Racial Justice Demonstrations
The Reverend Cathy Scott, Holy Family’s Deacon, and other parishioners recently attended racial justice demonstrations in Indianapolis and Fishers.
A message from the Right Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows at the Processional for Racial Justice hosted by Faith in Indiana on May 31, 2020:
‘I see you Indy Diocese, Indianapolis, and friends of many faiths and none—speak out, stand up, may justice roll down.”
Statement from Mayor Scott Fadness on the Fishers Equity Awareness Demonstration at the Nickel Plate AMP on June 1, 2020:
“Tonight, I witnessed our next generation come together to clearly voice their collective anger, frustration, and disappointment at previous generations’ inability to right the wrongs of the past. The conduct of these young people and their commitment to creating a better society for all gives me a glimmer of hope in this dark chapter of our nation. Our city is on a journey to create an environment where all people are treated with dignity. Tonight is a reminder that we must be willing to commit ourselves to that end.”
For more information for making a bold witness regarding racial injustice, please contact Deacon Cathy. cscott@hfec.org
For photos from these events,
please click HERE.
Pride 2019
On a glorious morning filled with sunshine, Holy Family joined with over 200 members of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis and the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana to walk in the 2019 Pride parade. The morning began with a prayer service held in English and Spanish. Walkers carried Episcopal flags and handed out fans, stickers, and stress balls emblazoned with messages of God’s love for all. For more information about Holy Family’s “Believe Out Loud” welcoming mission, please contact The Reverend Bruce W. Gray bgray@hfec.org (rector) or The Reverend Cathy Scott cscott@hfec.org (deacon).
More photos from the Pride parade can be seen HERE.
Hosting HSEqual Organizational Meeting
On Saturday, April 27th, Holy Family hosted the newly-formed community group HSEqual. This group, made up of primarily Hamilton Southeastern School District residents, is in support of the school district adopting a non-discrimination policy that is fully inclusive of and protective of all students, including but not limited to race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Several women from the HFEC Daughters of the King chapter, including Deacon Cathy Scott, provided a welcoming environment and beverage hospitality for HSEqual’s first meeting that had over 70 attendees. To view Holy Family’s welcoming statement, click HERE. For more information about HSEqual, click HERE to view their Facebook page.
Community Solidarity Gathering
The Reverend Bruce W. Gray spoke at tonight’s Community Solidarity Gathering at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel after recent vandalization. The following is the text of Father Bruce’s presentation.
I greet you tonight on behalf of Episcopalians throughout the Indianapolis region and beyond.
One of the privileges and opportunities human beings receive when each of us is created is to participate in the divine task of growing day by day in our awareness of how interconnected we all are. We all, every one of us, are created in the divine image, and given the holy task of loving each other, both people seemingly different from ourselves and those apparently more similar.
Yet too often people resist this awareness through various means, such as labeling and persecution. In those moments human desires for superiority over others try to overwhelm the divine truth of the wholeness of creation and the oneness of all people. These types of behaviors seek to divide us, to deny the holy bonds that exist among us all. As a Christian, I have a responsibility to especially respond to attitudes, actions, and words of Anti Semitism, since too often Christian texts and institutions have been used to justify the creation and propagation of Anti-Semitism. Millions have died as a result, and so I must explicitly say, and pray for “no more.”
No more hatred. No more destruction. No more violence.
But to simply say and pray it is not enough.
So
I offer to you all the promise that I, and so many others, will hold and uphold the divine truth that we all, all people, are one, equally loved and cared for by God. And we all stand in solidarity tonight, and will continue to do so, facing together the people in this world who desire our division from one another and want to hear fear in our voices. Instead, we vocalize holy solidarity, divine courage, and blessed joy.
Lenten Lock-In 2018
On Saturday, March 10th, Holy Family Youth Group held its annual Lenten Lock-In. As an extra special wrinkle, the participants enjoyed (or didn’t!) losing an hour of sleep due to Daylight Savings Time.
The students began the evening with an Agape meal. An Agape Meal is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the family of Christ. At certain points in the Agape Meal, food was passed and shared with the group between readings and songs.
Following the Agape meal, youth participated in a spiritually-moving Stations of the Cross service featuring a social justice focus. The Reverend Cathy Scott, Holy Family’s Deacon, gave readings for each station that compared the original path of Jesus to the cross to modern-day examples of suffering in our local community and around the world.
The evening also included a teambuilding activity in the Narthex and some free time for games and fellowship.
As is tradition for the Lenten Lock-In, the youth prepared and delivered a meal to those who serve our community in the dark of night. This year they prepared a salad, lasagna, cake, and drinks for the officers working the night shift at the Fishers Police Department. The students and youth leaders toured the station and participated in a lively discussion with Officer Simmonds.
Back at church, everyone prepared for bed and finished the evening with Compline from the Book of Common Prayer.
Following breakfast in the parish hall, the lock-in participants attended the 8 AM service and shared Eucharist. The event has become a very special part of our youth ministry. For more information on upcoming events, please contact Youth Director Marty Blake. mblake@hfec.org
For more Lenten Lock-In photos please CLICK HERE
Indy Pride 2017
Several parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis combined to march in the 2017 Pride parade and offer a welcome exhibit in the display area. A great time was had by all as many cheered the enthusiastic presence of the large group.. More photos from this year’s parade and festival can be seen by clicking HERE
Our new Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, was unable to attend the Pride Parade due to presiding at Confirmation in Anderson but shared a message of support for all those participating in the parade. Click HERE to play Bishop Jennifer’s video message.
