Ordination and Consecration
June 30, 2007 - New Haven
June 4, 2007: We have now received sufficient consents from the Standing 
Committees and bishops with jurisdiction in other dioceses to proceed with the consecration of the Rev. Dr. Laura J. Ahrens on June 30. She was elected a bishop suffragan for Connecticut on March 10, 2007. The Presiding Bishop will be with us as chief consecrator.
Invitations were mailed to every parish and to every clergy person and updates are being sent by mail to participants, and electronically to subscribers of the General eNewsletters, For Clergy eNewsletters, and Annual Convention eNewsletters.
For more info on the bishop-elect, click here
CONSECRATION:
Date
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Location
Woolsey Hall, a concert auditorium, located at the intersection of College and Grove
Streets, New Haven. The facility is
handicapped accessible. Wheelchair seating will be
available. It is not air conditioned, but it's stone and the fans will be on. The Hall has one of the world's largest organs.
Transportation
By car: There will be eight designated general parking locations. All are marked on the map included with the invitation mailed to every clergy person and every parish. A Yale shuttle bus will pick up at three of the parking locations, in the area of the Sachem and Prospect Street intersection; the exact locations are marked on the map. Map PDF
Handicapped parking: Handicapped parking will be available at the location marked on the map and a handi-van will stop there. Limited street parking will be available for handicapped parking.
By bus: If your parish group plans to arrive by bus, Yale will need to designate a parking area for you. Contact Julie Burnep by email (jburnep@ctdiocese.org) no later than June 12th.
Schedule
9:00 - Vesting areas opens. Priests, deacons and other participants, as well as bishops, will vest on the 2nd floor in designated, secured areas. Clergy: cassock, surplice, and red stoles; attending bishops: rochet and chimere with red stoles for the procession. All clergy and participants are to be vested by 9:30.
Young people from the Diocese will serve as greeters, and help people find their way to vesting areas, reserved seating, and general seating. (Note: the service will be signed.)
9:30 - Doors of Woolsey Hall open to the public
10:00 - Prelude begins
10:30 - Processional Hymn begins
Reception to follow (at Yale)
Gifts of the Office
Donations are still being accepted and will now go towards an initial discretionary fund for the new bishop. Make checks payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut with a notation for "Gifts of the Office" and mail to Linda Walley, Diocesan House, 1335 Asylum Ave, Hartford CT 06105. St. James's, West Hartford has given her episcopal ring; St. James', Danbury has given her vestments and her pectoral cross (and chain). Her crosier is being made by Allan Brown of St. James', Danbury.
Media, video, web
Media are welcome to attend and may apply for credentials to Neva Rae Fox, office: 800-334-7626, cell: 917 478 5659, or nrfox@episcopalchurch.org.
Questions can go to Karin Hamilton of the Office of Communication, 800-842-0126, editor@ctdiocese.org. The event will be taped by multiple cameras and a DVD produced that can be viewed at home and submitted to local public access cable television companies. The event will NOT be webcast. Feeds will be available for television and radio and seats designated for print media.
A press conference with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is scheduled for Friday, June 29 at 1:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, in downtown Hartford. (Contact Neva Rae Fox, above, for credentials.) Contact Karin Hamilton to schedule interviews with the bishop suffragan-elect. There will not be an opportunity on Saturday for time with the Presiding Bishop or with Bishop suffragan-elect Ahrens.
Prayer Vigil Before the Ordination and Consecration of Our New Bishop Suffragan, Laura Ahrens
(Prepared by the Bishop's Convocation for Prayer)
"Prayer puts us on the potter's wheel, reshaping us to be God's vessels. As we beg that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we present ourselves to God to do it." (from *Churches That Make A Difference*, Olson / Unruh / Sider (Baker, 2002), p. 142)
From 10 a.m. Friday thru 10 a.m. Saturday the Diocese is inviting parishes to join, each in its own place and each for an hour or more, in a 24 hour vigil of prayer. Hopefully enough will join at various times during the day and the night for the vigil to be observed collectively every hour.
Why have a vigil on this occasion?
The ordination and consecration of a bishop provides an opportunity to be together in prayer for our common life and mission as a people of God. At a time when Laura herself is being consecrated for her new and demanding role among us, we also can join with her through participating in a vigil during which we offer ourselves for the mission into which Jesus Christ has called us all. Naturally we will want to hold Laura in prayer as well; but the vigil makes this a time of mutual recommitment to the ministry we share. This is, in fact, the second time (to our knowledge) such a vigil has been held in our Diocese.
What is a “vigil,” anyway?
As the Reverend Christopher Webber explained it for the first vigil, vigils are a form of prayer that is very intense and very peaceful. They offer an opportunity to spend time in silence through which God often speaks most directly. They also provide a way for people to offer themselves to God on behalf of others, to become more effective means of grace. From the earliest days of the church, vigils have been held at particular times in the church’s life.
Do we need to let anyone know if and when we are doing this?
Yes. We want to maintain a running list of participating parishes, so that when times appear for which no one has signed up we can do whatever is possible to make sure they are covered.
Here's how it works:
1. Your church chooses a one-hour time slot during which to gather for prayer.
2. A representative of your church signs up at http://www.doodle.ch/dpG3Cyb3zbry for the hour during which your church would like to pray. More than one church may sign up for any one hour. Enter your church’s name where it asks for “name.” The hours are presented in a 24 hour format, a requirement of the scheduling program, which originates in Europe. (And ignore comments on the page about voting.)
What do we do and how do we do it?
Vigils usually begin with a gathering prayer that is said aloud by a leader (or yourself if you are the only one), followed by an extended period of silence during which people may engage in various forms of silent prayer and meditation. A closing prayer is also said aloud.
Gathering Prayer: The gathering prayer is a transition from daily life to the vigil itself. Something brief such as a collect from the prayer book is suitable for an hour-long vigil; longer vigils might use a daily offices (pages 75-135), the Great Litany (148-153), or the Litany for Ordinations (548-551).
Silent Prayer: Place yourself in a comfortable but alert position, hands in your lap and eyes gently half closed. Take a few deep breaths until you find your body rhythms slowing down
and coming to rest. Then allow yourself to become aware of various distractions—things seen or heard, the stream of consciousness going on in your mind. Instead of fighting these, gently withdraw your attention from them and simply let them be. To aid in this, it will help to think of a (sacred) word such as “Jesus” or “Love” that you return to quietly whenever you get distracted.
In all likelihood you will move in and out of distraction; but your intent is to listen in the silence
as one listens for the song of a distant bird. Your aim in the silence is to become conscious of God’s presence in and around you, to let it be. Thoughts or intentions may come to mind that seem more like calls or gifts than distractions; later, recall them and perhaps write them down.
Meditation: Begin by entering into silent prayer (above) and then use something as a focus for your meditation that you have chosen beforehand (see “suggestions”, below). If you have chosen readings, read through each one very slowly at first, noting in passing any words or phrases that stand out to you. Return to these one by one, selecting each and the staying with it until you sense you have received from it whatever it has to say to you. Continue in this manner until you have meditated on them all. After this return to silence, noting whatever thoughts or intentions come to you. Perhaps you will want to act on one of these as a thank offering.
Closing prayer: This also is said aloud, and could be a collect such as the one printed below, or the Lord’s Prayer.
Suggestions for meditation: Extensive materials for meditation are available through this link as a PDF document, or in MS Word format. They were prepared by the Rev. Christopher Webber for the previous vigil and include a lot more than you will need, especially if your vigil will last no longer than an hour. With that in mind, two alternatives are suggested.
Alternatives for vigils of one hour:
1. If a few of you will be doing the vigil together, ask each person to choose one section of meditations (God’s Presence, The Spirit’s Guidance, and The Work of Ministry) to use for an hour. If you are the only one, do the same. If your vigil is just one hour, make your gathering and closing prayers relatively brief.
2. Otherwise, you might begin and end their vigil with a simple collect, leaving the time in between for silent prayer, perhaps a few psalms or readings of their own choosing, meditation on an icon, or some other aid to contemplation. Here is an example:
Gathering prayer: O God, by your grace you have called us in this diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Bless our Presiding Bishop Katherine, our Bishops Andrew and James, our Bishop –elect Laura, and other clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached and truly heard, your sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully received. By your Spirit fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 131, 130, 66, 147, or readings, etc. you select (could be from the attached materials)
Closing Prayer: Gracious God, pour out your Spirit, we pray, upon us all, and especially on your servant Laura as she offers herself to serve you in the ministry of Bishop Suffragan among us. Uphold her with your heavenly grace, guide and sustain her as a leader and faithful pastor among us, and give her joy in following the One who came, not to be served, but to serve, even Jesus Christ our only Lord and Savior. Amen.
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This prayer vigil is being organized by the Bishop's Convocation for Prayer. If you have any questions, please contact the Rev. Janet Waggoner at revjanet@stpaulsct.org or 203-929-1722.
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The Rev. Dr. Laura Ahrens, 44, rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Danbury, Connecticut, was elected bishop suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut at a special convention in Hartford on March 10.
She was elected on the fifth ballot from an initial slate of seven candidates that included in addition to Ahrens, the Rev. Sarah Buxton-Smith; the Rev. Dr. Barbara T. Cheney; the Rev. José A. Díaz-Martínez; the Rev. Canon Thomas J. Furrer; the Rev. Dr. Robert "Odie" Odierna; and the Rev. Dr. Michael Louis Vono.
Ahrens will begin work June 1 as a bishop suffragan-elect.
Ahrens has received consents to her election from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction as well as the Standing Committees of the other 109 dioceses in the Episcopal Church, as required by Episcopal Church canons, and will be consecrated as a bishop at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30 at Woolsey Hall, Yale, New Haven. The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will be the chief consecrator.
The Rev. Dr. Laura Ahrens received a B.A. in Geology and Geophysics from Princeton University in 1984; a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Yale Divinity School/Berkeley Divinity School in 1991; and a Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min.) from Hartford Seminary in 2000 (the theme of her doctoral work was “Engaging a Generation, Adult Education for Baby Boomers”). She was ordained as a priest in 1992.
Laura served as curate at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Osterville, MA (1991-1993); served as associate rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord, MA (1993-1995); and served as associate rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien, CT (1995-2000). She has served as a member on the Bishop and Diocesan Executive Council and was a part of the design team that articulated the theme, “God’s People on Mission.” She served as well on the Diocesan Stewardship Committee. At the time of her election, Laura served the diocese as a member of the Standing Committee, a member of Committee I (priesthood), a member of the Program and Budget Committee, and as Secretary of Diocesan Convention.
Since 2000, Laura served as rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Danbury, CT. She worked with the city of Danbury in creating the Overflow Homeless Shelter, began a relationship in her parish with Habitat for Humanity, and strengthened her parish’s relationship with Covenant to Care.
She is also currently an associate of SSJE (Society of St. John the Evangelist).
Laura is engaged to be married to Robert Fawber of West Hartford. |
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For more information about the bishop elect, visit http://www.ctbishopsearch.org/ctbishopsearch/Ahrens.htm , which includes the bio, photo, and responses to essay questions from the Nominating Committee.
