It has been a rough couple of months for the Episcopal Church in North Texas. Actually, it has been a longer rough season than that as you stood up for your faith over 12 years ago, vowing to love as Jesus loved, respecting the dignity of every human being and striving for justice for all God’s children. – From the Rev. Karen Calafat’s last sermon before the forced relocation of St. Luke’s in the Meadows
The relocation of a food pantry was forced by a schism in the Diocese of Fort Worth in which the Texas Supreme Court ruled the breakaway diocese owned church properties. In February the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the appeal by the faithful diocese.
After 4 years at St. Luke’s in the Meadows Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, the 4 Saints Food Pantry had to say goodbye and find a new home.
“It was difficult,” said Reverend Karen Calafat. “It felt overwhelming at first, and then it was absolutely amazing.” Calafat says 30 church volunteers helped move the pantry over the weekend to its temporary home for the next year at Texas Wesleyan University.
“We’ll serve between 60 and 120 families every Friday,” she said.
Read the Rev. Karen Calafat’s last sermon in the building at 4301 Meadowbrook Drive. The congregation is moving to a new location, because the Texas Supreme Court awarded more than $100 million of Episcopal Church property to people who left The Episcopal Church. St. Luke’s building is among that property.
St. Luke’s in the Meadow will begin worshiping on the Texas Wesleyan campus on Pentecost, May 23, 2021. More details to come!
From Calafat’s last sermon in the building on Meadowbrook Drive:
It has been a rough couple of months for the Episcopal Church in North Texas. Actually, it has been a longer rough season than that as you stood up for your faith over 12 years ago, vowing to love as Jesus loved, respecting the dignity of every human being and striving for justice for all God’s children.
Your convictions lead you to love and welcome all.
You treat women equally and support God’s divine call of women to all orders of ordained ministry.
You throw open your arms to God’s children in the LGBTQ community, both as your fellow parishioners and even as your clergy. You feed those who hunger. You love as Jesus loved. You welcome to your table the people reduced to the fringes by segments of our society and, yes, even by some churches.
You are beautiful in the expanse of your love.
In this diocese, that kind of love has come at a large cost as we lose 5 of our beloved, beautiful and sacred church buildings to people who do not love as you love.