News & Announcements

Pilot Workshop for Racial Healing on October 7
On October 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Racial Healing & Justice Committee of the Diocese of Vermont will hold a pilot workshop for racial healing at St. Paul’s, White River Junction. Lunch will be provided. Everyone in the diocese is welcome to attend and help refine our diocese’s approach to racial healing …

From Bishop Shannon: Flood Relief Funds Available
Dear People of God in the Diocese of Vermont: As our parishes, missions and communities continue to recover from this summer’s devastating floods, our Diocesan Disaster Relief Team is hard at work providing assistance and resources for recovery. Thanks to their collaboration with Episcopal Relief & Development, clergy and wardens in charge of congregations can …

In Memoriam: The Rt. Rev. R. Stewart Wood
Dear People of God, In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, I write with the sad news that Bishop R. Stewart Wood died on July 30 at Kendal at Hanover. He was 89. Bishop Wood was the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Michigan, where I first knew him, and …

Flood Relief Efforts Continue: A Photo Essay
Flood relief efforts continue across Vermont, especially in the hardest-hit areas around Montpelier and Barre. On July 16, the constellation congregations of St. Paul’s, Vergennes and All Saints, South Burlington assembled two car loads of buckets of cleaning supplies and packets of personal hygiene materials for delivery to Christ Church, Montpelier. From there, the supplies …

From Bishop Shannon: Gathering for Prayer on Sunday, 8 p.m.
Dear Ones, This afternoon, the weather forecast has us bracing for more rain and, in some parts of our state, more flooding. Property damage in many places is extensive, and some of our family, friends, and neighbors are doing the difficult work of recovery while grieving places and things that were dear to them. Our …

Trust God, Trust Our Neighbors: Flood Relief Efforts Begin
As communities across Vermont assess damage from what Governor Phil Scott has called “historic and catastrophic” storms, Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown and her staff report that Brookhaven Home for Boys in Chelsea has lost an entire building, while several congregations have already begun responding to neighbors in need. Bishop Shannon and her staff had spoken with the …

Keep Watch This Night: A Message from Bishop Shannon
July 10, 2023 Dear People of God, This evening, stories of flash floods and cresting rivers continue to dominate the news across our state. Governor Scott and our emergency management crews have urged everyone to remain at home unless they are in the path of floodwaters, and I join my voice to theirs. At the …

“A Model for the Larger Church”: Coaching Group Supports New Clergy
The Rev. Helen Svoboda-Barber has been coaching clergy for eight years, during which a variety of organizational trends have come and gone, but she believes the new constellation model Bishop Shannon has brought to the Diocese of Vermont is the real thing. “This is a model for the larger church in the next few years,” …

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 …