93 8D305 N. Broad Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207
In Memoriam: Fr Barton Brown
Dear Elizabethans,
For over two months, Noah Labelle, a journalist and student at Princeton University, has been embedded with us, chronicling the rise and fall of our Haitian ministry. Due to the gracious nature of our faith community, he was able to build and sustain our trust in the midst of the deep fears and suspicions of our prevailing times. His sensitivity, which reflects his faith as a cradle Episcopalian, allowed him the opportunity to capture both the fears and faith of our community. I am deeply appreciative of his ministry. During the summer, he has embarked on a pilgrimage to Canterbury from Rome, as a reverse of the journey of St. Augustine, who remains the patron saint of many of our Black Episcopal churches.
Though the article may signal a period of seeming failure of ministry its a snapshot of a larger milieu of the resilience of a faith community, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary in the city of Elizabeth. This comment, in my opinion, is the best summation of the article.
“The major thrust of this article is not the trends in the Episcopal Church in relation to attendance and membership, but on the culture of fear and intolerance toward the immigrant community that the federal government and its policies have created. This article highlights the particular bravery and resilience (and struggle) of the Haitian community and the real anxiety that the potential (and probable) loss of protective status will bring. This piece also underscores the commitment that certain clergy and faith communities have shown to welcome, empower, and include their Haitian community members—even in challenging times. This article offers readers a chance to be engaged as thoughtful, globally- minded, and critically thinking citizens who should be their neighbors’ keepers. Furthermore, the publication is timely given that a major Supreme Court decision is about to take place regarding the protective status of Haitians in the US. Coffeelover