The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio

Last spring, Bishop Hollingsworth posted a letter on this website about precautions for the Swine flu and Communion practices. We are reprinting it here, since many people in our diocese have asked about best practices.

Dear colleagues,  

I write to offer a word in response to concerns about Swine Flu and public gatherings, especially for worship. The most important encouragement I can give you is to be sensible and responsible. If one is feeling ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms, it is best to remain at home and inform your health-care provider. The single most effective way to protect yourself and others from spreading any virus is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is very effective, and I suggest that Eucharistic ministers use it after the Peace and before handling the elements at Communion.

The open enrollment period for diocesan health and dental plans through the Medical Trust will end on November 23. Materials were mailed to all eligible participants from New York on November 2. The letter contains your username and password. The open enrollment website will be available November 9th to November 23rd to make your health and dental plan selections for 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Brenda Koenig or Sue Leishman in the Finance Office at 216-774-0461 or 216-774-0450.

To prepare for Diocesan Convention, Bishop Hollingsworth is asking parishioners and congregations to "give the shirt off your back, or at least the T-shirts off your shelf."

In what he calls: "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and am giving it away," the bishop is urging each communicant in the Diocese of Ohio to gather up all the T-shirts that are no longer essential to your wardrobes, launder and fold them, deliver them to your parish, and have your delegates to the convention bring them to the Convention Eucharist on Saturday morning. "If your home is anything like mine," he said, "the accumulated number of T-shirts from past events, travels, sports teams, and causes that are not regularly worn constitutes a valuable amount of clothing from which others can surely benefit. Let's see how many T-shirts we can give away!"

The collected t-shirts will be given to the Toledo Area Ministries, which will deliver the t-shirts to an after-school program and to St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown, which will give out the shirts with their food distribution program.

The following letter is addressed to the delegates to convention and clergy of the diocese from the Rev. Mark Robinson, Canon for Mission:

As parishes, and the people of this Diocese, many of you have been at work on behalf of our Lord over the years in your own communities, region, and in our world. Now we are offering a new opportunity where we can work side-by-side as a diocese as an outward and visible sign that we as Episcopalians in the Diocese of Ohio are active in serving in our State. This year at our annual Diocesan Convention, Friday afternoon is set aside for such work. It is our hope that you will join with each other and be Christ's hands in the greater Cleveland area in furthering our desire to "Give" as a diocese. Please plan on being part of this mission opportunity. You can sign up for the mission project of your choice here.

As Episcopalians, we are called to advocacy in our baptismal covenant’s vow to “strive for justice and peace.” The Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, of more than 20,000 Episcopalians across the country, bring the positions of the Episcopal Church to our nation's lawmakers. It represents the social policies of the church established by the General Convention and Executive Council, including issues of international peace and justice, human rights, immigration, welfare, poverty, hunger, health care, violence, civil rights, the environment, racism and issues involving women and children. Keep abreast of what's happening with the church and its work with public policy here .

The Agape Campus Community, a Lutheran/Episcopal campus ministry in Cleveland serves both Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University as our only denominational presence for university students in the area. The Rev. Dr. Joe Kovitch, a Lutheran pastor who is housed at Trinity Commons, is asking for prayers to provide a spiritual home for students, time and talent to help feed students on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at Trinity Cathedral, and financial support to provide worship, study and retreat opportunities for students. Call Pastor Joe at 440-477-7255 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.