Daughters of the King Margaret Markham, Ann Cantrell, Francine Head, Jeanette Dickens, Patricia Savage, Barbara Armenta, and Joan Anderson celebrate new prayer ministry with Father Terry Burley (center).
Gilroy's St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (651 Broadway) celebrated a special event on Sept. 28. The church's three regular worship services were combined into single Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. so parishioners and friends could gather for the institution of the St. Anne Chapter of the Daughters of the King.
This nationwide group, including women from Episcopal/ Anglican, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches, is an "order," a community under religious rule whose members take solemn vows to follow lives of prayer and service.
Presiding at the installation service was the Rev. Terry Burley, Rector (senior pastor of the parish). Admitted to the order were Barbara Armenta, Anne Cantrell, Jeanette Dickens, Francine Head and Margaret Markham; Patricia Savage, a longtime member at large of the national organization, was installed as president.
Present for the ceremony was Joan Anderson, president of the Daughters of the King Council for the Diocese of El Camino Real (the ecclesiastical region in which Gilroy is located). She presented a framed charter document to the chapter as well as individual crosses to each member.
These crosses, the official emblem of the order, is a modified Greek fleury cross inscribed in Latin "Magnanimiter Crucem Sustine" (with heart, mind and spirit uphold and bear the cross). Each cross, which is to be worn at all times, remains the property of the order.
When a daughter dies, her cross may be buried with her or incorporated into her memorial; otherwise it must be returned to the national office.
According to Savage, the Daughters of the King of St. Anne Chapter will have a heavy focus on prayer, both individual and corporate.
Individually, they will pray for the clergy, congregation and community on a daily basis, including any requests that are submitted to the church office. Each member has a Book of Common Prayer and DOK Handbook to guide her prayer life.
Monthly meetings will include corporate prayer, emphasizing evangelism and prayer for growth in effectiveness of their ministry. They will also participate in Bible study and service projects like making prayer quilts and prayer shawls for distribution at locations such as homeless shelters and hospitals
Father Terry, who was also installed as the chapter's chaplain during the service, says that the Daughters of the King "is a fabulous resource."
"I am looking forward to working together in this unique ministry of prayer, study and service," he said. "This is no small thing for us here at St. Stephen's. We are building a strong congregation here, and anything or anyone who intends to serve the Lord must be built on and sustained by prayer. This is an important beginning for us."
The Order of the Daughters of the King was founded in 1885 by Margaret J. Franklin and her women's Bible study at the church of the Holy Sepulcher in New York City.
Its original goal was "to spread the Kingdom of Christ among young women."
By 1896 it had grown to 66 chapters with nearly 12,000 members. Today nearby chapters are located at churches in Watsonville, Capitola, Atascadero and San Luis Obispo. For more information call (408) 842-4415.
St. Stephen's Church is also announcing another service to the South County community - the opening of Playland Child Development Center.
The church has extensively renovated its education building to house a high-quality preschool program available to both full- and part-time students.
While its license is pending, interested parents can get more information and be put on a waiting list by calling (408) 848-6712.
Chuck Flagg Chuck Flagg is a retired teacher with a passion for religion. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365 Gilroy, CA 95021.
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