Saint Michael’s And All Angels Church Opening New Facility in Williamsburg

The Mid Atlantic Diocese is thrilled to announce the opening of the new facility of Saint Michael’s and all angels church in Williamsburg, Virginia! After a series of closed doors, Saint Michaels, and I’ll angels church was blessed with an opportunity to move their facilities to the top floor of a commercial building near downtown Williamsburg. The exposure and space have allowed for growth and an overhaul of church facilities. Father Michael Pacella, and Archdeacon, Larry Rieger are thrilled with what God has done and will invite anyone in the local community or in the Mid Atlantic region to come and visit and see what God has done! New chairs, new technology, new branding, and a new space are just he beginning of God’s move on Williamsburg.

 

Cathedral Building Update

The cathedral has recently completed a campaign to raise the money needed for the church facilities, equipment barn, and the construction of the barn is just complete this week. Floors were poured, and the last money came in within the same week. Praise the Lord, and thank you to all who supported this campaign. The “10 7s” campaign as the barn funding was called was a huge success with generous donors taking on portions of the barn funding and helping the church to establish a needed foothold in the process. The Church building basement is complete with walls and wooden flooring is being put in for the first floor this week. Next it will be stud walls for the first floor and the roof before long. Please continue to support the building project with prayer and tell others you know what we’re doing and how important it will be to have a Mid Atlantic Cathedral hub for convergence worship and healing. Updates posted at FHcathedral.com. If you or someone you know feel called to support the project, please contact the diocesan office: 410-838-6444.

Reconciliation – 25 Years in One Mighty River

THIS POST WRITTEN MARCH 2023 – DELAYED RELEASE

Avery Northwood
March 7, 2023

25 Years in One Mighty River

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of The Church of Reconciliation in Bel Air, Md., now the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of the Mid Atlantic. The congregation was honored to welcome Archbishop Craig Bates and his wife Cathy to help celebrate the occasion.

This is the Silver Anniversary of a parish birthed and formed entirely within the ICCEC. In 1995 Bishop Rob Northwood, then a deacon serving and helping to establish Christ the King Church in Towson, MD, received a prophetic word that he would plant a church in Bel Air, MD just 15 miles North of his current assignment. This was received with excitement even though he was currently studying at seminary, selling cars full time, fathering the first of many children, and was newly married. In February of 1996 he was ordained a priest and one week later was hosting the church’s first service in his home’s basement.

The church’s inaugural communion wine was very bitter, it’s first tabernacle was handmade, simple, and wooden, and it’s first service was marked by a sense of purpose and unity. The memories warmly recalled by many parishioners still present after all these years included recollections of Sarah Northwood, the Bishop’s wife, self-teaching guitar for praise, the home’s modest kitchen being used for coffee and fellowship, the living room being used for mid-week Bible study, the dining room a Sunday school classroom, the laundry room for the vesting clergy.

This reminiscence serves a greater purpose than nostalgia, it serves to illustrate the nature of a humble initiative serving a divine vocation. The recurring theme of each member’s recollection was the presence and hand of God through the years that would follow, His guidance in times of confusion, His blessing in times of want, His protection in times of turmoil, His love poured out to those who came seeking.

The question kept presenting itself all through the celebrations and testimonies and memories spoken: “Who would attend a church in a nondescript residential basement?” The answer of course; those who came thirsting for something real, something new, something touchedby God. Each trailblazing member was there for something intangible and beyond a youth group, nursery, outreac

h program, preaching, or praise. Each was there only to experience the Holy Spirit’s move, the written truth spoken, the Body and Blood of Christ, the community of a sincere church family.

These elements have flourished in the church today. The latest generation of seekers has found something that they describe in all the same terms. They have found a home, a family, something old and something new, something rich, something they can be a part of.

Looking ahead we see a vista, bright days, further stories of God’s greatness, stories so grand the coming generations will pass them on and anticipate God’s power in their lives. Looking ahead we see souls flocking to the church, the three streams integrated in worship. We see weddings, funerals, birthdays, baptisms, celebrations, and many, many more anniversaries. This year, The Church of Reconciliation’s 25th year, will be a mountaintop year. A year of long sight. A year of approaching horizons.

 

To God Be the Glory!

The Cathedral Church of Reconciliation

Bishop Northwood Concelebrates Mass with Diocesan Clergy

Wednesday evening, in the Eucharistic celebration of a healing service at the Cathedral in Belair, Maryland, Bishop Rob Northwood, was inspired to invite the clergy present in the room, representing Virginia, and Maryland, to come and con, celebrate the Eucharist with him. Present were Father Jeffrey Welch, Father Jim Ball, Father Terry Murphy, Father Samuel Foss, archdeacon Larry Rieger, and Deacon Mark Carico. Deacon Mark Carico preached a moving sermon on God’s desire to deliver from entanglements and bondage.

Bishop Rob said that the Holy Spirit was moving in that service, and that he believes the Holy Spirit has much that he wants to do. He hailed this summer as a “Summer of Healing” and highly anticipates the move of God through His Church, through the Eucharist, through the Holy Sacraments, and through healing services.

Reconciliation Institute completes second Academic Term

Reconciliation Institute completes second Academic Term.

On 30 April, Reconciliation Institute, which is the Mid-Atlantic Diocese’ satellite campus of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), graduated it’s second class of six students who completed Module 2, “The Kingdom of God”.  Joining in a Zoom distributed ceremony, the students shared their highlights and projects, and received kudos and a blessing from Bishop Rob Northwood.  Retaining four of the five students who completed the first term this past December, this group of students also added a non-CEC student through Saint Michael and All Angels parish in Williamsburg. Student appreciation for the TUMI Capstone Curriculum was such that all of the students continued on unto the summer term, “Conversion and Calling”, while adding another non-CEC student.  The summer term will graduate 30 July, and academic mentors Fr. Jeffrey Welch and ADCN Larry Rieger are already preparing for the fall term, “Theology of the Church”, which will begin 13 August.

May 7th Ordination

Saturday, May the 7th was marked by several momentous occasions. In a time of great fulfillment, those gathered witnessed the installation of its first archdeacon in many years, the ordination of Deacon Elijah Northwood, and the ordination of Father Samuel Foss.

Bishop Rob Northwood blessed and installed Deacon Lawrence Rieger to the office of Archdeacon with the assignment of developing that office and expanding the administrative processes of the diocese. He was given a red cincture in recognition of the responsibilities of the office he now holds, and following the service, the new Archdeacon expressed his true delight to serve the diocese and its churches in this manner. He has been operating in this role for several months and was instrumental in the coordinating of the weekend’s events.

Archdeacon Rieger receives a red cincture in recognition of his new office.

Deacon Elijah Northwood is one of the youngest ordinands ever in the North American CEC at 23 years old  and has been in ongoing seminary classes for several years. He is Bishop Northwood’s third son and is also the fourth of six children. He felt called to the ministry at the age of 19 and has not hesitated in his progress toward that calling. Prophetic words spoken over him during the ceremony encouraged him to continue to deliver the unaltered truth with characteristic compassion and foretold of his going where most men would not go, sitting with the poor and serving among the broken. He is a great gift to the church in this time of great need.

 

“Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe and put into practice what you teach.” – Ordination Liturgy

Father Samuel Foss was ordained a priest and has completed his seminary training. He is a steadfast servant and has served as leader of the men’s ministry at the cathedral for several years. He concelebrated mass alongside Bishop Northwood Saturday after his consecration and boldly preached the gospel Sunday morning. People remarked on his bold delivery and the strength of his spirit to speak the truth. Bishop Northwood spoke after of his pride at seeing the young priest walking in faith to a life of such great service. Father Samuel said “I hope to execute and bring about the vision and mission that God has placed on our bishop for the different communities of our diocese.”

Kingdom Life Youth and Young Adult Retreat

Kingdom Life Youth and Young Adult Retreat

This past October, 60 young persons and leaders gathered at a Christian camp in Forest Hill, MD for two days of praise, prayer, fun, and teaching. With the question of Covid still looming and rainy weather threatening, the young people came from New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, some with 8-hour drives. They gathered together and called on the Lord as one to move in their lives and God did not disappoint.

The testimonies that came back from this retreat were witness to the move of God on the lives of willing people. Prior to the retreat, many of the leaders and youth reported strain, stress, personal doubts, and major inconvenience: all common signs of our enemy’s attempts to subvert a major act of God.

At the retreat, we saw young people prophesy, speak in tongues, experience life changing healing, deliverance, and direction. There were testimonies of physical healing, emotional healing including depression being lifted and anxiety calmed, and young hearts rededicated to the purpose of God.

Many of the leaders were encouraged by the response of the young people to the teaching and the retreat itself. “Father Jeffery Welch’s lesson entitled ‘Obstacles To Grace’ was mind-blowing” said one high school male. Another said he would come back if this were a monthly event. Still others expressed their desire for the retreat to be longer and occur more often. All were blessed in some way and eager for another similar experience.

Bishop Rob is intent on hosting another event of this kind in the coming year and has said that even with the tremendous amount of preparation required for a retreat such as this, God’s move always makes it more than worthwhile.

A Young Priest in the Mid-Atlantic Diocese

A Young Priest in the Mid-Atlantic Diocese

Our growing diocese has been yet again richly blessed. The Cathedral Church of Reconciliation is proud to announce the upcoming ordination of Deacon Samuel Foss to the office of Priest in the Spring of 2022. Following years of seminary work and prayerful dedication to his calling, Deacon Foss (26) will honor Christ’s Church with his service as priest. Deacon Samuel was raised in the Methodist Church and received a calling to ministry in high school. He attended college at Towson University and after attending a semester of Saint Stephen’s Certificate Program through the Cathedral church, discerned a calling to the CEC and to ordained ministry therein. He has been a faithful servant to the church since his ordination in 2020 and looks forward to what God has in mind for the coming days. Please be in prayer for our brother as he readies his heart for the next step in his journey.

This is My Body…

This is My Body…

Christ the Redeemer Mission, located in Pigtown, Baltimore, will soon celebrate the installation of a tabernacle in their worship space. To this point Mass has been celebrated and no reserve sacrament has been kept in the facility, but now, on this unassuming and often deadly street in Baltimore, the real presence of Christ will reside day and night. This represents for those with a sacramental understanding or even those with a sacramental imagination, a shift in the atmosphere of this little church and it’s neighborhood.

Where the living presence of Christ is, there is change. When one steps into a space already inhabited by the consecrated host, there is a warmth and peace that emanates from the tabernacle. As prayers rise from Christ the Redeemer for the street, neighborhood, and city, please join them in asking God for His Kingdom to come in that place.

An Archdeacon Appointed

An Archdeacon Appointed

Bishop Northwood has appointed an Archdeacon, which is a role of recognition as well as a mark of honor. The role has been appointed to Deacon Larry Rieger of Saint Michael’s and All Angels Church, Virginia. He is being recognized for his dedicated service to his church, to his Diocese and previously, his district. He has served since it’s formation, on the Bishop’s Council as well as on the board of his local parish. He has been faithful in trivial tasks and matter of great import. Deacon Rieger has graciously accepted his new role and will be publicly installed in the Spring of 2022. The role is both a great honor and a great responsibility as our diocese has in mind a vision for further establishing the Kingdom of God in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Delaware. This is no small undertaking and the Archdeacon will be pivotal in this regard. Thank you Deacon Larry from the people of the Diocese of the Mid Atlantic for your continued service.

Deacon Rieger is the resident Deacon and parish administrator for Saint Michael and All Angels. He is a graduate of a Benedictine college (Belmont Abbey).  Separate from a secular bachelors and masters education, the Deacon also holds a Masters of Theology from Kings College, has completed his coursework at Saint Michael’s Seminary of the CEC. He was ordained to the ancient and apostolic order of the Diaconate on 24 June, 2017.

Deacon Rieger had a successful secular career, starting as an Infantry Officer in the 82d Airborne Division. He remained in the reserves both in the US and overseas before he transferred to the retired reserves as a Major. He served the Army as a civilian for 36 years before retiring in 2015 to pursue full time ministry work.