Greetings to all Province II Bishops, Province II ECW Board Members, Diocesan Representatives and Friends!
 
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the next NECW board meeting will be held in Province 2 at the Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown, 101 South Union Street, Rochester, New York, from Friday, September 26, 2025 thru Monday, September 29, 2025. You are all invited to attend.
 
From May 1, 2025 thru May 5, 2025, I attended the NECW meeting held at the Doubletree, 27 North 27th Street in Billings, Montana.  Our hosts from the Province 6 ECW Board, Beth Agar (President) and Marcia Himes and Amy Mayes (Treasury co-chairs) traveled to Billings to welcome us. The NECW welcomed, Andrea Petrosh, as its new Executive Council Liaison.  In addition, Beblon Parks, from Province 3, conducted an engaging and informative workshop on "Using Pronouns-What's it all about?" Beblon utilized origami techniques as she guided members in creating and decorating T-shirts.  The individual designs helped members to explore their own identities.  Beblon later explained the various pronouns and their connections to self-identification.
  
SUMMARY OF CURRENT NECW ACTIVITIES
Triennial 2027 Planning. Triennial 2027 will be held in late June or early July 2027 in Phoenix, Arizona in conjunction with General Convention.  Women at the Well: Faith in Action was adopted as the theme for Triennial 2027.  Committee Chairs were assigned. Triennial logo designs were reviewed and a final logo was selected.  The new logo will be displayed soon on the NECW website.  President Lisa Bortner and 1st Vice-President Cindy Mohr will attend the next General Convention Planning Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona from July 20 -22, 2025.
The NECW Virtual Event Series:  The next session will be held on June 7, 2025 with the theme “Taking Care of Business: Basic Parliamentary Procedures” to be presented by Cherise Story, CPA, MBA, PRP.  Another virtual event is scheduled for July 12, 2025, on Prison Ministries presented by Deacon Linda Paul.
Communique Magazine Online: The Communications Committee, in conjunction with the Creation Care and Environmental Justice Committee, recommended that we encourage our membership to read the Communique magazine online to be more ecologically minded.  For those ECW members who wish to continue to receive a paper Communique they will have to indicate on the website that this is their wish and indicate if they would like the magazine in English or Spanish. There will be an option to donate to cover shipping costs of the Communique on the website. This information will be provided in advance by way of Facebook, our website, and in the monthly news blast. Starting with the next Communique, the magazine will be published in English and then separately in Spanish.
The Thursdays in Black, Stations of Hope Lenten Program:  This program was a huge success. Sue Mueller was recognized for chairing and writing the liturgy for the program. NECW plans to continue this program next year.
Association of Episcopal Deacons Triennial (AED): The National ECW is a sponsor of the AED Triennial to be held in San Antonio, TX on June 5-8, 2025.  President Lisa Bortner will attend the AED Triennial dinner on Saturday, June 7, 2025 to represent the National ECW. 
Tri-History Conference:  This conference is a platform for exploring the history of the Episcopal Church, its antecedents, and other churches within the Anglican Communion.  It will be held from June 17-21, 2025.  The National ECW will provide copies of our Communique magazine for the event. The Tri-History Conference is a biennial event sponsored by three organizations within the Episcopal Church.  They are the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Women's History Project and the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists.  The 2025 Tri-History Conference will focus on the history of the Latino Ministry in the Episcopal Church.
Strategic Planning Committee:  This committee has begun to create a strategic plan to move our organization into the future.
Member-at-Large for Creation Care and Environment Justice Chairperson:  The Ad Hoc Creation Care and Environmental Justice Committee nominated Sue Mueller as Chairperson of this committee.  The board approved Sue’s nomination and installed her as chair during the meeting.  A motion was approved to give the committee a line-item budget of $10,000 per year to be taken out of the contingency fund line-item.
Registration of ECW chapters: The NECW continues to encourage all ECWs to register and be counted. ECW chapters may be registered on our website at ecwnational.org.
 
MOTIONS APPROVED:
Donation of $1000 grant awarded to Mosaic Episcopal Church in Pearland, Texas for their Christian Education Fund.
Donation of $1000 grant awarded to the Montana Community Foundation for a contribution to the Snowbird Fund which directly supports indigenous communities in Montana by directly supporting families and community members searching for the missing loved ones.
Donation of $1000 to Episcopal Relief & Development for disaster relief.
Explore the possibility of the National ECW Board’s travel to Cartagena, Columbia for the Province 9 meeting in January 2027.
Donation of $160 to purchase a chair for the library at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Billings, Montana in the name of the National ECW in support of the Women of St. Luke’s Church.
Provide mediation services for conflict resolution to any Province Board in need.
Donation of $200 to Yvonne O’Neal’s for her presentation on Human Trafficking.
Accept Sue Mueller as the Creation Care and Environmental Justice Member-at-Large.
Amend general budget to establish a line-item of $10,000 for the position of Creation Care and Environmental Justice Member-at-Large position.
Establish an NECW Board chaplaincy.
Establish a new procedure for grant applications.  All grant requests must be submitted with a letter of support from Episcopal clergy and be sent to the Social Justice Chair by email.  Applications for Universal grants and Women-to-Women grants must be supportive of ECW’s or of women’s ministries within the Episcopal Church or recognized affiliates of the Episcopal Church Women.  Grants will be a maximum limit of $1000 and a submission date of August 31.  Approval decisions from the NECW Board will be made by November 1.
The NECW will sell t-shirts for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women at $5.00 over costs plus shipping.  Buttons will be sold for $1.00 plus shipping.  The funds will go to the Social Justice line-item budget to support ministries of the Social Justice Committee.
 
BOARD OUTCOMES
Morning Prayer will be offered on Wednesdays on Facebook Live at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
 
Zoom Virtual Workshops will continue to be offered quarterly.
 
Please be on the lookout for Save-the-Date reminders for our next NECW meeting to be held at the Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown, 101 South Union Street, Rochester, New York, from Friday, September 26, 2025, thru Monday, September 29, 2025.  You are welcomed to attend.  Remember that our Communique magazine is available on-line on the NECW website.  Please monitor the NECW website ecwnational.org regularly for current information and articles.  Sign up on the NECW website for weekly “News Blast” which are sent out on Saturday mornings and are available by email.
 
Continue to send me your newsletters, your reports, and any information about your diocese to my email at [email protected].   This will allow me to have on-going information about you that I will include in my Province II Representative Report to the NECW Board.  Thank you in advance.
 
Dianne Roberts, Esq.
Province II Representative
National Board of Episcopal Church Women
[email protected]

March 18, 2025: In an ongoing endeavor to maintain an avenue between Province II dioceses, congregations, and individuals and the Episcopal Church resources, two volunteers have been named to the newly-developed positions of Province II - Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) liaisons.

Province II President Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe announced that the two Province II -EMM liaison are

• Janet Day-Strehlow, Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
• José R. Delgado, Diocese of Puerto Rico

“Janet and José have demonstrated their long-term commitment to helping refugees,” she said. “In our rapidly changing society, we recognized the need for gathering and sharing information from EMM about programs, needs, materials, etc., throughout Province II. The Liaisons will fulfill that role.”
​
The Province II – EMM Liaisons are members of the Provincial Council with seat and voice (no vote).
The Province II-EMM Liaison is the first of such arrangements in the Episcopal Church

"On behalf of Episcopal Migration Ministries, I am excited that the people of Province II have created these positions to share information, foster collaboration, and amplify the voices and needs of vulnerable neighbors among us,” commented the Rev. Sarah Shipman, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries. "The liaisons will be important in carrying out the church’s commitment to refugees and migrants, and I hope this model catalyzes similar partnerships across the church."   
​
Province II is composed of 13 dioceses with congregations in over six time zones: The 13 Dioceses of the Episcopal Church Province II are: Albany, Central New York, Cuba, Convocation of Churches in Europe, Haiti, Long Island, New Jersey, New York, Newark, Puerto Rico, Rochester, Virgin Islands, Western New York.

Meet Janet Day-Strehlow
A native of Arlington, Virginia, Janet has been part of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe since 1987.

She has served in various capacities in the Church.  As Senior Warden during transitions, secretary and then President of the Council of Advice, for more than 10 years she has served as the Chair of the European Institute of Christian Studies (EICS, which is the body responsible for the formation needs of Convocation leaders.  She will soon Co-Chair the newly formed Convocation Task Force on Peace and Justice.

Janet has been a delegate to the 80th and 81st General Conventions. She served on the Legislative Committee for Social Justice and International Policy for both General Conventions and was House of Deputies Chair at the 81st GC.  

Janet first became involved with Episcopal Migration Ministries after she proposed a resolution approved at the 80th General Convention: D045 On Supporting LGBTIQ+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers, based on the experience of an asylum seeker in Munich.  Out of that resolution the Rainbow Initiative came into being.  At the 81st General Convention, she proposed Resolution D026: Enable Episcopal Migration Ministries to More Fully Live Out its Mission.

Meet José Delgado
José is a strategist, an educator, and a communicator with a vast understanding of The Episcopal Church.

He currently serves as the Director of Communications/Radio Station Director (WLEO 1170 AM) for Iglesia Episcopal Diócesis de Puerto Rico. His responsibilities include leading a communications team, developing and implementing comprehensive communication strategies aligned with organizational goal, and managing multiple communication and digital evangelization projects such as live social media and radio broadcasting, multimedia content development, writing and publishing on digital magazine and newsletters.
​
As an educator, he developed courses, evaluation, and served as a team leader in arts and visual communications.

Province II is seeking one, preferably two, volunteers to serve as liaison(s) between Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) and the Province II leadership, dioceses, congregations, and individuals committed to helping refugees in our rapidly changing society.

The primary role would be to gather information from EMM about programs, needs, materials, etc., and share throughout Province II.

Since Province II is so large – 13 dioceses with congregations in over six time zones – two volunteers are being sought.

The Province II Liaisons would be members of the Provincial Council with seat and voice but no vote.

For info, to volunteer, or to suggest a volunteer contact Neva Rae Fox, Province II Coordinator, [email protected].

The 13 Dioceses of the Episcopal Church Province II are: Albany, Central New York, Cuba, Convocation of Churches in Europe, Haiti, Long Island, New Jersey, New York, Newark, Puerto Rico, Rochester, Virgin Islands, Western New York.

What is Religious Life Sunday? The General Convention of The Episcopal Church approved resolution 2022-B004, “Foundation of Religious Life Sunday,” to be held each year on the 3rd Sunday of Epiphany. This observance focuses our efforts to tell all Episcopalians and Anglicans about our monastic and Christian Communities and what we offer the church.
This year it will be on January 26, 2025.  Read more >

October 31, 2024
To Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado and the People of Puerto Rico,
​
​We, the Episcopal Bishops of Province II, greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the maker of all and redeemer of all. On behalf of your siblings in our dioceses, from across New York and New Jersey, Haiti, Cuba, the Virgin Islands, and the convocation in Europe, we send you our love and prayers.

On Sunday, October 27, at a major partisan event in New York City, offensive and false statements were made, about your beautiful island and the good people of Puerto Rico. While these statements were made under the pretense of humor, this is no laughing matter. The dehumanization expressed reflects the worst of our national story and is shameful to us as followers of Jesus Christ. We renounce the statements made at Madison Square Garden, and we renew our dedication to repent of the evils of racism and bigotry. We take seriously our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our baptismal vows to honor the dignity of all persons.

We are writing to offer our love and support and to express our gratitude for your diocese, and the faithful people of Puerto Rico. We celebrate with you the opening of your new hospital, the expansion of your seminary, and your continued faithfulness in your ministry. We are inspired by the strength of your community and your support of one another in both good and challenging times.

May God continue to bless you, and together, may we share a message of love, dignity, and hope that will help to heal our hurting nation and world.

Your siblings in Christ:
The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe, Province II President Diocese of Central New York
The Rt. Rev.R. William Franklin, Diocese of Long Island
The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Diocese of Long Island
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Allotey, Diocese of Long Island
The Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, Diocese of New York
The Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, Diocese of New York
The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Diocese of New York
The Rt. Rev. Carlye Hughes, Diocese of Newark
The Rt. Rev. Sally French, Diocese of New Jersey
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson, Diocese of Albany
The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, Diocese of Rochester
​The Rt. Rev. Mark Edington, Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe

Al Obispo Rafael Morales Maldonado y al Pueblo de Puerto Rico,
​
Nosotros, los Obispos Episcopales de la Provincia II, los saludamos en el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, creador de todo y redentor de todos. En nombre de sus hermanos y hermanas en nuestras diócesis, desde Nueva York y Nueva Jersey, Haití, Cuba, las Islas Vírgenes y la Convocatoria en Europa, les enviamos nuestro amor y nuestras oraciones.

El domingo 27 de octubre, en un importante evento partidista en la ciudad de Nueva York, se hicieron declaraciones ofensivas y falsas sobre su hermosa isla y el noble pueblo de Puerto Rico. Aunque dichas afirmaciones se hicieron bajo el pretexto de ser humorísticas, esto no es motivo de risa. La deshumanización expresada refleja lo peor de nuestra historia nacional y nos avergüenza como seguidores de Jesucristo. Rechazamos las declaraciones hechas en el Madison Square Garden y renovamos nuestro compromiso de deplorar los males del racismo y la intolerancia. Tomamos en serio nuestro compromiso con el Evangelio de Jesucristo y con nuestros votos bautismales de honrar la dignidad de todas las personas.

Les escribimos para ofrecerles nuestro amor y apoyo, y para expresar nuestra gratitud por su diócesis y el fiel pueblo de Puerto Rico. Celebramos con ustedes la apertura de su nuevo hospital, la expansión de su seminario y su continua fidelidad en el ministerio. Nos inspira la fortaleza de su comunidad y el apoyo que se brindan mutuamente tanto en los momentos buenos como en los desafiantes.

Que Dios los bendiga siempre, y que juntos podamos compartir un mensaje de amor, dignidad y esperanza que ayude a sanar a nuestra nación y a nuestro mundo heridos.

Sus hermanos en Cristo:
La Reverendísima DeDe Duncan-Probe, Presidenta de la Provincia II Diócesis de Nueva York Central
El Reverendísimo Lawrence C. Provenzano, Diócesis de Long Island
El Reverendísimo R. William Franklin, Diócesis de Long Island
El Reverendísimo Daniel Allotey, Diócesis de Long Island
El Reverendísimo Matthew Heyd, Diócesis de Nueva York
La Reverendísima Mary Glasspool, Diócesis de Nueva York
El Reverendísimo Allen K. Shin, Diócesis de Nueva York
La Reverendísima Carlye Hughes, Diócesis de Newark
La Reverendísima Sally French, Diócesis de Nueva Jersey
El Reverendísimo Jeremiah D. Williamson, Diócesis de Albany
La Reverendísima Kara Wagner Sherer, Diócesis de Rochester
​El Reverendísimo Mark Edington, Convocatoria de Iglesias Episcopales en Europa

The recent Province II Special Synod on September 19 focused on one topic – the Provincial budget. The Synod approved a provisional budget and recommended the appointment of a Finance Committee.
​
In addition to Province II Treasurer Elisabeth Jacobs as chair, Province II President Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe has appointed the following to the Finance Committee.
·       Archdeacon Walter Baer, Europe; Province II Vice President
·       The Rev. Theodora Brooks, New York; Province II Council member
·       The Rev. Jimmie Sue Deppe, Long Island; Province II Secretary
·       The Rev. Anne Kitch, Newark 
·       The Rev. Emily Mellot, New Jersey
·       Dr. Arnaldo Rodríguez Sanchez, Puerto Rico
·       The Rev.  Marshall Shelley, New Jersey
If you are interested in serving on the Finance Committee, contact Neva Rae Fox at [email protected].

Province II is seeking a volunteer to serve as the Provincial Liaison to Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee resettlement ministry of The Episcopal Church. Through the dedicated efforts of affiliates, community partners, dioceses, congregations, and volunteers, EMM has successfully resettled more than 105,000 refugees in the past 36 years. 

The Province II – EMM liaison would serve as a community partner: working with Province II leadership on EMM efforts; distributing information to the 13 diocese of Province II; offering resources and ideas to congregations; assisting EMM in its important ministry throughout Province II.

For more info on EMM, look here: Episcopal Migration Ministries

Were you wondering what happens to the Diocese of Western New York now that Bishop Rowe has been elected Presiding Bishop?  The Partnership has that covered!
Find answers to some frequently asked questions on the website, and if your question hasn't yet been answered, email it to [email protected].
Read the FAQs.

​Scaled-down installation planned for
Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe 
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe, together with the planning committees for his transition and installation, announced today that they will forego the traditional installation service in Washington National Cathedral in favor of a smaller, simpler ceremony in the chapel at the church’s New York headquarters.

This service will be livestreamed, and simultaneous interpretation will be available in multiple languages to ensure churchwide access.

“With gratitude to all involved, I have decided to begin this ministry in a new way,” Rowe said. “With a simple service at the Church Center that will include everyone via livestream, we can care for God’s creation by reducing our collective carbon footprint. I have great respect and admiration for the ministry of Washington National Cathedral. My seating will take place in the following months, and I am grateful to Dean Hollerith and the cathedral staff as we plan for that event.”

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, offered her remarks on this decision:

“We in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Washington National Cathedral wholeheartedly support Presiding Bishop-elect Rowe in his desire for an installation experience that is accessible to all and wisely stewards technologies that are available to us. We look forward to the day of his seating at the cathedral, and we will celebrate that occasion with great joy.”
 
“God is calling The Episcopal Church into a new future, and this service will mark the beginning of that journey,” Rowe said.
 
Further details on the installation will be provided as they become available.

We are St. Mary Recycle Mission Group and we have been working with Episcopal churches, Catholic churches, Convents, Schools, The Knights of Columbus, and other organizations, as well as with Parishioners who have things at home in helping rescue and recycle used Religious items that are no longer needed. 

Over the last 30 years, we have helped recycle items from Churches that have items from former Clergy that are no longer being used, or from Churches that unfortunately closed, as well as from Parishioners who need to place their personal religious items from home that they don't know what to do with. Over the years, we have found many of these items in the trash so we came up with a recycling program. We offer a monetary donation to you for your recycle efforts if you wish to put towards your needs, just let us know when contacting us.  Our recycling program was developed to help parishes both in need of items that they cannot afford, as well as with their financial needs, and also to help the community. 

We originally got started after finding several items cleared out from a church basement in the dumpster of a local church all in perfectly usable condition.  We later found that there is a need for these unwanted items. Our first large effort was following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans as we sent hundreds of recycled items to a parish there that was more than happy to accept items for both the parish and parishioners that we had gathered.
​

We can take in or give just about anything of Religious nature that can be used by other churches, convents or religious organizations such as:​

• Vestments including Chasubles, Stoles, Albs, etc. (even if they are soiled or tattered, as we have them professionally cleaned and/or restored if possible so they can be worn, we can also use them to make new vestments, rosary cases or missal covers, we accept any style, color, vintage)
  
• Crucifixes
  
• Statues (any size, no outdoor concrete statues)
  
• Rosaries (damaged ok)
• Chalices (Pottery ok but please not by mail)
  
• Altar Ware
  
• Candle Sticks
  
• Tabernacles
  
• Relics
  
• Monstrances
  
• Altar Stones
• Altar Books/Missals/Lectionaries
  
• Holy Medals
• Holy Cards
  
• Linens
  
• Paraments
• Framed Religious Pictures
• Used Musical Instruments
• Prayer books//Breviaries/Catholic Encyclopedias

(Please No Religious Books/Reading Books/Story Books, Hymnals, Pamphlets/Magazines/DVD', VHS Tapes or Wax Candles)

•  Please remember, this is a recycle program that works both ways, if you are in need of items that you cannot financially afford, please email us your needs, and we will help you. Items we supply you are of no cost to you and we also cover shipping costs or will personally drop off items to you when we are in your area. 
  

•  Please consider cleaning out the closet and placing us in your bulletin for parishioners to bring in religious items from their home to recycle.  Please call or reply by email to be added to our pick up list or if we can help supply you with any items listed above.  Secretaries, if you would like to add us to your bulletin for your parishioners to bring in items and would like an example for the bulletin, please let me know, 

If you don't presently have anything to recycle or need items at this time, please keep our information on file, as we are always collecting and giving items if you need them in the future!
References available upon request. 

May God Bless!
Kimberly Walters
St. Mary Recycle Mission Group
2505 Nolt Road
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 381-5816
[email protected]
See us at www.StMaryRecycleMissionGroup.com
(Not part of St. Mary's Church or the Harrisburg Diocese)

This year's Episcopal Communicators Annual Conference is now in the books, at least the in-person version.  The online version, Publish Glad Tidings, is still to come on May 2, 9, 17, & 23, 2024.  ​

I was fortunate to attend the conference April 16-18, 2024 in Portland, ME.  What a great time to spend learning new things, connecting with other communicators, and sharing our work!  Episcopal Communicators is open to everyone working in the ministry of communcation in the Episcopal Church.  That means everyone from the volunteers doing the e-newsletters in tiny congregations to the people who are paid to manage communications of all kinds for a diocese.  The theme across all of this is "You are not alone".  We're all in this together and we work to lift each other up.  Check out becoming a member if you are doing communications ministry and are not a member >

I attended the Learning Lab session on video by  Canon Craig Wirth, Communications Director, The Episcopal Diocese of Utah. He helped us learn how to tell stories through maximizing every shot.  I am not a videographer, but even I learned something!  I also attended workshops on Intergenerational Communications and on Social Media.  

The Polly Bond Awards were, as always, inspiring.  It is so good to view an awards ceremony as an occasion for lifting up good work.  In Province II, Kirk Peterson (The Living Church) won an award for news writing: Award of Excellence:  Presiding Bishop's Health Looms Over Election of Successor.    Chris Whitaker (Diocese of Newark) won an award for a digital magazine: Honorable Mention: 2023 Lenten Devotional, one for communications accessibility: Award of Excellence: Live from Christ Church in Short Hills: The Webcast,  and another with Libby Clarke for layout: Award of Excellence: Faure Requiem: A Concert of Remembrance.  Mary Grace Puszka (Diocese of Long Island) won an award for commentary: Award of Excellence: Opening the Door to Women’s Ordination, two for a booklet: Award of Excellence: 2023 Episcopal Ministries Annual Appeal Report & Honorable Mention: Episcopal Ministries of Long Island's 2023 End of Year Report,  and one for graphic design: Honorable Mention: Pride Prayer. Sonja Slother (Diocese of Rochester) won an award for graphic design: Award of Merit: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rochester, NY Logo. Denise Fillion (Diocese of Long Island) won an award with Mary Grace Puszka for a social media post: Award of Excellence: Find a church that...(Advent Campaign).  Congratulations to all!!

Mark your calendars for EPISCOMM25,which will grace Oklahoma City from May 12-16, 2025!

Jan Paxton
​Province II Webeditor