News & Announcements
A Ministry of Prayer at St. Matthew’s, Enosburg Falls
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rev. Dr. Titus Presler invited members of St. Matthew’s, Enosburg Falls to write the Prayers of the People. Edith (Dinny) Hawksworth accepted the invitation, and wrote the prayers offered by the congregation when Bishop Shannon made her first visit to the parish for the Feast of the Presentation, February 2, …
Diocesan Racial Justice Pilgrims Visit Civil Rights Sites
From May 12 to 15, members of the Diocese of Vermont and students at Rock Point School traveled to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama and Atlanta on a diocesan racial justice pilgrimage. Their journey included visits to the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, the …
Diocese Seeks Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant
Position Overview: The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont is seeking an experienced Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant to work out of the Burlington, Vermont office. This role manages A/P, A/R and numerous administrative duties for the diocese. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Qualifications, and Experience: A cover letter and resume should be sent electronically to Rich Sagui …
Be Not Afraid: Discerning a Future at Good Shepherd
Last February the diocese released a manual to help congregations examine their future vitality and sustainability, but Good Shepherd in Barre was already ahead of the game. The parish had begun considering such an examination before the pandemic, and Bishop Shannon’s request that parishes “consider your current ways of life as God’s gathered people in …
Deconsecration of St. Paul’s Canaan on April 26
On April 26 at 1 p.m., Bishop Shannon will lead a deconsecration service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Canaan. The church building at 55 Power House Road is being sold to Canaan, Naturally Connected, Inc, with closing scheduled for May. “We intend to use the church as a community gathering spot for multiple purposes …
Brown, First Woman Ordained in Vermont, to Retire
On April 16, the Rev. Janet Brown, the first woman ordained in the Diocese of Vermont, will retire as priest-in-charge at Grace Church in Sheldon, a parish she has led for fourteen years. Her spouse, Jean Townsend, has breast cancer, and while hope is high as Townsend receives treatment at the University of Vermont’s Breast …
New Constellation Forms in Sheldon and St. Albans
Grace Church in Sheldon and St. Luke’s in St. Albans have formed the newest constellation in the Diocese of Vermont, pledging to share clergy and collaborate on mission. The Rev. Darcey Mercier will serve as priest-in-charge for both congregations. Mercier is a 2022 graduate of Seminary of the Southwest, and was sponsored for ordination by St. Michael’s, Brattleboro. “So many people …
Pilgrimage In the Holy Land: November 25 – December 5
From November 25 to December 5, join Bishop Shannon for a diocesan-sponsored pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by the Rev. Kim Hardy of St. James, Essex Junction and the Rev. Dr. Fred Moser of Trinity, Shelburne. Hardy, Moser, and local guides Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri will lead pilgrims on visits to the Dome of …
Montgomery, Selma, Atlanta: A Diocesan Racial Justice Pilgrimage, May 12-15
From May 12 to 16, members of the diocese will make a pilgrimage to Alabama and Georgia to explore civil rights history and the work of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). This five-day journey will include visits to: Cost for the pilgrimage is $1,300 for double-occupancy rooms and $1,600 for single-occupancy rooms. The cost covers airfare, ground transportation, …
Audie Cota is Vermont’s Youngest Warden
During the pandemic lockdown, the people of Calvary Episcopal Church in Underhill could take heart knowing their junior warden, Audie Cota, was checking in on the building regularly. Cota, who lives nearby, carried out this and other duties of junior warden, all while juggling schoolwork. “I think I was 13 at that time,” Cota says. …
Looking for the Spirit at Work: Constellation Ministry Begins in Vermont
Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown arrived in Vermont just a few months before COVID lockdowns began and on the cusp of a churchwide clergy shortage. In 2021, as the diocese’s congregations began to emerge from pandemic lockdowns, she realized that they would need to adapt to the changed world they found by collaborating and innovating. “We cannot …
Diocesan Lent Series: “A Season for the Spirit”
“Lent is a season of self-denial and reflection, penitence, and discipline,” the Rev. adwoa Wilson, the Green Mountain Online Abbey’s vicar for discipleship and formation, says. “However, author Martin L. Smith notes that ‘it is also a time of freedom, when the Spirit of God urges us to be open to the central experiences of …