CHICAGO, IL (April 12, 2011) – Dulcie Gannett was the longest-serving chaplain at Swedish Covenant Hospital and had ministered to thousands of patients until she died suddenly last November.

Chaplains at the hospital hope a new stoneware communion set they commissioned will both serve as a reminder of that faithful ministry and provide encouragement and inspire hope for patients and staff in the future.

“Dulcie’s sudden death was a traumatic event for our hospital staff, especially for her team members on the pastoral care team,” says Chaplain José La Luz. “One way in which we wanted to work this through was by commissioning a communion set with Dulcie’s favorite colors so as to honor and remember her ministry with patients at Swedish, but also to allow her to continue to minister through this sacramental set.”

Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen, ceramists and owners of Little Plum Pottery in Pepin, Wisconsin, donated the set along with a porcelain vase for the chapel. The items were presented to the chaplains during a special service earlier this month.

Art is Dulcie’s younger brother. She was supposed to have visited his house before Thanksgiving, but never arrived. The hospital notified police after Art called looking for her. They found her at her apartment with a weak pulse. La Luz was with her when she later died as emergency workers tried to resuscitate her.

Dulcie served 22 years as the hospital’s on-call chaplain. “We will continue to do ministry in Christ’s name at Swedish, knowing that blessed individuals such as Dulcie incarnate the gospel of Jesus Christ for us, and their memory will continue to inspire us to serve the suffering and sick,” La Luz says.

Conference Project to Assist Nutrition Program

CHICAGO, IL – Women Ministries of the Central Conference is sponsoring Project TEAM for its 2011 project.

TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) was birthed out of Gary Covenant Church in Indiana. It assists families who are not meeting school attendance, academics, and/or behavioral standards.

Part of its ministry includes providing nutritional meals to children and families every day. The church needs additional commercial freezers and refrigerators.

Those desiring to support the project can mail checks made payable to WMCC (memo “Project TEAM”) to Women Ministries, Central Conference Office, 4055 W. Peterson Ave., Suite 106, Chicago, IL, 60646.

Anti-AIDS Effort Focus of CNN Interview with ECC Pastor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Adam Phillips, an Evangelical Covenant Church minister, was interviewed for a CNN news segment that aired this past Sunday about an ecumenical anti-AIDS event that day.

Phillips discussed Lazarus Sunday, which was sponsored by the anti-poverty organization ONE, for which he is the faith relations manager. The special Sunday emphasis focused on the need for anti-AIDS drugs, which ONE says can be supplied for roughly 40 cents a day and restore the lives of sick people.

Not only are people given new life, “We begin to see communities transformed,” Phillips said.

The Sunday emphasis was based on the story in John 11 in which Jesus restores life to his friend Lazarus. Phillips noted the words of Jesus, who told the people who gathered, “This disease will not lead to death. Your brother will rise again.”

Covenant churches that participated in Lazarus Sunday included Winnetka Covenant Church in Wilmette, Illinois; Emmanuel Covenant Church in Nashua, New Hampshire; and Community Covenant Church in Clear Lake, Washington.

Material related to Lazarus Sunday still is available online.