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Three deacons ordained in June cathedral service

	Bishop Dean Wolfe (second from left) ordained three deacons during a service June 3. They are (from left) Steve Segebrecht, Sally Wilcox and Jesse Milan.

Bishop Dean Wolfe ordained three people to the Sacred Order of Deacons during a service June 3 at Grace Cathedral, Topeka. They are Jesse Milan, who was sponsored by St. Martin’s, Edwardsville; Steve Segebrecht, Trinity, Lawrence; and Sally Wilcox, Grace, Winfield.

Segebrecht is an ear, nose and throat surgeon practicing in Lawrence. Milan is retired from a career in education and government service in social service agencies. Wilcox has worked in a variety of fields, including teaching and writing, and she continues writing features for the Winfield Daily Courier. The three are deacons who are not seeking subsequent ordination as priests.

In his sermon during the service, Bishop Wolfe called on the new deacons to be embraced by the fire of the Holy Spirit. “Fire has two qualities,” he noted, “light and heat. The fire of the Holy Spirit gives illumination and warmth to those who are consumed by its fire.” In his charge to the newly ordained the bishop said, “Light it up. The time is short, and the neediest people of our broken world are waiting for you to bring into their lives the Spirit that both illumines and warms.”

Bishop Barbara Harris to speak at ECW meeting

Bishop Barbara Harris, who was the first woman to become a bishop in the Anglican Communion, will speak and preach at the annual gathering of the Episcopal Church Women of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 7 at St. James’, Wichita.

Bishop Harris will be the preacher at a 10:30 a.m. Eucharist and will speak at 1 p.m. All members of the diocese are welcome to attend these events; one need not be an ECW delegate to participate.

Bishop Harris currently is assisting bishop for the Diocese of Washington (D.C.). After her consecration on Feb. 11, 1989, she was suffragan bishop for the Diocese of Massachusetts. She served there until her retirement in 2002, and she began ministry as assisting bishop in Washington in the summer of 2003.

A native of Philadelphia, she was ordained a deacon in 1979 and a priest in 1980. Her background was in public relations, and she also served as executive director of the Episcopal Church Publishing Company, publisher of The Witness magazine. After her ordination to the priesthood, she served as priest-in-charge of St. Augustine of Hippo Church in Norristown, Penn., and then became interim rector of Philadelphia’s Church of the Advocate. Bishop Harris has been active in professional and community organizations, as well as national church service.

ERD, Louisiana, plan new housing in New Orleans

Louisiana Bishop Charles Jenkins announced the establishment of the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, a first-of-its-kind housing plan by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana that targets New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood. Jericho Road is a faith based, nonprofit organization formed in response to the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to Bishop Jenkins, Jericho’s mission is to provide quality affordable housing in preexisting neighborhoods in New Orleans.

In an announcement on May 4, Bishop Jenkins said, “Our first goal is to construct 150 homes in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. While doing so we pray that we will be able to collaborate with other faith groups in sharing this ministry so important to the future of New Orleans.”

The Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, LLC was formed in March and is a partnership of the Diocese of Louisiana and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD). ERD provided the initial funding totaling $2.3 million, which will be used for administrative management, property acquisition and construction. The funding from ERD, combined with planned financing from the Whitney Community Development Corporation, will result in an investment in Central City of over $20 million.

According to the vice chair of Jericho Road, the Very Rev. David duPlantier, dean of New Orleans’ Christ Church Cathedral, this is a challenging time in New Orleans but also a time for opportunity and change in all neighborhoods. “ Jericho Road, through its broad and diverse partnerships, will transform New Orleans into an American city that will again set the standard for people of diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to live together in mixed and vibrant communities,” he said.

“One of our city’s most unique characteristics is that for hundreds of years people of vastly different backgrounds have lived in close proximity to one another, inspiring and influencing culture, religion and family life. Jericho Road will continue that vital New Orleans neighborhood tradition,” duPlantier said.

The Jericho Road pilot program, launched with the purchase of five empty lots from the Whitney Community Development Corporation, is the first step for the Jericho housing initiative. The purpose of the pilot program is to implement and then critique all aspects of Jericho Road , including site selection, client identification and training, availability of homeowners insurance, the cost of mortgage products and a realistic understanding of the building process post-Katrina.

A variety of housing stock is being considered, including modular, steel and cement, as well as traditional stick built. Jericho Road has begun to build neighborhood partnerships near the area of the newly acquired properties and throughout the Central City neighborhood.