Coming Home: A Place of Meaning

Tom Breidenthal

Ministry Connection to St. Michaels

The Rt. Rev. Thomas Breidenthal died on May 14th.

He began ordained ministry in July, 1981 at St. Michaels as deacon and then priest. He maintained a friendship with this community across the years. Tom chose a disability retirement and returned to Portland. The Celebration of his Life took place on June 11th at Trinity Cathedral.

In the spring of 1981 there were some growth spurts at St. Michael. The Rector and a Team began working on a position description for an additional priest. It was quite specific, and progressive in spirit, including the possibility of either a man or a woman to fill this position. We had lots of enthusiasm, but not sufficient funds.

It happened in late May that the Rector (John) and spouse Alice stopped at Sylvias Italian Restaurant on Sandy Blvd. for a light supper after a concert. There were two former parishioners seated at a table, and they beckoned to us to please join them. Edie Horton and Jane Zack (formerly Hilyard) had been very active in the Christian Education program in the parish. Jane was currently Director of Christian Education at Christ Church, Lake Oswego.

Their obvious question was “What’s happening at St. Michaels? I bubbled over with enthusiasm with our hopes for another priest, and saying that we were not quite financially ready to act. Jane Zack spoke up to say – We had this fantastic seminarian at Christ Church last summer. He’s wonderful! And tomorrow is the day the two seminary graduates will meet with the bishop to be assigned to their first positions.

The meeting is at the Bishop’s office at 10:30 am.

I spent the night thinking about this opportunity, and the glowing report. First thing I called my Senior Warden, Mina Launt. I described the situation/opportunity, and said to her, “Mina, do we wait, or do we put the oar in the water.” Mina immediately responded, “Put the oar in the water!”

Thus, I showed up at Bishop Bigliardi’s office – uninvited, and unannounced, at 10:30. I had never met Tom, learned his story, or interviewed him. I wasn’t sure what he looked like. But when the Bishop paused to inquire about my presence, I said, “We want Tom.”

And – I/We got him! And he got us!

Then there was the matter of the necessary money. Yes, the Diocesan Residency Program would help us. We needed an additional $5,000 to make this possible. Not my skill set! Yet I spent that weekend seeking 10 people who would each contribute $500.

There was so much creative energy and hope throughout the parish for this next step forward. And, the reading from the Acts of the Apostles that Sunday morning described the new energy in the emerging church, The text says “that 5000 were added to their number that day!” Every Year A when I hear that passage I chuckle. Yes, it’s in the Book! We did this!

After two rich years at St. Michaels Tom received a Fellowship from the Episcopal Church Foundation and was off to Oxford University where he studied Ethics with Oliver O’Donovan and graduated as Doctor of Philosophy.

We stayed in touch over the years as friends. He and Margaret returned to St. Michaels in 1984 to be married. He had a long run as Professor ot Ethics at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Tom and Margaret became New Yorkers. Their daughters Magdalene and Lucy attended St. Hilda and St. Hugh School on Morningside Heights. The school was under the auspices of the Community of the Holy Spirit, a community that Alice and I had also come to know and love.

In 2007 Tom was elected Bishop of Southern Ohio. He invited me to be one of his presenters at his ordination in Columbus. This was a great day!

Since Tom’s return to Portland we developed a custom of monthly lunches. At our last time Tom told me that he had lesions on his liver and was going in for a biopsy. Then we all got that poignant announcement from the current bishop of Southern Ohio that Tom had a fast growing cancer with little time remaining for him. His time here in Portland has been very fruitful. He has had amazing ministry at Trinity Cathedral. He has pursued his love of poetry. He has made time daily for AA meetings and for nurturing his new life in recovery.

About a week before Tom’s death my older son Stephen and I went to visit him in his apartment in The Pearl. His daughter Lucy was there – he sent her out for a walk. And the Hospice caregiver was there – Tom sent him off to another room. Tom said he wanted to have a private conversation – with us. And we were there for an hour and a half. He talked through a lot of pieces of his life. Near the end of the conversation Tom looked at me and said, “I would like to have two places in the Columbarium at St. Michael and All Angels.” I was deeply moved by this. I passed his words on to his daughters and they made arrangements.

Tom’s ashes were placed in the St. Michael’s Columbarium in the presence of his family and close friends on the afternoon of June 11th.

The Rev. John S Scannell
Rector Emeritus
St. Michael & All Angels Church
Portland OR

From the Rector & Vestry/Del Rector y el Vestry

Vision & Strategy Update

In April 2024, St. Michael’s Vestry approved the formation of a vision and strategy process for the parish, committed to understanding our identity, values and hopes rooted in post-pandemic and post-transition realities. We engaged with the Kaleidoscope Institute to train and support our Vision & Strategy Committee, which formed during the summer and began their work in September. The KI consultants assisted with 3 congregational engagement events, focused on St. Michael’s history, present realities, and needs/desires for the community’s future. The participation in these events was broad and diverse.

Changes in the political environment, nationally and locally, impacted the immigrant community in Portland and in this parish community in real and challenging ways. These circumstances slowed the progress of our work, but did not stop it.

Following the three congregational gatherings the Vision & Strategy Committee engaged in prayerful discernment – which included countless hours of data assessment and interpretation to create a report to the Vestry with a summary of the community’s needs and hopes, accompanied by recommended actions that can move us forward into God’s future for St. Michael’s.

In March of this year, the Vision & Strategy Committee presented their report to the Vestry at the annual retreat and shared several hours with us to explain the data and discuss together how we can move into action to bring this vision for St. Michael’s into being. And the work continues.

The Vestry and Rector have been working together on a Vision>Action plan to gather four V>A working groups who will guide our efforts to activate recommendations made in the vision document. These groups will focus on Community-Connection, Formation, Communications, and Governance & Resources. We are working now to begin calling the first of these V>A groups together, focused on Community-Connection recommendations. If you are interested in knowing more about the work on this group and possibly serving on the team, please email Scott (ScottP@stmaa.org) to let us know.

We want to thank every member of the Vision & Strategy Committee for their dedication and perseverance in this work, including two individuals who were unable to serve for the entire duration of the process: Helen Crandell, Victor Salinas, Lynda Garner, Palmira Cruz, Matt Kallen, Adrian Neri Reyes, Mandy Davis, Karol Rivera Zeledón, Barbara Wyse, Gladys Alvarado, and Shawna Gandy. We are also grateful that, upon his arrival last July, Padre Toni was able to join Scott+ as clergy supporting the team. We also want to thank each of YOU – members of the parish who showed up at the gatherings, remain engaged through extended periods of “behind the scenes work,” and-we pray-will work together with us to see this vision activated over the next few years. Thank you, all!

With you,

The Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector

Ann Wetherell, Senior Warden

Sofia Tavera, Vestry Member

A 3-5 Year Vision and Strategy for St. Michael & All Angels

Actualización sobre Visión y Estrategia

En abril de 2024, el Vestry de San Miguel aprobó la creación de un proceso de visión y estrategia para la parroquia, con el compromiso de comprender nuestra identidad, nuestros valores y nuestras esperanzas en el contexto de las realidades posteriores a la pandemia y a la transición parroquial. Contratamos al Instituto Kaleidoscope para capacitar y acompañar a nuestro Comité de Visión y Estrategia, el cual se formó durante el verano y comenzó su trabajo en septiembre. Los consultores del Instituto Kaleidoscope facilitaron tres eventos de participación congregacional enfocados en la historia de San Miguel, nuestras realidades presentes y las necesidades y aspiraciones para el futuro de la comunidad. La participación en estos eventos fue amplia y diversa.

Los cambios en el entorno político, tanto a nivel nacional como local, afectaron de manera real y desafiante a la comunidad inmigrante en Portland y también a esta comunidad parroquial. Estas circunstancias ralentizaron el avance de nuestro trabajo, pero no lo detuvieron.

Después de los tres encuentros congregacionales, el Comité de Visión y Estrategia participó en un proceso de discernimiento en oración que incluyó incontables horas de análisis e interpretación de datos para elaborar un informe para el Vestry. Este informe resumió las necesidades y esperanzas de la comunidad y estuvo acompañado de recomendaciones para ayudarnos a avanzar hacia el futuro que Dios tiene preparado para San Miguel.

En marzo de este año, el Comité de Visión y Estrategia presentó su informe al Vestry durante el retiro anual y compartió varias horas con nosotros para explicar los datos y dialogar sobre cómo avanzar hacia las acciones necesarias para convertir la visión en realidad para San Miguel. Y el trabajo continúa.

El Vestry y el Rector han estado trabajando juntos en un plan de Visión > Acción para formar cuatro grupos de trabajo que guiarán nuestros esfuerzos para poner en práctica las recomendaciones del documento de visión. Estos grupos se enfocarán en Comunidad y Conexión, Formación, Comunicaciones, y Gobernanza y Recursos. Actualmente estamos comenzando a convocar al primero de estos grupos de Visión > Acción, enfocado en las recomendaciones relacionadas con Comunidad y Conexión. Si desea obtener más información sobre este trabajo o considera servir en este equipo, envíe un correo electrónico a Scott (ScottP@stmaa.org).

Queremos agradecer a cada integrante del Comité de Visión y Estrategia por su dedicación y perseverancia en este trabajo, incluyendo a dos personas que no pudieron servir durante todo el proceso: Helen Crandell, Victor Salinas, Lynda Garner, Palmira Cruz, Matt Kallen, Adrian Neri Reyes, Mandy Davis, Karol Rivera Zeledón, Barbara Wyse, Gladys Alvarado y Shawna Gandy.

También estamos agradecidos porque, tras su llegada en julio pasado, Padre Toni pudo unirse a Scott+ como miembro del clero para apoyar al equipo. Asimismo, queremos agradecer a cada uno de USTEDES: los miembros de la parroquia que participaron en los encuentros, que han permanecido comprometidos durante largos períodos de trabajo entre bastidores y que, oramos, trabajarán junto con nosotros para hacer realidad esta visión durante los próximos años.

¡Gracias a todos!

Con ustedes,

El Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector

Ann Wetherell, Senior Warden

Sofía Tavera, Miembro del Vestry

Visión y Estrategia a 3–5 Años para San Miguel y todos los Ángeles