May, 2008 • Volume 133, Issue No. 5 St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Gulfport Leila Wynn receives honorary doctorate rebuilt and moving forward from Seminary of By Susan Prendergast the Southwest The Dedication and Leila Clark Wynn, Consecration of St. Peter’s by-the-Sea longtime parishioner of in Gulfport was held April 9th with St. James’, Greenville, over 300 current and former parish- received an honorary The Rev. George ioners and many other friends from doctorate from the local congregations and other volun- Seminary of the Woodliff honored teers who worked rebuilding the Southwest in Austin, church from out of state. A new Texas at its May 13th in Yazoo City parish hall was also blessed during Commencement. By Gary Andrews the evening. Wynn is a native of Austin and served on sev- Editor and Publisher, Bishop Gray, III presided over eral diocesan committees since moving to Yazoo Herald, reprinted with permission the service. The St. Peter’s choir, Mississippi in the mid 1950s. She served on the under the direction of J.T. Anglin, was Seminary of the Southwest’s development board Through a bolstered by the presence of Mobile’s for several years. series of phenome- Gloria Dei Chorale. Wynn’s philanthropy is well known in the nal dreams with With the assistance of Jon Marc diocese. She has given generously to rebuild the supernatural quali- and Van Zutphen, the St. Peter’s ECW Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina as well as ties, George held a “phenomenal reception” after being a major supporter of education at three Woodliff was the service in the new parish hall after institutions of higher learning. Clergy and choir process in at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea uprooted from his the service. For the last twenty years, Wynn has been a career as a very with a standing room only congregation to dedicate and consecrate the rebuilt church in early April. trustee of Millsaps College and was awarded an successful attorney honorary doctorate in recognition of her public for a vocation to service. She still serves on a number of boards in the priesthood. support of South culture and literature. “For as long as Bishop: pastoral care clergy Wynn is the editor of the book, The Time I have lived, I have Has Come: The Greenville Literary Tradition, a always wanted to training a response to Lambeth selection of readings from works by early know about my Greenville writers. She also donated her collec- faith, and I feel this The Rev. George Woodliff selected as Man of Year by Yazoo Herald. tion of first-edition books by William Faulkner to was God’s way of Conferences and TEC the University of Mississippi and has served on the calling me into the ministry,” Woodliff recalled. By Scott Lenoir board of the Faulkner Center in Oxford. George Woodliff grew up in Jackson and graduated from Murrah High School. With uncertainty about his The Diocese of Mississippi offers a Gray said that in much the same way future, he ventured off to Ole Miss and graduated in clergy pastoral training conference begin- he’ll never understand the life experiences 1970. ning Sunday afternoon June 1st at Gray of his foster daughter who lived in a “Friends” explore “There were some good years at Ole Miss,” he Center. The conference is for those who Kenyan refugee camp for eight years, he is ways to expand use remembered. “Archie (Manning) was the quarterback, wish to deepen their pastoral skills in also unable to fully understand the life and we went to the Sugar Bowl that year.” working with gay and lesbian persons and experiences of gay and lesbian people. of Gray Center their families. However, Bishop Gray stated, “I can learn After graduating from Ole Miss, Woodliff studied By John Fontaine Bishop Duncan Gray, III said that the to listen more deeply and I trust that in so law and graduated from the University of Virginia. “Family Time” at Gray Center offers one pos- conference is offered “in the spirit of the listening I can become a more effective “My father was the founder of the law firm of sible way to increase use of the conference center consistent encouragement by Lambeth pastor. That is my hope for this confer- Heidelberg and Woodliff in Jackson,” he said. “The firm and further the purposes of the church. That was Conferences and our own church to pro- ence.” was one of the top three in the entire state.” the consensus of some 45 “Friends of Gray vide pastoral care for gay and lesbian per- The conference begins the afternoon After law school, Woodliff did a clerkship for the Center” meeting there on May 4-5 at the invitation sons in our congregations. of Sunday June 1 and concludes mid-after- Supreme Court of Mississippi Chief Justice Robert of Bishop Gray. The Rev. Dr. Philip Culbertson, noon on Monday, June 2nd The cost of Gillespie. In his opening remarks, Gray emphasized recently retired professor of pastoral care the conference is $95.00 and continuing Woodliff left his clerkship and joined his father’s the importance of the center as a resource of the at the School of Theology in the University education unit credits are given. firm in 1974. By the time of his departure from the firm diocese: his major reason for assuming chairman- of Auckland in New Zealand is invited to All clergy attending the event will gain on July 31, 1991, he had previously served several years ship of the center board. He cited purchase of a lead the conference. Culbertson taught ten contact hours of continuing education as the managing partner. family cemetery plot and naming the center in his many diocesan clergy during his tenure as credit which equals one unit. Woodliff, will as further personal commitment. a professor at Sewanee. There will be time for small group Continued on page 5 Gray Center, to cover operating costs, now In a March letter to clergy, Gray stat- discussions and time for conferences with needs $240,000 a year over and above the income ed: “my commitment to the pastoral care Bishop Gray and Culbertson. from camps and conferences. “Good stewardship of all members of Christ’s body calls me to For registration information, contact requires that we explore ways to reduce that level imagine new models for care-giving in our Emily Everett at the diocesan office or SALUS CRUCE of dependence on the diocesan budget,” the bish- day.” email her at [email protected]. salvation by op concluded. Friends, the cross Continued on page 5 OUR DIOCESE possible! Your newsletters contain much news of glo- plished here, much remains to be done. Many who rious Easter celebrations and plans for Pentecost, don’t see how we live from day-to-day don’t under- Notes & Quotes which by the time this is printed, will be behind us. stand that we are still not back to “normal”-whatever Faithful by Maria Watson Some ongoing and upcoming events include line that is! St. John’s, Pascagoula’s, Sheetrock Ministry Departed The last time I wrote, it dancing lessons at All Saints, Jackson, every Tuesday continues to serve the community as people rebuild was of the joyous anticipa- evening; Nativity, Greenwood’s start of a large con- homes and lives. by Catherine Johns tion of the Consecration of struction project, including a new parish hall, kitchen, St. John’s, Ocean Springs, held its annual the new, post-Katrina St. office suite, library and meeting rooms, restrooms and Renaissance Faire, now rated one of the “Top 20 March, 2008 Peter’s-by-the-Sea in loggia to connect existing buildings to the new build- Events in the Southeast,” Saturday and Sunday, May 3- Charles C. McInnis, 81, communi- Gulfport. I was subsequently ing, entrance courtyard, main courtyard and play- 4, with all proceeds going to benefit its outreach min- asked to do for the service cant of Trinity Church, Hattiesburg, ground. By the time you read this, building should be istries: The Lord Is My Help, Ocean Springs Boys and died December 2, 2007. exactly what I had done under way. All Saints, Tupelo, is reorganizing its Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity of Jackson County, when we consecrated the Dorris Curry Traylor, 82, commu- Garden Guild and looking for help with flower beds Samaritan Ministries and Interfaith Hospitality nicant of Trinity Church, church the first time, in in the landscaping around its new building. Network. St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Gulfport, has June 2000: to be the intercessor and a chalice-bearer Hattiesburg, died December 31, The EYC of All Saints, Grenada, made an resumed its food collection ministry, this time for 2007. using the identical service we used the first time and a extraordinary pilgrimage to Canterbury, England, Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, which operates a Food replica of the service bulletin that I had designed and Horace Patrick Gautier, 97, died where they worshiped at Canterbury Cathedral and Pantry. on January 29, 2008. He was a produced. For me, it was truly déja vu. I could hardly heard Evensong sung by the King’s School of the believe what I was doing as I stood there outside, Communicant of Church of the Choir. Parents of the returning EYC Pilgrims hosted a NOTABLE QUOTES... Redeemer in Biloxi. waiting for the knock of the crozier at the threshold Canterbury Night to share stories and photos of the “Pentecost marks the birth of the church when it and the resonant voice of our bishop saying “Let the Gerald Jefferson “Jerry” trip.