Welcome New Members

In the past month, we have welcomed 5 new Daughters to the Daughters of Hope Chapter as St. Matthew's, Los Lunas and 5 new Daughters to St. Chad's Chapter, (St. Chad's, ABQ), plus 2 members reactivating after a period of inactivity!
A dozen new Sisters in Christ...and that's just the ones that I, as Diocesan President, have been able to be present to welcome and install! I know that there are others across the Diocese in discernment and being installed! The Spirit of our Lord is moving in the hearts of women across the Rio Grande to become part of the Order. It's an exciting time.
Share your photos and new members with Cindy, so we can recognize them here.

Daughters of Hope Chapter,
instituted and installed April 19, 2015

St. Chad's Chapter with new members,
and members of the St. Agnes Chapter
May 24, 2015

All Daughters are invited to the Cathedral on June 27 at 11AM for a light brunch and a report on Triennial from Diocesan President Cindy Davis and, hopefully, other attendees from the Rio Grande. Please keep DOK Triennial (June 19-23) and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church (June 25-July 3) in your prayers.

Your new Diocesan Board (elected at Convention in April) will be meeting in retreat at the Bosque Center in August to get-to-know each other, pray and brainstorm. The Board will be installed at St. John's Cathedral on Sunday, August 9 at 10AM. All are invited to attend. 

Be aware that Dues Payments will be handled differently starting this year. We are all being asked to pay online on the National Website. You can do that now, or wait until you get an email invoice from the National Office reminding you that dues need to be paid by September 1.  During this time of transition, you can still pay your dues by mail, but chapters will not be collecting dues from all members.

Assembly 2015-We Gather, We Fellowship, We Serve

Daughters of the King from around Province 7 met for their annual Assembly at St. John’s Cathedral in Albuquerque on April 10-11, 2015. The theme was “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Speakers were the Very Rev. Mark Goodman, Dean of the Cathedral and the Rev. Mike Gemignani, Provincial DOK Chaplain. Nearly 90 women were present and enjoyed the hospitality of food, welcome, and learning that happens at these gatherings. Thanks to chapters around Albuquerque who assisted with the meals and diocesan Junior Daughters who provided decorations and served at the Saturday evening Banquet.

Daughters who attended learned about the Saint John’s Bible from Dean Goodman, and were inspired by Fr. Mike’s words and music. Fr. Mike's new book Praying Deeper was introduced, too. This is a compilation of 80 of his blog posts into a study/devotional format. Amendments to Provincial By-laws were passed and other business was conducted. Grants were awarded to ministries in each diocese of Province 7. In the Diocese of the Rio Grande, Borderlands Ministry received a grant. Canon to the Ordinary, Daniel Gutierrez preached at the opening Eucharist. Daughters from around the Province served at the altar, including two Jr. Daughters from the Diocese of NWTX who served as acolytes. 

 The Assembly of the Diocese of the Rio Grande was held in conjunction with the Provincial Assembly. Officers for the next three years were elected: Cindy Davis, President; Christine Courtney, 1^st Vice President, Cynthia Anne Ruth, 2^nd Vice President; Brenda Restivo, Treasurer; and Linda Brown, Secretary. Congratulations to these women. The Diocesan Assembly voted to provide a grant to Peaceful Habitation of $460. 
Next year the Diocese of the Rio Grande Daughters will meet in Silver City in August.

Prayer Support for Provincial/Diocesan Assembly

The Daughters of the King of the Diocese of the Rio Grande are invited to join in prayer for the upcoming Provincial/Diocesan Assembly on April 10-11. Ann Merrick, our Prayer/Devotions Chair has gathered some beautiful prayers for us to use.

Even if you cannot be present, you can support the Assembly in prayer. If you want you can download the prayers to print and share.

 

May the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts,*
Be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

April 1 & 2:
May the blessings of light be upon your Daughters,
Light without and light within,
And in all our comings and goings,
May we Your Daughters ever have a kindly greeting
From those we meet along the road.  Amen

April 3 & 4:
Lord, before we your Daughters gather in assembly, we place ourselves before You, for You are filled with beauty and light and care deeply about us. Help us to listen to Your voice. Help us to respect and understand Your purposes. Help us to value and appreciate our fellow Daughters who we are soon to meet. May Your light enfold use. May Your Spirit guide us. May Your grace abound in us. We make this prayer through Christ the Lord. Amen.
 

April 5 & 6:
Look upon us, Lord, as we prepare to assemble and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of your brightness. Fill your Daughters with holy love, and open to us the treasures of your wisdom. You know all our desires, therefore, perfect what You have begun and what Your Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek your face. Turn Your face towards us and show us your glory. Then shall all our longing be satisfied and our peace shall be perfect. Amen.   (Adapted from St. Augustine)
 

April 7 & 8:
Teach Your Daughters as we prepare to assemble to seek You, and reveal Yourself to us as we seek; for unless You instruct us we cannot seek You, and unless You reveal Yourself we cannot find You. Let us seek You in desiring You; let us desire You in seeking You; let us find You in loving You; let us love You in finding You.  Amen (St. Anselm of Canterbury)

April 9 & 10:
O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go:  Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (From the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.)

April 11:
God Our Father, we, your Daughters, thank You for having called us to assemble that we may humbly serve You.  Send Your Holy Spirit upon us and remain present among us to lead us in the conversation, fellowship, meeting, discussion, and worship, we will have. Bless our words and thoughts with holiness that we may be fitting instruments of Your grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen