The planning committee has been hard at work preparing for the 185th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi which is scheduled to take place the weekend of February 3-5, 2012. The event will take place at the Vicksburg Convention Center located on Mulberry Street in the heart of Vicksburg.
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Serving on the planning committee are (pictured left to right): Richard and Susan Price, co-chairs, the Reverend Sam Godrey, rector of Christ Church and the Very Reverend Billie Abraham, rector of St. Alban’s, Bovina. |
Episcopalians from approximately ninety congregations throughout the state are expected to visit the River City to attend council and enjoy the sights and sounds of historic Vicksburg. Blocks of rooms at various hotels and bed and breakfast establishments have been reserved at special rates for those attending Council. Registration is available on the Diocesan website, //annualcouncil.dioms.org/.
Annual Council is a time when Episcopalians throughout the state gather to visit, conduct church business, and worship together as a family. Four churches from the Vicksburg area are hosting the 2012 Council: St. Alban’s, Christ Church, St. Mary’s and Church of the Holy Trinity. The theme for this year’s event will be Celebrating One Church.
We encourage everyone to take the time to visit Vicksburg’s gift shops, boutiques, art galleries, antique stores and antebellum mansions as well as to explore some of the history of the city. The National Military Park and the Old Court House Museum are two of Vicksburg’s most popular tourist attractions. Weather permitting, Mississippi River tours are available for those who would like to go for a sunset cruise on Old Man River. You will need to call the tour company for advanced reservations.
Also of interest are the exhibits which will be set up in the Convention Center. Numerous vendors are expected to have booths displaying various items for sale. A stroll through the exhibits is a delight and also a good time to visit and make new friends.
Friday night will feature Evening Prayer and the 2012 address to be given by Bishop Duncan M. Gray III, the ninth Bishop of the Mississippi Diocese. Past bishops who have served the Mississippi Diocese are: William Mercer Green I; Hugh Miller Thompson; Theodore DuBose Bratton; William Mercer Green II; Duncan Montgomery Gray; John Maury Allin; Duncan Montgomery Gray Jr. and Alfred Clark Marble, Jr., II.
Saturday will be a full day of business meetings and convention related activities, ending with a Down South dinner and dance. The final day of Council will conclude with a diocesan Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, a glorious service that brings the entire diocese together for worship and praise. Everyone, including the general public, is invited to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
Put the date on your calendar and plan to be a part of the 2012 Annual Council as it convenes in Vicksburg to Celebrate One Church.
Becky Drake is a communicant of St. Alban’s, Bovina.
