Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Cloud of Witnesses: The Rev. Alcide
"Al" Barnaby, Founder of Integrity's RI Chapter
Among
his accomplishments, Rev. Barnaby was the first openly gay and partnered priest
in the Diocese of Rhode Island. He and his partner of 30 years, Daniel
Harvey, son of Arthur Harvey and Gertrude Parisien, were married at Trinity
Church in Canton, Mass., in 2011. Al, as he was widely known, volunteered at
various times with many organizations including the National Episcopal AIDS
Coalition, Episcopal Relief & Development, St. Mary's Home for Children,
AIDS Quilt Rhode Island, among others.
Rev. Barnaby was active in church governance at all levels, serving on Diocesan
Council and numerous committees. He served as a Deputy to General Convention
in 2003, an alternate in 2006 and a volunteer in 2009. He also served as
a clergy representative to Province I, the New England dioceses of the
Episcopal Church.
"Al, and I were among the few 'out' members of
Integrity on the Province 1 Provincial Synod for many years,"
said Margo McMahon, a Integrity Lifetime Member from the Diocese of
Western Massachusetts. "I got to know Al and
Dan through various Integrity events and especially through serving as Deputies
together at General Convention and hanging out together. I wish you could have
had the pleasure of knowing this wonderful person, now walking among the other
saints of Integrity in God's Kingdom."
"When I think of Al, so many things come to mind..... He was a pioneer in
the Diocese of Rhode Island for inclusivity, challenging the Church to embrace
fully the LGBT community," said Kit Tobin, Integrity's Diocesan
Organizer - Rochester NY. "(I remember) the Deans' meeting with
Bishop Wolfe in the 90s, when Al stated he would continue to bless same sex
couples, and of course he did!"
"My 'memory picture' of Al with a twinkle in his eyes and a broad smile on
the platform for the closing blessing at Integrity's General Convention
Eucharist," Tobin continued. "He was a mentor for me when I was
'in process' - always encouraging, the one who was there for me when others
seemed to be putting up barriers. A deeply spiritual, loving man with a great
sense of humor - always reaching out his hand to any and all who he sensed were
in need. He is sorely missed. I hold him in my heart."
Our Mission &
Vision
Our Mission
Integrity
USA's mission is to inspire and equip the Episcopal Church,
its dioceses, congregations, and members to proclaim and embody God’s
all-inclusive love for LGBTQ persons and those who love them.
Our Vision
Integrity's vision of
its success is that The Episcopal Church thrives as a beacon of love, justice,
and compassion, where ALL PEOPLE are equally embraced and empowered.
Référence: http://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/2013/06/cloud-of-witnesses-rev-alcide-al_18.html
Obituary
In lieu of
flowers: donations can be made to the following charities:
Episcopal
Conference Center - 872 Reservoir Rd., Pascoag, RI 02859
Episcopal
Charities - 275 No. Main St., Providence RI 02903
St. Mary's Home
for Children - 420 Fruit Hill Ave., No. Providence RI 02911
The Reverend
Alcide Barnaby, Jr. gently and peacefully passed on to his great reward on
Thursday, June 28, 2012, surrounded by friends and his life-partner of 30
years, Daniel Harvey of Providence, RI. The couple was married in an Episcopal
Church ceremony at Trinity Episcopal Church in Canton, MA, in Oct. 2011.
Rev. Barnaby was
born at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital (RI). He was the only child of Alcide
Barnaby and Gladys (Evans) Barnaby. Cousins from Massachusetts and Florida
survive him.
He attended
local schools, including Broadway Elementary, Joseph Jencks Junior High School,
and William H. Tolman Senior High School (1961). He graduated from RI College
with an undergraduate degree in secondary education with major in English and
minor in social studies in 1965.
Rev. Barnaby
graduated from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University with bachelor's
degree in sacred theology in 1968. This degree was translated to a Masters in
Divinity in 1971. He was ordained to the Diaconate 6/24/68 and ordained to
priesthood 3/6/69 at the Cathedral of St. John.
He served the
following parishes in RI:
1968/69 - Church
of the Messiah, Olneyville with an additional hospital chaplaincy for one year.
1970 Curate at
St. Barnabas Church, Warwick, RI
1971-81 - Rector
of Church of the Holy Spirit, Charlestown, RI
1993-2009 St.
James Episcopal Church, No. Providence, RI serving as the first openly gay and
partnered priest in the Episcopal Diocese of RI.
During his years
with the Episcopal Diocese he served on various commissions and committees -
the most recent concerned a reorganization of the Discernment Program for the
Commission on Ministry in which he was the clergy co-director of a program for
individuals exploring the possibilities of new ministries and career choices.
He was also an Episcopal Diocese Cursillo member.
He served on
Diocesan Council, and on the Boards of Directors for Episcopal Charities and
St. Mary's Home for Children, North Providence, RI. He was the local
coordinator for a number of years for Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), a
non-governmental relief organization.
He was also the
clergy representative to Province One, the coordinating committee for the
Episcopal Dioceses of the New England states of The Episcopal Church. He was a
member of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition (NEAC), a volunteer with the
Pastoral Care Committee of AIDS Action, Boston in its first years, and a member
of Integrity, a grass-roots non-profit organization for LGBT Episcopalians. He
helped to establish a local chapter of Integrity in RI.
On the national
level, he was a deputy to the 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church
and participated in the vote that confirmed the election of V. Gene Robinson as
the first openly gay Bishop in The Episcopal Church. He was an alternate deputy
to General Convention 2006 in Columbus, Ohio where The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine
Jefferts Schori was elected the first female Presiding Bishop of the United
States. He volunteered at the 2009 General Convention in Anaheim, CA.
The Reverend
Barnaby used his educational skills from 1981-1989 where he taught at The Prout
School in Wakefield, RI. He later employed these skills implementing the usage
of a Montessori-based church school model called "Godly Play," which
was used in the St. James Parish.
In addition to his ministry he worked as a social worker. He was employed from
1989 to 1993 as the social services director at Nickerson Community Center.
Reverend Barnaby
was involved in a number of community ministry and efforts concerning civil
rights and social issues. He was a steering committee member of the RI Chapter
of The Names Project - AIDS Memorial Quilt during the 90's, which later became
AIDS Quilt RI. He worked on RI legislative and advocacy efforts in the 90's to
establish equal rights for lesbian, gay citizens in Rhode Island.
Reverend Barnaby
was an avid counted-cross-stitch needle worker, had interest in sacred icons,
and in the British monarchy.
Référence: https://www.robbinsfuneralhome.com/obituary/Rev-BarnabyJr
