St. Anselm of Canterbury Episcopal Church13091 Galway Street Garden Grove, CA. 92844 (714) 537-0604
14 September, 2004 Dear Parish Family: Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. It is with a glad heart that I sit down to write this letter, especially after the wonderful celebration we had this past Sunday with the visit of Bishop Bruno, and the largest confirmation group we have had in over a decade, or perhaps two decades. Last Sunday was a real joy, 30 people were either Confirmed or Received into the Church, both Anglo and Latino, and for me personally it was the culmination of the evangelistic work of the last couple of years in developing a Latino ministry. As you could see, most of our Confirmands came from the Hispanic community. When I think back at how we started with only three people attending services, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Basil Churnside and yours truly it was a real joy this past Sunday to see and experience the fruit of this work. In this regard I need to mention that from our English language congregation Pat Casey has also been very dedicated to this ministry, along with Dr. Gloria Sims, Elizabeth Hutchinson, and Sue Landson. The late John Kloman also gave his time to this ministry, and one of the unique characteristics of our Latino ministry has been that right from the start it has had strong support and involvement from our English speaking congregation. In other churches this has not been the case, and so it is a joy to experience our inclusiveness. Our thanks also to our Choir Director Leo Barrientos, and our Organist John Goodrich for their support and dedication. As we move forward, St. Anselms remains one of the most culturally diverse Episcopal congregations in this country. Our newly dedicated Peace Poll reflects this with its message: "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written in eight languages, four of which are used in worship on our premises (English Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and Japanese). I am further happy to share that our relationship with our Korean Episcopal church family continues to grow, and Fr. Aidan has been a great bridge between us and Resurrection Korean Episcopal Ministry. This aside, it is a blessing to see new faces in the English worshipping congregation, new faces that come to us from places like Jamaica, Palestine, and Sri Lanka, as well as locally. We are truly becoming a Pentecost church. As many of you have experienced, Garden Grove and the surrounding areas has changed in the last 20 years. Our city has become a true kaleidoscope of ethnicities and perhaps it is no coincidence that we are located on Galway Street. For those of you who dont know this, Galway is a Gaelic word. Somewhere in Ireland there is a town named Galway and it was named Galway because it was a town made up of foreigners, which is what the word means. In effect our church is located on "Foreigner" Street. Perhaps it was divine destiny that we would become so racially diverse, certainly it is a sign to us of our calling to serve all people, while respecting the dignity of every human being. Last Sunday morning was also special in another way. What I share with you next is the kind of thing that goes on behind the scenes. Last Sunday before the service began, early in the morning a mother arrived at our church with her two teenage daughters. They were from Mexico. They had never been to St. Anselms but the word is getting out about us and so they came. The mother explained to me that they were there to give thanks to God because the two daughters had gotten across the border from Mexico safely (evading the Border Patrol) and now they were united once again. I could sense the relief in the mother. They were undocumented aliens. I could also sense that the mother had an urgent need to pray and give thanks to the Lord, and so I took them over to All Saints Chapel in the church and showed them where the candles were and left them alone to pray. They quickly put their offering in the collection box, lighted candles, and got on their knees. As I watched them I was emotionally moved, my eyes became watery, and I could sense both their anguish and relief. I also thought that for these young women their ordeal as undocumented aliens was only now beginning; even though they made it across the border, the hardships ahead are many; no doubt they will be exploited for their labor, and they will always live in fear of deportation. At the same time I gave thanks to God that this church was available to them; this was a place of sanctuary. I further gave thanks to our Lord because at least for the moment they were safe in Gods house on Foreigner (Galway) Street. We are the Episcopal/Anglican church on "Foreigner" Street and our ministries are increasingly reflecting this. The St. Anselms Cross Cultural Community Center has been doing work with refugees from around the world for over two decades, and lately I have been in dialogue with Marianne Blank, the Executive Director, about the need to start a program for undocumented aliens to file and obtain residency here in the U.S. -- please keep this in your prayers. This is an urgent need among the members of our growing congregation and God is presenting us with an opportunity to come to the aid of these new and often persecuted arrivals. Here at St. Anselm of Canterbury (and by the way Anselmo himself was an Italian immigrant to England) we will continue to embrace diversity in the building of Gods Kingdom; we will continue to welcome the stranger in our midst, and open the doors of the Kingdom to all. On another and more mundane note, I need to share some concerns regarding our pledges. For some reason they have been down. It could be because many are away on vacation and since we dont send out a monthly bill, this can be overlooked. Unfortunately our monthly bills dont stop coming in, and they need to be paid. Please, if you have been lax with your pledge, its time to catch-up! This year we will be more active in developing a stewardship campaign than we have been in the past. You will soon receive a pledge card; were starting earlier this year. It is my hope that as we continue to expand in our ministries, our giving will also increase in time, talent, and treasure. Your church, St. Anselm of Canterbury Episcopal Church, cannot survive without this, it is you who make it happen, this is your house of worship, it is yours!!! J
On yet another note, Id like to thank all of you for being the wonderful people that you are. At a time of growing division in the broader Church, with some parishes attempting to break away and disrupt our Anglican unity, this parish remains a place where both liberal and conservative views live side by side. This is one of the strengths of Anglicanism and one of the unique features of our faith. We would all hate to see this end in schism; so please keep our bishop (the Right Rev. Jon Bruno) in your prayers along with our diocese; the presiding bishop (the Most Rev. Frank Griswold) and the Episcopal Church USA in your prayers; as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury (the Most Rev. Rowan Williams) and the whole of the Anglican Communion. Pray also for those bent on division and schism that God may bring healing to their hearts and they may feel once again that they are loved and wanted in this incredible Anglican faith and communion. In closing, as autumn approaches and new busyness emerges for our lives, I pray that Gods blessing be upon all of us, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, pour upon the earth and that the violence in the earth will cease. These continue to be chaotic times and we desperately need peace, especially in the Middle East. Pray also for discernment and wisdom as we approach one of the most critical presidential elections of our times. Please pray that the hearts of the citizens of this country be guided by wisdom and not fear disguised as bravado when they go to the polls. Remember too the more than one thousand faceless and nameless U.S. troops who have died in Iraq and the thousands of Iraqi citizens who have been killed in the war. Let us keep these victims and their grieving families in our prayers. It is a very difficult time in the history of our country and humanity. This is a time for nations everywhere to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May Gods peace be with us all, may peace come to the earth. In Grace, The Rev. Wilfredo Benítez, Rector See previous Logs |
