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[Melbourne Anglican] St. John’s in Camberwell, Australia, commemorated the 70th anniversary of a fire that destroyed the church by supporting a synagogue that recently suffered a similar fate. The church directed its offering from a March 16 commemorative service to Congregation Adass Israel, whose Ripponlea synagogue was firebombed in December 2024. The gesture recognizes a shared experience of religious buildings targeted by arsonists; St. John’s was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1955. The Rev. Aaron Ghiloni said Christians should stand alongside those harmed for their religious beliefs, knowing that all were God’s children. In a statement to the congregation, the vicar and church wardens said the donation was appropriate as it resonated with the church’s own experience 70 years prior. The statement said while governments had a responsibility to protect all citizens, faith communities could work to build solidarity governments were unable to accomplish. Ghiloni said the 70th anniversary commemoration honored the resilience of the church community that faced devastation but chose to rebuild. “They could have merged with another church, but they chose to continue meeting and worshipping in the church hall during those years while rebuilding,” he said. Robin Carter, who was 12 when the fire occurred, remembers seeing the burnt shell of the church from her tram on the way to school. “Windows were blackened and the roof was gone. It was a really powerful memory that I’ve never forgotten,” Carter said. She said hundreds of parishioners turned up the next day to see the damage and rally support for the rebuilding effort. Carter said the church community had immediately decided to rebuild, setting up the hall as a temporary worship space by the following Sunday. She said parishioners cleaned approximately 30,000 bricks from the rubble to reuse in the foundation of the new church. Many also pledged to donate money for the next three years to pay for the construction of the new church building. The rebuilt church, designed by renowned architect Louis Williams, was completed in November 1957, just two years after the fire. Carter, who has been a parishioner of St. John’s for over 80 years, spoke about her memories of the church fire and rebuilding at the commemorative service. An article from The Argus, dated April 22, 1955, recorded the fire was set by John Thomas McPhee, who told police he lit fires because of the thrill of seeing the firecarts. McPhee was responsible for burning down three churches and two other buildings, causing nearly $160,000  in total damages, with St. John’s suffering $130,000 of that amount. The commemorative service also included historical displays, photographs and an 11-second color video of the church fire captured by a local resident.

[Church in Wales] Hundreds of young families from across the counties of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire will receive essential supplies for their children thanks to a grant from West Wales Freemasons to the Plant Dewi charity. Plant Dewi is the Diocese of St Davids project supporting families in their communities. The £60,000 grant – or nearly $78,000 – from the Masonic Charitable Foundation will support the Baby Bundle Bank project to continue distributing much-needed essential items to families with babies under 12 months old who are struggling to purchase clothing, toiletries, blankets, cots, strollers, etc. In 2024 the Baby Bundle Bank gave out 308 bundles. This grant will enable the project to continue for another two years. The project will receive referrals from families and agencies across the region to ensure no baby has to go without. Around 30% of children in Wales live in poverty, and nearly 57% of referrals received for a bundle last year were from families facing financial difficulties. The check was presented to Plant Dewi manager Catrin Eldred by the West Wales Grand master, James Ross, at a ceremony at the St. Davids cathedral. Also attending was St. Davids’ Bishop Dorrien Davies.

Rev. Nicole Ashwood, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive for Just Community of Women and Men, is part of a delegation attending the United Nations 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). She took time to reflect on the delegation’s goals, why church involvement is so critical, and what it will take for transformation to happen. 

Five dioceses will elect new bishops this spring: Saskatoon, Moosonee, Montreal, the Arctic and Rupert’s Land.
The diocese of Saskatoon will hold its episcopal election on March 8, to find a successor for Archbishop Chris Harper, who stepped down as bishop of Saskatoon in January 2023 when he became National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop.

The post Five dioceses prepare for spring episcopal elections appeared first on The Anglican Church of Canada.

[Diocese of West Texas] The Rt. Rev. Angela Maria Cortiñas was ordained and consecrated bishop suffragan of the Diocese of West Texas on March 15 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in McAllen. Cortiñas will work alongside West Texas Bishop David G. Read.  Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe was the chief consecrator. Co-consecrators were Texas Bishop C. Andrew Doyle; former El Camino Real Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, who now serves as managing director of the College of Bishops; Texas Assistant Bishop Héctor Monterroso; Alabama Assistant Bishop Brian N. Prior; and Texas Bishop Suffragan Kathryn M. Ryan. A total of 15 bishops were in attendance for the traditional laying-on of hands. Over 450 in-person attendees participated in the service, with more than 1,300 people joining the livestream concurrently from across the diocese and the country. This was the first consecration of an Episcopal bishop to be held in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. The service incorporated Spanish throughout. In his sermon, Read reflected on living and serving in challenging times: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is what our nation needs. We have this gift of life from God. We know and have experienced how amazing is the gift of grace,” Read said. “We know and have experienced the power of being forgiven, and the power of forgiving others. We know and have experienced the support of blessed, beloved community. We have all that we need, and today, the Holy Spirit gives to Angela all that she will need to do the ministry she has been called to do in this time.”  Cortiñas was elected bishop suffragan for the Diocese of West Texas during a special council at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Corpus Christi Oct. 19, 2024. She is the seventh bishop suffragan to serve West Texas. In her role, she will celebrate the sacraments of the new covenant and confirm, receive and reaffirm individuals within the 87 congregations throughout the diocese. Additionally, she will assist Read in the pastoral care of clergy, clergy families, and retired clergy and their families, and the development and on-boarding of new clergy, curates and seminarians. She will oversee the development of lay ministry, Christian formation and discipleship. “My heart is full of gratitude and love at seeing all the wonderful people who have gathered both near and far to be here for this special day. I am grateful for the God who has called me and the people who have so persuaded me to take on this new ministry. I am particularly grateful for all the people who have formed me as a priest and now as a bishop of God’s church,” Cortiñas said. “I am looking forward to sharing this ministry with Bishop Read and the clergy of the Diocese of West Texas. I have felt the love and the hand of God throughout this entire process and am excited to share God’s redeeming and reconciling love with all of God’s people here in West Texas and beyond.”   Born to Cuban immigrants, Cortiñas is a Florida-native who grew up in Miami in a family of eight children.  She was ordained a deacon in the Diocese of Southeast Florida in 2009 and a priest in 2010. From 2010-12, she was associate priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale and then served as associate rector of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton from 2012-2017. She served in the Diocese of Texas as rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in College Station from 2017-2021 and as associate rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin from 2021-2024. Cortiñas has a 23-year-old daughter, Victoria Fletcher.

These are the unofficial notes from meetings of the Council of General Synod (CoGS), the church’s governing body between national meetings of General Synod.

The post Highlights from the Council of General Synod: March 7-9, 2025 appeared first on The Anglican Church of Canada.

Today, March 17, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980, a landmark piece of legislation that solidified the United States’ leadership in refugee protection. For decades, this legislation has upheld our nation’s commitment to welcoming those in need, providing a vital pathway to safety for the world’s most vulnerable.  However, recent executive orders from the Trump ... Read More

Sylvia Raulo, who has been seconded by the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission to work with the World Council of Churches, was honored with the Cross of St Henry by Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Awarded once annually to one person, the Cross of St Henry is the highest ecclesiastical decoration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Raulo took time to reflect on the award and her inspiration for her work in pursuit of Christian unity and a just world. 

For neurodiversity celebration week, Triona Brading shares her experience of church as an autistic Christian – and tips for making church a place autistic people feel welcome

Washington, D.C.—Today, Church World Service decries President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Last invoked during World War II, it remains a stain on our nation’s history, leading to the detainment of 31,000 Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants based solely on their ancestry. Church World Service calls on President Trump to rescind the invocation of the Act ... Read More