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Events and Information


510 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire WI 54701 • 715.835.3734 Map to the Cathedral


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News

BY ENS STAFF

Leaders from the dioceses of Milwaukee, Fond du Lac and Eau Claire gather May 4 in Baraboo to
approve a reunion agreement that will go before the 81st General Convention for final approval in June. 

[Episcopal News Service] The dioceses of Milwaukee, Fond du Lac and Eau Claire voted on May 4 to finalize a merger that would re-establish the historic Diocese of Wisconsin, which dates to 1847, a year before Wisconsin became a state.

A merger agreement under the canonical process of reunion was overwhelmingly approved by the clergy and lay orders of the three dioceses and now heads to the 81st General Convention for final approval.

This is the second diocesan merger that bishops and deputies will be asked to affirm at the June 23-28 General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. In March, the dioceses of Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan voted to combine through a similar process known as juncture, building on a cross-diocesan partnership over four years involving ministry collaboration and some shared leadership.

Wisconsin’s three Episcopal dioceses roughly divide the state into thirds. 

The three Wisconsin dioceses endorsed their Joint Agreement of Union at a special joint convention held at the Ho-Chunk Gaming casino in Baraboo. The agreement received nearly unanimous support from the clergy and lay orders of the dioceses Milwaukee and Eau Claire. The Diocese of Fond du Lac’s votes were somewhat closer but still largely supportive, with 76% of the laity and 88% of clergy in favor.

If approved by General Convention, the reunited Diocese of Wisconsin will include 101 congregations and more than 11,500 baptized members. It would be led by the Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter, who currently serves as bishop of Fond du Lac and bishop provisional of Eau Claire, while also serving as assisting bishop in the Diocese of Milwaukee during its leadership transition.

The Diocese of Fond du Lac was established in 1875 in response to population growth in northeastern Wisconsin, and the remaining diocese changed its name to the Diocese of Milwaukee in 1886. Then, as more people moved into the northwest part of the state, the Diocese of Eau Claire was carved from parts of the other two dioceses in 1928.

In today’s Wisconsin, a state of about 6 million residents, church membership has steadily declined in all three of its Episcopal dioceses – down overall by a third in the past decade. The Diocese of Eau Claire, in the northwest third of the state, and the Diocese of Fond du Lac, in northeast Wisconsin, are two of The Episcopal Church’s smallest dioceses. The larger Diocese of Milwaukee spans the southern third of the state and includes six of the state’s 10 largest cities.

Leadership transitions in Milwaukee and Eau Claire were a key factor in opening the door to reunion. The Rt. Rev. William Jay Lambert retired in November 2020 as Eau Claire’s part-time bishop, followed a month later by Milwaukee Bishop Steven Miller. Eau Claire elected Gunter to begin serving as its provisional bishop in January 2021. Milwaukee welcomed retired Chicago Bishop Jeffrey Lee as its provisional bishop in April 2021, and he served until July 2023, after which the diocese’s standing committee became the ecclesiastical authority.

 

 

Thank you again for hosting the April 5th, 2024 blood drive. We collected 25 units of blood on an original goal of 20 units and when divided into 3 separate blood components we have the potential to help up to 75 patients in need!

The staff said it was a very good day and were extremely grateful for you and your volunteers. How do you feel the day went? Is there anything we can do better or differently next time? 

Please share the attached results flier with your members and the community. It’s wonderful to see 8 first time donors! We hope everyone had a wonderful experience and we will see them again next time!

  • We do not have a future blood program scheduled, would it be possible to partner again this summer and fall/winter timeframe? We received a hefty increase to our collection goals over the summer and are looking for sponsors to add additional blood drive opportunities in the community.
  • Summer is a Critical Need timeframe due to donors taking time off, traveling, vacationing and upcoming holidays. This leads to a decrease in donor activity and a drop in available blood products for patients. Yet, the need for blood products is constant.
  • We have some excellent donor incentives this summer to help promote upcoming programs and keep donors participating!

Please let me know if it’s at all possible to add a summer blood drive this July and again this fall or wintertime frame. Winter is also a Critical Need period with holiday and fewer blood programs; blood drives we can add in November help patients through December and/or programs in December help blood products remain readily available through the New Year.

We continue to be busy each night we're in service. Sometimes we're busy with the number of people we serve; other times we're busy with providing for the needs of the people that come to our table.  We now plan for 75 visitors each time we're out, an increase from even six months ago.
 
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We had some visitors at our van one morning.
 
We spoke with a man tonight that caused us concern.  Initially, we noted that he had a yellow tinge to his skin, especially his face. When we asked how he was, he answered, "Not good" and proceeded to tell us that he had had Barrett's esophagus for several years and it has now developed into esophageal cancer. He showed us a ring that had snapped and come off due to increased swelling in his fingers.  He reports that his kidneys are not working properly, and he has fluid collecting in his hands and feet. The man does have a doctor that he has gone to but admits that he doesn't know if there is treatment or if he'll participate in treatment. He has a strong faith and believes that God will call him when it's time. Because of the increased population, he doesn't always get into the shelter.   We asked if he gets enough to eat and he said that he often feels too weak to get to a bus stop to catch a bus to the Community Table. He eats at the shelter when he can and uses the bags of food we provide to tide him over to his next meal. As we talked, I thought that this man is literally dying in front of me and there's nothing we can do to provide comfort other than listen to him and provide the much-needed food. It was a helpless feeling!  We asked that he keep us posted. 
 
Another person stopped by to ask what she should do with a wound on her finger that had been caused by a bite from another person. There were two open areas and she said she'd been trying to keep them clean. There was no sign of infection; she's been doing a good job managing them. She knows what to look for in case she needs additional care.
 
As we noted in our previous journal, several of the people we work with are being given citations for camping in city limits and we'd like to revisit this topic.  While it is important to enforce ordinances, the people we work with often have no alternative to stay elsewhere.  One man has 11 citations from 12-04-2023 until 3-22-2024.  Each citation is $213.10 so he now owes $2,344.10 for trying to find someplace to rest.  He doesn't have an ID or money to get into a motel and has no housed friends that would let him sleep on a couch or on a floor.  To avoid getting a ticket he tries to stay on the move all night with brief rests where he thinks he's out of sight.  Being sleep-deprived is dangerous and unhealthy.  Again, we understand that law enforcement has a job to do but is there an option of providing an alternative place for someone to be able to rest rather than piling on charges and debt that they'll likely never be able to pay?  
 
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This little guy was fortunate to have received a stroller from one of our followers 
to replace the borrowed stroller seen here. 
Our volunteers enjoyed his visit. 
 
We have been working with family from the family shelter, it has been a long time since we've had the opportunity to work with kids. After posting a request for a stroller on our Facebook page, we were able to provide a stroller to them.  The offers that came in to help this family reminded me how amazing our support network is, and I want to thank you for that. When I first started volunteering with the street ministry and requesting help, I initially didn't believe that there were as many generous people in the community that I've now found there to be.  When we are in need of help, whether it be material-type donations or funding, you've always come through.  While we are on the street working directly with our community's vulnerable unhoused population, we're only there because of your support. We are currently in need of funding to cover the cost of bus tickets and to help purchase items that are not donated, specifically backpacks and shoes. In order to provide these items, we have been purchasing them. Even at thrift stores, the cost adds up quickly.  We appreciate your consideration. 
 
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Noted this flag and rainbow after some rain. 
 
 
Blessings to all of you. Please keep our brothers and sisters in need in your prayers and help us support them, if you are able. 
 
Thank you,
CVSM Staff.

Click here to donate

 

Join us next Thursday, April 18th at 6 PM CT / 7 PM ET for Faith in Place's Annual Earth Vigil. April is a month of religious observance for many traditions and a time when millions celebrate Earth Day globally. Let's gather for reflection and to continue the work for our shared home and for each other. 

All are welcome!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

We also wanted to share a bit of inspiration leading up to our annual Vigil. With Ramadan drawing to a close, the Green Team at the Muslim Community Center in Chicago recognized for their commitment to a greener Ramadan. "...Our job is to correct our overuse of resources and address the injustices and effects of selfish change in the Earth."  Read the Chicago Tribune article: https://bit.ly/green-Ramadan

 

We look forward to seeing you at the Vigil on April 18. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. View all of our upcoming events, including Monthly Calls and more on our calendar!

See you there!

The Faith in Place Team

P.S. Give a gift today to support our Eco-Ambassador youth! Generous Faith in Place donors have committed $10,000 to match your gift. With your support we can continue to empower youth to be confident leaders!

  1. Outreach Project for May 4 Convention to Benefit Seaman's Church Institute
  2. Sunday April 28, 2024- Stand in the Light Intergenerational Concert
  3. Online Town Hall April Meetings- Episcopal WI Trialogue
  4. Proposed Constitution and Canons Convention- May 4, 2024