Mt. Lebanon Church Channels Hollywood With ‘Fault In Our Stars’ Screening

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Allegheny County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was like Oscar night and prom rolled into one.

Thursday night, men and women of all ages gathered at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon in anticipation of the night’s main event: a screening of the film “The Fault in Our Stars,” adapted from John Green’s best-selling teen novel. Wearing dresses and suits — or, for a fancy few, gowns and tuxedos — most of the filmgoers, more than 300, chose to go Hollywood.

But for many of these attendees, the film had added significance in their community. The evening, which began with a gala-style red carpet event before the screening, was organized and planned by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon — which was used as one of the film’s set locations. In the movie, main characters Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus (Ansel Elgort), two teens who meet during a cancer support group that is held within the walls of a church.

Lisa Brown, the church’s communications director and its children’s ministry director, said she fondly remembers when the film was being shot at the church in fall 2013. As the church is near the neighborhood schools, teenagers would arrive on set in order to meet Mr. Green and the film’s stars after classes ended, oftentimes dodging police officers. Ms. Brown said she wanted to capitalize on that excitement.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/2014/06/06/Church-channels-Hollywood-with-Fault-screening/stories/201406060103#ixzz33y9fXUKQ

Pittsburgh’s Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship, Church For Homeless, Celebrates Resurrection On Easter

English: Shield of the US Episcopal Church, colors from http://www.episcopalchurch.org/imageshop_11785_ENG_HTM.htm. The shield was adopted in 1940. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  A truly inspiring story on this Easter Sunday.

When Leonard Williams attends the Easter service today at Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship, an Anglican church for the homeless in Uptown, like Christians everywhere he will be celebrating the resurrection of Christ from the tomb.

But Mr. Williams, 53, and others who attend Shepherd’s Heart also will be celebrating the new life that has been breathed into their church after a recent significant agreement between Pittsburgh‘s Episcopal and Anglican dioceses.  A long-running conflict in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh resulted in a 2008 split, with many of the churches leaving and creating the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, linked to the theologically conservative Anglican Church in North America.

Shepherd’s Heart was originally founded as an Episcopal church by the Rev. Michael Wurschmidt. But after the split in the diocese, Rev. Wurschmidt switched his affiliation to become an Anglican priest.  At that point, Shepherd’s Heart became one of a number of congregations caught between the two dioceses.

While few settlements have been reached over parish assets, the Episcopal Diocese agreed in October to give Shepherd’s Heart and its ministry to the homeless a clear title to all of its property and assets, despite its affiliation with the rival Anglican church.  It is the lone case in which a parish kept all of its assets and its Anglican affiliation.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/church-for-homeless-pittsburghs-shepherds-heart-fellowship-celebrates-resurrection-on-easter-681581/#ixzz2PAaLl2hb

Vatican Will Allow Anglicans To Join Catholic Church

This has been brewing for a long time.  It will certainly have mixed reviews depending on which side on the fence you are on.  I am sure 815 won’t be pleased.

It is a very pastoral provision for those who can no longer stay but felt they had no place to go.

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11387