Dennis Gregory McDermott, the 18-year-old son of the Reverend Jim McDermott, died from fatal injuries sustained from an ATV accident on Sunday, July 4, 2010. A celebration of Dennis’ life was held in his hometown of Austin, Minnesota, at St. Edward’s Corcoran Center at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 11, 2010. Prayers were offered daily for the journey of Dennis’ spirit and for his family throughout the week of July 4 in the Chapel of the Holy Child of the International Community of Christ in Reno culminating with the lighting of the Memorial Candle during Communion of Fellowship Service on Saturday, July 10. Our thoughts are with Jim, Dennis’ mother, Caron, and his brother, Jimmy, at this time.

Link to the article on Dennis in the Austin Daily Herald July 8, 2010:

http://www.austindailyherald.com/news/2010/jul/08/hes-quite-dennis/

Link to the article on Dennis in the Austin Post Bulletin July 9, 2010:

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=460385&z=28

Link to the obituary for Dennis in Austin Daily Herald, July 12, 2010:

http://www.austindailyherald.com/obits/2010/jul/08/dennis-mcdermott/

Below is the obituary written by Dennis’ mother and brother, as it appeared July 12 in the Austin Daily Herald:

Dennis Gregory McDermott, 18, of Austin, died from fatal injuries sustained from an ATV accident on Sunday, July 4, 2010.

Dennis was born May 17, 1992, in Rochester, Minn., to James and Caron (Jagodzinski) McDermott.

Dennis’ exuberance for life was infectious. He never saw a camera or a microphone he didn’t like. The ultimate ham, his winning personality and bright smile brought a lift to everyone he dealt with. A teaser extraordinare, he could move a roomful of people to a state of enjoyment and laughter, especially those in the stands at his wrestling meets and bowling matches. Dennis followed his older brother, Jimmy, into the Austin Youth Wrestling program in early grade school. During those years he led the high school team onto the mat for their home wrestling meets, usually in his three-piece suit. For the last three years he was a member of the Austin High School Wrestling Team, actually winning one match on his own. He made Tough Club two years in a row and received four Wrestler of the Week awards. His unweighted GPA was 3.6, resulted in him receiving a Wrestling Academic Excellence Award. Since seventh-grade, Dennis bowled for the Adaptive Bowling Team. Altogether Dennis lettered seven times: two for wrestling and five for bowling. He received two Citizenship Awards due to his depthy understanding of people and his great ability to give. He also won a seat on the Student Council during the Southgate years. His favorite activity was going with his wing man/mentor, Sean Miland of REM. He had a special love for Sean and Sean’s family where he was known as “Uncle Dennis.” He enjoyed watching the “Dukes of Hazzard,” “Lethal Weapon,” and WWE, during which he acted out all the parts, memorizing the dialogue. His choice for music was Akon, and the “Now” compilations. He was a loyal KROC listener in the car, never allowing it to be turned to something else. Other favorite tunes were “Born to Be Wild” and the second “Steppenwolf” album. He always did what he enjoyed and was thrilled about. There was never any down time with Dennis. He inspired us to let go of the small irritations of life with constant reminders to “Relaax.”

Dennis is survived by his parents, James McDermott and Caron Jagodzinski; his two big brothers, Jimmy of LaCrosse, Wis., and Zach (Jenny) of Foster City, Calif.; his grandparents, James and Joyce Jagodzinski; aunts, uncles, many cousins and many friends whose lives he touched with his sparkle.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Joyce McDermott, and his step-grandmother, Mary (Majerus) McDermott.

A celebration of Dennis’ life will be held at St. Edward’s Corcoran Center at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 11, 2010. Please bring your favorite Dennis story to share.

Reverend Rhys Andrews at Church of the Americas

The Reverend Deaconess Rhys Andrews and her husband, Bobby, have left Reno to return to Canada via Idaho. The news came suddenly to us, but Rhys’s health, which requires her to take advantage of her Canadian health benefits, as well as her need to be closer to her three sons, who reside in British Columbia, dictated that she leave Reno at this time. Rhys will be in communication with us from Canada on a regular basis. She is looking forward to continuing her studies and to a well-deserved rest, as well as to assisting the Head Bishop in establishing a Canadian office for The Community. She and Bobby will be staying with friends in Idaho until arrangements can be made for their residence in Canada.

Rhys enrolled in The Academy in June 2005 while she resided in Montana. In June 2006, when she and her husband were in a state of transition, her preceptor recommended that Rhys would be a great asset to The Community in Reno. Since that time, Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. began working toward making it possible for Rhys to move to Reno. A few months later, in August 2006, Rhys and her husband took up temporary residence in the East Wing of the Rectory-Abbey on Carmel.

During the years that she resided in Reno, Rhys’s duties expanded and diversified to include important tasks in several Church departments. Rhys acted as Director of Vestry, overseeing care and transportation of vestments, as well as repairs and tailoring, and she was assigned to the Chapel of the Holy Child as sacristan and sexton. At the Chancellery, she worked as a personal assistant to the Head Bishop, contacting members and making special phone calls in addition to organizing and maintaining Chancellery files and student dossiers. She also assisted with posting the accounts for The Church and served on the Finance Council. Her special duties included arranging flowers for Chapel services and special events and working as one of the care-taking staff at the Rectory, where she and Bobby resided, first at the Rectory East Wing parsonage and later in an apartment at the Rectory-Abbey. Rhys was also a volunteer chaplain at nearby St. Mary’s Hospital. She loved her ministry there and looked forward to her weekly chaplaincy duties.

During the four years that Bobby resided in Reno, he worked through the Building Department in the area of maintenance and was attached in this capacity to the Rectory, where he resided. He oversaw upkeep of the Rectory and Chancellery as well as the weekly deep cleaning of the spa facilities at the Steamboat Healing Center. Over the years, Bobby assisted with many renovation projects at all three locations, as well as some of the projects at the Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary.

The 4^th of July barbecue held at the Rectory-Abbey this year also served as a surprise bon voyage party for Rhys and Bobby, who left on the first leg of their journey two days later on the morning of July 6.

We wish Rhys and Bobby a safe journey with our thanks for all of their hard work and dedication over the past four years, and we look forward to a continuing relationship with them as we move toward opening a Canadian office for The Church. They will be missed by Community residents in Reno.

After several years’ hiatus, softball season for Church members and their families and friends opened the first Saturday of May and continued every Saturday through June until the Fourth of July. Games and practice were organized by Consociates Ryan Anderson and Matthew Madonna and took place at the Reno West Babe Ruth Fields, where the Church Parochial School had played many seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. There were scrimmage games with practice teams through June. On July 3, teams were chosen for the championship game to be played that day. The same two teams played for the coveted Cuspidor Cup on July 4, a game that the July 3rd champions lost. A Fourth of July barbeque followed that evening at the Rectory-Abbey on Carmel. As teams and players really began to play at a higher level at the end of the designated season, it was decided that pick-up games will continue through the summer months on Saturday afternoons.

On May 10, 2010, in Dharamsala, India, the Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., Head Bishop of the International Community of Christ and President of the Cosolargy Institute, along with his traveling companions, the Reverend Robert Roy and the Reverend Dr. Bill Bartlett, met with His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, the Black Hat Lama of Tibet. Bishop Savoy announced the good news of the Appearance of the Sun of Righteousness and the coming New Age of Light to the Tibetan Buddhist leader and presented him with some of The Church’s sacred texts.

See the article on Cosolargy.net: http://cosolargy.net/2010/06/28/meeting-with-hh-gyalwa-karmapa-in-india/.

To view the note of thanks sent to His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa by Bishop Savoy, see: Thank you to HH Gyalwa Karmapa

The Right Reverend Sean Savoy was approached in early May by Rebecca Gasca of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to help arrange a meeting of local clergy with her exchange partner from Turkey, Hilal Kaplan, an advocate of women’s rights and religious freedom. Ms. Kaplan, who was visiting Reno in early May through arrangement with the U.S. Department of State, was interested in getting the perspective of religious leaders who operate under a secular government and are still able to create social change. Ms. Kaplan, a journalist, intends to write about her experiences.

The Sacred Solar Teachings Symposium was held at the Gateway Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles, California, on June 26, 2010. The event was planned and cosponsored by the Jamilian University of the Ordained and Dr. Mitchell Gibson of Tybro Corporation, a psychiatrist, author, spiritual teacher, and former Consociate of the International Community of Christ. Bishops Gene Savoy Jr. and Sean Savoy lectured alongside Dr. Gibson, speaking on a wide range of topics related to spiritual enlightenment and solar teaching. Bishop Gene Savoy spoke on ancient solar cultures and the modern solar spiritual Community. Bishop Sean Savoy discussed the nature of the Spiritual Sun and the benefits and practice of solar techniques and presented some basic solar techniques as well. Dr. Gibson spoke on the nature of the sun and changes to come in 2012. The event was photographed by the Reverend Robert Roy. Also in attendance from the International Community of Christ were Academy members Charlotte Davis of Los Angeles and Margaret Myota of Wisconsin, who joined nearly 60 other attendees and assisted with details of the day’s event.

The conference was conceived by Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. in March 2010 while speaking to Dr. Gibson on other issues. Dr. Gibson quickly agreed to the collaborative effort, and arrangements for the June 26 seminar began shortly thereafter. In Los Angeles, the speakers agreed to continue working together and made tentative plans to hold other such seminars in Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, and Montreal. Dr. Gibson has also accepted the invitation to speak as part of the Conference on the Spiritual State of the World at The Community’s 2010 annual Convocation in September in Reno.

Jennifer Provost shortly after birth Photo Mireille Chabot

The Reverend Francine Petrovich is proud grandmother to a granddaughter. Jennifer Provost was born to Mireille Chabot and Felix Provost on July 13, 2010, in Lac Megantic, Quebec, Canada. She joins her two-year-old brother, Jacob, in the family. Felix is the son of Rev. Petrovich and has been a friend of The Community for many years.

Jacob holding his sister Jennifer. Photo Mireille Chabot

Swami Atmananda and Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. at Satya-chetana ashram in India. Photo Robert Roy.

At the invitation of Swami Atmananda, Bishop Gene Savoy Jr. and the Reverends Robert Roy and Bill Bartlett journeyed to India in April 2010 to meet Swamiji  and his followers at their ashram in Tiruvannamalai, India. The travelers spent two days at the ashram and the surrounding area as guests of Swamiji. On the evening of their arrival, the travelers were introduced to the primary workers and scholars of the ashram by Swamiji, and a discussion ensued. Fortunately, the discussion was recorded and appears below in transcript form.

Read the transcript of the April 24, 2010, meeting at Satya-chetana ashram, Tiruvannamalai, India here: ICC-Swamijimtg042410-transcript

For general background information on the mutual collaboration of both organizations, see the article “Cosolargy & Satyachetana to Collaborate” on Cosolargy.net : http://cosolargy.net/2009/12/14/cosolargy-satya-chetan-to-collaborate/.

A one-day seminar presented by the International Community of Christ and Tybro Corporation will be held in Los Angeles on June 26, 2010.

SPEAKERS: Gene Savoy Jr., Sean Savoy, Dr. Mitchell Gibson

TOPICS:

• History of Solar Absorption Techniques

• Modern Application of Solar Absorption Techniques

• Individual and Collective Benefits of Solar Absorption

• Solar Absorption Techniques and the Advancement of Human Consciousness

• Enlightenment and the Solar Connection

• 2012: Coming Changes in the Sun and Human Consciousness

• Basic Introduction to the Spiritual Nature of the Sun

• The Solar Adept and the Development of the Solar Spiritual Community

• The Immortal Solar-Light Body

COST: $250

CONTACT:

Kathy Gibson at (336) 423-2426 to register by phone.

To register online, go to:

www.tybro.com/html/the_sacred_solar_teachings/html

For additional information see: www.cosolargy.net/events

or see the attached brochure advertising the event: June 2010 Seminar.

Members of the Nevada Clergy Association are endeavoring to resurrect the old Nevada tradition of the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in a new form: the Nevada Prayer Breakfast.

Following a number of preliminary meetings in February and March of this year, The Reverend Sean Savoy was appointed chair of the organizing committee, which hopes to hold the event sometime in the autumn of 2010.

Years ago, the Reno-Sparks area interfaith community had sponsored the Governor’s Prayer Breakfasts for a period of several years under the auspices of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ). When that organization disbanded, the prayer breakfast went with it; however, the concept of renewing a community prayer breakfast resurfaced among members fo the interfaith community a short time ago.

Prompted by Bishop Gene Savoy Jr., president of the Nevada Clergy Association, a delegation of local religious leaders was formed to meet the mayors of Sparks, Carson City, and Reno to discuss their participation in the event and their endorsement. When the delegation was well received in each case, Bishop Savoy began to take the necessary steps to organize, oversee and sponsor the event. It is planned the breakfast will take place in November of this year.