Around the Diocese of Vermont
Church Street, Richford, VT 05476

St. Ann's is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, the mission of which is to

Pray the Prayer of Christ
Learn the Mind of Christ
Do the Deeds of Christ

The Right Reverend Thomas C. Ely, 10th Bishop of Vermont
5 Rock Point Road
Burlington, VT 05401
Website: www.dioceseofvermont.org

Click here to read letter from Bishop Ely on the Diocesan web site.

Diocesan Study Program

The first meeting of the new DSP class was held on Septmeber 20 and drew together an eager and diverse group of people from all over the Diocese. The second class will be held on Saturday, October 18 at St. Paul's Church in White River Junction from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. If you or someone you know might be interested in checking out this program, you would be very welcome to attend the October 18 session and see if it is something that would be helpful for you in your spiritual journey. If anyone has questions about DSP, please contact John Morris at 439-6599 or jcmvt@sover.net.

Christian Meditation Group at the Cathedral

Introduction to Christian Meditation, taught by the Very Rev. Kenneth Poppe, will be offered at St. Paul's Cathedral in the Commons room on five consecutive Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm - September 25, October 2, 9, 16, and 23.

This is sponsored by the Cathedral's Meditation Center and focuses on the practice of Christian contemplative prayer. Each session will consist of a regular time for silent meditation and a presentation of a different way of contemplative prayer, ancient and modern, from Christian tradition and its practice. Participants will set aside time each day for meditation, keep a journal and share their experiences with the group. Some of the practices we will experience are: the Jesus prayer, sacred reading of scripture, imaginative contemplation, and keeping a rule of life. At the first session a video from the World Community of Christian Meditation, "Coming Home - An Introduction to Christian Meditation and the Community it Creates," will be shown.

An ongoing Christian Meditation Group also meets each Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Commons Room. This form of silent, imageless prayer using a mantra or prayer word, rooted in the New Testament, was taught by John Cassian and the 4th century Desert Christians, and is found in the fourteenth century, "The Cloud of Unknowing." Meditation, also known as contemplative prayer, seeks God in silence and stillness beyond word and thought. Newcomers are welcomed to the group to discover this ancient prayer tradition for contemporary men and women. The meeting includes quite music, a short talk on meditation, 30 minutes of silent meditation, followed by a question and answer period and ending with the short service of Compline. For more information, contact Ken Poppe at 864-0471 x 17 or kpoppe@stpaulscathedralvt.org.

Sarah Gallagher Administrator Cathedral Church of St. Paul 2 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05401 voice: 802-864-0471 x 10 fax: 802-860-0489 sarahg@stpaulscathedralvt.org