Monday Update: Pastoral Response to Crisis

June 20, 2022

Dear Saint Stephen’s Community,

If you are in search of hope, look around. In the midst of unfathomable pain, I have never witnessed such beauty, compassion, and love before. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Thousands of messages of love and support are pouring into our community. Along with those messages of love and support, questions about how we are caring for our community have arisen. It is important for our community to know how we are being cared for, so that we can rest in the assurance of God’s unconditional love.

Grief counselors from our parish, from other churches in the Diocese of Alabama, and others from across the community have come together. Counselors were on our campus all day on Sunday and will continue to be at the church this week from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. every day to talk with anyone who would like a listening ear. Every person who attended the Boomers gathering on Thursday night has been assigned an individual counselor and contact has been established. The hard work of counseling with a trained professional has begun. Additionally, many from that evening are meeting together as a group with trained trauma therapists, both at Saint Stephen’s and off campus at another Episcopal Church. Our staff and clergy are taking advantage of those resources as well, for our own spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

Yesterday evening, our youth gathered in the nave for a vigil to pray, to sing, and to process the events of Thursday. Youth ministers, grief counselors, and friends from several churches in the Diocese gathered in support of our young people.

Today, I met with our Preschool Director and the entire staff of our preschool. Grief counselors were introduced, and we talked about safety and self-care. We are beginning to discern new ways of supporting our preschool family, which extends so deep into our much larger community. We will meet with preschool parents tomorrow.

Tonight, parents of young children will gather off campus with counselors and clergy to pray and discuss age-appropriate responses, and how to talk about trauma with children. We have resources on hand for how families can cope with the trauma of this past week, too.

Finally, we will have grief counselors at our Sunday service at 10:15 a.m. and following the service. If you would like to be connected to a professional, please reach out to the Rev. Katherine Harper, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care and Liturgy (katherine@ssechurch.org).

This work that we are called to do – to heal and walk in love – is going to be a long process. Know that together, God is leading us, guiding us, and comforting us. Never in my life have I been this acutely aware of the work of the Holy Spirit, surrounding us in prayer and lifting us up in love and support.

Faithfully,

The Rev. John B. Burruss