European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday july 24, 1993 religion the stars and stripes Page 11 episcopalians might of 1st female Bishop Charleston . A there. Mary Adelia Mcleod selected to be the episcopal Church s first female diocesan Bishop and the second among anglicans worldwide sees herself a god s Shepherd and not As a feminist trailblazer. Still she laughed when one congratulatory letter exclaimed thanks be to god you be broken through the stained Glass  Mcleod 54, co Rector of St. John episcopal Church in Charleston will become the episcopal Bishop of ver Mont on nov. 1. The diocese includes 51 parishes and about 7,000 practising episcopalians. The diocese of Vermont has looked past the gender Issue and were looking Tor the right person for them and it just happened to be me she said. But they have been very courageous in Fol lowing the spirit s guiding. Karen Sheldon of Hanover n.h., interim head of the Vermont diocese since Bishop Daniel l. Swenson retire feb. 2,  s selection still must be approved by a majority of the standing committees in All episcopal dioceses and the Church s House of Bish Ops. The it. Rev. Penelope Jamieson was elected Bishop of Dunedin in the anglican Church of new zealand in 1989.two other women the it. Rev. Barbara Harris of Boston and the it.  Dixon of Washington , were elected Suffragan or assisting  the american Church in 1988 and 1992, respectively. 4"i think there s been a conscious Effort at least in the election of Bishops to include women in that process. That certainly was t True 10 years ago Mcleod  spent years As a homemaker raising four children and being a super civic Volunteer in birding Ham Ala. She married her second husband Henry Mac Mcleod in 1970, and had a fifth child before both Felt. Called to the Seminary at the University of the South i Sewanee Tenn. Mcleod was the first Alabama woman to become a episcopal priest in 1980, four years after the american Church began ordaining  Mcleod have worked together As co rectors at St. John s for the past 10  reason it worked is that they were both equals and there Are no jealousies there said Thomas Vanderford a Charleston attorney who led the Church s search  May be a Symbol for women and i think she is but she will be a Bishop for All people he  said she and her husband have worked to preserve Church traditions As they try to include All including homosexuals. The her May Adelia Mcleod of West Virginia sees herself As god s Shepherd and not As a feminist trailblazer. Is both feminine and  created male and female and god said we were created in god s image so for me god is both she said. I May have to use god in three sentences but i just Don t say the word he " Mcleod said. As for the Liturgy itself i do not change it simply because i feel the Way to bring about change is to go about the recognized structures that we have within the  said her recent Post As Archdeacon assisting the Bishop of West Virginia has prepared her for ver Mont. It gave me an Opportunity to see firsthand what Bishop s life was like she said. / Mcleod said she has dealt openly with resistance about her gender. There have been reports that some vermonters will not accept her As  would find some ground of agreement even if it s just our baptisms and our commitment to ministering Christ s name she said. Mcleod said her husband is supportive and excite about the move. She said he will help her in her visits to parishes at  decided a Long time ago whichever one of us got they also have worked quietly to remove patriarchal a Call to whatever place the other would follow she language from sermons. Mcleod said she believes god said. Anti birth control stance is reaffirmed by newday to Mark the 25th anniversary of the papal encyclical opposing birth control the nation s Catholic Bishops released a 10-Page statement reaffirming the encyclical s teaching on human sexuality. When a society permits sexual behaviour to be Tor from its moorings in human life and marriage when it treats sex As a mechanism for personal pleasure it encourages a destructive mentality and diminishes the value of personal commitment and of human life it self the statement said. Pope Paul i issued the encyclical humane Vitae on july 25, 1968. It shocked Many american catholics who had expected the letter to change Church teaching to reflect the use of birth control by Many catholics and to continue the sense of renewal that flowed fro the second Vatican Council in the Early 1960s. Pope John Xxiii who convened that Council had appointed a commission to study the birth control Issue. But his successor Pope Paul i rejected the Strong reasons for change offered by the majority re port of the commission. Instead his encyclical continued the Church s opposition to artificial birth control. The letter accelerated resignations from the priest Hood and drained Church attendance and contributions said the Rev. Andrew Greeley a Catholic Sociol Ogist in his Book the Catholic myth. He summarized its effect this Way. The laity and the Junior clergy did not listen and the Vatican s credibility As a teacher of sexual ethics was badly  still the Bishops statement prepared by its commit tee for pro life activities referred to the gentle and Loving message of humane Vitae and pledged renewed efforts to help couples follow it. But no matter How eloquently the Bishops restate the message it will not change anybody s thinking or practice said the Rev. Richard Mcbrien a professor and former theology chairman at the University of notre Dame near South Bend ind. The fact of the matter is they know what the message is and they have rejected  . Haitian refugee policy shameful Aid official says. From wire reports Washington Church leaders have reacted with dismay to the recent supreme court decision upholding the Linton administration s policy of intercepting and returning haitian refugees without hearing on their claims. Our commitment to protect refugees is no meaningless said Matthew Gluffrida an officer of Church world service the Relief Arm of the National Council of churches. He called the  an official of the . Catholic conference expressed keen disappointment at the decision in world that is rapidly closing its doors to those fleeing desperate  United methodist lutheran and jewish leaders also criticized the policy. A churches aiding in floods St. Louis churches of Many denominations Are helping fight floodwaters along the swollen Mississippi and Aid those forced out of their Homes. United methodist Bishops launched a  for direct assistance. The Church also set up a special hot line 800-554-8583, using trained volunteers to provide updated information on needs. The evangelical lutheran Church in America made emergency Grants totalling $18,000 in Minnesota Wisconsin and Iowa. An additional$15,000 was pending. The Southern Baptist brotherhood commission allocated $25,000 for a water purification unit to help flood victims in pcs Miries Iowa where the City water Supply was contaminated. Care giver projects planned new York the Robert Wood Johnson foundation is providing $23 million to launch 900 interfaith Volunteer care giver projects across the nation in what it Calls the largest program of its kind by a private philanthropic  president Steven a. Schroeder told a news conference that the plan called Faith inaction would provide support to interfaith coalitions to give Home based Volunteer care to the disabled. Religious congregations of All faiths arc eligible for participation in such coalitions which Are expected to obtain continuing support from local sources. Hispanics taking the pledge the buttons priests Are giving out at Spanish language masses in California say Hice la pro Mesa meaning i took the  but the pledge has nothing to do directly with religion. I Promise not to drink and drive the pledge begins in Spanish. Some 300,000 hispanic catholics have signed the pledge for the period Between two popular mexican holidays Cinco de Mayo May 5 and mexican Independence Day sept. 16 the Century Council a nonprofit group trying to fight alcohol abuse and the California Catholic conference Are sponsoring the Campaign. In California about 40 percent of those arrested for Drunken driving have Spanish surnames according to the California department of Justice. Hispanic people make up about 25 percent of the state s population. Rock n Roll rosaries Saginaw Mich. Pop in a tape sit Back and Pray. It s called the Rosary tapes and it s the brainchild of two Michigan men who want to make praying More fun for the nation s 59 million catholics. Audio production company owner Bil Gildenstern of Saginaw and and Jingle composer John Giaier of Troy have produced three different cassettes featuring prayers set to music. The tapes Are designed mainly for people who want to say the Rosary in their cars. They already have sold thousands of the tape through mail orders. Recently they signed a Deal with ave Maria press a nonprofit religious publisher at the University of notre Dame in Indiana to distribute the tapes to about 2,000 religious bookstores nationwide. Don t expect to hear any heavy Metal on those Rosary tapes. The background music is Rock n Roll but it s All love songs Gildenstern said