Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 7, 1995                   TAG: 9501100005
SECTION: RELIGION                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BRIEFS

Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Richmond are beginning this month the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese and the 25th anniversary of the consecration of Walter F. Sullivan as bishop of Richmond. The diocese covers all of Virginia except for six counties in the Washington suburbs.

Sullivan said he will celebrate Mass in a different area of the state each month of 1995. Included will be festival services on May 14 at 4 p.m. at St. Andrew's Church in Roanoke; on July 30 at 4 p.m. at St. Mary's Church in Wytheville; and on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. at Holy Cross Church in Lynchburg. Also part of the celebration year will be pilgrimages to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on May 6, and to Rome from Oct. 5-16 as well as an ecumenical service at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Richmond on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Sullivan, who has made ecumenical action and social justice issues focal points of his ministry, also said details are being worked out for a Catholic/Jewish celebration at a Richmond synagogue in June.

Pastor emeritus named

The Rev. Dr. Joe T. Lindsoe has been named pastor emeritus of Rocky Mount Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which he served as minister for 19 years. Lindsoe, 65, will be honored at a potluck lunch there Sunday at 11 a.m. with presentation of a special pin.

Following his service in Franklin County, Lindsoe was pastor for several years of Melrose Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Roanoke; his other pastorates included an exchange with minister from an Adelaide, Australia. Following his retirement from the Roanoke church several years ago, Lindsoe moved to Smith Mountain Lake and has renewed his affiliation with the Rocky Mount congregation. His wife, Betty Roseberry Lindsoe, is a retired teacher.

Vest named chair

Ann Jarvis Vest, formerly of Bedford, has been named chair of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, the major mission service agency of the Episcopal Church on the national level. Vest is the wife of Bishop Frank H. Vest of Norfolk, who formerly served several Western Virginia parishes.

Bishop denies blessing

Former Roanoker Episcopal Bishop Vincent Warner, who serves the Diocese of Olympia in Seattle, recently blocked the blessing of a same-sex union because the church through its General Convention has not approved the practice.

Warner, once on the staff of St. John's Church in Roanoke, wrote Episcopalians in his diocese that he is sympathetic to blessing same-sex unions and considers himself a strong supporter of the gay community. However, he further noted, he has "a covenant relationship" with other members of the House of Bishops who have agreed not to conduct such ceremonies until the church as a whole through its triennial convention approves. It did not do so at the 1994 meeting.

Multicultural education

A Teacher Reflection Day with a focus on multicultural education is scheduled Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bishop Marmion Resource Center, 1010 First St. S.W. A follow-up to a similar event four months ago, the program will be led by Dr. Marty Woodward, a Salem Roman Catholic educator. It is intended for teachers in church, private or public schools. Cost is $10, and participants are to bring bag lunch. Call Jean Butler at 342-6797 or (800) 346-7982 for more information.

Teens sleep outside

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The temperature was 29 degrees with a wind chill reading of 15 at 4 a.m., when about 30 suburban Detroit teen-agers were sleeping outside a church in appliance boxes.

They were trying one morning late last month to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be homeless, and to raise awareness of the problem among themselves and others.

``I think that sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking Christianity is a philosophy as opposed to a way of life,'' said the Rev. Bryan Smith, pastor of Geneva Presbyterian Church.

``As Jesus said, you will know his followers by their fruits. This is putting philosophy to work in a real way.''

Most of the teens are members of youth groups at Geneva Presbyterian and First United Methodist Church in nearby Plymouth. They built fires in barrels for warmth and collected pledges to donate to Detroit-area charities.

``I know the homeless problem in Detroit is getting bad and this is one way I can experience some of what they're going through and also raise awareness,'' said Russell LaForte, 15, a sophomore at Plymouth Salem High School.