Over Spring Break, Epiphany’s Youth Group teamed with the Youth Groups of St. Paul and Incarnation and spent a week doing tornado clean up in Henryville and surrounding areas. 18 youth and 8 adults spent their nights camping at Mount St. Francis to be in solidarity with those who don’t have a roof over their heard due to be homeless or the tornado ripped it right off.

They spent  their days either clearing acres of blown over trees and brush, picking up bits of glass and concrete from a yard that the young kids like to run barefoot in and looking for Legos and Lincoln Logs, donning hazmat suits to rip out moldy dry wall and ceiling tiles, and collecting scrap metal for money.

On Sunday, April 29, 2012, we all gathered in the Community Center to say good-bye to Sister Larraine Lauter, OSU, who has been our Minister of Social Responsibility for almost 4 years.  

She won’t be leaving the parish, but will not be on the staff at Epiphany any more. Sister Larraine will continue to worship with us and volunteer for events when she is able.

The Community Center was crowded with folks who came to tell her good-bye, with lots of hugs and kisses. There was lots of good food to share, as well. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with this gathering!

Sister Larraine’s new job is in a new non-profit agency called Water With Blessings. Most of us are familiar with her work in the area of providing clean water to women and their families in Honduras using an inexpensive filter and a bucket. We all wish her well with this new endeavor.

If you’ve celebrated with Epiphany recently, you’ve seen the beautiful new vestments we’ve been using for the Easter season. Work began in the winter of 2011, and Epiphany members have logged hundreds of hours in designing and making them. There are many Christian symbols that we use and can identify, such as the cross and the candles. During the Easter season we celebrate our resurrected life in Christ particularly through the waters of baptism and the fire of the Spirit. These primary natural symbols have been with us since the earliest Christian celebrations, and seem especially fitting for us given our natural surroundings.

Chesley was received into full communion in the Catholic Church at this year's Easter Vigil. This is the witness she gave to the community the following week.

When Sister Mary ask our RCIA group to reflect on the ways that we have met Jesus on this leg of our spiritual journey, the problem for me was not thinking of ways that I have encountered Jesus during the last seven months, but how am I going to fit in all those ways in a brief testimony.

You see, one of the many great blessings I received from this RCIA process, is developing the ability to identify images of Christ in everyday things. My eyes and mind have been opened to searching for God and Gods grace all around us. Jesus walked among us as a human being, and the presence of Christ is with us still, manifested in so many ways.

I encountered Jesus while breaking open scripture each week. Through reflection on the word, and sharing thoughts and insights within our group I uncovered great meaning and direction.

Collected by Epiphany’s Women’s Concerns Committee

JustCommunity Easter 2012:
“A Place at the Table: Faith-Filled Dissent”

To submit your own prayers and reflections for posting, please send to Sr. Larraine.