.......online
| News from
The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, Bill
Lewellis, Editor |
Epiphany
in Cuba, January 2000
By Tom and Barbara Lloyd
(pictures accompany this article,
view them by clicking on the links)
We went to Havana with 14 members of the Episcopal
Peace Fellowship (EPF), the third trip of the EPF’s Cuba Interest
Group, to show solidarity with our sister and brother Episcopalians
in Cuba. Our group of 8 men and 6 women were from six states of
the U.S. and one man from Canada.
Our sponsors were Pastors For Peace, started by
the Rev. Lucius Walker to defy the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba. Just
last July, an EPF student group at St. Alban’s School for Boys in
Washington, DC, donated a disabled-access minibus which was delivered
to a Cuban hospital, part of a P.F.P. Caravan.
Members of our group took several hundred dollars
worth of vitamins, prescription medicines, asthmatic tablets and
inhalers to give to the Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral, the Very
Rev. Juan Ramon de la Paz, for the clinic the Cathedral runs. Both
he and his wife, the Rev. Canon Nerva Cot, greeted us with hugs
and a kiss on both cheeks.
We stayed in dormitory-style lodging (i.e., bunk
beds and shared baths) at the Martin Luther King Center, opened
in 1987, which is also an Ebenezer Baptist Church. We took all meals
there, except the farewell dinner at a “paladar”, a privately-owned
restaurant. They fed us well: an egg, bread and fruit for breakfast;
for lunch and dinner we had salad, rolls, rice and beans, meat,
pudding, coffee and tea.
Each day we were either driven in a van to a place
of interest (“Old Havana”; the Cathedral’ a sugar cane cooperative;
Museum of the Revolution; a hospital; elementary
school, the National Assembly; Farmer’s
Market’ day care center), or a speaker came to the Center to
talk about Cuban life. All Spanish was translated by an excellent
interpreter.
On Sunday at Holy Trinity Cathedral, after the
Eucharist, the children put on a Christmas/Epiphany
pageant in front of the altar – beautifully done. [the Virgin
Mary was a young black girl in a while robe, with bare feet.] After
that was a program of dances, from adorable little “angels” with
wings and sparkly tiaras, to a finale with young ladies wearing
long gowns waving fans, in a lovely dance. Piano solos and violin
duets followed, all well done.
The Cathedral was full, “as usual”, Dean Juan Ranion
told us, as he invited us in perfect English to the parish all for
“almuerzo”(which was a full meal), with the 34 members of the Cathedral’s
EPF Chapter.
Notes:
Population of Cuba: 11 million
Roman Catholics: 500,000
Protestants: 300,000 (of which 100,000 are Episcopalians, the Dean
told us)
After the hurricane and floods, Cuba sent 2,000
doctors to Honduras & Nicaragua. They are now training 5,000
medical students from Central America and Caribbean countries, free
of charge, at their brand new Latin American Medical School, to
prepare them to return to their own countries to care for people
in the poorest and most rural areas.
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In
Loving Memory of Bishop Lloyd Gressle
By the Rev. John R. Coble, Jr.
I met Bishop Gressle for the first time shortly
after he was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor in 1970 at a clergy conference
and was very impressed with him as a person. I had just moved from
St. James' Church, Schuylkill Haven to St. George's Church in Hellertown
the previous month. When I introduced myself to him he immediately
noted that I had just taken a new position in Hellertown and wished
me well. The fact that he would have known that and identified me
so quickly surprised me and amazed me. He was very warm and caring
and that is how I knew him throughout the years. It was not so much
what he did or accomplished in his ministry that touched me but
who he was in his ministry.
After six years in that parish Lloyd Gressle approached
me to ask if I would be interested in considering the position of
Archdeacon of the Diocese. I was honored and thrilled that he asked
me and delighted with the opportunity to serve the church as his
administrative assistant. When I began to make visits to parishes
I was terrified for I did not know what to do. When I asked him
what I was to do and how I could find out what the issues were he
gave me the following advice that has served me all these years.
He said, "People will tell you what you need to know if you listen
to what they say and what they do not say." I cannot tell you how
often I have used that in training people for ministry in parish
life and now in my work as a chaplain for Hospice.
Lloyd Gressle cared for people and truly knew people
for who they were. It was always amazing how good he was with names
of people and all their family members. When the Rev. John Docker
and I began as the clergy members of his staff Lloyd would always
ask us who was present at the various meetings we attended. We could
not always remember names, at least not at first and were impressed
with his memory and recollection of people and their personal lives.
Not only did he know people on a personal level but he also accepted
them for who they were and where they had been. Then he always went
one step further by challenging them to grow.
Issues were important for Lloyd Gressle and you
can recall or read in other places about his work with the marginalized,
the poor, and those disenfranchised. I am sure he had his enemies
for the positions he took. In fact when I sat down to write this
article I received a phone call from one of them that criticized
my positive references to him in the local paper that morning. In
my grief I have discovered how much this man meant to me and how
he fathered me in a way that I had never been before. I will miss
him but I along with you will always have a relationship with him
in memory.
Lloyd was so very loving to our mentally handicapped
son, David. David always loved Lloyd as well. David cannot verbalize
but would use the sign for bishop, which is done by placing a kiss
on the ring finger of a closed fist, as if to kiss the bishop's
ring. When Mark Dyer was elected to serve as Lloyd's successor we
were not sure how David would distinguish between them. For David
it was easy, as he would make the sign for bishop and then hold
up one or two fingers. I would like to think that for some of us
Lloyd Gressle will always be bishop #1.
[The Rev. John R. Coble, Jr., retired rector of
Trinity Church, Bethlehem, and once archdeacon for the Diocese of
Bethlehem, is a parishioner at St. George's Church, Hellertown.]
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Sixth Bishop of Bethlehem
Lloyd Gressle Fought For Justice And The Oppressed
Diocesan Life, January 2000
The Rt. Rev. Lloyd E. Gressle, Sixth Bishop of
the Diocese of Bethlehem, fought for the oppressed and marched in
support of Vietnam War dissenters. He died in East Quogue, NY, December
7. He was 81 years old.
[As Diocesan Life was going to press, a
memorial service had been scheduled for December 10 at St. Mary
the Virgin Church, Hampton Bays, New York.]
Before retiring to eastern Long Island in 1983,
he served as Bishop here for 13 years and was a member of the Executive
Council of the Episcopal Church USA.
He sought to rectify injustice and discrimination.
In the 1960's, as the local chapter president of the National Conference
of Christians and Jews, he pushed for legislation to end housing
discrimination in Delaware. During the Vietnam era, he marched with
Daniel Berrigan in 1973 to protest the Harrisburg trial of seven
war dissenters.
"Lloyd Gressle was loved throughout the Diocese
of Bethlehem," said Bethlehem Bishop Paul V. Marshall. "He was a
pastor to the clergy and exhibited a passion for social ministry
with the poor and marginalized and for justice and peace. During
the Vietnam era, he was one of the first bishops to put himself
on the line as a committed public advocate for justice and peace."
''He always accepted people for who and where they
were in life, and he always challenged people to grow beyond that,''
said the Rev. John Coble, retired rector of Trinity Church, Bethlehem,
and Gressle's former archdeacon. ''He had a way of seeing what was
truly important in the large picture.''
Gressle served at a time of upheaval and social
changes in the country and church.
In 1972, he was among five Pennsylvania Episcopal
bishops who urged Gov. Milton Shapp to veto an anti-abortion bill
that would have eliminated abortions in the state.
When Gressle arrived, Episcopalians were at odds
over the ordination of women as priests. In 1974, which Gressle
called a ''torturous and convulsive year for our church,'' he initially
opposed the ordination of 11 women deacons in Philadelphia but changed
his position later that year.
His concern for social ministries and social justice
resulted in the establishment of the Diocesan Advance Fund, a kind
of endowment for social ministries that was begun in 1975 to be
spent down over 15 years. It provided seed and operating money (generally
in $5.000 to $25,000 grants) to enable an extraordinary amount of
ecumenical and diocesan outreach ministry.
Many significant social ministries throughout the
14 northeastern PA counties of the diocese received seed money from
this fund - and continue to exist today only because they were born
and supported back then. It accomplished far more than its original
task ever envisioned.
"We had begun to understand the increasing needs
laid upon servants of God when we adopted the Diocesan Advance Fund
to be better able to fulfill our ministries," he said in his last
address to the diocesan community. "In a short period of time we
have been able to do all sorts of varied ministries beyond normal
budget restraints. These ministries have touched every area of the
diocese in a most responsible way."
Gressle is survived by his wife, the former Marguerite
Kirkpatrick, and his three children, Richard Gressle of Nyack, N.Y.;
Katherine Haritos of Hyde Park, Mass.; Mark Gressle of Wilton, Conn.;
and six grandchildren.
A Cleveland native, Gressle attended Oberlin College
and Bexley Hall Divinity School, Kenyon, Ohio. He served as dean
of the Cathedral Church of St. John, Wilmington, Del., from 1956
to 1968. He was rector of St. James Church in Lancaster; St. John's
Church in Sharon, Delaware County; and St. James Church in Wooster,
Ohio.
After retiring in East Quogue, Long Island, he
was elected to the school board and served as president for one
term.
Contributions may be made in his name to: The Gressle
Scholarship Fund, Diocese of Bethlehem, or The Garden of Remembrance,
St. Mary the Virgin Church, Hampton Bays, NY.
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At Berks AIDS Network and Rainbow Home
People with HIV/AIDS Are My Church
By Eleanor Hart
Diocesan Life, January 2000
I pastor persons with HIV/AIDS at Berks AIDS Network,
a community agency in Berks County, and I coordinate pastoral care
at Rainbow Home in Wernersville, a personal care home for people
living with AIDS.
Every Monday morning calls me to unknown worlds.
This is what happened recently over the course of one week. A young
man dealing with addiction and HIV tells me I am one of the few
people he trusts. He has learned to run and hide from life. We are
joined by his partner who has been my client for three years. He
checks in with me daily. Weekly sessions and constant contact have
helped him realize that his HIV is not a death sentence but a call
to life. By speaking to groups, he has touched many at risk. His
photo was in the local daily, telling the entire county that he
was living with AIDS.
A woman then came in to let me know she had spoken
to her husband. She sought help on how to handle her relationship.
Two years ago I led her and her husband in a renewal of their wedding
vows at Rainbow Home. She planned her funeral, paid for it and settled
down to die. God had other plans. She is now studying to be a counselor.
A young man stopped by with his 10 month old child
to play with "Grandma." I married him and his wife three years ago
at a recovery club in Reading. A young man whose wife recently died
then came for support. He is seeking drug and alcohol counseling
and wants to meet for grief counseling.
A woman who has been clean (free of drugs) came
in to tell me she felt like using. She knew she couldn't relapse
and just needed a safe place to go.
Toward the end of the day, I visited a young man
and his partner at Reading Hospital. He had been there for a week
- still no clear diagnosis. After prayer and the laying on of hands,
I went home. I called the wife of an employee who died suddenly
last year.
On Tuesdays I lead a support group for men and
women at Berks County Prison. We talk about struggles with addiction,
HIV and living. I often find myself advocating for them with the
prison medical department. Back at BAN for a client services meeting,
I interact with the case managers who work with the people I see
for spiritual care and counseling.
Wednesday. A staff meeting. Then a man from the
halfway house next door. It's his third time there. If he doesn't
stay clean, he will be sent back to prison to complete his sentence.
He has increased sessions with me to twice a week. He feels safe
here. We talk about how he is feeling and what will keep him clean.
His HIV is under control but he struggles with life daily. Next,
I see a 19 year old boy from the nearby Drug and Alcohol facility.
A hemophiliac, he has been HIV positive since the age of four. His
disease is under control, but his life is not.
I drove to Rainbow Home to join the residents for
supper and to officiate at the annual dedication of the AIDS quilt
panel made each year to remember those who have died at the home.
Only eleven this year. Thursday I went to a lawyer's office to receive
the gift of a car. The car belonged to a client who died at Rainbow
Home. It was left to BAN and Rainbow Home to be sold.
On Fridays I meet with a doctor to coordinate care
for our clients and to receive the St. Joseph's Hospital list. Back
at the office, I met with a woman who was seeking information about
the HIV/AIDS. Another meeting, more grief counseling. Then, a funeral
for the husband of a pastoral care volunteer at Rainbow Home. I
ended the day back at the hospital.
My church consists of men, women and children,
heterosexual and homosexual. They are black, white and Hispanic.
They own their own businesses, work in heath care and large companies.
They are prostitutes, prisoners, addicts and they are all affected
by the disease of HIV/AIDS. They are God's children and I have been
called to minister to them.
I'll soon see the AIDS quilt. It gives me a time
to reflect on my ministry and to pray for the people in my life
who live and have died with HIV or AIDS. It allows me to say "Here
I am, Lord; let me touch them; let them touch me."
[The Rev. Eleanor Hart was ordained five years
ago to serve in HIV/AIDS ministry.]
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Prison And Other
Ministries Of Bob And Twila Evans
By Dolores Caskey
Diocesan Life, January 2000
During the first half of this decade, the Episcopal
Church USA honored Bethlehem with the designation of Jubilee Diocese
because so many of our parishes are involved in Jubilee ministries
to and with the poor and the marginalized.
Some of these parishes and ministries may also
qualify as Jubilee centers, meeting the criteria established by
the National Church, although such official designations have not
yet been requested.
Within the parishes there are also individuals
who have dedicated their lives to Jubilee, including couples who
join in team ministry. Twila and Bob Evans at Trinity, Bethlehem,
are such a team. They came to Trinity in September 1969 after seeing
an ad in the local paper.
In search of a church where they could be both
useful and comfortable, the search began and ended at Trinity. Three
months later they answered the call to mission.
At the annual parish meeting the rector's wife
introduced the FISH program (Families in Service to Humanity) and
asked for volunteers. FISH involved services parishioners were unable
to provide for themselves such as transportation to medical visits,
grocery shopping for shut-ins and emergency errands. It also included
home visits for the sick and lonely and sometimes emergency childcare.
Twila accepted responsibility for services to the
elderly, particularly those in need of ongoing and familiar care
and she and Bob spent many hours on this project. Eventually the
Meals on Wheels and other programs for the aging came into being.
FISH had served its purpose.
Shortly afterward a few Episcopalians were asked
to participate on the Roman Catholic Cursillo. The Evans' were in
the first class and thereafter Bob became one of the driving forces
in the movement throughout the diocese, organizing weekends, serving
on teams, spreading Cursillo far and wide. This was a long term
and demanding commitment. At the same time Bob served also on the
vestry and was active in parish affairs.
Twila had turned her attention to the lack of necessary
volunteers in the schools, particularly in the areas of special
education and reading disabilities and was spending many hours in
the classroom.
This was during the Sue Cox period at Trinity and
Twila was a member of the dynamic Mission Committee that was involved
in many aspects of community outreach and human services. The refugee
program was just one priority of the National Church in which Trinity
was involved. Members of the vestry agreed to establish a fund to
cover expenses of resettlement costs for refugee families through
monthly personal contributions. Several other parishioners participated.
Most notable of the refugees was the Dang family, whose youngest
member was born the night Saigon fell. The family of ten had not
slept in the same place two nights in a row until they landed in
Bethlehem into the arms of Trinity. This project, with its many
challenges, was a natural for Bob and Twila.
These were critical years for Bethlehem Steel and,
as an employee, Bob began to think about the future. Twila, a registered
nurse, went to work part time as a home care provider in the Slate
Belt, but found that the physical demands of nursing had become
too difficult. She had had polio at 18. She decided to pursue graduate
studies in special education and reading in order to work for the
school district. In fact, the superintendent had promised her a
position.
But, at this point, a totally unexpected call to
ministry came. It was one that marked a real change in her life.
She went to jail. In the course of her volunteer work in the school
and the pursuit of an advanced degree, Twila had become friends
with Sheila LaFrankie who was working part time at Northampton County
Prison as coordinator of educational services. For personal reasons
she was unable to continue and, fearful that a break in service
might mean the end of the program, she prevailed on Twila to take
the job "in the meantime." Before long, both Twila and Bob were
deeply involved in this ministry and, eventually, so was Trinity.
The immediate need was for basic educational materials and it just
happened that there was money left in the refugee "kitty" after
activity had been suspended. This provided the essential books and
supplies necessary to move forward.
The reading program flourished, as did the relationship
between teacher and students. Recruitment of volunteer tutors and
mentors resulted in a program that attracted attention and commanded
respect from prison and other county officials.
A new Washington administration, particularly First
Lady Barbara Bush, made Family Literacy a national goal. Working
with the community college, Twila expanded the prison program to
include families. One of her greatest joys was in bringing together
father and child, reading to each other for the first time ever.
Obviously, this required transportation to and from prison and Bob
and friends provided that.
Bob was also available to talk to parents of young
first offenders, trying to bring families together, and Twila was
always available to encourage and facilitate re-entry into the community
after prison. At one point they took a young man into their home
for several months. Estranged from his parents because of his imprisonment,
he simply had nowhere to go when he was discharged. A reunion was
finally arranged and his father, an ordained minister, took him
home.
It's impossible to measure how many lives have
been and continue to be touched and changed by this wonderful ministry.
All this on a temporary, 10 hour a week basis, since 1984!
"This is not everybody's ministry," Twila admits,
"we are not all called to the same things, but to give the gift
we have." There is no question that this was her calling, her special
gift. Bob's current project is an expansion of prison ministry and
involves in depth, hands on and personal life skills development
and training.
Some people devote their lives to a particular
project or cause. The Evans' have always been willing to go where
and when they are called.
Isn't it risky to keep trying new things? What
if we fail? "Christ does not ask us to succeed," says Twila. He
doesn't keep a scorecard. He just expects us to try." And, indeed,
they do. Both Evans' continue to live lives of love and service
to the Lord.
[Trinity Church, Bethlehem, parishioner Dolores
Caskey serves the diocesan community on social ministry and communication
ministry matters.]
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Parenthood
Is A Vocation
Parenting Seminar at the Cathedral
By Anne Kitch
Diocesan Life, January 2000
[To register for *Parenting in the New Millennium,*
Saturday, February 5, call the Cathedral at 610-865-0727. Lunch
and child care will be provided. The suggested donation is $10 per
person or $15 per couple and should accompany the registration.
Please register by January 28. Assistance is available for those
in need. It is not necessary to register for the Sunday forums.
For further information, please speak to Canon Anne Kitch <anne.kitch@ecunet.org>
or Canon Jane Bender <email address> at the Cathedral.]
Parenthood is a vocation. When consciously lived
into, it can be understood as a calling from God. It carries with
it not only great responsibility, but also the potential for deep
spiritual growth.
Many people think of parenting in terms of how
we raise our children. But it is so much more. When the disciples
asked Jesus who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, he placed
a child in front of them and said, "Unless you change and become
like children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew
18:3).
Never mind who is the greatest, let's just talk
about getting in. Jesus is clear that change is necessary. We are
to become like children. How better to do this than to be in relationship
with children, to be vulnerable to them, to allow a child to affect
our souls in such a way that we are transformed. Parenthood offers
a unique opportunity to do this.
Parenting is as much about being transformed as
it is about shaping the life of a child. It is about how our children
can challenge us to confront our own limitations, how they encourage
us to grow into our full potential as children of God. When a child
is baptized, the parents and Godparents promise to help that child
"grow into the full stature of Christ." (BCP. p. 302) If we take
Jesus seriously, this is a two way street. The children in our care
also help us continue in our growth in Christ.
Thus, parenting is an important and difficult job
which affects children and adults alike. Yet people often assume
it is one that requires no skills or training. We would not approach
any other important and difficult job in our society without training
and support. With the many challenges and fears that face parents
and children these days, we need to be intentional about our parenting
skills. With this in mind, the Cathedral Church of Nativity has
invited Julie A. Ross to present Parenting in the New Millennium,
a practical parenting seminar to be held February 5, 2000 from 9
am to 3 pm at the Cathedral.
Ms. Ross is the author of Practical Parenting for
the 21st Century: The Manual You Wish Had Come with Your Child as
well as Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative
Ex and Now What Do I Do? which offers techniques for parenting elementary
school age children.
A well-known parent educator and counselor with
a practice in New York, Ms. Ross has appeared on national television,
presented workshops across the country, and published articles in
national magazines. Her workshop will help parents of any age child
and will include such topics as teaching responsibility, diminishing
tantrums, establishing effective discipline, dealing with sibling
rivalry, and building self esteem. Her methods are practical, hands-on
and easy to apply.
As a follow up to Ms. Ross' practical parenting,
the Cathedral Church of Nativity will offer a four week seminar
on "Raising Children in the Faith." Taught by Cathedral staff, this
Sunday forum will be held from 9 to 10 am beginning February 13
and will include the following topics: Children's Spirituality,
Parenting in the Pew, Creating Meaningful Family Traditions and
Praying with Children.
[The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch is the Canon for
Christian Formation at the Cathedral Church of Nativity. Just before
we went to press, Anne Kitch and James Peck welcomed their new nearly
9 pound daughter, Lucy Grace.]
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Planned Gifts
Can Create Ministry
By Char Horst
Diocesan Life, January 2000
A planned gift is any kind of gift that is planned
for the future.
Sometimes the gift creates special tax advantages
for the donor, and/or increases the donor's retirement income.
Sometimes the gift consists of cash or shares of
stock, or even real estate, an IRA or retirement plan, or a policy
of life insurance.
Sometimes (but not always) a person with some sort
of special expertise - a lawyer, a CPA, a financial planner, etc.
- becomes involved in the planning and making of the gift.
The simplest and most common type of "planned gift"
is a charitable bequest in a will. All that is required to leave
a bequest is a single short sentence such as: "I give ____ percent
of my estate to St. ____ Episcopal Church of _____, PA, for its
general purposes." - or, "I give ____ dollars to St. ____ Episcopal
Church of ____, PA, for its general purposes."
Contrary to what many people think, gift planning
has absolutely nothing to do with the size or value of the gift.
Planned giving certainly doesn't have to be complex or "only for
the rich." As a matter of fact, a charitable bequest is the one
gift that everyone - regardless of financial circumstances -- can
make!
So, while it doesn't require a lot of money to
make a planned gift to the church, it does take a lot of heart.
In our own Diocese at least one such planned gift is alive and well
and of tremendous benefit to every elderly Episcopalian in all of
Schuylkill County.
Marian Price was a lifelong member of Trinity Church,
Pottsville. She was devoted to music, cats and her beloved parish.
In addition to gifts made to Trinity during her lifetime for building
repairs, Mrs. Price also took care before her death to include a
provision in her will which gave her residence and the residue of
her estate to be used to care for elderly Episcopalians.
This bequest later became the Marian C. Price Trust
Fund, the goal of which is to help elderly members of the Episcopal
Church to remain in their own homes (or other living arrangements)
while sustaining their ties to the local community and to their
parish. Marian Price's planned gift seeks to maximize the independence
of seniors by promoting their safety, comfort and dignity.
Today the "caring" envisioned by Mrs. Price is
available not only in the form of grants for equipment or services
to those in financial need, but also in the very alive and breathing
ministry of Kathy Burda, R.N., who serves as Parish Nurse for Trinity
and as Administrator of the Trust Fund.
Kathy, whose background is in long-term care, is
quick to credit the seniors with giving her "more than I could give"
in terms of the depth of the relationships she and they are able
to develop.
She points to the satisfaction derived from having
time enough to really learn and know about her clients, including
the opportunity to sit and listen to stores she describes as "truly
remarkable." She also credits the Rev. Canon Charles J. Morris with
a rare openness and flexibility, as well as a committed willingness
to work side by side with her in this valuable ministry to the elderly.
Though the Parish Nurse works part-time now, Father Charles is hard
at work to develop and expand the job into a full-time staff position
at Trinity.
And the result of Marian Price's plan for a gift?
An experienced nurse unites her professional skills
and devotion to career with her spiritual faith in hands-on service
to seniors.
Eighty-five elderly Episcopalians receive monthly
or quarterly visits or calls by the Parish Nurse, who acts as a
resource person, coordinator and advocate in securing services and
assistance to enable seniors to maintain not only their health but
also their independence.
In addition to meeting the medical needs of the
elderly, the Trust sponsors seminars and health fairs of general
interest to seniors.
Parish staff, volunteers and Sunday School youth
develop caring relationships and regular contacts with the elderly,
including visits and calls, monthly blood pressure monitoring, and
birthday and holiday cards. Jesus" vision in Matthew 25 of the kingdom
is fulfilled, for the needy are helped and the sick are visited
as part of the visible connection made among mind, body and spirit
in our own Diocese.
Kathy and Trinity's ministries to the elderly in
Schuylkill County are living proof of the tangible blessings that
a planned gift can make in people's lives, both now and in years
to come.
Although she is no longer physically with us, Marian
Price's generosity continues to comfort and support elderly parishioners
in Schuylkill County and to shape the future ministry of Trinity
Church. She has given much more than a legacy of mere money. Instead,
her simple gift demonstrates the triumph of a legacy of love over
death.
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