Non profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Brunswick, Maine 04011 Permit No. 34 Volume 136, Number 2 Telling the story of God’s people in the Diocese of Maine since 1872 April 2007 Fulfilling Millennium Development Goals one person at a time First person, present tense: Mainers bring hope, help, and faith to southern neighbors Hancock County Medical Mission A glimpse of Haiti in January 2007 returns to Ecuador By Susan Meade, house: his mother, two deacons, three St. Andrew’s, Newcastle students boarding there while they at- By the Rev. Chuck Bradshaw, tend the technical school, and two Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove young homeless girls who helped in My husband, Frazier, and I flew into the kitchen. Our mealtimes were al- Haiti on a small Air Turks and Caicos ways lively, the food delicious, and the This February, along with parishioner plane, circling the northern city of Haitian coffee superb. Wendy Copson-Higgins, and with the Cap-Haïtien, and bowing toward the Père Noe kept us busy and took congregation’s support, I went to Ibar- brilliant blues and greens of the us that afternoon out across the Plaine ra, Ecuador, for two weeks in Febru- Caribbean to land at a tiny airport du Nord to visit three of the villages ary with the Hancock County ringed by large mountains. Our son partnered by Maine parishes. St. Eti- Medical Mission (HCMM). Church and two of his colleagues from Vassar enne church and school in Limonade, members sewed hospital gowns (john- were with us, to visit their Vassar-sup- partnered with St. Margaret’s Church, nies) to take with us, prepared Span- ported village. Belfast, was first. A lovely white ish-language health information cards, Père Noe Bernier met us and church with a large blue cross on the and contributed to a special offering loaded us all into his pickup truck. We front and windows covered with blue at Christmas. One parishioner donat- made the short trip to his house over- trim and iron sculpture. The school ed 380 New Testaments in Spanish. Dr. Charlie Hendricks of Seal Harbor, looking the bay, wending our way building was attached to the back of Among the 15 team members medical director for the mission through the profusion of brilliantly the church, beneath a huge mango from Hancock County were Mary project, jokes around as he musters colored vehicles, huge piles of trash, tree, next to an empty lot where the Mitchell (St. Andrew’s and St. John’s, the surgical team for their morning and always the wonderful cacophony new priest will build his house. St. Southwest Harbor) and Martin Sharp departure. (Photo by Chuck Bradshaw) of vendors and horns and shouting Etienne needs a well, and more help (St. Saviour’s, Bar Harbor). Martin, an voices that is Haiti. We were delighted with teachers’salaries. It has about operating-room technician at the for the surgical team. This was Mary’s to meet Père Noe’s lovely wife, Shirley, three hundred students. Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in second trip to Ecuador with the and their four-year-old twins, as well Our second stop was the church Ellsworth, assisted the surgeons. Mary HCMM and Martin’s fourth. Charles as the other people sharing Père Noe’s See HAITI, page 7 sterilized and packaged instruments Kowalski, son of Maine priest Vesta Kowalski, traveled from his home in Copy for the June 2007 Japan to translate for the surgical team. Another 14 doctors, nurses, and issue of the NORTHEAST translators from four states and Cana- is due da joined the Maine team en route. In 1 MAY. Ecuador two doctors, an optometrist, a pharmacist, a health educator, a truck driver, and volunteers from Ecuadorian churches met us. INSIDE THIS ISSUE The surgical team performed ma- jor and minor surgeries in the hospital College Chaplain.................page 9 in Cotacachi, a short distance south of Congregations in Search....page 10 Ibarra. The clinic traveled by truck Mainestream Calendars...…page 6 and van over rugged Andes mountain roads (and around rockslides) to vil- People & Places..............pages 2–3 lages some distance from the city. Tablet of the Heart.............page 16 Wendy translated for the mobile clin- To God’s Beloved in Maine...page 3 ic, working primarily with a child- birth educator from Eastern Maine Upcoming in Maine........pages 4–5 Medical Center whose specialty on Within our Communion...pp 11–15 this project was women’s health. Youth News..........................page 8 All the patients attended a health These Haitian women use a traditional carrying method to take vegetables to the See ECUADOR, page 6 market in Gros Morne. Page 2 April 2007 from the editor people and places A little knowledge is a Pre-Lenten celebrations around the diocese dangerous thing By Deborah Oliver thing; “Drink deep, or taste not the Pier- ian spring. The dilemma that has of late engulfed “There shallow draughts intoxi- the Episcopal Church seems to be a cate the brain, sort of Sophie’s choice: do we preserve “And drinking largely sobers us the inclusivity that embraces all mem- again.” bers of the Episcopal Church regard- You don’t have to know that in less of gender or sexual orientation, to Greek mythology the Pierian spring the peril of our membership in the was a source of knowledge in order to MARDI GRAS IN CASTINE. Over a hundred people celebrated Mardi Gras at Anglican Communion, or do we pre- understand that Pope is telling us that Trinity, Castine, and raised about $2,000 for the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity. serve our relationship with other what’s most dangerous is too little The evening began with great Dixieland music by Dick Starke’s Dixieland Jazz members of the Anglican Commu- knowledge. We need all the knowl- Band. The New Orleans diunner included fried oysters, red beans and rice, and nion, thereby restricting the equal edge we can get! was topped off with coffee and beignets. The Rev. David T. Andrews Jr., rector, participation of certain members of When I’m struggling with a deci- organized the celebration and collaborated with other local ministers to make it the Episcopal Church? sion or trying to understand why an ecumenical event. Andrews will be traveling with the diocesean mission led by Many of us have strong feelings someone I love or work with doesn’t Bishop Chilton Knudsen to New Orleans the and beliefs that make us have a knee- share my view of X or Y, I think of week of April 9–13. jerk response on this issue, but those Pope because I realize I just don’t two things alone don’t help us form a know enough. Applying Pope’s admo- SHROVE TUESDAY IN PORTLAND. Shrove valid response. To give an informed, nition to the dilemma facing Episco- Tuesday at Trinity, Portland, means measured response, we have to give palians, I’ve assigned myself delectable pancakes hot off the grill and ourselves time to be enlightened by homework for the next run of tables with all the makings for feathered dialogue with others, investigation, months: inform myself of all sides of masks adorned with sequins, beads, and and prayer. the debate by reading everything I can baubles. The young king and queen throw Now we’re closing in on Alexander about what each side is saying and by Mardi Gras–style bead necklaces to the Pope, whose “Essay on Criticism” is es- engaging others in discussion. crowds as they are wheeled around the hall. sentially his creed on literature and lit- I’m starting with prayer for open- Here are Maddie Abbott (middle), and her erary criticism. Pope’s well-known ness of mind, heart, eyes, and ears. friend, Clancy Mee (right). (Maddie was later named queen in the Mardi Gras Parade; the king and queen are chosen from names drawn out of a hat!) With her line, “A little knowledge is a dangerous Then I’ll reread the presiding bishop’s back to the camera is Cindy McLellan, who annually heads up the event. thing,” falls in the portion of the essay reflections on page 12 of this issue, dealing with the causes of faulty criti- and from there I’ll turn to epiScope cism: that is, what goes awry in our (see page 13), a new Website of the recent deaths thought processes that allows us to Episcopal Church that gathers media draw flawed conclusions. Tempting as reports, and throughout it all I’ll be THE REV. HALSEY DEWOLF HOWE 1998 the people of St. Giles’. Jewett it may be to imagine that Pope is rec- seeking out others’ opinions and expe- On February 14 the Rev. Halsey De- also offered spiritual leadership in ommending that we close our minds riences. I hope you’ll accept our pre- Wolf Howe died following a long ill- Cursillo, in diocesan youth events, because knowledge can be dangerous siding bishop’s invitation to ness. Ordained to the priesthood in and as cochair of the Committee on to us, we find out in the next lines that fast—from premature decisions, per- 1946, Howe served congregations in Holy Orders. The Burial Eucharist he’s saying the opposite: haps—and to open your mind and Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massa- was held February 28 at St. Giles’. “A little knowledge is a dangerous heart to one another and to God. chusetts, Vermont, and Maine. He Condolences may be sent to Bob’s and Carol retired to Midcoast Maine widow, Gail Montgomery, 122 At- in 1986, where for several years he as- lantic Highway, Waldoboro ME Who is the Episcopal Church? sisted at St.