The Parish of
St. Mary and St. Jude
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A message from the Interim RectorMy Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, As many of you know by now, hymns (both words and music) are very important elements of my spiritual life. It is amazing how often insights to life's most troublesome moments come when I am singing a hymn. Recently, as I was pondering the meaning of community, we sang Hymn #305, Come Risen Lord. The third verse helped to put into words what I was unable to. It is, "One body we, one Body who partake, one Church united in communion blest; one Name we bear, one bread of life we break, with all thy saints on earth and saints at rest." The people whom God gathers together at the Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude represent an exceptionally diverse group. Its members come from many different places (geographically, spiritually, philosophically, and economically) and with differing ideas, preferences, needs, want, and desires. What we have in common (and in some cases ALL we have in common) is our Baptism and our sharing in the Communion of the Body and the Blood. It is that which binds us into a community and makes of us One Body. It is our diversity that many value and which makes this such an exciting place to be. It is also our diversity that sometimes makes it difficult for us to remember where we find our unity. That unity is in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my experience that God calls together motley crews - people who would otherwise have little in common - and makes of them community. The disciples had little in common except that they answered the call to, "Come, follow me." Consider what Jesus was able to do with that group of twelve and the hangers-on. People were healed, people came to know God and believe in the miracles they saw, people learned to pray and to be a community. What they had in common was their relationship to Jesus, and that changed the world. Imagine what God might have in store for us if we take our common relationship with Jesus seriously and willingly follow where he may lead? In Christ's Joy, Frances+ In Memoriam The Reverend Douglas MacLean Morrill (9/28/19 - 6/24/01) A celebration of the life of our former Rector, Douglas Morrill, was held on June 29th at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hallowell, Maine. Father Morrill was called as Rector of the Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude in January of 1974. He was a very popular and active Rector. He instituted the Harbor Chart and fireside chats, was responsible for building church membership and attendance, and initiated extensive repair and renovations at both St. Mary's and St. Jude's. The highlight of the celebration of Father Merrill's life was a poem by his daughter, Tori Morrill, inspired by her Dad, "It's so simple to just listen." Copies are available from the parish office. What is Credo? The Latin word "CREDO" can be translated literally, "I believe," but it also has a much deeper meaning, "I give my heart." CREDO is also the title of a conference for clergy (Clergy Reflection Education Discernment Opportunity) sponsored by the national church. Clergy who have been active for some time are chosen to attend at random. Last August I received an invitation to attend CREDO #18 which will be held at Camp Allen (outside Houston, Texas) this October. After some prayer and the encouragement of both the Bishop of Maryland (my former Bishop) and the Bishop of Maine, I accepted the invitation. There will be a total of 28 clergy from 16 states gathered. CREDO is designed to offer an opportunity within Christian Community to examine our lives and ministry and the related issues of health, vocation, finances, and Spiritual well being. As part of the extensive preparation for this Educational event, a number of you were asked to complete a profile for me and I will have spoken with a number of others of you about your perceptions of my skills, gifts, and things needing more work. Thank you for your help. By the time I leave for Houston I will have completed a number of reflections and forms. I will fly out of Bar Harbor the morning of Monday, October 15 and return the evening of Sunday October 28. Thank you in advance for your continuing prayers and support. Frances+ Mutual Study of Ministry Redux This summer, the Vestry answered the bell for round two of the formal Mutual Study of Ministry program begun last year. MSM's purpose is to look at our progress on the path of ministry, to ask questions about what God is calling us to do, and to provide background for creating a long-range plan for ministry. Once again, Vestry members called upon a representative cross section of parishioners to discuss issues of importance to our church. Three questions were asked: ***We are is a very diverse group of year-round and summer residents and visitors. Sometimes that diversity gets in the way of people feeling comfortable with each other. How could we achieve a greater sense of unity? *** People give of their energies, resources, and commitment to things that are important to them. How do we make the church more important in people's lives? ***What can we do as a congregation to make a difference in the community? In the next Harbor Chart, we will report the results of the interviews and any new goals or initiatives the Vestry elects to undertake on your behalf. In the meantime, if you were not interviewed and would like to share your ideas and suggestions about any or all of the above questions, please write or e-mail the parish. Your contributions are most welcome. RENOVATION UPDATE by Roz Rea, Chair Buildings and Grounds Committee St. Mary's: Worship continued as it always has at St. Mary's-by-the-Sea this past summer while behind the scenes the Building Committee, Vestry, architects and engineers were extremely busy preparing for the first phase of work on the church to be executed this fall. In mid-August information about the way the church sits on its foundation and the ledge underneath was gathered. A complete drainage system from roof to foundation is now being drawn up. Designs for upgrading the electrical system and mechanical system (heating and ventilating) are ready to go. By the end of August the entire church will be documented by "photogrammetry" to provide the most complete record possible of its physical appearance. Once services in the church end for this season the actual implementation of all the designs and plans will begin. Nine area contractors were interviewed for phase one of the project. The building committee unanimously chose the firm of Michael Hewes & Co., Inc. of Blue Hill, ME. The committee was impressed by their enthusiasm for difficult jobs requiring unique problem solving, the variety of extraordinary solutions they have accomplished on other projects, the depth of talent on their project team, and their respect for the building as well as the impact their work will have on the surrounding neighborhood. Beyond the drainage, electrical and mechanical systems work to be done this fall, the general contractor will also be repairing the tower roof, replacing rotten sills, window frames, and door frames, replacing the window protection where needed, and doing minimal re-pointing. Moisture and motion monitoring devices will be installed in the church and information will be gathered for a full year. This will guide the architects and engineers in planning the appropriate solutions to the problem of tying the inner and outer stone walls together permanently. The work through November is expected to cost between $250,000 and $300,000. More will be necessary to pay for the planning that will continue until the next step is clear. Initial estimates for the entire project were just over $4 million and included the cleaning and restoration of all the stained glass windows. Thus far all proposed work that has been completed, such as removal of the bell tower, has come in under budget. We hope that track record will continue. We are grateful for all of the professional help and the donations that parishioners have offered thus far. While we are proceeding with caution, we are at the same time optimistic that St. Mary's can and will be preserved for generations to come. St. Jude's: This fall efforts will be initiated to maintain and repair St. Jude's Chapel. Much of the trim work and shingling are in need of replacement. The floor will be reinforced and the foundation investigated. One window will be removed for cleaning and restoration by Hot Flash Anny's. The exterior protective glazing covering the windows will be replaced and properly ventilated for the environment. The work required at St. Jude's will be paid for from funds acquired in the sale of the Guild House this past May. MONEY AND THE CHURCH Excerpted and adapted from Vestry Papers, June 2001 Jesus spoke about money more than any other topic save His overarching message of God's reign. We remember the vivid scene in the Temple with the moneychangers and we tend to associate money with corruption, greed, and evil. But Jesus also spoke of money in terms of stewardship and service. In light of the extensive repairs needed at St. Mary's-by-the-Sea, we should now turn our thoughts to our obligation to be good stewards of our property (God's property, if you believe "All things come of thee, O Lord "). And we should determine our own interest and ability to help. An institution. The Christian church would have come and gone if Paul had not institutionalized it. You may remember his being criticized by the fledgling churches for asking for donations to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. But Paul knew that for Christ to be "bread for the life of the world," Christianity had to be more than a transient movement. He knew that we must institutionalize the things we care about if they are to survive. At St. Mary's-by-the-Sea, we have an opportunity to continue Paul's tradition. In the rehabilitation of our 100-year-old institution, we can validate our religious beliefs tangibly, importantly, and permanently. We can memorialize and perpetuate community and family traditions as well as meaningful events in our own lives. Its people. And speaking of lives. In our deepest and most private reflections, each one of us surely admits that his or her life is a blessing, a gift from God. Once we acknowledge the abundance of the gifts we've been given - time, talent, and treasure - we can begin to free ourselves of the sense of "not having it all," with which our market economy bombards us day in and day out. How splendid to be able to say, "I have enough!" How magnificent to be able to say, "I choose to do this or that with my money" instead of saying, "I can't afford it" or "I'm overly committed." There is an old Nigerian saying, "It is the heart that gives, the fingers just let go." Open your heart to the vision of future generations of our parish's families strengthened by a 100-year history of building, worshiping, learning, growing, serving, loving, and caring. When hearts are open, then fingers do indeed let go. UPDATE ON OUR SEARCH FOR A RECTOR The parish's eight-member search committee has been meeting faithfully every ten to fourteen days since their initial retreat in late April. The members of the search committee as a whole mirror our two churches' diverse congregations: representatives of four generations, native islanders, summer residents, year-round residents, and residents of all MDI communities the parish serves. A brief profile of each member appears on page 7 of this newsletter. The search committee's first task is to study parishioners' relationships with our two churches, and to learn what role parishioners need and expect the church to play in their lives. In addition to one-on-one dialog and conversation at parish gatherings, questionnaires were mailed to 625 members of the greater parish constituency, including year-round and seasonal members, and nonmember attendees. By the end of July, 31% of the questionnaires had been completed and returned. In the process of tabulating the responses and reviewing written comments, the search committee has identified some themes shared in common by a majority of parishioners responding. Mentioned most frequently was the absence of camaraderie between year-round and summer residents and visitors, expressed by most as a "weakness" or "threat," and as an "opportunity" by several people. A second often-mentioned concern was the lack of new young families joining the parish, needed to sustain the church for future generations. The survey also revealed parishioners' interest in having strong leadership, inspiring sermons based on scripture, and a Rector who is visible and involved in the community. These and other questionnaire data will be used by the committee to publish a parish profile that will be distributed to priests interested in the opportunity to lead The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude. The search committee hopes to identify a new rector by the fall of 2002, and asks your assistance in discussion, participation, and prayer. Names of prospective search candidates are being referred to The Rev. Linton Studdiford, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Maine, 143 State Street, Portland, ME 04101, e-mail: lstuddif@diomaine.org. SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBER PROFILES Mark Bucklin is a lifelong resident of Northeast Harbor, and freshman at MDI High School. He is a member of the soccer team and band. Mark was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary's, where he also serves as an acolyte. He lives with his brothers and parents, Martha and Chuck Bucklin, all very active in the Parish. Jim Clunan is a retired Foreign Service Officer whose connection with MDI began in 1957. Since retiring to their home in Somesville, he and his wife, Dorothy, initiated the Acadia Senior College, which operates from September through May. Jim serves on the Mt. Desert Planning Board. The Clunans have been members of several Episcopal congregations around the globe before joining St. Mary's in 1998. Michael Dennis is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, retired from practice in Santa Barbara but still provides pro bono reconstructive services for children with birth defects in six of the seven continents. He serves on several hospital boards and surgical academy committees and has been especially involved with the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association. Fortunately he was introduced to NEH by two Harvard roommates in the late Fifties and, even more fortuitously, married Phyllis Dickinson Harrison whose family has been coming to the island since 1921. Michael currently serves on the vestry and the Capital Campaign Fund Committee as well as this committee and lives in NEH six months of the year. Ellen Kappes has lived in Northeast Harbor year round since 1976. She is a watercolor artist, and produces a well-known series of silk screened cards and prints depicting local scenes. Ellen serves on the boards of the Neighborhood House and the Mt. Desert Nursing Association, and was previously a member of the Mt. Desert Recycling Committee. She is the mother of two sons, Alex and Ben Kimball. Ellen is a former vestry member and was active on the Parish's last search profile committee. Lydia Lyman started visiting Northeast Harbor in the summer, beginning in 1924, and moved here permanently in 1964. Lydia owned and operated The Pine Tree Market for the better part of a decade, starting in 1979. A music lover, Lydia sings with the Acadia Choral Society. She volunteered at the Northeast Harbor information booth for ten years. Lydia has completed two years of EFM. She served as Diocesan ECW Chair for Western Massachusetts in the 1950's and is an active St. Mary's parishioner. Sydney Roberts Rockefeller is a lifelong summer resident who has moved to Seal Harbor full time. She has been a St. Mary's-by-the-Sea parishioner since childhood and is an active community member. Currently chair of the board of directors of the Great Harbor Maritime Museum, Sydney also serves on the Mt. Desert Ordinance Review Committee, Traffic Committee, Northeast Harbor Improvement Project, Neighborhood House, and several arts and arts education organization boards and committees. Sydney is an artist and graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art. Sheila Smallidge grew up in Northeast Harbor. She was baptized, confirmed and married at St. Mary's. She has been a vestry member, an active member of the ECW, and has served on a previous search committee. Sheila is an avid quilter, cook, and enthusiastic grandmother of five. She and her husband, Peter, are retired but remain active in the community. They reside in Somesville. Lynda Tyson is a former marketing communications consultant, and continues to work as a writer and editor. She serves on the boards of Bar Harbor Bankshares and its subsidiary, Bar Harbor Banking and Trust Company, and the Maine Sea Coast Missionary Society. Lynda has attended St. Mary's since the early 1990's and transferred her church membership there in 1999. She has completed three years of EFM. She and her husband, Charlie, moved to MDI in 1986. Former residents of Mt. Desert, they now reside in Salisbury Cove. FROM THE PARISH RECORDS BAPTISMS April 15 Seth Lovejoy Clark, Britta Noel Lovejoy June 3 Robyn Rigby-Jones, Emily Clark July 15 Eloise Hopkins Eagan, Camilla Mellon Gower August 11 Francesca Adrie Kusserow, Theo Alexander Alfred Gordon Dunham Nadel Wilson and Jackson George Nicholas Gordon Dunham Nadel Wilson RECEIVED BY THE BISHOP Karol Ann Hagberg MARRIAGES June 16 Robyn Rigby-Jones and Daniel Clark June 23 Amy Iselin and John Campbell Henry, Jr. July 28 Diana Geraldine Zimmerman and Kevin Parker Mahaney BURIALS July 6 Elizabeth Madeira July 7 Midy (Myra)Stanley August 10 Frederick Sontag August 11 Mary Stanley Dr. Edward K. Dunham An answer to prayer. Our Interim Rector pulled out all the stops (no pun intended) to arrange for an organist for St. Judešs this summer. She called, she prayed, and no one answered. Finally Ed Dunham thought he might be able to do the first week in July. Then the second. Then the rest of July. Then, when one of our August organists couldnšt come, once again God sent us Ed. With grateful hearts for this gentle, talented soul, we voice our thanks for his ministry this summer. |
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The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude
P.O. Box 105, Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662 Tel: 207/276-5588 Fax: 207/276-3220