From the Rector

Dear Friends,

Each year after the dust settles from Holy Week and Easter, the priests and bishops of the Diocese of New York gather together for a brief time of retreat. The venues have changed from year to year, and some were, shall we say, a little rough around the edges. Last year we settled on Cedar Lake Estates outside Port Jervis and liked it so much that we returned this year a second time. At its core is an old camp dating to 1929, but in recent years it has been thoroughly restored and upgraded to a beautiful spot for retreats like ours as well as swanky weddings.

It is always such a pleasure to be with my brother and sister priests of our diocese for more than a liturgy. I feel so blessed to labor amongst my fellow workers in the vineyard who are so intelligent, committed, and passionate about our shared vocation. We were joined by Linda Etim, who delivered our plenary workshop on crises of all kinds and how we as clergy can meet them from a scriptural and theological perspective. We also had free time to enjoy nature or participate in a variety of sports and excellent food!

The time with our bishop is always thoughtful, and the truth is spoken in love and safety. The theme that bubbled up in many of the small groups we were broken into was "rebuilding trust  between clergy and their diocesan leadership." Bishop Heyd has gone a long way already in that direction, and we thanked him for that. The diocese has been completely restructured around serving our communities. I am eager to begin to work with our new Canon for the West of the Hudson, the Rev. Nicole Hanley. She is in the process of leave-taking at her parish and will start her new duties in June. She is eager to get to know Tuxedo and St. Mary's.

Our participation in the life of the broader church is vitally important, and I feel so blessed to represent you and this incredible community out there in the world.

Father Rick

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