Upper Valley Churches Co-host Land, Water Events During June 17-18 Connecticut River Pilgrimage
Schedule Includes Montshire Museum, CRREL Presentation, Sermons & Kilowatt Park
On June 17-18 four Upper Valley Episcopal churches will be participating in a Connecticut River pilgrimage: River of Life 2017, “from the source to the sea.” The event—which includes both water and land events—began when kayaks set in at the Connecticut Lake on May 31 near the Canadian border and will end 40 days later in the Long Island Sound. Kairos Earth (http://kairosearth.org/river/), the principal organizer of the Pilgrimage, sees the journey as deepening a sacred relationship with nature.
Vermont activities are scheduled to coincide with the arrival of paddlers in Norwich, Vermont, on Saturday, June 17. For land-dwellers, a mini-pilgrimage by car will follow the Ottauquechee River from Killington to Hartford, Vermont, on Saturday morning. The mini-pilgrimage will be led by the Rev. Norman MacLeod of St. James Episcopal Church, Woodstock.
Public activities on Saturday will include an afternoon at the Montshire Museum with noted Vermont storyteller Willem Lange presenting River Tales: Celebrating the Connecticut River. Additionally, CRREL Hydrologist Gabrielle David will present an environmental view of the river and its watershed. St Barnabas Episcopal in Norwich will also hold an outdoor service and potluck at 6:00 PM that day.
On Sunday, the churches will have space reserved at Kilowatt Park in Wilder, Vermont, with kayaks available for rent from LL Bean. Refreshments will be provided.
On Sunday morning, three New England Bishops will be crossing the river in another interesting way: The Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Ely, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, will be in the pulpit at St. Thomas in Hanover, New Hampshire, and the Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld, bishop of the New Hampshire diocese, will lead worship at St. Barnabas in Norwich, Vermont. Finally, retired Massachusetts Bishop Suffragan Bud Cederholm will lead services at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in White River Junction. The bishops and the Rev. MacLeod will unite on Sunday afternoon to bless the Pilgrimage at Kilowatt Park.
Related News
‘River of Life’ pilgrimage down Connecticut River offers 40 days of prayer, paddling (Episcopal News Service)
May 30, 2017
Kairos Earth and Partners Announce 2017 River Pilgrimage: 40-day Connecticut River Journey to Make Its Way to Vermont
December 1, 2016