Ed Kopietz, a member of Messiah parish in the Twin Cities, supplied the link above via our NPA Facebook page. Here's a bit of the report:
"Several Anglican KaRen refugee immigrant families have made Messiah Episcopal Church their faith home over the last year and a half. In response, Messiah members mobilized to provide rides to church services and a weekly English Learner conversation class. KaRen children and youth joined catachesis and confirmation classes, as well as youth group activities. There have been many baptisms, combining the KaRen and English languages. Several KaRen families attended a June all-church retreat in northern Wisconsin, where everyone enjoyed an English and KaRen sing-along.
In June, Messiah welcomed Bishop Saw Noel Nay Lin, of Mandalay, Burma, who presided at a KaRen-language baptism and worship service. Joining him was Father Samuel Lynn, a KaRen priest studying at Nashota House Seminary in Wisconsin..."
Another report on the KaRen made it into the secular media,
"Henerry is among a growing number of Karen students in St. Paul public schools who bring new cultural, linguistic and academic challenges and also have to translate their native alphabet to the English language. In just three years, enrollment has zoomed from 100 to more than 1,100. At least 4,600 Karen immigrants have received refugee status in St. Paul -- a number that is expected to climb with Sunday's election violence between Myanmar troops and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in the border town of Myawaddy. Thousands of Karen families are reported to have fled to Thailand refugee camps, but it's too early to say how many of those children might come to Minnesota schools."
Visit NPA on FB for more of Ed's insights from his parish's experience.
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