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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Fr. Peter Francis’ funeral is tomorrow, April 25, beginning at noon, at St. Eustace, Lake Placid. I will be the celebrant. I visited Fr Francis and his family a few weeks ago. During our visit, he reminded me that when we first met, I served as his acolyte when he supplied one Sunday at Trinity Church, Plattsburgh. Fr. Francis was a wonderful priest and a very holy and devout man with a true love for God’s children. He will be greatly missed. Please keep Phyllis and all the Francis family in your prayers.

This coming Sunday, Reverend Persis Williams will celebrate her last Sunday Eucharists at St. Mary’s, Springfield Center and Grace Church, Cherry Valley. Pastor Persis is retiring effective May 1st and moving to her retirement home in Maine. We are thankful for her ministry to the parishioners of St. Mary’s and Grace Church. She also served as a director of the old Beaver Cross. We wish her every blessing in this new phase of her life.

St. John’s, Essex will be saying good-bye to the Reverend Eileen Weglarz on May 11, Mother Eileen has accepted a call as rector, St. Mark’s, Mount Kisco, NY (Diocese of New York). Mother Eileen has also served as chair of our Missions Committee. Her heart for mission work is most evident and we have been blessed to have her amongst us. We wish her every blessing in her new ministry.

St. Eustace, Lake Placid has called seminarian Brock Baker to become their pastor. Brock will be ordained a transitional deacon in May and will begin his ministry at St. Eustace in the summer.

Pre-convention Information Meetings. Again, this year, there will be four regional informational meetings. They all begin at 7 pm. The pre-convention packets are being mailed April 30. All canonically resident clergy (living within the diocese) and parishes (for distribution to their deputies) should receive their packets by May 3.

Mon, May 5 – Messiah, Glens Falls (S. Adirondack & Upper Hudson Deaneries)

Tue, May 6 – Cathedral of All Saints (Hudson & Metropolitan Deaneries)

Mon, May 12 – St. Mark’s, Malone (N. Adirondack & St. Lawrence Deaneries)

Tue, May 13 – Christ Church, Cooperstown (Susquehanna & Western Mohawk Deaneries)

Convention Weekend Registration. We have a wonderful weekend planned. You can register online or download your registration forms for mailing in at www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org. If you don’t have access to a computer/internet, please ask your parish to download them for you, or call the Diocese Office at (518) 465-4737 and request one. We can take registrations over the telephone if they are being paid by credit card. Our theme this year is “Press on to know the Lord” taken form Hosea 6.

Archbishop Ben Kwashi and his wife, Gloria, will be joining us and spending time with the Youth Rally. I met Bishop Kwashi a number of years ago in Colorado and he is true disciple of Christ with much to offer. shop Harold Miller and his wife, Liz, will be back with us this year. It is always a pleasure to have them among us and to hear Bishop Harold preach. And, we are also honored to have the Reverend Dr. Russ Parker and his wife, Roz, from Acorn Healing Ministries with us. He led a powerful healing conference at Christ the King last year and will lead our Healing Ministry, along with Fr Nigel Mumford, at Convention.

Ordinations. On the eve of Pentecost, Saturday, May 10, we will be ordaining 11 new deacons at the Cathedral of All Saints. The service begins at 3 pm. Those to be ordained, their sponsoring parish, and parish upon ordination are

James Brisbin, Christ’s Church, Duanesburg / St. David’s, East Greenbush
Allen Carpenter, Cathedral of All Saints, Albany / Cathedral of All Saints
Nancy Goff, Church of the Messiah, Glens Falls / Church of the Messiah
Frank Lockwood, Zion Church, Hudson Falls / Zion Church
Laura Miller, Christ Church, Walton / Christ Church
Brenda Nickles, St. Luke’s, Chatham / St. Luke’s
Howard Smith, Christ Church, Schenectady / Christ Church
Donna Steckline, Christ Church, Gilbertsville / Christ Church
David Sullivan, Church of the Good Shepherd, Elizabethtown / Church of the Good Shepherd
Micki Thomas, Zion Church, Hudson Falls / Zion Church
Alicia Todaro, Church of the Holy Cross, Troy / Trinity, Lansingburg

On the Saturday, May 31, the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we will be ordaining 6 new transitional deacons (future priests) at the Cathedral of All Saints. The service begins at 11 am. Those to be ordained, their sponsoring parish, and their parish placement (if known) are:

Aristotle Rivera, Cathedral of All Saints
Steven Scherck, Cathedral of All Saints / Cathedral of All Saints
William Strickland, St. George’s, Clifton Park / Grace Church, Waterford
Susan Waldron, St. Michael’s, Colonie
James French, Christ Church, Coxsackie
Richard Chandler, Christ Church, Ballston Spa
Brock Baker, Christ Church, Coxsackie
Geraldine Clemmons, Calvary Church

I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Pre-convention Information Meetings.

Faithfully in Christ,
+Bill

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