Cathy's Trip Log
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This webpage is to bring news of The Rev. Dr. Cathy L. Deats trip to the Diocese of Nevada. As we, at St. James know, she has been nominated to be the next Bishop of that Diocese.
This link will take you to the Schedule for the "Walk-Abouts":
Official Nevada Bus Trip Blog Saturday, September 22
"Home Again"
The end of our trip was a whirlwind. On Thursday night, we did our last "A" Session (question and answer sessions individually in six rooms) after another delicious supper (did I mention we were well-fed?) in Elko at St. Paul's. The groups were smaller, and allowed for great questions and feedback by the enthusiastic members we met. I encountered another person who knows sign language: a teacher of the deaf and interpreter!
The next day, after a three-hour drive, we arrived at St. Bartholemew's Church in Ely. It is one of the larger churches in this frontier district of the Diocese. We began to feel the crunch of time on this last day when we were to cover more than 450 miles. We spent more time here talking individually to members over homemade chicken soup and chef salad, as well as hearing the history of this church which celebrates its 100th anniversary on Christmas Eve this year. Currently they are building an outdoor columbarium and memorial garden. The worksite was dotted with masons and portable cement mixers...a wonderfully familiar sight for me!
Further down Route 93, we visited Christ Church in Pioche, a town of about 600, with two other similarly sized towns nearby. The church there is served by The Rev. Jean Orr, aged 90, ordained in 1977, The Rev. (Deacon) Kathleen Hiatt, and is visited regularly by Frontier Missioner The Rev. Jodi Lediard, who also serves as priest to St. Paul's in Elko, The congregation is small, and the Senior Warden and others do most of the repairs on the building themselves. We were very warmly welcomed by several of the faithful on this Friday afternoon, and of course were served cake and coffee! No formal presentations here; it was a wonderful listening experience for me and as enjoyable as St. James' coffee hour always is!
At 4:00 pm, we boarded the bus for the final leg of the journey to Las Vegas. It was a quiet time for inner reflection and sharing thanks and goodbyes with my fellow travelers. Ted and I were to proceed to the airport while the other candidates shared dinner before making their various ways back to home, either later that night or Saturday morning.
We were met at the airport by Russ Worthington and Barbara White, who had also stocked our kitchen with bagels and fresh fruit. We had coffee together before they made their way to the St. James' Rummage Sale. I joined them later among the amazingly abundant rummage and the rummagers in great numbers. Rain dampened the sale, but not the spirits. Linda, our administrator, as usual had taken care of nearly all the business that had come up while I was away, so my work burden entering this next week will be light. The building project has taken a dramatic turn, with the main level floor in and half a dozen masons working, oblivious to the rain.
It is so good to be home.
Cathy
Pictures - Day Eight (09/21/07)
Christ Church, Pioche
Christ Church, Pioche - Bell
Christ Church, Pioche - OrganSt. Bartholemew's, Ely - Altar
St. Bartholemew's, Ely - Columbarium and Garden
St. Bartholemew's, Ely - Columbarium under ConstructionFriday, September 21
This may be the last time I will have a chance to communicate before we arrive home in New Jersey early Saturday morning.
Earlier this evening, we arrived at Elko, a town of about 25,000 along Route 80. The Episcopal Church of St. Paul welcomed us with a great supper and open arms. Our warmup question was "Besides Nevada, where have you traveled or where would you like to travel and why?" As you might imagine, despite vacations in the Caribbean, bike tours in Putnam County NY and trips to Appalachia, my favorite destination is a small town in California where the summers are hot and dry, winters cold and foggy, and its claim to fame is a stop on the way to Fresno or Bakersfield. The town is Tulare and it is the home of my son Alex and his wife Vanessa.
I met two more people who know sign language! St. Paul's is home to a woman who is a teacher of the deaf and sign language interpreter. She has taught her husband to sign, "My wife -- teacher of deaf -- sign language interpreter" and "sign language -- me -- very little."
The folks of Elko asked some really good questions, including how we would have voted for the confirmation of the election of Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, and perhaps my favorite question of all, "How are you doing?"
I am doing surprisingly (to me) well. I have loved this trip, especially meeting all the people and seeing the amazingly diverse towns and cities of Nevada. I am going home to St. James' to pick up my work again and I cannot wait to see the Open Doors parish hall after ten more days of construction! Tomorrow we will meet with two more congregations: St. Bartholemew's, Ely and Christ Church, Pioche. Perhaps the wait at the airport will give me an opportunity to tell about them.
See you soon, and peace be with you!
Pictures - Day Seven (09/20/07)
Grace St. Francis, Winnemucca - Altar
Grace St. Francis, Winnemucca - Windows
Grace St. Francis, Winnemucca - Sign
Grace St. Francis, Winnemucca - Puzzle Time
Grace St. Francis, Winnemucca - Youngest MemberThursday, September 20
We are on the bus as I compose this, having just shared lunch in a local restaurant with a group of parishioners from St. Mary's in Winnemucca. This very small congregation does not have a building of its own; they worship in the day chapel of a local Roman Catholic Church. Their priest is a recently ordained woman whose full-time job is lab technician. The struggle of St. Mary's to survive is a story of faith and the realities of life in a town which has experienced economic ups and downs. Theirs is a story of frustration as well as hope, and I have come away with a deep respect for the vocation of any priest who serves in a setting in which survival of the congregation is of great concern and who serves largely isolated from clergy colleagues. The welcome offered us was as abundant as the food (served family style) and prayers for them fill this bus and cover the miles to Elko, our next stop.
Earlier today we visited with Grace / St. Francis Methodist and Episcopal Church. There in Lovelock, the Episcopal Church found it most beneficial to combine their resources with a Methodist Congregation. They are thus able to have a rich worship life and sustain ministries to children and youth. The people welcomed us with cake and coffee and graciously told their stories of faith. One young girl (aged 3) who accompanied her grandmother told me the story of baby Jesus with a puzzle from the Sunday School materials.
I cannot remember yesterday without the assistance of my tattered trip schedule. We began in St. Paul 's in Sparks , a sprawling plant fairly bursting with ministry. Their outdoor columbarium is built into the walls of the church building and since there are no burial places in the entire town, St. Paul 's has opened its columbarium to the public. Children can attend the Washoe County sponsored preschool program or Kids' Club after school program. Breakfast was served before our question and answer session, which drew a large, energetic crowd. Our intro question (answered by all candidates as a warm-up) was "Tell us your most memorable liturgical moment."
We had lunch in Wadsworth , at St. Michael and All Angels Church (I know it sounds like all we do is eat!). There is a Reservation close by, and another smaller church, St. Mary the Virgin, in Nixon. Our lunch was delicious homemade Indian tacos, complete with fried bread as the base. The welcome we received was again overwhelming. The questions were both spontaneous and written - we even got homework! This is the church where the Bishop spends Easter Day complete with all the Native American spiritual practices of blessing and prayer.
The day concluded with dinner (!) and discussion at Holy Trinity Church in Fallon. They have just repaired their church by installing a foundation when it was discovered the church was tilting. They are also preparing to demolish their parish hall and build a new one. The people in this farming and ranching area of the state were warm and outgoing, with plenty of good questions for our discussion.
Tonight is our last "A" presentation, where we are interviewed singly as we go room to room. Our host church is St. Paul 's in Elko. Tomorrow is our last day in the Diocese as we make our way back to Las Vegas , with stops in Ely and Pioche.
Peace be with you!
Pictures - Day Six (09/19/07)
St. Paul's, Sparks
St. Michael's and All Angels, Wadsworth - Altar
St. Michael's and All Angels, Wadsworth - Ted and Cathy
St. Michael's and All Angels, Wadsworth - The CooksWednesday, September 19
This may be the last time I will have a chance to communicate before we arrive home in New Jersey early Saturday morning.
Earlier this evening, we arrived at Elko, a town of about 25,000 along Route 80. The Episcopal Church of St. Paul welcomed us with a great supper and open arms. Our warm up question was "Besides Nevada, where have you traveled or where would you like to travel and why?" As you might imagine, despite vacations in the Caribbean, bike tours in Putnam County NY and trips to Appalachia, my favorite destination is a small town in California where the summers are hot and dry, winters cold and foggy, and its claim to fame is a stop on the way to Fresno or Bakersfield. The town is Tulare and it is the home of my son Alex and his wife Vanessa.
I met two more people who know sign language! St. Paul's is home to a woman who is a teacher of the deaf and sign language interpreter. She has taught her husband to sign, "My wife -- teacher of deaf -- sign language interpreter" and "sign language -- me -- very little."
The folks of Elko asked some really good questions, including how we would have voted for the confirmation of the election of Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, and perhaps my favorite question of all, "How are you doing?"
I am doing surprisingly (to me) well. I have loved this trip, especially meeting all the people and seeing the amazingly diverse towns and cities of Nevada. I am going home to St. James' to pick up my work again and I cannot wait to see the Open Doors parish hall after ten more days of construction! Tomorrow we will meet with two more congregations: St. Bartholomew's, Ely and Christ Church, Pioche. Perhaps the wait at the airport will give me an opportunity to tell about them.
See you soon, and peace be with you!Pictures - Day Five: (09/18/07)
St. Patrick's Incline Village Window
St. Patrick's Incline Village
St. Patrick's Incline Village Outdoor Chapel
St. Stephen's, Reno
Trinity Church, Reno
Camp Galilee - Cathy and Ted
Camp Galilee - Kayaking on Lake Tahoe
On the Road AgainSt. John's In The Wilderness Sanctuary
St. John's In The Wilderness Window
Tuesday, September 18
Yesterday we traveled to Carson City, about a three-hour trip from Hawthorne. After lunch, we were invited to the State Legislative building to meet with the people who are responsible for the RAIN ministry (Religious Alliance In Nevada). Together, the faith communities of Lutherans, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians and United Methodists fund a lobbyist to work for legislative issues which promote justice. They decide on these issues by consensus, and are working for progressive correctional efforts and reentry programs, affordable and accessible health care, and childrens' protective services. We also heard from the Deacon and Priest who work in Prison Ministry in the Diocese, and met with a Supreme Court Judge who is helping RAIN to work for reform in the criminal justice system.
That evening, St. Peter's Episcopal Church hosted us for dinner and another "A" Presentation: candidates moved from room to room six times in order to answer questions in small groups.
This morning, we headed out to the Diocese Camp and Conference Center, Galillee. It is on the shore of Lake Tahoe and is one of the most beautiful places you can imagine. We were served a delicious breakfast, and then answered questions as a group at St. John's in the Wilderness, a church on the grounds of Galilee. After a short presentation by the Camp Board and Executive Director, we had a chance to "re-create." Some folks hiked or toured the camp, and water sports were available (although the temperature here at 6,000 feet was very cool!). Ted and I paddled about in kayaks for a time, and then I took the plunge into the cold waters of Lake Tahoe. My thinking was: how can you be from New Jersey, visiting Lake Tahoe for the first time, and not swim?
Refreshed, we traveled to Reno, with a stop at the satellite Diocesan office before checking into our downtown hotel. Trinity Church, Reno, served us a great dinner, complete with purple plates, napkins and cutlery! Once again, we moved room to room 6 times to answer questions from a very lively group of people from Trinity and other nearby churches.
I am ready for sleep! Tomorrow we head for St. Paul's in Sparks (nearby) and then Wadsworth. The evening session will be at Holy Trinity in Fallon.
Good night!
Pictures - Day Four: (09/17/07)
St. Peter's, Carson City
St. Peter's, Carson City Historical Marker
St. Peter's, Carson City Prayer FlagsPictures - Day Three: (09/16/07) (more)
St. Mark's, Tonapah - Altar
St. Mark's, Tonapah - Stained Glass Window
St. Mark's, Tonapah - BellMonday, September 17
We have crossed from low desert to high desert and will not be below 4,000 feet elevation until we leave Pioche for the journey back to Las Vegas on Friday. Yesterday and today are slightly slower paced, as we moved from Sunday morning worship at St. Martin's in Parumph to St. Mark's in Tonapah, about a three hour drive from each other. St. Martin's is in the midst of building a new and larger church, engineered by the chair of their building project. Members of the parish are doing nearly all the work of construction and finishing; I spoke to the woman who chairs the "painting committee" and she cannot wait to get started. Since the building has no bathrooms yet (sound familiar?) we had portojohns to accommodate the visitors (us!) and the old church, still being used, has facilities as well. About fifty of us were in a space designed to hold 35 comfortably, and the worship rang out with such joy I thought for sure you would hear it at St. James', save for the time difference!
We were to have box lunches on the bus when I spotted a SONIC drive-in and implored our leader to stop. You know how often you see a Sonic commercial in NJ and yet have never seen an actual Sonic itself? It is a drive-in with individual speakers like the ones at McDonald's and Burger King, only you drive to one of the speaker boards and park. Your order (burgers, etc., limeades, frosties, slushies) is brought to you by a server on roller skates, balancing a tray. The break was just bizarre enough to refresh me.
Tonapah is a small town, home to St. Mark's Episcopal Church, the only one we have seen so far constructed of stone. They are a very small but faithful congregation. I was touched by their welcome and openness as they spoke of their struggles to maintain their ministry.
We head for Hawthorne now for dinner and sleep. This is the first night we have not been "on" and it is a nice break. In the morning, Carson City (the Capitol) awaits and more adventure!
Peace+ Cathy
Pictures - Day Three: (09/16/07)
St. Martins, Parumph Sign
St. Martins, Parumph New Church in Process
St. Martins, Parumph - signer
Milton our Bus Driver
Sonic Drive In
Motel, Sunday Night
Saturday, September 15 (second installment)
We are about to leave for All Saints', Las Vegas, where we will have Eucharist and supper and then another "A" session, going room to room to answer questions individually.
Today found us at one of the newest parishes, housed in a warehouse district, Church of the Epiphany. They are a lively, committed bunch of folks with a Sunday School bursting from their classrooms. They greeted us with coffee and goodies and had questions which revealed how passionate they are about their ministry in this part of Las Vegas which is growing so fast. We moved on to the Diocesan offices, comfortable space which houses the Administrator, Canon to the Ordinary, Missioner and Financial and other Administrative Offices.
Lunch was served at Grace Church in the Desert, a church which recently moved from a triple-wide trailer to a newly built church. They have room to expand and are about to begin construction of their new parish hall!
Saturday Morning, September 15, 2007
The morning dawned over the mountains as Ted and I took our morning walk here in Las Vegas.
We arrived on Wednesday and gently let ourselves into the landscape, temperature and time zone!
On Thursday we headed for the retreat center in Boulder City where our "walkabouts" began with prayer and conversation among all six candidates and spouses, search committee and standing committee. A priest in the Diocese led us in exercises and activities designed to help us know each other, and the search committee members did their best to help us understand what to expect in the next nine days.
Friday found us at 9 am at St. Christopher's Church in Boulder City, a lively and energetic center of worship and service. We met informally in their parish hall, in a kind of giant coffee hour. Then we were each given the chance to speak of our own ministries and where we come from. Their outstanding welcome made me think of St. James', except for the air conditioning!
We then traveled to Bullhead City, AZ, which is part of the Diocese of Nevada, where we were served a delicious lunch and peppered with questions. The faithful had gathered at 7 am in their parish hall to prepare tables and food, and to cool the building. Their hospitality was not only face to face and very personal, but displayed in the many details of cutlery wrapped in napkins, homemade desserts, and a bulletin board with a rainbow "WELCOME" sign with our official nominee pictures beneath. Back to Las Vegas for a fifteen minute check-in at our hotel followed by a trip downtown to Christ Church. The session there began with supper. We proceeded to worship and introductions, then to each of six rooms where groups of people had gathered for question and answer sessions (they asked the questions, we answered!). When time was up in each room, a bell was rung and we moved on. What a wonderful assortment of people we found, and another more than warm welcome.
We are off now (Saturday AM) to Epiphany Church, Henderson and the Diocesan Office, followed by lunch at Grace in the Desert Church in Las Vegas. After an afternoon break, another bell-ringing session at All Saints' Church here in Las Vegas. Continue your prayers for me as I do for you; they are coming through loud and clear. Our bodies are tired but our spirits are energized.
Peace be with you!
Cathy
Pictures - Day One: (09/14/07)
First Morning in Las Vegas
St. Christopher's, Boulder City
Church of the Holy Spirit, Bullhead City, AZ
Church of the Holy Spirit, Bullhead City, AZ - Candidates
Church of the Holy Spirit, Bullhead City, AZ signOther Pictures:
Life Giving Springs Retreat Center
Our Bus
Our Bus Driver (Robert)
Diocese of Nevada Offices
Created: 09/15/07
