News of The Church of the Holy Comforter in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

Richmond, July ~ August 2015

Inside this issue:

• Two weddings and two votes

• Grant heads to VTS

• Hilary’s Message

• Barbara McCreary Leaves Church Home

• Teenie Weenie Greenie

• He Read the Book

• Mildred Peele, long a parishioner, passed away July 1st

• HoCo Evening Book Club

• Parish Birthdays in July

• Parishioner Emily Herr Featured in Style Weekly article

• Monthly Community Meals

Two weddings and two votes change marriage in the church Reported by Bruce MacAlister On May 30th, Carol Gibbs and Deborah Love got married on a hot Saturday afternoon. On June 21st, Cameron Hunt and Keyan Herron got married just after the Sunday service. Although Priest-in-Charge Hilary Smith had married a few same-sex parishioners in private ceremonies, these were the first marriages melded into an Episcopal worship service using permitted trial liturgies. So when first the Supreme Court permitted same-sex marriage on June 29th and then the national convention of the Episcopal Church changed the canons to permit such marriages on July 1st, it was a pleasant

endorsement of what many at Holy Comforter had wanted for years. Carol and Deb had a full house of friends, family and many parishioners. With all the style and artistry that Carol has in abundance, it was colorful and joyful. The choir sang in full voice and at the end, they walked out to a recording of the Beatles’s “All you need is love (love)”. The reception featured lots of cakes. Cameron and Keyon were led down the aisle by their mothers who smiled with

joy. There was a full house and, yes, the choir was in full voice. The reception included lots of dancing. Holy Comforter clergy have found ways of unofficially blessing such couples for a couple of decades. After all, they thought, if you can bless animals, why not bless two people who are committed to each other. For most – but not all – at Holy Comforter this is the culmination of a long sought, broader understanding of marriage.

Family Photo

Family Photo

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Grant Mansfield and his husband Dominique Vines head for Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in Alexandria on August 1st with classes starting Aug 12th. Why VTS? “I heard it gave the most well-rounded training,” he said. Grant's last Sunday at Holy Comforter is July 19th. At HoCo he served as an assistant to Priest-in-Charge the Rev Hilary Smith. That meant assisting at services, going on pastoral calls and much more. Among the “much more” is helping the youth get very active in everything from fun outings to assisting in worship services. Asked what made him decide he wanted to be part of the clergy, he replied “I've always felt a strong calling to helping people find God in their lives, how God is working in their lives. There's this sense that people see God as something you may encounter in church. I've always seen God as what is working in my life and in their lives. I want to help them learn how to share God's love and grace with the world. For me that also means a real focus on justice, working for justice.” Grant started in the Southern Baptist church and was then baptized and confirmed in Lutheran church. The move to the Episcopal church came “...from the first time I went to [a] Eucharist and I felt accepted. As a gay man I didn't feel like I was usually accepted.” It happened at Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal church when the Rev Lauren Kuratko led the worship. “In the Episcopal church I felt I could be myself while I was growing to become a better person as God called me to be.” Grant ended up at Holy Comforter “...through the Young Priests Initiative led by Laura Lockey at the Diocese of Virginia. It's a two year process of discernment of God's call and being placed in parish with a three month internship.” Three months turned into over a year as his work at the parish became more involved. He had wide support from Hilary, the Vestry and

parishioners. “As much as tradition is important, change is important and HoCo has both,” he added. As to justice, “My first sense was around LGBTQ issues, how to tie the faith community to this [LGBTQ] community. Going forward I expect a need to be more inclusive of female and LGBTQ clergy. I still see race as an issue that needs more focus. We're taught not to talk about race but we need to learn to talk about race including the privilege white people have.”

Grant Mansfield heads to VTS August 1st An interview with Grant Mansfield by Bruce MacAlister

Photography - George Collier

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Greetings from the most amazing General Convention. I'm writing from here because I expect that I'll be pretty busy when I return.

Full Marriage Equality Comes to the Episcopal Church Marriage equality in the Episcopal Church is now a reality for all. Resolutions proposed by the Task Force on Marriage and amended slightly by the House of Bishops, passed in the House of Deputies on July 1st. What does this mean for us at Holy Comforter? It means that same-sex couples will be able to use all the trial liturgies approved at this 78th General Convention, as well as the marriage service found in the Book of Common Prayer. It means that opposite-sex couples will be able to use all the trial liturgies as well as being able to continue to use the marriage service in the Book of Common Prayer as they have always been able to do. One of the fascinating aspects of these matters has been the experience of heterosexual people of the blessing service for same-sex couples – many want to use it! As of the 1st Sunday in Advent 2015, they will be able to do so. The 1st Sunday in Advent 2015, November 29th, will also be the day that all couples will be able to use the trial marriage liturgies approved at the 78th General Convention. As well, the canons of the Episcopal Church have been changed to expand the definition of marriage to be between any two persons. The bishops of our diocese and the deputation of clergy and lay persons all voted to passes these historic resolutions. I have been so

thankful to be able to vote for justice, as a representative our diocese and of our church. Holy Comforter has been waiting a long time for the Church to catch up to what most of you have believed about these matters. Thanks be to God that the matter of marriage equality has been settled in the Episcopal Church as well as in the U.S., within days of each other.

Blessing of the Backpacks Join us on Sunday August 23rd for a celebration of children and all those who will be going back to school in the next few weeks. I encourage children to bring a backpack or any item that they use for school or daycare to be blessed. I invite all teachers, educators, administrators, and all others who work in educational settings to come up for these prayers and bring

an item that you use to be blessed. We will also bless the parents and guardians of the children – we honor the essential role that you have in the educational process and formation of your children. As we start a new Children's Chapel cycle around this time, I would also like all who teach and mentor our children in the church to come up for the prayers. Peace, Hilary+

A Message from Hilary +

Photography - David Smith-Soto

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In 1985 Dorcas Douthit and I were working on a writing project together. When she heard I was “church shopping,” she said, “You ought to try my church. I think you’d like our new priest Bill Wells.” And so I visited, and so I stayed, and except for a three-year hiatus at St. Bart’s, Holy Comforter’s been my church home ever since. It’s where my daughter Adele was baptized. It’s where a shy, introverted person found the courage and support to join an Altar Guild team, teach Sunday School, become a torch bearer, join an EFM group, and run for vestry. It’s where I learned of people on a spiritual journey and living their Christian faith. Thank you for that. Leaving Holy Comforter was a difficult part of leaving Richmond and making my move in June to Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina. I’m appreciative of the leave taking prayers offered by Hilary and the congregation as a blessing on my new life. And what a new life it is! This is a move I have wanted to make for a long time. My family vacationed in Emerald Isle for forty years, and every year it grew harder to leave at week’s end. It wasn’t just beach fun but also the community to which I felt drawn. Those who know me know I have talked about it for years. However, the timing never seemed right: raising a child, working, taking care of family obligations all kept me in Richmond. After prayerful consideration, I began working with a realtor in December. Adele and I visited in February (wanting to see it in worst possible weather to make sure I’d like it year-round.)

We looked at 13 properties and fell in love with McGinnis Point, but finding a church home was just as important as finding a home in which to live. I visited a service at St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church and walked the outdoor labyrinth there. While walking I listened to God, discerning the timing was finally right for the move and that I had found my new “homes.” In addition to Sunday service, St. Francis offers a weekly Celtic Eucharist in which we worship God in a setting surrounded 360 degrees by windows, letting in beautiful light and a magnificent view of trees of all kinds. I feel God’s presence so strongly here, in the ocean wind, the swooping white herons, and in the cat tails growing right outside my back door. I write this while sitting on my back porch, listening to birds, and soon it will be time for frogs to strike up their evening chorus. I feel God has given me a precious gift, allowing me to settle here, in a place where I feel at peace. As I look ahead, I picture myself getting involved in the community. There are many volunteer opportunities available: the Bogue Banks Library, the PAWS thrift shop, the NC Aquarium, St. Francis’s prayer shawl ministry. I’m taking time to see ways in which I feel called and can contribute. We’d love to have visitors. If you want to get away, relax and rejuvenate, there is always “Welcome” on our mat!

Barbara McCreary Leaves Church Home, Finds Church Home By Barbara McCreary

Photography - George Collier

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Before throwing the empty latex paint can out, leave the lid off to allow the remaining paint to dry completely. Latex paint is not hazardous once it is completely dry.

Teeny Weeny Tidbit By Kipley Herr Surprising Statistics That Reveal How Much Stuff We Actually Own ▪ The average size of the American home has

nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years (NPR).

▪ While 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle. (U.S. Department of Energy).

▪ British research found that the average 10-year-old owns 238 toys but plays with just 12 daily (The Telegraph).

▪ 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally (UCLA).

▪ Our homes have more television sets than people. And those television sets are turned on for more than a third of the day—eight hours, 14 minutes (USA Today).

▪ Americans spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches ($100 billion) than on higher education (Psychology Today).

▪ Shopping malls outnumber high schools. And 93% of teenage girls rank shopping as their favorite pastime (Affluenza).

▪ Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods—in other words, items they do not need (The Wall Street Journal).

▪ The $8 billion home organization industry has more than doubled in size since the early 2000’s—growing at a staggering rate of 10% each year (Uppercase).

Teenie Weenie Greenie By Kipley Herr

He Read the Book Article and photo by George Collier

It was the day of Carol and Deb’s wedding. The people were showing up, the choir rehearsing for the prelude. Suddenly, all the lights in the sanctuary went out for a few seconds, then came back on. After breathing a sigh of relief, we noticed that the AC fans were not running – less than an hour till start time. I went down to the church basement to check on things, everything was turned on. I called our weekend service number, and left a message. Running out of time, I called Eric Watterson, property

committee member and our resident electrical engineer. He said he would come early. He arrived with a half hour to go – I gave him the basement keys, put him in touch with the service guy, and went back upstairs to rehearsal again. A few minutes later, the fans and AC came back on – hallelujah! Eric had not only gotten the system running again (by reading the manual), but called the technician back soon enough to stop him from

coming and deflect a service charge. Our thanks to Eric – He Read the Book!!

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Mildred Peele, long a parishioner, passed away July 1st

Excerpted from the original by daughter Karen Boxley and son Mahlon Anderson Mildred A. Peele, 84, of Richmond, VA, died surrounded by family on July 1 after a brief illness at her home in Westminster Canterbury. Mildred was born in Washington, DC on Jan 20, 1931 to Frederick and Mildred Ancrum Burr. She was raised by her mother after her father, a decorated World War I veteran, was killed in a car crash in Gaithersburg, MD, when she was only 18 months old. Mildred, also known as Dolly, attended Montgomery Blair High School from which she graduated in 1948. Shortly thereafter, Mildred married the late Alfred V. Anderson, with whom she had two children, Mahlon George and Karen Lee. After her marriage ended in divorce in the late 1950’s, Mildred returned to school, attending the Takoma Park Campus of Montgomery College where she earned a degree in Medical Technology. After graduation, she went to work as a medical technologist first at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD and later at the hospital at Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC, where she worked for many years. Mildred then moved to Richmond, Virginia in the late 1970’s where she had resided ever since. It was in Richmond, while volunteering at Retreat Hospital—where she volunteered for over 30 years she met and married the late William Peele. She was an active member of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church for over three decades, and more recently had moved to the Westminster Canterbury retirement community where she was very active. Mildred and her

basset hound, Flash, endeared themselves to many, in the course of their long daily hikes around that community’s sprawling campus and hiking paths. The family request that donations be made to Bon Secours Hospice, Richmond VA, in lieu of flowers.

HoCo Evening Book Club the second Wednesday of the month

By Megan Graber All are welcome to attend our monthly HoCo Evening Book Club on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Hayward Parlor. Snacks and beverages are provided. We hope to see you in August and/or September as we share our thoughtful and personal reflections as fellow readers. Our upcoming books and discussion dates are: On Beauty by Zadie Smith (from top 10 books of 2005 by New York Times Book List) on Aug. 12th and the great work of Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, on September 9th.

Parish Birthdays in July & August Derek Spears, July 2; Evan Herr, July

2; Darlene Klenzmann, July 2; Allen Hurdle, July 4; Mary Davis, July 5; Robert Hanayik, July 5; Mimi Berry, July 6; Judith O'Brien, July 6; Kathleen Rose, July 7; Tammy Doran, July 8; George Lowry, July 10; Joani Hayman, July 10; Marie McGranahan-Turner, July 13; Grace Zipperer, July 13; Gail Heaton, July 16; Helena Geipel, July 17; Roberta Cline, July 19; Joan Vaughan, July 19; Evan Schuster, July 21; Richard Rose, July 23; Garnett Christoph, July 25; Dorcas Douthit, July 27; Benjamin Raymond, July 27; Joan Prest, July 27; Casey Falterman, July 28; Sarah Baker, July 29; Angela Palmer, July 30; Samantha Hooker, July 30;

Directory Photo - 2007

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Parishioner Emily Herr Featured in Style Weekly article

Reported by Bruce MacAlister Ripped from the pages of the Style Weekly newspaper “Local muralist Emily Herr is breaking through the Richmond boys club”.

Reporter Paul Spencer opened with “Richmond loves murals, but Emily Herr isn’t your typical muralist. She integrates her paintings with the surrounding structures, complementing them instead of overtaking them.” The June 23rd article lays out how

most muralists are male. Nevertheless, she had 35 commissions in the past year with 10 of them out of state. More than a few Holy Comforter parishioners have Emily's murals in their homes, many of them done when while she was at VCU polishing her art. Emily is the daughter of parishioners Kipley and Steve Herr and was active in the HoCo youth group.

Monthly Community Meals By Patty Galdun For a little over a year, Holy

Comforter has offered a meal of soup and bread on the third Tuesday of each month. This service was begun with a grant from the Diocese of Virginia written by Stephanie Roberts-Turner. Visitors to our Food Pantry, people in the 12 Step Programs that use our facility, and folks in the neighborhood were among our original invitees. A small core of volunteers has provided this service but with the approach of summer and impending vacations we need some more help. Typically we set up the tables

and begin heating the soup at 4:30. From 5:30 to 6:30 we serve and provide fellowship by dining with our visitors from the community. We usually have everything cleaned up and put away by 7. You can come for part or all of the time. If you would like to join this ministry opportunity, please see or email me. Your help will be appreciated, you will get a tasty meal, and like all events at HoCo you will find an opportunity to grow in God’s love and goodness.

Photo by Style Weekly

Photo by Style Weekly

Photo by Kipley Herr

Photo by Kipley Herr

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Church of the Holy Comforter, Richmond a parish in the Diocese of Virginia under the Episcopal Church in the USA which is part of the

worldwide Anglican Communion Monument Avenue at Staples Mill Road

web www.hoco.org; e-mail administrator@hoco.org; phone 804-355-3251; fax 804-355-0049

Holy Comforter is a Christian community, engaging diversity, empowering through worship, and embracing the spiritual journey,

in our church and in our community and in the world, that all may be made whole and fully alive.

Coming Events at the Church of the Holy Comforter• Sundays, 8:45am, Adult Formation,

Hayward Parlor • Sundays, Choral Eucharist, 10am • Sunday, about 10:15am, Children's

Chapel, starts in the Church, moves to Parish House Chapel

• Food Pantry Hours: • First and third Saturdays, 11:00am to noon • First and third Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30pm • Veterans Shelter Dinner and Service • Fourth Thursdays, 5pm and 6pm

See the inserted calendar page for detailed calendar and rota

The next Messenger will be available Sunday, August 30, 2015. The deadline for that edition is Friday August 21, 2015

Please send your submissions to editor@hoco.org