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The
Bishop's Photo Album
22 November 2002
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Episcopal
Church, USA, Army Chaplain (Major) Ira C. Houck, III, was
awarded this year's Witherspoon Chaplains' Award for creative
biblical-centered ministry. The award is presented annually
by The National Bible Association, a non-denominational national
organization that promotes Scripture reading. The photo above
was taken on 19 Nov 2002 at the presentation luncheon held
by the association at the St. Regis Hotel, New York City.
Left to right: The Rev. Gerald Blackburn, ECUSA Director of
Military Ministries (Representing The Rt. Rev. George Packard,
Bishop for the Armed Services, Healthcare and Prison Ministries),
Chaplain Houck, Margaret Houck (Ira's wife), and Chaplain
(Colonel) Philip Hill, Executive Officer to the Army Chief
of Chaplains.
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| Bishop
Packard presents office medallion to Bishop Tom Ely of Vermont.
Said Bishop Ely of the silver dollar sized coin, "It's
great but a little large to mark my golf ball on the green!" |
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| Fr. Gerry
Blackburn recently made recruiting visits to three Episcopal
Church seminaries -- General Seminary in NYC, Virginia Theological
Seminary in Alexandria and The School of Theology at The University
of the South, Sewanee, TN. In the photo above Fr. Blackburn
(right) is shown with students (l to r) Todd Dill and Paul Klitzke. |
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Bishop's
Notebook
15 November 2002 |
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Bishop Packard
and Chaplain Roger Kappel with the Fort Bragg Confirmands: Barbara
Anne Helton, Julie A. Linares, Noel Linares, Julia Malpass McManus
Love, Mattie Hayes Love, Christopher David Meredith, Georgina
Millan Meredith, Susanne Angelika Van Weelden |
Back
on 6 October 2000 (if you check the topical index of this Notebook)
I reflected with you about Megan Grant, a Confirmand from Gaeta,
Italy, and how her chaplain, Bob Lawrence, and her family, had provided
the supportive environs for
her Confirmation. This comes to mind because I have just returned
from Ft. Bragg where Roger Kappel presented eight persons for Confirmation
and before that, during my time in Japan and Korea, Rick Oberheide
and Gerry Bebber gathered Confirmands for the Church.
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| Fort Bragg Confirmation |
Our efforts in this regard are having
mixed results, perhaps due in part to my erratic visitation schedule,
but mostly because of a perceived lack of opportunity at the local
level. Yet, opportunity is where you find it. I encourage you to
develop a class whenever you can and particularly when an Episcopal
service is established since it is an obvious gathering point.
Despite some special circumstances which had prevented such Episcopal
services at Misawa, Japan, Rick Oberheide created a delightful exception
to the norm and thereby an important model. He made sure he knew
all the Episcopalians well and they knew him. So, in anticipation
of an episcopal visit, he created a class, a service, and an extraordinary
feast and celebration.
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| Bishop Packard
and Chaplain Rick Oberheide with confirmands Amy Fulkerson and
Joshua Robinson |
In some instances establishing an Episcopal community can be difficult
considering the tight Sunday schedule and the availability of space
at some installations. When that situation is prominent please notify
me so that we can do some problem solving, and if need be, I will
make contact from my level. In the meantime, as the above information
attests, there is no reason we cannot go ahead with initiative and
good effort for those desiring to take on the vows of their Baptism.
+gep
Bishop's
Notebook
8
November 2002
Camp Doha, Kuwait
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Bob Neske's office is nearly as big as the country in which he serves.
I kidded him that it was the largest in our episcopacy! I staged
this photo, though,…he's not the kind of guy who puts his feet up
on the desk.
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Chaplain Bob
Neske
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When we discussed mission area he emphasized the
precarious nature of the geography with an embrace of the map on
his wall. Everything was about an hour's drive away: Saudi to the
south, Iran to the northeast, the Gulf to the east and, of
course, Iraq to the west. When I asked him how many were on Camp
Doha, he replied, "It depends on the day. We have assigned and then
there's 'passing through'." That accurately describes the enormity
of Bob's responsibilities, and, particularly the potential amidst
an unfolding drama with Iraq.
True, he is the "post chaplain", but Doha is unlike any installation
I've been on. Set on a small peninsula across from Kuwait City,
it is really an opportune collection of warehouses which the Kuwaiti
government let us use after the Gulf War. As with the nature of
chaplaincy, Bob's primary requirement is to adapt ministry to this
amorphous area. And that he does. On any number of occasions during
my visit oldiers/marines/airmen stopped by to talk and get counsel.
It's a long way from home. My favorite image of Bob was his stopping,
taking a young soldier into the shade of a vehicle or structure,
and listening intently.
When Chaplain Robert Norman Neske arrived in June, 2002 this was
more of a routine hardship tour where he would observe his 30th
anniversary of his ordination to the Diaconate. Priests try to recall
those more innocent days when they were told "to make Christ and
his redemptive love known, by your word and example, to those among
whom you live, and work, and worship." (BCP, p.543)
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Camp Doha
Episcopal Community
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Kuwait became a dramatic context for the reaffirmation
of those diaconal vows with me. In keeping
with the tradition of our Muslim hosts, Thursday through Friday
is the weekend and so major chapel services are offered. Here is
a picture of the gathered Episcopal community from the embassy and
on post. Later Bob led a larger general Protestant service. Friends
of B.N. will especially enjoy this: Bob as his charming, engaging
self during the prayer and praise portion of that service. He was
really great; Benny Hinn watch out!
Later in my visit we went further into the field to greet troops
at Arifjan, a Kosovo-like support base in the making. The transient
scene was repeated there as we met troops from a National Guard
engineer's unit (combat heavy) from Paris, Tennessee. Here I'm standing
with them as they, bleary-eyed, are moments off transportation from
Gabuti, Africa. Here's a shot with two young men from an infantry
company (again National Guard) from South Carolina doing perimeter
security.
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I guess those were the recurring themes on this
portion of the overseas trip: Being thankful to meet young men and
women far away from home, often-alongside Active Duty--they were
complements from the Reserves and National Guard. And there was
Bob Neske diving in and giving priority to why he was there. To
serve the men and women in Harm's Way. Thank you, Bob, from all
of us. +gep
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