The Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota

Look at some of the wonderful clergy the Diocese of South Dakota has. Clergy Retreat 2024, Terra Sancta, Rapid City, South Dakota.

As part of his ongoing treatment for atrial fibrillation, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been advised by his medical team that he should receive a pacemaker. The procedure, scheduled for March 1, requires him to be hospitalized for one night. More information on this health history is available here. Bishop Curry will continue tending to light-duty work tasks until released to travel and increase his duties. Updates will be provided as necessary. Your continued prayers for Bishop Curry, his family, and his medical team are greatly appreciated.

Episcopal Election Activators is an Episcopal Church program, run by the Office of Government Relations, that seeks volunteers to help promote and facilitate local non-partisan election engagement efforts in their state or region of the U.S.! Applications are open for the 2024-2025 cohort, which will run from January 2024 to December 2025 with varying levels of engagement based on the election calendar. Individuals may apply at any time, even as the program is underway. To apply, please fill out the application below. Questions? simply email us at eppn@episcopalchurch.org

January 15 is the federal holiday honoring the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota and other dioceses across The Episcopal Church will be closed Monday. MLK Jr Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King's actual birthday is January 15.

Thanks to the people who sent donation boxes to the Diocese of South Dakota. BCU (Brotherhood of Christian Unity) was able to distribute some nice things for the homeless and street people. We were able to help one man in particular who is sleeping inside a cardboard box, he lives in the street by my grandaughter's apartment. We were able to provide him with some warm clothing and blankets. The Rev. Mercy Hobbs and The Rev. David Hussey along with several of the LeBeau family gathered to help make goodie essential bags for the Men and Women who find themselves homeless. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

From our church's Racial Reconciliation Office “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”​ And written by The Rev, Shaneequa Brokenleg ​ As many of you know, November is Native American Heritage Month. As an Indigenous person and an enrolled citizen in my tribe, the fact that Native American Heritage Month happens in the same month as Thanksgiving is not lost on me. It’s a time when many people like to harken back to the first Thanksgiving, thinking about settlers and Indians enjoying a meal together, in some sort of romanticized version of history. It is one of our quintessential “American” holidays. Unfortunately, those who colonized North America saw the First Peoples of the land as other and not American. In fact, the right to vote, something citizens do, was originally restricted to White-land-owning men. Native Americans were not declared citizens until 1924; and until 1957, some states still barred Native Americans from voting, whether we owned land or not. From an Indigenous perspective, the land was never something that we “owned.” We see the land as our relative, sibling or mother; it is something that we all have to care for. Relatives aren’t something that you own. In Western culture, we often think of ourselves as being autonomous individuals and having “rights.” In Lakota culture, we think of ourselves as part of a community, being related to all of creation. We don’t think of ourselves as having “rights,” insomuch as we see ourselves as part of the family of creation and having responsibilities and obligations to that family. We have a phrase in Lakota, “Mitakuye Oyasin,” which means “all my relatives,” “we are all related,” or “God bless all my relatives.” It’s what we say when we end a prayer. When we say “we” and “relative,” we aren’t just talking about people but about plants, animals, rocks, and all of creation. As citizens of creation, we are called to be good relatives and care for it all…to build right-relationship with all. God sent her son, Jesus, to show us how to be a good relative, how to build that right-relationship. Throughout his ministry, that is what Jesus was doing. Building relationship, bringing reconciliation, bringing healing, and calling us back into that sacred relationship, of love…as relatives, as family, and as interconnected citizens of creation. Jesus fed folks, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That is certainly something to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is important, gratitude is important, and generosity is important. In fact, in Lakota (and most Indigenous) cultures, one’s wealth is not measured by how much one owns or has, but rather by how much they can give away. Wouldn’t our world be such a better place if we were all so wealthy that we only kept what we needed and gave the rest away? Wouldn’t our world be a better place if we focused more on our obligations and responsibilities to one another as relatives in the family of creation? This Thanksgiving, I encourage us to follow Jesus’ example by reconciling, building relationships, and sharing a meal with those who live, play, pray, and love differently than you do. Mitakuye Oyasin. —The Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg is the staff officer for racial reconciliation at The Episcopal Church and the associate rector at Church of the Good Shepherd in South Dakota.

From the Office of Public Affairs: November 7, 2023 Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on 10,000+ dead in Gaza: "Stop the killing" You may know me as the pastor who is always talking about love, and I am. But today I am mindful that the urgency of love—true, sacrificial love that respects all of humanity—is not just a good feeling, and it is not easy. We are called to a love that demands much from us. We are called to a love that tells the truth. Today I raise my voice for love because more than 10,000 people have died in Gaza, including more than 4,000 children. The violence is horrific, and the geopolitics are complex, but my call to love is simple: Stop the killing. Stop all of it. Stop it today. We will not be silent while an entire population is denied food, water, electricity, and fuel needed to run hospitals. We cannot stand by while thousands of civilians die. Our partners in the region tell us they live in terror—that they feel they have died even while alive. They feel that the international community is tacitly sanctioning the killing of civilians and the bombing of schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. Staying quiet in this moment would be a stain upon our souls and would deepen our complicity. U.S. leadership must tell Israel to stop bombing civilian areas and allow access for full humanitarian aid to flow freely into Gaza. Every human child of God—Palestinian and Israeli—deserves safety and security. We need to stop the killing. Today. Vengeance will not bring back the dead. Retaliation will not repair the harms and the hurt. We are called to love, even and especially when it seems impossible. We must stop the next 10,000 from being killed. As Episcopalians, we must call upon our leaders—President Biden, members of Congress, and others—to be unequivocal that we need to stop the killing. Today. This is clearly what love demands of us.

The Presiding Bishop has bid all of our continued prayers for this conflict, and I know that we will continue to faithfully respond. For Peace: Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen. -- Prayers for the World, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815.

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2023/10/10/christian-leaders-call-for-end-to-violence-after-hamas-attack-ignites-new-war-with-israel/ Please join me in prayer for peace in the Middle East, and a cessation of all violence. "Blessed are the peacemakers," said Jesus, "for they shall be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9) Faithfully, Bp. Folts

Continued prayers for Presiding Bishop Curry. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry hospitalized for reoccurrence of internal bleeding Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was admitted to the hospital this past Thursday night, Aug. 17, with a reoccurrence of the internal bleeding that required him to be hospitalized over Memorial Day Weekend. Doctors were able to intervene and monitor earlier in this instance, and Bishop Curry’s whole medical team is weighing the potential benefits and risks of surgery to remove his right adrenal gland and an attached mass, which appears to be the source of the internal bleeding. Please pray for the doctors’ discernment. “I am so grateful for your prayers,” said Bishop Curry. “I expect that the work of the medical team will lead to healing that will make a difference. Fervent prayer plus good medical care is a powerful combination. In all things God is good.” Bishop Curry is expected to be released Tuesday, Aug. 22, and updates will be issued as they become available.

Save the Date: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" Matthew 11:28-30

From the Office of Public Affairs Electing the 28th presiding bishop is a decisive moment for The Episcopal Church. Today we joyfully announce the release of our profile and invite you to join us in our journey to nominate individuals to stand for election. Help choose our next presiding bishop. https://bit.ly/3W1kaeN #JNCPB #episcopal

Check out the Diocesan Websites page for Niobrara Convocation. https://www.episcopalchurchsd.org/page/niobrara-convocation Here is where you will find hotel information, who their guest speaker is, and where to send your hospitality checks.

Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community Across our church and our society, we are having profound dialogues about race, truth, justice, and healing. We explore where this dialogue intersects with our faith. Join us and our invited guests as we share prophetic voices and explore the readings. You'll hear ancient texts interpreted in new ways, find fodder for preaching and teaching, and make present day connections to the prophetic voice of the Bible. This podcast will help us rethink

Hello ladies, the 2023 Nomination form for our Honored Women is ready and available now. Please go to the Diocesan Website at episcopalchurchsd.org and look 2/3 of the way down the page. Here you will see a block under PROGRAMS, Episcopal Church Woman. By clicking LEARN MORE you will be directed to the ECW page and there you will find the Nomination form. Don't forget the deadline is April 15. Clergy we hope you will share this with your congregation members.

Mission companionship with Christians in Sudan and South Sudan will be the theme of the Mission Thursday on Feb. 16, sponsored by the Global Episcopal Mission Network. Congregations, dioceses and organizations with connections to the Sudans are welcome, as are all others interested in learning about ministry with Christians there. This Mission Thursday, hosted by the American Friends of the Episcopal Churches of the Sudans (AFRECS), will be held on Zoom at 1 p.m. Free registration is accessible here at Eventbrite for this opportunity in mission networking. AFRECS executive director Dr. Dane Smith, a former US ambassador and envoy in Africa, will host the webinar, assisted by Dr. Richard Jones, retired mission professor at Virginia Seminary. A Sudanese church leader opening the session will be followed by brief presentations by Episcopalians pursuing mission companionship with Sudanese Christians. Q&A will close out the one-hour session. The Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) is a rapidly growing faith community in a country characterized by communal violence and a dysfunctional government. ECSS is bringing Jesus' message of good news to the poor at the local level through literacy, livelihood generation and trauma healing with help from AFRECS. It is also building the newly accredited Episcopal University of South Sudan. The Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) operates in a country where more than 90 percent of the population are Muslims. It has enjoyed greater autonomy since the overthrow of Islamist President Omar Bashir in 2019, though the transition to democracy was halted by the military in 2021. The ECS has been growing quickly in the Nuba Mountains area to the south. A consultant and lecturer on international peacebuilding, with a recent focus on faith-inspired peacebuilding, Dane Smith , Jr., was US ambassador to Guinea and Senegal, and special presidential envoy to Liberia, and senior advisor to the US Government on Darfur. He was deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Khartoum, Sudan. He and his wife Judy were Peace Corps volunteers in Eritrea.

'Common Ground, Shared Roots' restores prairies, 'keeps the soul alive' “One thing that we believe is of concern to all in South Dakota is the importance of our land, our reliance upon it, and the necessity for us to take care of it as God’s gift to us and to all of creation,” says Bishop Jonathan. "We are all about ‘risking something big, for something good,’ as William Sloane Coffin states in his benediction. And this was a risk that we all felt was very important to take.” See the news story at https://www.episcopalchurchsd.org/page/common-ground-shared-roots.

The Rev. Abbott Warren Shoberg, OSBCn, born May 28, 1941, died December 20, 2022. Vigil prayers will be held at 6:00 pm, Monday, January 9, 2023 at Calvary Episcopal Cathedral, Sioux Falls. Abbott Warren's Requiem Mass will begin at 10:00 am, Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Calvary. Clergy and religious are encouraged to vest and process: choir dress (cassock and surplice or cassock-alb or the equivalent monastic vesture) and white or beaded stole. Inurnment will follow at the newly completed St. Augusta's Columbarium at Calvary Cathedral. Following the service there will be a time of fellowship in the Lewis Commons at Calvary Cathedral. May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Fr. Abbot Warren's full obituary may be found here.