We Care

St. George’s Episcopal’s Docents are pleased to present a “double-header” Civil War history event on August 10, 2017. “Fredericksburg: City of Hospitals” will feature a medical reenactment in Sydnor Hall (which served as a Civil War hospital in 1862) at 6 p.m. with Dr. Jon Willen, followed by a lecture on medicine during the Civil War by John J. Hennessy, upstairs in the church nave (which served as a Civil War hospital in 1864).  The evening promises to provide the audience a realistic view of how medicine was practiced at the time the Civil War and how it played out in Fredericksburg in several locations.

Hennessey, who is chief historian for the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, wrote about Fredericksburg’s hospitals in an April, 2016 Free Lance-Star article – “Mercy Street? How about Mercy Town? Fredericksburg as the ‘City of Hospitals’”.  He wrote: “The recent PBS series ‘Mercy Street’ focused America’s attention on the experience of the sick and wounded of the Civil War and those who cared for them. In May 1864, Fredericksburg experienced something that dwarfed the experience of distant general hospitals like the one portrayed in ‘Mercy Street.’ For two weeks, Fredericksburg became famous across the nation as ‘The City of Hospitals.’”

Dr. Jon Willen is a retired infectious disease specialist currently residing in Washington, DC. He received his medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the George Washington University Medical Center. He has been a docent at the Clara Barton Office of Missing Soldiers, a member of the speakers Bureau of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, a member and Board member of the Society of Civil War surgeons. He has been researching a book on Dr. Charles Leale, the first physician to attend to President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre on the night of his assassination on April 14, 1865. Also in connection with Lincoln he is a board member and Vice President for Education and Outreach of the Lincoln Group of D.C.

In addition to being the NPS historian, John Hennessey is a popular lecturer and writer.  He began his career with the National Park Service in Manassas and is the author of The First Battle of Manassas: An End to Innocence, July 18-21, 1861 and Return to Bull Run, about the battle of Second Manassas. John is noted for helping to bring the National Park into social media, particularly with the blogs he manages.

Worship

• Ash Wednesday Eucharist services with imposition of ashes, March 1, noon and 7 p.m.
• Ash Wednesday children’s service, March 1, 10 a.m.
• Micah Ecumenical Ministries Partner Churches Wednesday noon Eucharist and Luncheon: Schedule here (note March 15 service at St. George’s)
• Sunday Eucharist at 7:45, 9 and 11:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Service descriptions here.
• Noonday prayer on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays when the church is open.

Prayer

• Lectio Divina, Monday nights, 7 p.m. Faulkner Hall. Come share this special time with a small group using the ancient, contemplative practice of Lectio Divina, or “Divine Reading.” Through reading scripture, listening to each other’s reflections, prayer and meditation, we will give the scripture new life and meaning and let God speak directly to our hearts. Facilitated by Barbara Atkins. RSVP to the church office at 540-373-4133 helpful but not required. You need bring nothing but yourself and an open heart.

Lenten Weekend 2017

• “Being Passionately Christian and Becoming Compassionately Interfaith” Featuring the Rev. Dr. Sathi Clarke, March 4-5: More information here

Adult Christian Education

• Our Lenten Sunday programs will start on March 12. In Sydnor, we’ll have “Expanding the Spiritual Imagination: The Sermon on the Mount” with our rector. In Faulkner, we’ll explore Parker Palmer’s “Five Habits of the Heart.” More information to come: Stay tuned!

Environmental Stewardship

• Lenten Carbon Fast: The Environmental Stewardship group encourages St. Georgians to sign up for daily emails with tips on reducing your carbon footprint during Lent. Sign up at www.macucc.org/carbonfast or text CARBONFAST to 22828.
• March Movie – Rappahannock: March 16 at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate the beauty of our historic river with this Bayley Silleck-directed documentary. Brought to you by Friends of the Rappahannock.
• Water Justice Conference: March 22-24. This conference, offered in partnership with Trinity Institute in New York, will focus on the need for water justice initiatives in areas of access, droughts, pollution, rising tides, and flooding. Attend all or any part of this conference, available streaming in Faulkner Hall. For more information, contact Father Bob in the office. For full schedule and to register, visit Water Justice

Music

• Chamber Series Concert: Peter Griggs March 19, 3 p.m. $10 admission, students and children free
• Organ Concert: Gail Archer March 26, 3 p.m., by donation. Funds raised will benefit the St. George’s Organ Fund.

Every day, EmpowerHouse–supporting survivors of domestic violence–provides free help to adults and their children. As an accredited domestic violence center, they do not charge for services. Thanks to donations from our community, they are able to continue providing free services to anyone who needs them. EmpowerHouse and St. George’s are partnering to bring you the Clothesline Project in Sydnor Hall, Feb. 3-8, 2017.

The Clothesline Project is a visual display that bears witness to violence targeted against women. The Clothesline t-shirts are individually designed and crafted to publicly express the personal experience of a survivor. The shirts share her words, her story, and her emotions. The Clothesline provides a safe forum for women to speak about the abuse and to educate the public about the extent, prevalence, and impact of violence against women.

The shirts will be provided by EmpowerHouse and are color coded to show the form of abuse and whether the victim survived the abuse they experienced:

• White represents women who died because of violence;
• Yellow or beige represents battered or assaulted women;
• Red, pink, and orange are for survivors of rape and sexual assault;
• Blue and green t-shirts represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse;
• Purple or lavender represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation;
• Black is for women attacked for political reasons.

The Clothesline Project will be hung in Sydnor Hall on Friday, Feb. 3 and be available for First Friday viewing.  On Sunday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m., St. George’s Adult Forum will feature Sarah King, Director of Support Services at EmpowerHouse, presenting the Clothesline Project and talking about our community’s efforts to support and empower survivors of domestic violence.  The shirts will remain in Sydnor Hall until Wednesday, Feb. 8.