Out of Deep Waters: Gulf Coast, Episcopal Church remembers Katrina

From ENS-

It was Sunday; just six days after Hurricane Katrina had ripped a swath of death and destruction across the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. It was time for church.

Not matter that Katrina had wiped the building known as St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gulfport from its Gulf-side lot. The Rev. James “Bo” Roberts had not missed a Sunday service since he became rector of the then-123-year-old church in April 1969 before Hurricane Camille knocked the building of its foundation about the same time in August of that year.

And so, on Sept. 3, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, the particle board sign along debris-strewn Church Avenue just north of sand-covered East Beach Boulevard read “Here! Mass 9:30 Bring Chair.”

Roberts, a Gulf Coast native, rode out Camille in his home but nearly died. He stayed for Katrina, too.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/08/26/out-of-deep-waters-gulf-coast-episcopal-church-remembers-katrina/

Houma church starts rebuilding after fire

From Louisiana-

During a Sunday worship service two years ago, pastor Craig Dalferes read a Bible verse to the congregation of St. Matthew’s Church.

“ ‘Do you see all these things?’ ” Jesus told his disciples as they looked at the magnificent temple in Jerusalem.

“ ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Dalferes said it was a difficult verse to preach about on a normal Sunday. But that was no ordinary Sunday — only a few days earlier, he had been standing in the ashes of the church’s landmark, century-old sanctuary in downtown Houma.

This Sunday, Dalferes stood in the grassy field where those ashes had been and read a different verse.

More here-

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121112/ARTICLES/121119928

New church to rise from ashes of disastrous fire

From Louisiana-

Two years to the day after their historic church in downtown Houma burned to the ground, parishioners of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church will break ground on a new building in a ceremony Sunday.

After lengthy fundraising and planning, construction of a building to replace the landmark Barrow Street sanctuary will soon be under way.

“This is hugely significant for us,” said the Rev. Craig Dalferes, the church's pastor. “It's highly symbolic that on the very day we lost our church we can have a ground-breaking ceremony.”

The church will start with a worship service at 10 a.m. in the tent that has stood for almost a year near where the church once stood. The church will set up several extra tents to accommodate the 150-200 people it expects to attend. A public ground-breaking ceremony will follow afterward.

More here-

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121110/ARTICLES/121119996/1320?Title=New-church-to-rise-from-ashes-of-disastrous-fire

Louisiana Episcopalians find Isaac less destructive than feared

From Louisiana-

Seven years after the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana were mostly thankful as they began to assess the impact of Hurricane Isaac while the remnants of the storm, as it moved north, continued to drench parts of the state and neighboring Mississippi.

The worst reports from the diocese were of a tree falling onto a rectory and a church and church school taking in a couple of inches of water. Other reports mostly concerned power outages, shingles off roofs, minor water damage and glass breakage from high winds.
Some parishioners’ homes had several inches of floodwater and “the usual debris” associated with heavy storms, according to diocesan clergy who reported their assessments on an Aug. 30 conference call.

[At press time, no updates had been received from the Diocese of Mississippi.]

Although the recently fortified levees that protect New Orleans stood firm during Isaac’s pummeling, beyond the city hundreds of homes were underwater. At one point, half of the state was without power. Of the 60,000 New Orleanians who evacuated, several thousand are staying at shelters.

According to the Associated Press, Isaac dumped as much as 16 inches in some areas, and about 500 people had to be rescued by boat or high-water vehicles. At least five storm-related deaths have been reported.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/08/31/louisiana-episcopalians-find-isaacs-impact-less-destructive-than-feared/

In New Orleans, prayer teams cover one block at a time

From ENS-

Millie Campbell, 76 years old, is one of the people praying for New Orleans, a city still recovering from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster and experiencing a murderous crime wave.

A couple of times per week, Campbell and her companion Betty Minor, 69, drive slowly around assigned neighborhoods, praying for their city, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune via Religion News Service.

On a recent trip, Campbell backed her blue Chevrolet away from her spotless brick home. “Oh God,” she said, “we thank you for the blood of Jesus.” Then she cranked the wheel straight, put the car into drive, and headed slowly up Frenchmen Street, one hand on the wheel, the other turned upward toward the heavens.

“Touch this block in the name of Jesus,” she continued. Also in the front seat, Minor filled in the gaps between Campbell’s appeals: “Hallelujah … Glory, glory.”

Half a dozen others also do the prayer drives. They pray for an end to the scourge of murders sapping the city — 199 last year, and 17 or so on the streets Campbell drove last week.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/01/30/as-new-orleans-still-recovers-prayer-teams-cover-one-block-at-a-time/

Christian denominations in Central Louisiana cite need to work together

From Louisiana-

The Rev. Fred Tinsley of St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria said Christians must be united in the church in order to spread the word of God.

"At our church, (during International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity), we do talk about how important it is for the church to be unified," Tinsley said. "We would love to see all Christians working together to reach non-believers of Christ."

The Rev. Wayne Carter of St. John's Episcopal Church in Minden, ecumenical officer for the Diocese of Western Louisiana, said he's been working to have more areas host Christian-unity services.

"It's extremely important for Christian churches to come together for a united-in-Christ presence," Carter said. "When we can worship together in Christ, we can present the message of Christ together."

The Rev. Ronald Herzog, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, presented a gift, "The Third Edition of the Roman Missal," to the Rev. David Bruce MacPherson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana.

Chemino said MacPherson will retire this summer. Carter accepted the gift on behalf of MacPherson.

More here-

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20120119/NEWS01/201190320

Grace Episcopal Church on Canal Street will close next month

From New Orleans-

Grace Episcopal Church, a fixture on Canal Street in Mid-City for nearly 60 years, will close next month, Episcopal Bishop Morris Thompson said Monday.

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana hopes the closure is not permanent. It may be able to reopen the church in a year or so after rethinking its mission and gathering new resources, Thompson said.

Thompson said he informed Grace’s small congregation of his decision Dec. 4. He said there were fewer 15 people in the pews at one of the two services that morning.

A final “service of suspension” will be Jan. 5, he said.

Like other mainline Protestant congregations around Mid-City, Grace was in gradual decline when Hurricane Katrina delivered a hammer blow to the building and its little congregation.
At its peak in the 1950s the congregation numbered more than 1,000, said Betty Zachary, a lifelong member and volunteer who keeps the church going today.

Zachary said the congregation is financially stable. It owes no debt and enjoys steady rental income by leasing its fellowship hall to several contractors building the nearby Veterans Administration hospital.

More here-

http://www.nola.com/religion/index.ssf/2011/12/grace_episcopal_church_on_cana.html

Landmark Houma church is rebuilding

From Louisiana-

The Rev. Craig Dalferes led members of his congregation in prayer Friday on the church lawn, in the shadow of a white tent.

“Let the whole world know that things that were cast down will be raised up,” he said. “Things that are old are being made new.”

A year ago Friday, historic St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and part of its nearby school building burned to ash in a sudden midnight fire.

“It's weird to stand here where the church was for a service. It's sad,” Dalferes said, as children trooped out from the temporary buildings that house their classrooms. “But at the same time there is joy in it because of the opportunity to make things new.”

As the church remembers the tragedy, it is pushing toward the future.

“Obviously, we wish the church had never burned because of all the history and all the memories that were in it,” said Julie Steigner, who heads the committee raising money for the rebuilding. “But at the same time, this gives us an opportunity to make something new, something exciting.”

More here-

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111112/ARTICLES/111119847

19 years after priest's murder, accused stands trial

From Louisiana-

Jury selection begins Monday in the state's first-degree murder case against Derrick Odomes, a 33-year-old man accused of a 19-year-old murder.

Odomes will stand trial for the death of Rev. Hunter Hudson Horgan III, who was found bludgeoned and stabbed in the St. John Episcopal Church rectory in August of 1992.

As the story of the state prosecuting Horgan's murder reaches its apex, Odomes is facing additional charges stemming from his actions while incarcerated at the Lafourche Parish Detention Center, where he has been held since he was indicted in 2007.

Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant II will prosecute the murder case, and New Iberia-based defense attorney Lynden J. Burton will represent Odomes. District Judge John E. LeBlanc will preside over the trial.

Morvant said the 19 years that have elapsed shouldn't have a bearing on the trial, and the state faces the "usual challenges."

"I'm confident that we can present our case to the jury," he said.

More here-

http://www.tri-parishtimes.com/articles/2011/08/17/news/136_50_19yearsafter.txt

Algiers church robbed of copper

From Louisiana-

A church in Algiers has been vandalized twice in one week, by someone stealing copper from its air conditioning units.

Fr. Steve Craft says it was just a week ago that someone removed the copper pipes connected to the AC units cooling St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.

“To come and desecrate a church and a school to me is unthinkable,” Craft said.

Then, on Monday morning, the director of the daycare center, located just behind the church, made another discovery.

“When I came out here to look and see what was wrong with the air conditioning, I realized that they had cut the copper out of our lines, both air conditioners,” Donna Graves explained.

Four units in all were destroyed, leaving only a portion of the daycare still cool. In the other rooms, they rely on fans to keep the kids comfortable.

More here-

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Algiers-church-robbed-of-copper/1-S3R14CcEmI8afFsdTojQ.cspx

From New Orleans-

The poster outside Trinity Episcopal Church on Tuesday evenings reads simply, “Free concert 6 p.m.” What happens inside won’t fit on a sign.

Some say it’s a pilgrimage. Others, a space to find inspiration. One attendee called it “spiritual, yet magical.”

At Organ and Labyrinth, those who step inside the peaceful sanctuary enjoy the rich sounds of the magnificent 5,000-pipe organ from the comfort of a church pew or while walking the labyrinth on the candlelit altar floor.

“No matter what I’m doing, no matter where I am on Tuesday evening, I have to stop and come here,” said Chris L. Price, a regular since the program began five years ago.

Albinas Prizgintas, the church organist and director of music ministries, coaxes a wide repertoire of tunes from the four manual organ console. Selections each week are as varied as “Amazing Grace,” “Fantasia in G Minor” by Bach, a Sousa march, or a piece from the rock group Queen.

More here-

http://www.nola.com/religion/index.ssf/2011/07/organ_and_labyrinth_at_trinity.html

Top New York choir performs and aids youth in NOLA

From New Orleans-

Pundits often say that Wall Street has little in common with the rest of the country, but don’t tell that to the folks at All Souls Episcopal Church in the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. Since Katrina-related levee breaks inundated the neighborhood in 2005, All Souls has forged a strong musical connection with one of the best known Anglican churches in America: Trinity Wall Street.

Choristers from the landmark Manhattan church have traveled to New Orleans for the past two summers, leading a music workshop for children in the downtown neighborhood. The 2011 workshop kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday with a free, pass-the-hat benefit concert in the Garden District’s historic Trinity Church, 1329 Jackson Ave.

About half of the New York ensemble will be present, led by its recently appointed music director, composer Julian Wachner. The a cappella program mixes American pieces, traditional work by Bach and Byrd, and a composition by Wachner.

More here-

http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/06/top_new_york_choir_performs_an.html

Cafe at New Orleans' St. George Episcopal Church helps feed the hungry

From New Orleans-

Just before 8 a.m. on a muggy Sunday morning, the line snaked around St. George’s Episcopal Church on St. Charles Avenue.

A few bystanders engaged in friendly conversation, but most stood silently beneath the stained glass windows until a police officer opened the door and waved them inside. There, a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits and coffee awaited.

The meal was an offering from the Dragon Café, a volunteer effort run by the church’s parishioners that serves approximately 90 breakfasts each Sunday morning. The ministry is named for the monster the church’s namesake saint killed in legend.

The café was started after Hurricane Katrina to feed those without kitchens, said the Rev. Jim Quigley, pastor of St. George’s.

More here-

http://www.nola.com/religion/index.ssf/2011/06/cafe_at_new_orleans_st_george.html

Soon, it was serving up to 10,000 meals a year — mostly on Thursday and Friday nights — but as funding dried up, the church cut back to one day a week.

Local church extends helping hand to neighboring church during a tough time

From Louisiana-

The Rev. Rich Rudnik credits a text message and past history for setting the stage for Grace Lutheran Church to become St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church’s new home following a devastating fire Nov. 11 at the former church’s site, 243 Barrow St., Houma.

“One of our members sent me a text the morning of the fire and immediately asked me if their members could use our church,” Rudnik said. “We probably would have done that anyway, but it definitely helped (with the decision) when I got flooded with members requesting we let them come here to worship.”

Although he’s only been pastoring at the church since 2007, Rudnik was told the stories of how gracious St. Matthew’s was to Grace Lutheran from 1983 to 1984 when the Valhi Street church was being constructed.

Rudnik said the officials at St. Matthew’s opened their doors to members of Grace Lutheran.

More here-

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20110113/ARTICLES/110119713/-1/sports?Title=Local-church-extends-helping-hand-to-neighboring-church-during-a-tough-time

Fire destroys 100-year-old church

From Louisiana- (with video)

Fire investigators remain on the scene of what was a massive fire at a church in Houma.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said St. Matthew's Episcopal Church was destroyed early Thursday morning.

It caught fire around 3:45 a.m.

Browning added the flames spread to the school next door and caused damage there.

Firefighters are still working to quench all hot spots still active from the fire.

The church has stood on Barrow Street since 1892.

It is on the national historic register.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

More here-

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13485556

Action Report: Episcopal Groups Help Katrina Victims

From Louisiana-

These days, Sylvia Blanchard of Gentilly can't help but smile as she looks around her newly repaired home.

"It was like a mircale, it just was a miracle to me, you know I didn't think this would happen."
But there was so little to smile about three years ago about when her husband Anthony, a VIetnam Veteran with three Purple Hearts had a serious stroke that left him disabled on the day the Road Home turned him down for the second time.

"He had a massive stroke, went to the Road Home, and they gave him the run around, and fooled around, and he had a massive stroke, and been down ever since."

"It was one of those cases that just broke my heart," said Connie Uddo of the St. Paul's Homecoming Center. "It literally ripped me in two. I remember driving home and feeling sick to my stomach, crying."

But the despair turned into a celebration last month when the Blanchard home was completed, blessed, and the ribbon cut. The St. Paul's Episcopal Church Homecoming Center joined forces with Episcopal Community Services, and they brought in more than one thousand volunteers to finish the Blanchard home.

"36 volunteer groups on this house over the last two years," said a smiling Connie Uddo. "We finally were doing it, so it was Oh Happy Day!"

More here-

http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Action-Report-Episcopal-Groups-Help-Katrina-Victims-96915699.html

Episcopal Diocese consecrates bishop

From Louisiana

The Very Rev. Morris Thompson was consecrated Saturday as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana with a call to provide strength for everyone he serves. The diocese covers southern Louisiana.

Thompson, 54, a native of Jackson, Miss., was elected in December from among six candidates considered by Episcopal clergy and lay representatives. He succeeds Bishop Charles Jenkins, who retired in January after 13 years as bishop.

Thompson previously was dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington, Ky. He also has served in the Marine Corps and was a Southern Baptist minister for a time.

During the two-hour ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans, Thompson did not speak, except to thank the congregation and preside over his first communion as bishop.

However, the Right Rev. Stacy Sauls, bishop of the Lexington, Ky., diocese, said Thompson is the ideal candidate to serve Louisiana.

Sauls said Louisiana Episcopalians had been “at the forefront” of helping the community after Hurricane Katrina, providing relief and housing, while fighting for racial conciliation and justice.

More-

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/93211574.html

Episcopal churches combine Stephen Ministry efforts

From Louisiana-

A divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job — such painful life situations take time to get through.

A companion along the way would be a blessing, and that’s what Stephen Ministry seeks to provide.

The Christian educational program trains laypeople to help others through those difficult times in life.

In Baton Rouge, three Episcopal churches — St. Luke’s, St. James and Trinity — have joined to act as one in training their parishioners as Stephen ministers and assigning them to “care receivers” inside and outside their congregations.

“It’s a Christian care ministry, walking alongside someone going through a particular time in their life,” said Becky Williams, a registered nurse and the director of health ministries at St. Luke’s.

She visits with people who would like to meet with a Stephen minister and matches them with one of the 22 local laypersons who have been so trained and commissioned.

More here-

http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/92537079.html

Some neighbors say cathedral bells ring too long

From Louisiana-

St. Marks Episcopal Cathedral in Shreveport has a new set of bells - and some neighbors are unhappy about all the practice the bell-ringers are putting in.

The bells were made by the English foundry that made the Liberty Bell. They arrived late last year.

Some neighbors called KTBS-TV to say the bells sometimes ring for hours on end, especially on weekends. They ring for calls to services, religious holidays and during funerals, and during practice.

The Rev. Michael Millard says the only comments to the church have been positive. He says he'd like to hear from neighbors who are upset so they can discuss the matter.

Millard says the bell tower shutters are closed during practices to help muffle the noise.

more here-

http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=12102297

Candidates selected for Episcopal bishop

From the AP


NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The field for the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana has been narrowed to six candidates, and includes an Australian priest, a former Roman Catholic priest and the bishop of North Dakota.

The diocese announced on Thursday that the candidates - who were nominated by local clergy and lay people - are all white and all married men with children.

1 of the candidates will succeed Bishop Charles Jenkins, who will retire at the end of the year.

After a series of public receptions introducing the candidates in November, the diocese's clergy, with lay representatives, will elect 1 of the six as Louisiana's 11th Episcopal bishop in balloting Dec. 5 at Christ Church Cathedral.

http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11245213