Page 2 - AprilTidings

APRIL 2022

From Fr. Ben
BY THE REV. BENJAMIN COWGILL, CURATE

A Blessed Holy Week to each of you all! This month I am taking a pause
from my column on the church seasons, and I want to share a wonderful
experience I had earlier in March. I will cover the Easter season in the May
Tidings - so stay tuned!

Part of my job responsibility as curate is to assist the diocese. Now that I am
ordained a priest and COVID numbers are down, I will be serving churches
in need of supply clergy once a month. This took me to Grace House for a
diocesan youth pilgrimage on April 3rd, and to The Boy’s Home on March 28th to visit for the first time and to
preach in their chapel. I had a wonderful experience meeting some of the boys who are from all over the United
States and some from all over the world. I learned a bit more about their stories, learned how to say thank you in sign
language, and saw the enormous impact that Boy’s Home has on the lives of everyone there. Preaching the Prodigal
Son story was very different in a context where so many are separated from their families; yet the message of hope
in God welcoming us home when we fall away remains true.

At Grace House, we continued our work in Becoming Beloved Community by exploring the history of African
Americans in Appalachia. The common stereotype of rural Appalachia does not include Black voices that have been
there for generations. Some of the same issues we experience in Lynchburg show up in different ways out there.
African Americans worked alongside others mining coal and supporting the vibrant economy that once was in our
region, and they cannot be written out of that history. We
heard about lynchings, the history of education and
communities in many small towns, and we were hosted by
many members of the black community and the Episcopal
Community in far southwestern Virginia. I was so proud of
the young people that came to learn and engage, and
delighted to celebrate the Eucharist and pray with them
throughout their trip.

Again, blessings to you all this April as we remember the
death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr. Ben

TIDINGS | APRIL 2022 | STJOHNSLYNCHBURG.O R G