In preparation for the The Way of Love Revival October 26 in Appleton, All Saints Episcopal Church is hosting a two-evening study program of The Power of Love, a collection of sermons of the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry who is featured speaker. Discussion Leader is Larry Danielson, retired Professor of Ethnology. Sessions are open to the public and take place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24 and October 1 at All Saints Episcopal Church on the east side of downtown Appleton, next to Lawrence University on the northeast corner of College Avenue and Drew Street (100 N Drew Street). Parking is available in the lot behind the church building and across Drew Street from the church. We invite you to participate in an open discussion about Camp for the Future. Discussions will inform those making decisions to make our summer camp program meet its goals in the best way possible. Camp goals can be described as three C’s.
We have been experiencing growing challenges in doing camp. We know how important our camp program has been in the diocese since 1926, so are being proactive in planning for the future. We are looking at ways we can change our path to avoid ending up in a dead end. We invite you to help us look at ways we can change. We know you care about our diocesan camp. We hope you are invested in its continuation in the best way possible. You can show a visible sign of that commitment by attending one or both discussion sessions. These discussion sessions will be led by a trained and experienced facilitator who will help us share our thoughts openly. Please do join us. Snacks and drinks will be served. Please RSVP at diofdl.org/camp. Camp for the Future Discussion Sessions
Excellent opportunities to share information about your ministries, missionaries, congregations, organizations and businesses are available October 25th & October 26th. Exhibitors pay a fee for use of an 8-foot table with a tablecloth, chair and wastebasket. There are a number of breaks allowing participants to browse during, before and after the event. Diocesan Convention: Over 150 people will attend from across the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac. Tables are $25 each. To reserve a table for the Diocesan Convention on Friday, October 25th, visit diofdl.org/convention and scroll down to Display Tables. Way of Love Revival: Over 500 people are expected to attend from across the state of Wisconsin. Tables are priced for businesses, not-for-profits and a special discounted rate for outreach and missionaries. To reserve a table for the Way of Love Revival on Saturday, October 26th, visit diofdl.org/wolr and click the Reserve Display Table button. One of the most important vocations of a cathedral, historically, is to serve as a community's center of civic moral consciousness. St. Paul's Cathedral, Fond du Lac is laboring to serve Fond du Lac as its "community cathedral," a place where the city gathers to learn, to pray, and to serve together for the good of the whole community. To this end, the Cathedral will be presenting a "Blue Evensong" on Sunday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. A Blue Evensong is a service designed to honor and pray for the public safety personnel of the community. It is held on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, because Michael is the patron saint of police officers and firefighters. All the public safety personnel of Fond du Lac - police officers, deputies, and firefighters - will be cordially invited to attend. The service is open to the public. Over $20,000 raised as part of the diocesan Annual Bishop's Appeal has been entrusted to a companion diocese. The Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac in northeast Wisconsin and the Anglican Diocese of Masvingo in Zimbabwe started a companion diocese relationship in 2016. This relationship expands understanding of one another, nurtures friendships, and proclaims the Good News of the Gospel in local communities and cultural contexts. Each diocese prays regularly for the other since the relationship began. In June this year, three members of Masvingo visited the Diocese of Fond du Lac. The Annual Bishop’s Appeal offers opportunity to support the work the diocese by providing resources for leadership, vitality, and through initiatives that transform lives. The 2019 missionary church portion of the appeal was designated for the Diocese of Masvingo. To date $20,334.12 has been raised, more than doubling a $10,000 goal. "Let me make special mention of two of our congregations," Bishop Matthew Gunter shared. "St. John the Baptist in Wausau, sent a gift collected from members of the congregation of over $10,000. The women of St. John's sent an additional donation for the work of the Mother's Union in Zimbabwe." "St. Luke's in Sister Bay," Bishop Gunter continued, "sent a donation for the Mother's Union as well. Nearly 100 individual gifts have been received toward this goal of the appeal. What a blessing it is to share what God has provided." The funds will support Masvingo's Transfiguration Skills Training Center and aid Cyclone Idai recovery efforts. The center is a diocesan project that impacts the community. It imparts skills to youth to start projects and improve their livelihoods through chicken rearing, piggery, market gardening and maize production. The Annual Bishop's Appeal continues to receive contributions. To give, visit diofdl.org/appeal. The Outreach Committee of the Episcopal Church of Christ the King and Holy Nativity, Sturgeon Bay and Jacksonport, selected “Cradle to Career” as the recipient of its second-quarter 2019 outreach grant. The church has pledged one thousand dollars per quarter to local community service programs, in addition to its continuous support of the Lakeshore CAP food pantry.
Door County Cradle to Career is a program of the Lakeshore CAP (Community Action Program). It serves Door County residents who are pregnant or are parenting at least one child under the age of five years. Case manager Kris Miller connects families with resources that help meet basic needs and supports parents as they work toward educational, career and financial goals.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Waupaca, hosts "Vespers in the Garden" on both July 28 and August 25 at 5:00 p.m. Music for both dates is provided by the Matt Buchman Jazz Quartet. The service is held in St. Mark's Garden of Blessings (weather permitting), 413 S Main Street, Waupaca, adjacent to the church building. A potluck follows the service. Lawn chairs are recommended. The Monarch Cursillo Summer Picnic & Ultreya will start at 12 noon on Saturday, July 27th at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Waupaca. Lawn chairs recommended. A potluck picnic and fellowship will be followed by the Ultreya in St. Mark's Garden of Blessings (weather permitting), 413 S Main Street. After the Ultreya is more fellowship, more food, and an opportunity to spend time on the Labyrinth. Picnic and fellowship will continue as late as everyone wants. Plates, cups & utensils, ketchup, mustard, as well as coffee, water, and lemonade to drink and brats & buns as the main dish are provided. Please bring a dish to pass. Coolers will be available for cold dishes as well as plugins for crockpots. Prayers are asked for the repose of the soul of the Rev. Canon Barry Whenal who died May 29, 2019. He was 72. He is survived by his wife Barbara. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Barry received a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and a Masters of Divinity from Episcopal Theological School. He was ordained a priest in December 9, 1972. He served parishes in the Diocese of Quincy in Illinois and all three Episcopal Dioceses in Wisconsin. He retired from active ministry in January 2004 having most recently served Intercession, Stevens Point and St. Olaf's, Amherst. After living for a time in the northwoods, Barry and Barb moved to Salisbury, North Carolina. In addition to serving as a parish priest, Barry was active on the diocesan level in a variety of capacities including Secretary of the Diocese of Fond du Lac. He was installed as an honorary canon on September 16, 2008. He was also a recipient of the Bishop's Cross for his service to the Church. Barry had a lifelong passion for learning. After his retirement he embarked on a journey to learn foreign languages and helping others to learn English.Memorials to celebrate and honor Barry's life have been established to support the English Language Learner's Program and checks may be made payable to Rowan County Literacy Council, PO Box 95, Salisbury, NC 28145. A Burial Eucharist and Committal will be held Thursday, June 6, 2019 at St. Luke's, Salisbury. A full obituary is available here. Give rest , O Christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 917 Church Street, Marinette, will hold and Evensong for the Ascension on Sunday, June 2nd. All are welcome to attend. A reception with tea (iced and hot) and refreshments will begin at 4:00 p,m. The Rev. Glenn Kanestrom, Rector of St. Paul's, will give a brief presentation on the history of Evening Prayer and Evensong, and the musical pieces of the Office. Evensong will begin at 5:00 p.m. May 15, 201 Dear Friends, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Tomahawk has roots as an Episcopal presence from as early as 1887. In 1892, it became an Organized Mission of the Diocese of Fond du Lac. In 1896 a wood frame church edifice designed by William Halsey Wood was erected in and served as its house of worship since then. It is my sad duty to inform you that the diocesan Executive Council has recommended dissolving the Organized Mission of St. Barnabas, and I have concurred. This decision was made after long discussions with members of the church following a year of efforts to reinvigorate the small band of worshipers. In the words of one member at that meeting, we learned those efforts were too little, too late. As with many congregations serving in smaller communities, the congregation experienced high points and low points that often-followed community dynamics. Tomahawk is a small but stable community. Over the past decade, the congregation has continued as a place of worship, but have reached a point where membership, attendance and financial resources are not adequate to support continuing as a congregation. A Celebration of Ministry service has been scheduled for Saturday, July 13 at 5:00 p.m. at St. Barnabas, 201 W Merrill Ave, Tomahawk. The service is open to the public, and any persons with a connection with St. Barnabas are especially invited to attend. The service will include deconsecrating and the secularization of the church building. The use and/or disposition of the building and its contents belong to the Trustees of the Diocese. Any questions should be directed to the Diocesan Office at (920) 830-8866. Under the Mercy, The Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter
St. Paul's has served the Suamico area for over 135 years from its beginnings when a group of English immigrant ladies met for prayer services. It is a worshiping community of about 50 people. Located in one of the faster growing areas of Wisconsin, the call of Kraft as Vicar is as a priest developer, missionary and evangelist. As was noted in the search profile, It is our hope that this person will equip and partner with us to engage in God’s work in our neighborhood. A three funding commitment has been made to the position from an outside grant and a grant from the diocesan Green Bay Area Ministry Fund.
“St. Paul's is in the center of a ripe opportunity for development. With the guidance of Mthr. Bobbi, the commitment of the laity of the church, and the financial support provided through the diocese, it is our hope and prayer that in three years there is a congregation vital and strong enough to consider moving from mission to parish status" Bishop Matthew Gunter shared. "This is part of what I spoke about in a Pastoral Address when I said we, the church, need to be on offense rather than playing defense." It is hoped that Mthr. Bobbi's first Sunday will be June 23rd. Learn more about St. Paul's , Suamico at stpaulsuamicowi.com. The Rev. Copeland D. Johnston has accepted a call to serve as Rector at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, Wausau. Currently he is an academic at the University of Utah and often serves St. Mary's, Provo, Utah. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Seabury Western Theological Seminary. Ordained in the Diocese of Utah to the diaconate in October 2018, Johnston will be ordained to the Priesthood April 27, 2019. Johnston is an instructor in the Peace & Conflict Studies program and curriculum administrator for other interdisciplinary programs that include Religious Studies. He has experience in elder care, family law, urban youth ministry, and liturgy and music (including singing tenor in the Utah Opera). He has served in urban, suburban and rural churches, worked in cathedrals and small chapels. He has worshiped in parishes which use incense at every Solemn High Mass and in mission churches where Morning Prayer is the primary service. The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist has served the Wausau area since 1858. It is a worshiping community of about 175 baptized members. Located in downtown Wausau, it has a strong presence in the community and works with other downtown churches on issues related to social justice and outreach, and developing the shared elements of faith.
“St. John's is a strong, vibrant and active congregation of the diocese," Bishop Matthew Gunter shared. "With the gifts that [Fr.] Johnston brings to share, the parish will be able to do even more in spreading the Gospel and sharing God's love." Johnston will move to Wausau with his spouse, Andrew, and their two Airedale Terriers. His first Sunday is expected to be Trinity Sunday, June 16. Learn more about St. John the Baptist at stjohnswausau.org. Vital Congregations. Prayer and Worship. Missionary Church. These are the three areas of focus for the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac in being a people of God’s mercy and delight. “Our ministry together is rich in both hope and possibility,” Bishop Matt Gunter wrote to congregations launching the first Annual Bishop’s Appeal in Easter. The invitation is for the people “join me in supporting work that helps us live Jesus' way of love.” The Annual Bishop's Appeal (diofdl.org/appeal) is an opportunity for members and friends of the diocese to support its work in providing for vitality in congregations. Support can also be given to initiatives that will transform lives. Developed by the diocesan Executive Council and approved by the Diocesan Convention, it is intended to give people in the pews an avenue to give directly to the broader church. Bishop Matt consults with church leaders each year to determine two or three areas for the appeal with a goal of supporting diocesan mission and ministry beyond regular budgetary processes. “I find the three areas of the 2019 appeal exciting,” Bishop Matt shared in a recent interview. “They reflect ways for us to be on offense as I talked about in a Pastoral Address.” The first area of the appeal is Vital Congregations. “We can do more,” Gunter noted, “to help congregations be as vital as possible.” Contributions are for supporting ongoing clergy and lay leadership development as well as diocesan initiatives like the current Faithful Innovations. A second area of the appeal is Prayer and Worship. “If you haven't heard yet, the Presiding Bishop visits us in October,” Gunter reminded. “We can be great hosts for all who come to hear his particular message of the Way of Love.” While the Executive Council has made a financial commitment to assure the Way of Love Revival will happen, additional funds will make it the best as it can be. Hosting an event for 500-800 people is a big undertaking with significant expenses related to rental of the Expo Center, staging, lighting, sound, a tent, renting tables and chairs rental, and of course, a lunch. Contributions are for underwriting the costs of the revival, so it will be open to the public at no cost, including a free lunch! The final area of the appeal is Missionary Church. “We can help our companion diocese in two ways,” Gunter said. “Recovery efforts after Cyclone Idai, and help transforming the lives of people in a way to help them thrive.” Zimbabwe has numerous political, economic and social challenges. Industry, social services, and other sectors have collapsed resulting in high unemployment. University graduates and other skilled people are unable to get jobs because the jobs are not there. Most people have resorted to vending to sustain their families.
The Diocese of Masvingo has developed ways of intervening to mitigate the situation, cognizant of our Lord's instruction in Matthew 25:40. Bishop Godfrey has specifically requested assistance for the Transfiguration Skills Training Center. The Center imparts skills to young men and women who can then start their own projects, improving their livelihoods. Skills taught are in chicken rearing, piggery, market gardening and maize production. Embarking on these projects builds a sense of self-reliance and hope for positive change and self-worth. The projects enable participation in both church and society through survival skills provision. Vital Congregations. Prayer and Worship. Missionary Church. These are the areas of the appeal. Contributions may be made and used in all three areas or designated for one or two of the areas. To give, visit diofdl.org/appeal. The appeal runs through the end of Pentecost. “There are lots of good things going on in the Diocese of Fond du Lac already,” Bishop Matt concluded. “This is an opportunity to build on that goodness.” When I was child growing up in the South, revivals were a part of the cultural fabric. The fact that my third-grade class (in public school, no less) took a field trip to a local revival service demonstrates just how socially-significant revivals were. (It also reminds me just how old I am!) For Southern Christians, revivals were primarily viewed as events – religious gatherings held by churches annually or semi-annually almost as a matter of course. There was no real expectation of any sort of spiritual awakening; the primary focus was upon promoting an event that, perhaps, would provide the church with some positive visibility. As we as a diocese look toward the visit of our quasi-rockstar Presiding Bishop next October, it would be very easy for us to fall into the trap of treating our forthcoming Way of Love revival as little more than a publicity stunt. That would be an immense tragedy, for it would represent the misuse – or downright abuse – of a remarkable opportunity for the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac. A skillfully-planned, well-attended event doth not a revival make! Revival is, instead, a bringing about of new life. It concerns the re-awakening of spiritual awareness, fervor, and commitment among the members of the Body of Christ. To facilitate a true revival, the lion’s share of the preparation made must be the preparation of hearts and minds. During its heyday, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association would routinely begin its preparations for a crusade one or two years in advance. Be assured, however, the concentration of its labors was not upon the mundane logistics of securing venues, scheduling talent, and plastering posters. Instead, a great deal of work went into to preparing the community spiritually for what was hoped to be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who would be hosting the event were encouraged to “prepare the way of the Lord” through fervent prayer, focused formation, and faithful engagement with the target community. The “event” itself was largely the culmination of intense, spiritual efforts beginning long before Dr. Graham ever set foot on the rostrum. During the next six months, we who are members of the Body of Christ, resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac, have the opportunity – yea, even, the responsibility – to prepare ourselves, both individually and corporately, for a revival. Our Bishop will be preaching about it. Our diocesan and parish leaders will be teaching about it. Our membership will be inundated with calls to participate in it. Don’t let the “it” be, for you, merely showing up at the Fox Cities Exposition Center on Saturday, October 26, 2019, to hear Bishop Curry hold forth. Instead, commit yourselves – your time, your substance, and your spiritual energies – to preparing diligently for a divine appointment, a spiritual visitation, and – God willing – a life-changing revival in the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac. The Very Rev. Patrick Perkins is Dean of the Cathedral of St. Paul, Fond du Lac and Co-Chair of the Way of Love Revival Design Team. Additional Resource: REVIVAL! EPISCOPAL EVANGELISM AND BILLY GRAHAM’S LEGACY by Carrie Boren Headington, Covenant Post of The Living Church, March 2018.
The borders of Zimbabwe are more than 100 miles from the Indian Ocean, but that didn’t stop the damaging effects of Cyclone Idai on the people and places of the Diocese of Masvingo. Masvingo is in a companion relationship with the Diocese of Fond du Lac, the Episcopal Church in northeast Wisconsin. Eastern parts of the Masvingo diocese, along with areas of their sister Diocese of Manicaland, were impacted.
Many have asked how they support the recovery efforts related to the damage. The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe includes Anglican Relief and Development in Zimbabwe, whose chair is Bishop Godfrey of the Diocese of Masvingo. Funds received by this agency will be used to assist victims of Cyclone Idai and support affected households. International donations are hard to make and each one includes wire transfer fees. For this reason, the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac will collect funds for the Cyclone Idai Recovery Fund. Individuals may give online at diofdl.org or send a check to the Diocesan Office with Idai in the memo line. Congregations are encouraged to hold a special collection for Cyclone Idai Recovery and send collected funds to the Diocesan Office. The total collected with be announced when our guests from the Diocese of Masvingo are visiting the end of May. Faith @ Home is a weekly discipleship practice of Reading, Reflecting, and Responding to scripture in the context of community. Devotions are provided to use with friends or family to help individuals deepen their experience of faith experience from Monday-Saturday. Faith @ Home is a ministry of Forma and Forward Movement . Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, Erin Wolf, is a contributing writer to Faith @ Home. She contributed to the "Adult and Elementary" pieces for "The Way of Love" posts. While these posts have been launched in Lent, it is a stand-alone series not tied to a specific part of the church calendar. When visiting the site, you may sign up for a year-round weekly email to include four separate lectionary based reflections and prompts for families and friend groups. The Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac has announced a new Way of Love Matchmakers Service. This service will specialize in making romantic matches for church-going folk in northeast Wisconsin. Bishop Matt Gunter, who grew up a Presbyterian, realizes that those who marry across denominational lines (such as Roman Catholic and Lutheran or some other Protestant) often experience difficulty in finding their church home. We have the solution to help such couples find a new church home that is friendly to both: the Episcopal Church. Way of Love Matchmakers is committed to matching such couples with the nearest Episcopal Church to find a community of others following Jesus on the way of love. The service, which launched on April 1, is according to Bishop Matt "intended for those who may be lovelorn Lutherans, Roman Catholic tired of roamin’ through life alone, or other protestants desiring matrimonial pairing." The bishop added that "these may be folks longing for someone to keep them warm during cold Wisconsin winters, looking for someone with whom to enjoy the beauty of this great state or just longing for someone to sit beside them to hold hands in church. Seriously, though, the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac is committed to matchmaking in the great romance between God and humanity (and all creation). While a matchmaking service described above is an April Fool's joke, we do invite you to join us at the Way of Love Revival on Saturday, October 26, 2019 in Appleton. This matchmaking event features the Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, preacher at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. You don’t have to be an Episcopalian, or even have to become one, to attend! We want to introduce, or reintroduce you to Jesus and his way of love. Learn more at diofdl.org/wolr. The Diocese of Fond du Lac is in a companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Masvingo in Zimbabwe. We recently received a report on the work of the Mothers' Union there and thought we'd share it. We look forward to welcoming our guests from Masvingo the end of May. Compiled by: Thompson Matthias Maduba, Diocesan Development Officer
FUNDRAISING AND OUTREACH The Mothers’ Union as one of the Guilds within the Diocese are a very strong force to reckon with. The Anglican Diocese of Masvingo and many a family unit and institutions of different natures have benefitted from the generosity and hard work of the Mothers’ Union. In line with the virtuous qualities of a woman spoken of in Proverbs 31v10-31, the Mothers’ Union fundraise on a large scale through design and sale of a variety of Mothers’ Union material and other Guilds under the Mothers’ Union like St. Agnes Guild for the girls and St. Veronica Guild for the single mothers; such items like t-shirts, shawls, scarfs, jerseys, bags, guild books & cards, bibles, hymn books, MU pins and medals, hats and umbrella. Fundraising is the major source of income for the Mothers’ Union. They also assist financially in building churches, rectories and clinics. They paid money to Buhera Rural District Council for St Stephen Murambinda Church’s rates to enable construction of the rectory to proceed. St Martin Masasa was appreciated for hosting Lady Day in 2018 with 20 x 50kgs bags of cement for rectory construction as well. They built and fully furnished a maternity home at Daramombe Mission Clinic (one of our key Missions in the Diocese). The Maternity home was officially opened by the Minister from the Ministry of Health and Child Care in 2010 and it is the first maternity home to be built in Chikomba District within our Diocese. The Mothers’ Union used funds got from their fundraising activities to build this special facility. The Mothers’ Union have also assisted in enabling availability of clean water facilities including the drilling of the borehole and installing the solar power system to pump the water, 5000 litre water tank and stand at St. Michael’s Mambo Mission in Buhera and bought a 5000 litre plastic water tank and stand for Holy Cross Manyene, in Chikomba District under the Diocese of Masvingo. Buhera is very arid and water for consumption is a huge challenge because it hardly receive any meaningful rains. Last year the Buhera area was hit by cholera due to lack of clean sources of water. The Mothers’ Union has plans to drill more boreholes for the communities in Buhera, if funds permit. Through their outreach activities a lot of lives have been touched and transformed; of those in Masvingo Remand Prison, Chiredzi Prison, Mutimurefu Prison, Chiredzi General Hospital, Masvingo General Hospital, including the various Old People’s Homes and Orphanages in Masvingo and beyond. The less privileged are also addressed whenever the Mothers’ Union holds the Lady Day Celebrations. The Mothers’ Union has three students who graduated last year from tertiary institutions (2 from Great Zimbabwe University and 1 from Masvingo Polytechnic College) whom they were paying fees for. Currently they have 24 students including 2 university students they are paying fees for using funds got from fundraising activities. They have plans to buy residential stands and build houses for rentals so that their fundraising efforts are boosted and their outreach expands further too.
[ENS] Individuals or groups interested in learning more about Sacred Ground: a film-based dialogue series on race and faith, are invited to an introductory webinar hosted by Katrina Browne, Sacred Ground curriculum developer, and producer/director of the acclaimed documentary, Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North. Browne will also be providing this information in the Diocese of Fond du Lac at the Traces of the Trade Gathering on April 13 in Stevens Point.
Built around a curriculum of powerful documentary films, videos, and readings, Sacred Ground is a 10-part series that considers some of the major chapters of the United States of America’s history of race and racism. It focuses on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian American histories as they intersect with European American histories. It also invites participants to weave in the threads of personal and family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. In this webinar, Katrina Browne shares the “why and how” of the Sacred Ground series. She also walks participants through the online Sacred Ground curriculum and resources, including the password-protected pages, to provide participants with an overview of all the elements of this resource. There will also be time for questions.
“More than a teaching tool, Sacred Ground calls us into intentional, sustained circles in which we can pray, watch, share our own stories, reflect, wonder, reckon, heal, and commit to action. Think of it as a pilgrimage in place,” notes the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers.
Click here to begin to explore the Sacred Ground webpages, and to sign up to receive additional resources. Webinar support graciously provided by Episcopal Migration Ministries. Sometime after 11pm on Monday, March 18, a number of buildings in the around City Park were damaged by a vandal , including All Saints Episcopal Church. Broken windows and vehicle damage were found by investigators. A suspect was taken into custody and is being treated for mental health concerns, police said in a news release.
The man smashed a number of windows along the east side of the building, as well as one of the glass doors at the Washington St. entrance, with an ice chopper. The nursery, the sacristy, and St. Mary's Chapel were all affected. The windows have been boarded up, and plans for repair are being discussed. A giving option has been provided by the parish for those wishing to support the costs of repair outside of insurance. Contributions received above those costs will be added to the parish's Real Estate Endowment to provide for future maintenance and repairs. allsaintsappleton.org/giving. On March 14, ice jams sent water over the banks of the Fond du Lac River and flooded homes and businesses. Both the Cathedral and Gulick Hall came through the flood without waters reaching the main level (Thanks be to God!) and doesn't seem to have damaged the facility as much as in 2008. There was water in both basements. It remains to be seen what sort of damage the boiler in the Cathedral sustained. Dean Patrick Perkins noted in a Facebook post the "Our God has brought his people — and OUR people — through floods before, and he will be faithful to do so again." The Rev. Dr. Karl Schaffenburg, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Sheboygan, has announced plans to retire effective May 1, 2019. He has served Grace since 2011. As a seminarian, he served for a time at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Fond du Lac. A graduate of Nashotah House, Schaffenburg was ordained to the priesthood in 2006 by Bishop Russell Jacobus. He served a call in Mississippi prior to Sheboygan. He has been active in diocesan ministries serving as a Trustee, on the Executive Council, as Dean of the Lake Winnebago Deanery and in other capacities. He and his wife, Elizabeth, will move to Laurel, Mississippi to be near family. In a letter to the congregation, he noted he is "not so much retiring from my current calling as to a calling which will focus more on longer term projects." Read his letter to the congregation here. |
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