Blog - The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

Liturgy of Lament: In Honor of the Buffalo Tops Markets Shooting Victims

Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color hosted a short virtual Liturgy of Lament in honor of the victims of the Buffalo Tops Markets Shooting. It was broadcast from St. Matthew/San Mateo Episcopal Church in Auburn, WA and led by the Rev. Canon Carla Robinson, the Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Cultural Transformation. Please join us as we remember those who died and stand together with those who grieve. SERVICE BOOKLET (PDF) HYMN IN RESPONSE TO GUN VIOLENCE (Permissions Granted to Use

Declaración del obispo Rickel sobre el tiroteo en la escuela primaria Robb en Uvalde, TX

English Translation Queridos míos, Doscientas dieciséis vidas. En la última década, doscientos dieciséis niños y sus maestros han fallecido en tiroteos ocurridos en escuelas. Desde 2012, se han perdido doscientas dieciséis vidas inocentes debido a estos terribles actos violentos, y con el tiroteo en la Escuela Primaria Robb en Uvalde, Texas, esa cifra se acrecentó aún más porque se cobraron veintiún vidas inocentes adicionales. Ahora, los tiroteos en escuelas han arrebatado doscientas treinta y siete vidas. Doscientas treinta y siete

Bishop Rickel’s Statement on the Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX

Traducción al español Dear Ones, 216 lives. Over the past decade, 216 children and their teachers have died in school shootings. Since 2012, 216 innocent lives have been lost in these horrific acts of violence. And with the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that number grew even larger as 21 more innocent lives were taken. Now, school shootings have claimed 237 lives. 237 lives that should still be here today. We are a people who pray, so

Eye of Providence or Spy Among Us – Cyber Security Today: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

The “Eye of Providence” is a symbol that appears on the Great Seal of the United States. It is meant to depict the benevolent Eye of God watching over the affairs of the United States. It is an ancient symbol known in many cultures. But there is now in the world a very real “eye of providence” and its intent toward human beings is less benevolent. As of 2022, there are 6.7 billion smartphones in the world. 83.7% of the

Our Lady of Guadalupe Receives Bishop Nedi Rivera Hispanic Ministry Grant

St. Luke’s, Renton has been awarded a grant for the regathering and growth of Hispanic ministry in the Renton area. The ministry will be under the leadership of Liberato Arellano and the Rev. Kevin Pearson. Grant funds will be used “to begin gathering new and former Spanish-speaking participants, on a monthly basis, after the primary Beloved Community liturgy at St. Luke’s, for a Base Community Model of biblical reflection and talking circle, sharing the stories of their lives as they

Work at Camp Huston This Summer!

“Camp Huston helped teach me leadership and team building skills that I still use today” – Jordan (2015 staff alum), a local politician and Gold Bar City Councilman. Working at Camp Huston is an opportunity to serve the Episcopal community (and beyond!) while gaining a wide variety of skills. We have campers, from kids to teens, attending Camp Huston and coming from all walks of life. Our camp counselors and staff are the ones who make the summer a positive,

Keys and Gates – Managing Security While Welcoming the Stranger: An Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

Revelation 21:21 – “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl.” Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be found in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Photo by Nerene Grobler on Unsplash These two biblical quotes raise the odd notion that heaven is a gated community. Apparently, there are gates to heaven, whether to

Easter 2022: A Message from Bishop Rickel

Alleluia, Christ has risen. The Lord has risen indeed, alleluia. Happy Easter to each and every one of you. Perhaps the highest feast of the Christian life has arrived, Easter, resurrection, new life born out of the old. That’s the hope of Easter, the yearning of Easter, even if, and I would say most especially if, the world itself doesn’t seem to portray it, does not seem to go along, as it were. This is the point really, even out

Cathedral Day 2022: Returning to Our Roots

Cathedral Day is a celebration of the community of the Diocese of Olympia—a “family reunion” for Episcopalians from across western Washington. Both Cathedral Day 2020 and Cathedral Day 2021 were cancelled due to the pandemic, but Cathedral Day will be back in May 2022, with all the fun and fellowship of this beloved tradition. This is a time for connecting across communities, experiencing your cathedral in a new light… and a lot of fun. There’s something for everyone—no matter your

When the Earth Shakes – Earthquake Preparedness: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

From the Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Property Manager “Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were open and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” (Acts 16:26) Earthquakes were well known in the Bible because they were known in the Middle East as that part of the world lies at the joining of three tectonic plates. But, in the Bible, earthquakes were understood to be divine acts of theological