Clergy

September 11, 2012 found a group of St. Paul’s parishioners, led by the Rev. Mary Davis, gathered in the early morning dawn at the Chatham Train Station handing out bookmarks to commuters. The bookmarks were simple, including a prayer for peace and the words “Peace, Love, and Hope” in many languages, and the intention was even simpler – to let the commuters know, as they boarded the train exactly eleven years after that horrific day, that they were not alone. We gathered not just as Episcopalians, but also as fellow survivors of a tragic and life-changing event in our shared history.

For the second year the Rev. Kathryn King, Rector of St. Alban’s, Oakland, organized a week-long mission trip for the youth of the parish based at our diocesan camp, Cross Roads. This year St. Alban’s extended the program to St. John’s, Ramsey and Trinity, Allendale. The three parishes have just hired a Youth Missioner to run tri-parish youth ministry for their junior and senior high youth. Megan Kendall was hired on July 1 and was able to attend the mission trip, which took place later that month. Eight youth from St. Alban’s and four from St. John’s participated, with three adults in addition to King chaperoning. Trinity, Allendale plans to join for Mission Trip 2014.

On Tuesday, August 20th, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into a law a bicameral bill banning the use of so-called “conversion therapy” techniques by licensed therapists on minors in attempts to change their sexual orientation.

The news was welcomed by the Rev. Diana Wilcox, Assistant Rector at St. Luke’s, Montclair and Chaplain of the Web of Life Christian Community at Montclair State University, who called the practice “a double-edged sword” for people of all ages, but particularly for young people who are still figuring out who they are.

The community garden at Church of the Messiah in Chester can now donate twice as much fresh produce to local food pantries, thanks to an area Boy Scout who enlarged the garden as his Eagle Scout project.