“The virus pays no attention to politics, religion, nation or location,” said the Rev. John Downey in his sermon on the sixth Sunday of Easter. “The air we breathe, breathing in and out, connects us, for good or ill, and we have been made more deeply aware of our social and economic connections … for…
When she first realized that her church, like others across the country, would be closing its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenn Campbell of Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church in Warren, Pa., thought of her diapers and feminine hygiene ministry clients first. “I broke into tears,” she says. “And it wasn’t me I was worried about,…
In today’s sermon, the Rev. Al Johnson, congregational development consultant on the bishop’s staff, reminds us that Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled” and promises to take us to himself. You can watch the entire service below:
Dear People of God in the Dioceses of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania: As the governors of our states begin outlining plans to reopen economies after Covid-19 shutdowns, it is clear that the risks of gathering in groups is still significant, particularly for people who are vulnerable to the most serious effects of the…
The Rev. Twila Smith of St. Stephen’s, Buffalo preached for the partnership’s online worship on the fourth Sunday of Easter. “In such times of uncertainty, the familiar is comforting, and so today’s words of the 23rd Psalm and these gospel images of sheep and shepherd may come as a kind of welcome balm for our…
“Jesus meets us on our roads to Emmaus when we experience, desperation, pain, loneliness, and so much more,” said the Very Rev. R. Derrick Fetz, dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo. “Jesus joins us to be our constant companion on the way.” Find the video on YouTube. You can watch the entire service below….
It’s not the warmest way to share the love of God, but it works. A client comes to the door of the food pantry at St. Philip’s Church in Buffalo, knocks, and then steps back to observe a proper social distance. A volunteer answers, asks how many people the client is feeding, and retrieves the…
“Being resurrected in our own lives is what we are called to do, even in these most unusual and stressful times,” says Canon Cathy Dempesy-Sims in her sermon for the second Sunday in Easter. “The power of resurrected life is profound, and no pandemic, no stay-at-home orders, no economic downturn, can keep this power…
“This Jesus who is no longer there is now with us and sending us forth with a mission of hope that the world around us will be transformed, that justice will come in its fullness, that joy will come even in the midst of darkness,” Bishop Sean said in his Easter sermon. “This is a…
Bishop Sean Rowe officiated at the partnership’s Good Friday service, which included readings by Julie Spina, Good Shepherd, Buffalo; Gary Loncki, St. Mark’s, Erie; Aidan Fodor, St. Luke’s, Jamestown; Amy Swanson, St. Paul’s, Stafford; and Josephine Robbins, St. Philip’s, Buffalo. The music was by Craig and Jill Dressler, St. Mark’s, Erie.
While our churches are closed, Bishop Sean and other leaders across the partnership dioceses are offering worship online. Find videos of many of those services on the partnership YouTube channel.
On Palm Sunday, Bishop Sean preached about the Gospel of Matthew’s account of the passion. “Holy Week has twists and turns,” he said, “but spoiler alert, the ending is really good. God makes something new out of what is a mess.” A partial recording of the online Palm Sunday service led by people from across…
