The Right Reverend Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan for the Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, visited the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina over the past week. On Sunday, September 22, she preached and celebrated the Eucharist at St. George’s, Summerville, alongside the church’s deacon-in-charge, the Rev. Michael Crandall (whose own service as a military chaplain led him to discern a call to The Episcopal Church). On Monday, she spent time at The Citadel, including attending the Citadel Episcopal Fellowship gathering on Monday evening.

On Monday, Bishop Ritonia took a tour of The Citadel and then met with a small number of cadets to speak with them about their experience at the military college and how the Citadel Episcopal Fellowship has helped them as students. She also met with The Citadel’s president and provost to discuss how the church can better serve the needs of the cadets and how the college can help to create more pathways for cadets considering military chaplaincy. 

Later in the day, Bishop Ritonia met with The Citadel Episcopal Fellowship at the Citadel Boathouse to share supper and give a presentation. She spoke with the group about chaplaincy in the Armed Forces so that cadets who are pursuing a military career will know that the church is still there to support them and their families once they are deployed. Roughly half of the cadets in the Fellowship will be pursuing a military career after they graduate from the Citadel. She also spoke with the cadets about what a call to military chaplaincy looks like so that if any of them feel called to that ministry, they will know there is a network of support to help them discern their call. 
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On Tuesday, she met with Dean Michael Wright and the Rev. Ross Tortora from Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston, to discuss how the church can better engage prison ministries. To close out her visit, she joined the Rev. Rob Donehue of Grace Church Cathedral (who regularly participates in The Citadel Episcopal Fellowship gatherings), along with the Rev. Canon Ramelle McCall and the Rev. Canon Ryan Currie, for lunch before her flight home. Over food and fellowship, the group discussed how best to lift up the role of military chaplaincy as a vocational pathway in The Episcopal Church, and the bishop shared new models that her office is working to develop in other dioceses across the church. Before heading to the airport, Bishop Ritonia enjoyed a quick tour of St. Christopher Camp & Conference Center. 

​According to The Episcopal Church website, The Episcopal Church’s Armed Forces and Federal Ministries provides pastoral care and spiritual support to members of the military and federal agencies, ensuring that Episcopal chaplains are available across the United States Armed Forces, Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers, and federal correctional institutions. The organization also serve as a crucial bridge between the church and various government entities, facilitating the ministry of Episcopal chaplains in these settings. By endorsing and overseeing chaplains, Armed Forces and Federal Ministries plays a vital role in supporting individuals in service and federal employment, offering them spiritual guidance, counseling, and religious services according to the tradition of The Episcopal Church. Their work is deeply rooted in the church’s commitment to outreach and service. Learn more on The Episcopal Church website at this link.

View more photos from her visit on our diocesan Facebook page at this link.

Last week, the diocese hosted an introductory workshop by Braver Angels on “Depolarizing Ourselves” – an initiative designed to help faith leaders lessen the effects of polarization encountered in political conversations, and engage in conversations that are centered in mutual respect as children of God. Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement with a mission to bridge the partisan divide for the good of our democratic republic.

Braver Angels addresses polarization not as “the healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy,” but instead “how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of our own politics as if they were enemies.” The goals of the workshop, according to the Braver Angels facilitators is to teach participants:

• How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer,” and
• How to interact without demonizing, dismissing, or stereotyping large swaths of the population.

Almost 20 lay and clergy leaders from the Charleston area participated in the workshop, which was organized by Canon Ramelle McCall. “The workshop facilitated open discussions and helped participants acknowledge their political biases, emphasizing the importance of understanding others' political perspectives,” said Canon McCall.

The 1.5-hour session included surveys, small group discussions, and feedback sessions that focused on developing soft skills like listening, nonjudgment, and patience to navigate the political climate. The workshop also demonstrated how participants can become facilitators using Braver Angels’ management skills, engaging in discussions, and maintaining key talking points.

The feedback from the participants was positive. “Overall, participants left feeling well-informed and empowered with the skills to lead discussions on polarizing topics such as politics in any small group setting,” said McCall.

A similar workshop is planned for lay and clergy leaders in the Southern Deanery later next week, and the diocese plans to continue to engage with Braver Angels in the future. Learn more about the organization online at this link.

​View more photos from the event on Facebook at this link.