In the News

During worship Sunday morning, they heard the parable of the mustard seed. Then children, teens, parents and seniors swapped hymnals and prayer books for rakes and shovels to till the soil and plant flowers, vegetables and herbs to create a new garden beside the cloister at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown.

Until a decade ago, Valerie Bailey Fischer was living a double life. Starting during her undergraduate days at Penn State, and continuing in the years after graduation, she split her time between journalism and religion, writing for newspapers in two states while working as a campus chaplain.

She enjoyed both, but increasingly recognized that her life's calling was in the church. So with encouragement from close friends, she gave up journalism and enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary in New York in 2001 as the first step toward becoming an Episcopal priest.

Rev. Andrew Butler did not take over St. John's Episcopal Church in Montclair with the intention of making waves -- but he has made an impact in his role in less than a year.

Salvatore Demarco loves watches of all kinds and even wears a ring that doubles as a watch. Michael Walsh is proud of all his bowling trophies displayed in his bedroom. And Carol Sepley boasts of her 37-year career working for the Social Security administration.

These are ordinary facts about a special group of people who live in an extraordinary residence for developmentally disabled adults who are part of the Windmill Alliance.

For religion historian and author Karen Armstrong, faith isn't just believing; it's doing. Religious doctrines "make no sense unless they're acted upon," she told the 520-plus people who attended her June 23 talk at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown.

And what she's particularly calling people of faith to act upon is something that she says the doctrines of all the major faiths call us to: compassion for others. "Compassion is seen as the test of faith."

Integrity USA is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors have elected the Rev. Jon M. Richardson as Vice President of National Affairs, in accordance with the bylaws. Richardson is Priest-in-Charge at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Jersey City, and will fill the unexpired term of the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle, who resigned to work full time with Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda.

On June 11, three dozen volunteers from St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the El Principe de Paz congregation in Morristown collected cartsful of groceries and monetary donations at King's and the A+P in Morristown and Acme in Morris Plains. Here, one of the food drive's youngest participants describes her experience.

Episcopal lay leader Marge Christie was one of three women honored June 14 at a National Council of Churches "Circles of Names" gathering in New York highlighting women's leadership in faith communities and raising funds for the council's Women's Ministries program.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Hillsdale has begun work on a unique garden to provide fresh vegetables for the Helping Hand Food Pantry.

A few weeks back, on May 22, Reverend Andrew Butler of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montclair held an ecumenical service, combining the traditions of Christianity and Islam. The service opened with the Islamic call to prayer sung by a muezzin from the dais, underneath the cross. “It was hauntingly beautiful,” said Butler, who printed the translation in the program so everyone could read and understand the meaning behind what they were hearing.