Renewal of Ordination Vows services

Holy Week Renewal of Ordination Vows services will be held on Wednesday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Paul's, Newport News, and 2:30 p.m. at St. Matthias, Midlothian.

Updated Constitution & Canons online

The updated Constitution & Canons (2015) of The Episcopal Church are now available online. You can find them, along with the 2016 Constitution & Canons of the Diocese of Southern Virginia on our website here.

Apply now for the ECW Scholarships!

The Elise Holladay Scholarship, funded by Episcopal Church Women, awarded $9,885 in grants, ranging from $500 to $1000, to 14 young men and women throughout the Diocese last spring. Also, the ECW Beverley D. Tucker Scholarship is available and provides assistance to men and women in church-related training in an accredited Episcopal school. Use the same form, available on the diocesan website here, to apply for either scholarship. Only complete applications will be considered and must be postmarked by April 27, 2016 for the student's application to be considered for the fall semester. A student may receive funds twice. If you have questions, call Susan Broaddus at 757-623-0205. Send the complete package to: ECW Scholarship, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, 11827 Canon Blvd., Suite 101, Newport News, VA 23606-3071 

Administrators & Treasurers Lunch on March 17

Our next Administrators & Treasurers Lunch will be on Thursday, March 17, noon to 1:30 p.m. at Emmanuel, Virginia Beach (5181 Singleton Way, Virginia Beach). This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with other parish administrators and treasurers to talk about common issues. Bring your own lunch; beverages will be provided. There's no agenda for this gathering - just an opportunity to get together, share, encourage, support, and ask questions. If you plan to attend, RSVP to Comptroller Nancy James at 757-213-3386 or njames@diosova.org.

Thank you for your support of Episcopal Relief & Development

By The Very Rev. Dr. Keith Emerson, Diocesan ERD Coordinator, St. Paul's, Suffolk

I want to thank the parishes and organization in our diocese that made a contribution to Episcopal Relief and Development between October and December of 2015:

Gifts to the Syrian Response Fund:

$100 - Christ Church, Smithfield   

$589 - John's Memorial Church, Farmville

$1,600 - Merchants Hope, Prince George      

$100 - Emmanuel Church, Cape Charles

$1,246 - Grace Church, Yorktown

Gifts for US Disaster Relief:

$296 - St. Paul's Church, Norfolk 

$250 - Emmanuel Church, Franklin

A Gift for Disaster Relief and the Syria Response Fund:

$10,000 - Bruton Parish, Williamsburg

An Undesignated Gift and a Gift for US Disaster Relief:       

$690 - St. Andrew's Church, Newport News

Gifts for Special Projects:

$215 - Christ Church ECW, Amelia Court House

$145 - Emmanuel Church, Hampton

75th Anniversary Fund

$300 - The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, Kenbridge

$500 - St. Luke's Church, Blackstone

Undesignated Gifts:

$197 - St. Anne's Church, Appomattox    

$100 - St. Luke's Church, Powhatan          

$925 - St. Matthias' Church, Midlothian   

$100 - St. Luke's Church, Powhatan          

$700 - Church of the Ascension, Norfolk   

$500 - St. James' Church, Warfield         

$100 - St. Luke's Church, Powhatan          

$200 - St. George's Church, Newport News        

$125 - St. Michael's Church, Chesterfield 

$300 - The ECW of Christ and Grace Church, Petersburg

$500 - Christ and Grace Church, Petersburg

$678 - Church of the Redeemer, Midlothian

While every gift is appreciated, these undesignated gifts allow the staff of Episcopal Relief & Development to apply funds where they are most urgently needed. Please know I am grateful for the ongoing generosity of the people in our diocese.

Presiding Bishop Curry urges participation in the Good Friday Offering for Jerusalem, the Middle East

"Our journey as Episcopalians also includes remembering our sister and brother Christians in the Holy Land who maintain the faith which we hold so dear," Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote to the clergy of The Episcopal Church. "Their witness is an inspiration."

Presiding Bishop Curry wrote in the annual Good Friday letter to all congregations asking them to consider assistance for Jerusalem and the Middle East.

"This tradition is decades old and is an important statement of our solidarity with the members of the four dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. We have a Gospel imperative to be sure they know they are not forgotten behind the headlines or because of the distractions in our own lives."

Funds collected from the Good Friday Offering are gathered and distributed to the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East which includes the Dioceses of Jerusalem and Cyprus and the Gulf, all members of the Anglican Communion.

Information and resources for the Good Friday Offering are available here and include bulletin inserts, posters, Holy  Week meditations from St. George's College in Jerusalem, and a Lenten Education series from Diocese of Jerusalem. 

Convocation 5 gets new Dean

The Very Rev. Ronald Ramsey has bee appointed by Bishop Hollerith as the Dean of Convocation 5 (Jamestown). Ramsey is the rector of St. Cyprian's, Hampton.

You can find a list of all Convocation Deans and a map of Southern Virginia's nine convocations here.