 or so miles -- but I need the help of a lot of generous folks to meet my fundraising goal. No amount is too small –- every dollar counts.”

If you would like to help Anthony in his fundraising efforts, you can make your tax-deductible gift on-line using your credit card at: www.aidslifecycle.org/donate/1070

If you send a check to Anthony, please make it out to AIDS LifeCycle, making sure to add the note: “Rider #1070.” 

The St. Luke's chapter of the national Episcopal Peace Fellowship, headed by Barbara Ruffner, marched in downtown Walnut Creek, CA with the "Surge for Peace" rally on Saturday, March 15.  Barbara had a new banner made, for this occasion and to carry in future marches. Holding the banner in the photo (by Henry Bailey), from left to right: Deacon Roxanne Walters, Nancy Dill, Barbara Ruffner, Barbara's daughter Sally Neider (holding the peace symbol), Phil Greer, Flo Rosenberg, Dot Reesor (also a daughter of Barbara's), and the Rev. Anne Cox Bailey. Barbara, Roxanne and other members of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship also carried the banner during the protest at Laurence Livermore Labs on Good Friday morning.

 Reprinted from The Rosmoor News

"It is our desire and our wish that everyone created in God's image with dignity and intrinsic worth should have everything that is essential to human living, such as access to clean water, shelter, clothing, health care and to education. That is our mandate, our God-given mandate, as stewards of God's creation." -- The Most Reverend Winston Njongonkulu Ndungane, Archbishop of Cape Town (Retired)

The climate is changing.  Not only will climate change impact our environment, the land, air and sea, it will affect our health.  In particular, we know that climate change will disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, people living in poverty and in particular climate change will affect the health of our children both in the United States and around the world.  As Christians and Episcopalians, what is our role and responsibility in protecting the health of our neighbors?  This week we continue our Lenten series, For the Beauty of the Earth by exploring the relationship of climate change and health.

What are the impacts?

Just after the Windsor Report came out I noticed that a certain interpretation of the report was already taking on a reality of its own. Just as the report itself, a document produced by dedicated leaders within the Communion but which has taken on a prominence more out of proportion than its sudden appearance on the scene would warrant, the interpretation of the report took on a solidity and reality that seems hard to shake.

In particular, the report was seen as making several demands or prescribing several lines of behavior for the Communion in its internal relations. This interpretation never numbered the recommended exclusion of Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire, from "councils of the Communion" in the “official list” of Windsor recommendations. 

Immediately after the Windsor Report was released, I and other bishops pledged to Gene that we would not attend the Lambeth Conference if he were not invited, as a stand of solidarity with him.

For some time now Gene has stated that he thinks all The Episcopal Church bishops should attend, so that as many voices can be at the table as possible. I have accepted this as wise and good counsel.

At the same time, it seems imperative to me that I find some creative way to attend that does not seem to support Gene’s exclusion by silent acquiescence on my part. One solution that is being acted upon is being called “Witness at Lambeth.”

Witness at Lambeth is a piece of the listening process called for from the 1998 Lambeth Conference forward.  It involves bringing the voices of LGBT people from around the Communion to Lambeth so they can tell their life stories to all who will listen. Some of these stories will be narrated in person, while others will be on videotape. I think it will be a moving, important witness, and I hope many will support the effort.

Also, I have come back from this most recent House of Bishops meeting resolved to have a consultation here in the Diocese of California about other ways witness can be carried out at the Lambeth Conference. I want to receive the creative thoughts and dreams of our people in patterning my and our participation in the Lambeth Conference.

Peace,

In February, the Communications Working Group (CWG) at Diocesan House launched a survey on information technology (IT) use in the Diocese of California. The purpose of the survey was to begin assessing the IT capacities and needs of parishes in the diocese. The survey asked for information about how congregations maintain and use membership and pledge information as well as financial data.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin has a wonderful new website that includes the agenda for their March 28-29 Special Convention. Be sure to visit if you can and let them know what a wonderful job they are doing. 

On Friday, December 7, 2007, a mouse click launched a new website for the Diocese of California. Reclaiming the old diocesan web address – diocal.org – the new website provides ministry and administrative resources for congregations and lay and clergy leaders inside the diocese and beyond. Because of its dual service to administrative and ministry resources, some at Diocesan House have begun to call the new diocal.org the "Administry Site."

Constructed with the help of church website provider Elexio, diocal.org is a resource to all the working groups and ministries of the diocese. Ministry groups, congregations and organizations will be invited to have a presence on the site, and there are modules that will be added in the near future that will allow for a fully functional online directory, group calendars, HTML newsletters, podcasts, streaming video and other multimedia.

"This is the first of a number of new infrastructure developments that the Communications Working Group is rolling out for the Diocese of California in an attempt to better target the emerging ministry needs that our congregations face," said Communications Officer Sean McConnell of the new diocal.org. Improved data management and targeted communications are slotted for rollout in the near future, and the Communications Working Group is developing a network of congregational communicators to improve information flow between the diocese and its constituent organizations, congregations, schools and ministries.