Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) 2014 has concluded but with God’s help, the youth that attended will travel back into their daily lives and churches with a renewed faith and energy to living out their baptismal promises.
There were more than 1200 people gathered together from more than 80 dioceses including Taiwan and Honduras in Philadelphia at Villanova University for the four day event. The preaching done there by Canon Stephanie Spellers, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Reverend Becca Stevens, and Bishop Michael Curry was inspiring to the youth and adults gathered for plenary sessions and worship from July 9-13.
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth had two youth attend EYE this year. Jacob Tiemann and Sarah Pannell are both rising high school juniors who attend St Martin-in-the-Fields in Keller. They both are also senior acolytes and thurifers.
Jacob had the honor of carrying the Fort Worth banner into the worship space at EYE for the opening worship on Thursday.
Sarah (third from left) had the honor of acolyting at the closing worship celebrated by the presiding bishop on Saturday evening.
They enjoyed getting to meet other young people who are passionate about their own churches and learning about regional differences in the churches represented. Sarah and Jacob attended different workshops and are each bringing back a wealth of knowledge to be shared in our diocese.
The Rev. Amy Haynie and Ms. Corrie Cabes, children and youth minister at St Martin, taught two workshops facilitating “Praying in Color,” and attended other workshops on “Leading Song” and “Irish Dancing: Identity and Culture in Movement.”
Because Philadelphia is rich, not only in American history but also in the history of The Episcopal Church, all 1200 participants were unleashed into the city on Friday of EYE. The Fort Worth group went to five different churches including St. Thomas, where the Rev. Absalom Jones served as the first African-American priest in The Episcopal Church, and the Church of the Advocate where the first group of 11 women were irregularly ordained to the priesthood in 1974, prompting the change within the church to authorize ordination of women two years later. A visit to Christ Church prompted Jacob to find the box where George Washington worshiped since Jacob’s family tree includes the first president of the United States. Walking tours of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were also included in the day. Friday concluded with Philly cheese steaks at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, along with lots of dancing and games, as participants relived Rocky’s run up those iconic steps. EYE events are high-energy affairs!
See more photos at the diocesan Facebook page.
See more photos, tweets, notes at The Episcopal Church EYE page.