Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

We’re two days out from the celebration of St. Lucy, but her story resonates strongly in this season of Advent.

A patron saint of the blind, Lucy was martyred around 304. Legend has it that guards, unable to move or burn her, poked out her eyes. Throughout the centuries, her story has been told as a symbol of transformation, of seeing the world in a new light and with new eyes.

The recovery community (Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers, Narcotics, etc.) in my Appalachian town has a long-standing relationship with the Episcopal church. Most every night, at least one group meets in the church, and the Saturday night crowd, often numbering 100 or more, is touted as the second-longest running meeting in the country. 

The congregation celebrates an annual Recovery Sunday, routing the liturgy through the prism of the 12-step process. The homily is replaced by a speaker who tells of his or her journey of recovery from addiction. A year ago, the church partnered with other community groups to establish a sober house for women. This residential program provides counseling, job training, and other support to help women in recovery transition back into society. 

We’ve partnered with the house for grants, securing coveted United Thank Offering funds as well as support from Episcopal Appalachian Ministries and other groups. The church shares its van with the women and jointly purchased a vending truck to sell ice cream at area fairs – a way for the women to raise money for the venture. When the congregation held a yard sale, the women were invited to shop for free. At the end of the day, the leftovers were bagged up and sent to the home for the women to hold their own yard sale the following weekend. 

There’s still more we can and should do. But seeing the relationship with the recovery community as a partnership is the first step. We have an opportunity to help people see the world in a new way – without the fog of addiction and with the grace of a sustaining faith. 

When it came time to name the center, a recovery advocate offered an apt suggestion, and it quickly took root. 

St. Lucy’s Sober House celebrated its first anniversary this week.