News in Pictures

Unity in diversity. Pictured at St. James Episcopal Church in Woodstock on December 7, a diverse group of Diocesan leaders met for a debrief on the last two years of transition, wondering about and anticipating what is yet to be born in our ministry together in Vermont.

The Rev. Pamela J. Mott, Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, facilitated the transition debrief at St. James, Woodstock, on December 7.

On December 10, Bishop Shannon spent time with the boys, staff and board of Brookhaven Treatment & Learning Center. She said, “I loved conversing and making crafts with the boys. They sent me home with gifts they made, a candy sled and ornament.”

On December 13-14, Dr. Maurice Harris, diocesan communications minister, spent time with peacebuilders and United Nations associates at the 2019 Soltice Peacebuilding retreat sponsored by Grace Initiative Global, Yale Divinity School, Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, where he spoke with participants about the relationship between interdisciplinarity and innovation in forming strategies for peacebuilding.

On day two of the 2019 Solstice Peacebuilding retreat, Maurice joined participants on visits to Smokey House Center in Danby and Merck Forest & Farmland Center in Rupert, where they discussed how Vermont lands are being used to nurture racial reconciliation, psychological healing, and environmental sustainability.