Dear Friends,
Ecclesia Ministries is meant to be a “church without walls”, a place for homeless and needy people to attend church without the barrier of entering a space where they may feel uncomfortable, have hurtful memories, or are unwelcome.
Ecclesia Ministries Madison Square Park has been a big part of my diaconal life for the past 13 years and I was so happy to be able to bring this work to Incarnation a couple of years ago. We’ve had a faithful team who has packed the lunches on the Third (usually) Sunday of each month, has schlepped them down to Transfiguration Church on 29th Street, taken part in our 2:00 p.m. Eucharist there, and distributed the lunches afterwards. Our priests have come to preach and celebrate the Eucharist and provide pastoral support for the congregation. I’m so grateful for all of this!
As our long-time Ecclesia pastor, Fr. Seamus Campbell, retires on December 31, and with the dwindling congregation and limited visibility of the venue, it’s been determined the time has come for this ministry to end. While Fr. Seamus and I have some sadness at this loss, we are also thankful and gratified for the many wonderful years, the many lives we’ve touched, the many happy and poignant memories we’ve shared.
It’s always good when an ending also has a beginning. I’m pleased to tell you that I will be starting a “deacon-led” Ecclesia ministry at the end of January. The location will be at St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery, and our Eucharist will be celebrated in front of the church, a visible and highly trafficked location. We are asking for new parish sponsors (to make the lunches) who are closer to this location. Our Eucharist will also be at 2:00 p.m. and you all are always welcome to come by. We will be “Ecclesia in the Bowery”. I’m very excited!
And so, Incarnation will no longer prepare the Ecclesia lunches after today. However, since this has been such a good ministry, we want to continue in a similar fashion. We will still designate the Third (usually) Sunday as “Sandwich Sunday”. Those lunches will be delivered to the Mainchance Drop-In Center, 120 East 32nd Street.
I’m counting on our sandwich team to continue their work and, as always, all are invited to participate. Last month, a man showed up to help. He was visiting NYC, and his wife and daughter were off doing wife and daughter stuff, and he had popped into the 8:30 Eucharist and learned we were doing this ministry, so he came to help! That was sweet!
We shall continue, the same yet differently. I want to thank everyone who has made this happen – all of you who occasionally and whenever you can, helped out and even attended the 2:00 p.m. Eucharist. But very special thanks to my right hand and chief shopping cart handler Lana Green, quality control officer Patricia Smith, faithful “bag handler” Joelle Anderson, and hard-boiled egg contributor Jane Barron.
The work continues…
Deacon* Denise
*Who out there has the “heart of a deacon”? Have you ever thought about discerning if you have this call? I’m right here, people! Just ask me!