Episcopal Diocese of Albany - Priests and Deacons Update

Business Office: 68 South Swan Street - Albany, NY 12210 - (518) 465-4737
Christ the King Spiritual Life Center: 575 Burton Road - Greenwich, NY 12834 - (518) 692-9550

October 3rd, 2006

As I write this Update, Bishops Dan and Bill are in flight across the Atlantic to make presentations at the clergy conference of our sister Diocese of Down and Dromore. After the Conference, Bishop Dan will continue on his Sabbatical, and Bishop Bill will return to the Diocese. Bishop Love will be doing the Update upon his return and has stated that he will use it to speak of his hopes for our diocese. Meanwhile, armed with some deviled eggs for nourishment, I will catch you up on what's been happening.

Bishops' Visitations:

The day after Father Love became Bishop Love, he made his first visitation - to St. Mary's, Lake Luzerne. It was appropriate that he make his first visitation to his home parish. In the Confirmation class was his son Christopher.

That same Sunday, Bishop Dan made a visitation to Christ Church, Schenectady, and I visited the good folks at St. Luke's, Catskill. Mother Diana Freeman is doing great work developing children's' ministries and designing a very nice children's' ministry complex.

September 24 saw Bishop Dan at St Matthew's, Latham, where he confirmed a good crew. I visited St. Mark's, Malone on its 175th Anniversary and conducted Confirmation there.

This past Sunday, Bishop Love was at Messiah, Glens Falls, for its three services - lots of excitement there. And I did twin visitations to two of our Catskill Mountain parishes - Gloria Dei in Palenville and Calvary, Cairo. The folks at Calvary were getting ready for a super rummage sale in the parish hall this week, so a nice brunch followed the service at a local Inn.

On September 19, Bishop Love went to Camp Allen, Texas, representing our diocese at a meeting of Diocesan bishops committed to the Windsor Report. It was a good meeting where approximately one quarter of the diocesan bishops in the Episcopal Church stated emphatically that we will follow the Windsor Report's recommendations, and urging the rest of the Episcopal Church to follow suit. Following the meeting, a number of other bishops said they would join this movement to ensure that the Episcopal Church remains faithful to the historic teachings of the Church and remains faithfully recognized as a full part of the Anglican Communion. I believe that eventually a majority of the dioceses of this Church will sign on to the Windsor Report as written. When the Primates (Archbishops) of the Anglican Communion meet again in February, the Episcopal Church's acceptance or lack thereof of the Windsor Report will be at the top of the agenda.

This past Saturday in the Diocese of Albany, our Annual Combined Leadership Meeting took place. Composed of the Diocesan Council, Trustees, Standing Committee and Deans, this body discussed (a) the vision of the diocese; (b) possible new directions with a new Coadjutor Bishop; (c) Christ the King Spiritual Life Center; (4) the many successful diocesan ministries taking place. We were pleased to hear that so far in 2006 alone:

16,678 guests have come through our gates at Christ the King

358 day events took place

221 overnight events took place

3,113 people stayed overnight at our center, NOT COUNTING BEAVER CROSS SUMMER CAMP

51,544 meals were served.

500 happy campers spent time at Beaver Cross Summer Camp

And hundreds have received healing prayer and/or learned how to support a parish and personal healing ministry.

Any thoughts that this property might be underutilized are certainly without foundation. While we were meeting on Saturday morning, there were other events going on all around the Center, including a Healing Training meeting, a Franciscan Retreat, a convent event, a meeting of high school seniors learning skills needed for college, and the Brotherhood of St Andrew doing a project. And that is just a typical day in the life of Christ the King.

Two things were decided by the Combined Leadership: to reduce the debt needed to build CTK, and to build an adult lodging facility to take care of the ever increasing demands for events. We are working on both those initiatives.

Following the Combined Leadership Meeting, our General Convention Deputies gave a briefing on the recent General Convention and answered questions about it. We may do this again later in the year.

The next few weeks will be rich in ministry opportunities:
October 7: School of Apostolic Action
October 12-15: Men's' Cursillo
October 13-15: Episcopal Marriage Encounter Weekend
October 21: Annual Diocesan Missions Conference
October 21: Deacon School Class
October 26-29: Women's Cursillo Weekend
October 28: North Country Walk Through the Bible
See our website for details. Whew! I am going to have a busy and fun month!!!!

Let's continue to pray for each other, as we ought

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