.png)
Grace and peace to you all,
I returned recently from some time away with my daughter, Victoria, van camping on the northern California and Oregon coast where I spent much time reflecting on the good work that is being done here in the Diocese. Prior to leaving, I spent a week at Camp Capers on the Dean, Chaplain, Teacher (DCT) team for the Junior High B session. This was the week that we saw record high levels of flooding in the area just a year after the devastating floods. I was so impressed with how the staff and counselors handled everything while we were there. At no time did we ever feel like we were in any danger as none of the main buildings or cabins were at risk of flooding. Despite the heavy rains and the shifting schedule, the campers had a wonderful time, and it was both uplifting and spirit filled. It was such a blessing to be part of this amazing and life changing ministry to the young people in our diocese.
I am so grateful for the outpouring of generosity and love that the diocese has shown to our Latino and immigrant communities. A special thank you to all those who have given and continue to give to our Immigrant Crisis Fund. We have been able to help families in our churches who have been affected and continue to be affected.
We have a very busy and program filled fall scheduled. First for our Latino and Immigration Ministries we have several events planned. The diocesan Latino + Immigration Ministries will host a two-day New Camino training led by Interim Latina Missioner of The Episcopal Church, Karla Sikaffy duPlantier. New Camino is an Episcopal program for clergy, vestry and lay leaders. Participants will explore Latino ministry models to reach Spanish-speaking, first-generation Latinos, and the increasingly English-dominant second, third and later generations. The event will be at the Bishop Jones Center starting at 6 PM on October 15th and ending on October 16th at 3:30 PM. Details and registration can be found on our website. We are also launching a grant called the Semilla Grants. Semilla grants are a micro-grant and they provide churches with seed funds of up to $5,000 to launch or expand Latino Ministries in their congregations. You can view examples, review the application and learn more by going to our website. Applications close at 11:55 PM on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026.
In the clergy support and Continuing Education space we have two amazing events planned. First is the women clergy retreat scheduled for August 30th to September 4th at Duncan Park. This will be a wonderful time of renewal, fellowship and prayer for our women clergy who are doing amazing work and ministry. Our women clergy and seminarians are encouraged to register and participate. And on August 26 and 27th we will be holding our first clergy orientation training for newly ordained and new clergy transfers into the Diocese of West Texas. Our hope is that we will be able to help them learn about the culture of the diocese and be able to better support them in their new roles by ensuring that they have an easy transition. This will be the first of an ongoing program here in the diocese.
Finally, we have some wonderful plans for the fall in the area of Christian Formation with the development of a baptismal and confirmation video program. Our hope is that some of our smaller and more resource constrained churches would benefit from having a curriculum that would be easy to follow and is grounded in sound Episcopal/Anglican tradition and theology about the sacrament. It has been increasingly obvious that this is an area we could be better at, forming those who are being brought into the Episcopal tradition. Our hope is that we will have something for churches to use beginning next year. I am grateful for the dedication and hard work of Suzanna Green who is dedicated to producing resources to help churches in the area of formation and discipleship.
I am coming up on two years of being your suffragan bishop and I am eternally grateful for the prayers and support from all the dedicated lay and ordained leaders in our parishes and schools. It gives me great joy and fulfillment to be able to serve you and the great people of the Diocese of West Texas.
Blessings and Peace,
+Angela Maria Cortiñas
Bishop Suffragan
The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
