On 19 May 2021, I was graduated (virtually) with a Master of Arts degree from the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, California), followed by a second graduation on 23 May 2021 from Pacific School of Religion (part of the GTU consortium) with my Master’s hood and a Certificate of Spirituality and Social Change. My thesis title was “Range of Chaplain Engagement with Prisoners”. This will (eventually) appear in the ProQuest dissertation and thesis database. Thanks for the loving and patient support of my family, friends, and community. Hooray!
26 May 2021 Update: I am honored to have been accepted into the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program of the Berkeley School of Theology! I am very interested in BST’s new cohort theme of “Racism/Prison Renewal/Reparations.”
Katy Dickinson GTU Graduation, 19 May 2021
Katy Dickinson graduation with John Plocher and Paul D. Goodman, 19 May 2021
Katy Dickinson graduation by John Plocher, 23 May 2021
Katy Dickinson graduation by Paul D. Goodman, 23 May 2021
PSR Commencement by Jessica 2021-05-23
PSR graduation program and folder May 2021
Katy Dickinson graduation by John Plocher, 23 May 2021
6 June 2021 Update:
Katy Dickinson GTU – MA Diploma and hood, May 2021
If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home). Images Copyright 2021 by Katy Dickinson, John Plocher, Jessica Dickinson Goodman, and Paul D. Goodman.
I put this information on my own Facebook account but when I tried to re-post a version of it, Facebook blocked me. Apparently Facebook objects to posts about praying for Gaza and making charitable donations to the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Please continue to pray and donate anyway.
Katy Dickinson and TechWomen presenting in Gaza City, Feb 2016
Jessica Dickinson Goodman and TechWomen presenting in Gaza City, Feb 2016
TechWomen at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza City, Feb 2016
Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza City, Feb 2016
Church of Saint Porphyrius, Orthodox Christian church of Gaza, Feb 2016
TechWomen at Church of Saint Porphyrius, Orthodox Christian church of Gaza, Feb 2016
Eileen Brewer at Gaza City harbor, Feb 2016
Gaza City beach, Feb 2016
Gaza City, Feb 2016
Gaza City, Feb 2016
Gaza City, Feb 2016
25 May 2021 Update: In addition to donating to Episcopal Relief & Development which supports Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza (including the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City), here is the list of reputable first responder organizations recommended by Ryan Sturgill, Director of Gaza Sky Geeks:
Thank you for your prayers and generous donations.
If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home). Images Copyright 2016 by Katy Dickinson and Jessica Dickinson Goodman.
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, collage, from the Rev. Peggy Bryan
On Sunday, a group of family and friends gathered to remember Daniel Vega Martinez (1969-2021). Daniel or “Big O” was a beloved member of our Stepping Stones reentry community, and had been in my class at Elmwood county jail. The Rev. Peggy Bryan, who leads the Stepping Stones community with Jack Fanning, wrote this tribute and account of Daniel’s death.
“Sadly, we said goodbye yesterday to Daniel Martinez, one of the first men I met at Elmwood and who, in reentry, was my teacher about the authentic challenges faced by living on the streets. Daniel was handed a tough life and the demons of addiction and shame finally tracked him down. Sunday he was found in flames in the cab of the truck he was living in. He was transported to VMC’s Burn Unit but his injuries were deemed unsurvivable so yesterday I offered final prayers as his wife, children and sisters circled him with love…Expressions of condolences and love are pouring in from those incarcerated and those outside who knew, loved and respect Daniel, ‘Big O’, as a man of God and a real St. Paul when leading behind bars, in prison or jail. The cause of the fire is unknown—accident, suicide, homicide…Please keep everyone in your prayers, those who call him father, brother, husband, mentor, friend and teacher are spread far and wide. As plans for a service are known, I’ll let you know. My heart is broken, this has been beyond brutal, but it helps knowing Daniel finally rests In God’s perfect peace.”
Fifty of Daniel’s friends and family got together in the San Jose parking lot to honor his life and lay flowers at the burn site where he was fatally injured.
Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, melted fence 2 May 2021
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, memorial flowers 2 May 2021
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, with family, from Peggy Bryan
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, at beach, by Peggy Bryan
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, with Kathy and Peggy, from Peggy Bryan
Daniel Vega Martinez 1969-2021, sunset, from Peggy Bryan
30 May 2021 Update: Daniel’s Memorial Service at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
Daniel Martinez memorial, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 30 May 2021
If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home). Images Copyright 2016-2021 by Peggy Bryan.
On 7 March 2021, I presented about my GTU Master’s Thesis “Range of Chaplain Engagement with Prisoners” to about forty people in my home parish, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Saratoga, California) via Zoom (and broadcast to the church courtyard). I linked my slides here to make it easier to follow along. Here is the link to the video recording.
I have not yet posted the whole thesis – I think the GTU Library will be doing that eventually. I am still in the process of getting the final thesis signatures and the library is one of the last that needs to approve it.
22 April 2021 – This presentation has been given several times, most recently to the GTU Religion and Practice Department, and a Kairos volunteer group. Please contact me if you would me to speak.
8 March 2021 – updated text, added video link, and photo
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Katy Dickinson Master’s Thesis, Range of Chaplain Engagement with Prisoners, 23 Jan 2021
My Graduate Theological Union Master’s – Theology thesis is called “Range of Chaplain Engagement with Prisoners.” I finished writing it at the end of January, successfully defended it at the start of February and am now working through minor edits with my GTU committee. (Hooray!) In parallel, I am continuing to take classes for GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Certificate program. I am honored to have been accepted into a CPE (clinical pastoral education) program at Stanford Health Care later this year.
I finished a two-part January Intersession class in “Introduction to Pastoral Care and Theology,” and am now taking three GTU classes, “Diversity in Counseling,” “Pediatric Chaplaincy,” and “A Good Death.” Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all classes are online. Professors have to make up for the lack of in-person class time and meet the nine-hours-per-week / per class requirement. In addition to assigned reading and papers, my graduate classes meet by Zoom once or twice a week, plus posting 250 to 500 word reflections to Moodle (learning management system). Each class has a different schedule, so I created a table to remember when I need to post and when replies are due to other students’ posts. Every time I log into Moodle, it tells me how many more reflection posts I need to read. I end up posting to Moodle twelve to fourteen times a week. I will be happy when we can get back inside a real classroom.
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It’s that time of year: flood season on San Jose’s Guadalupe River. Late yesterday afternoon, yellow rain slicker clad city workers went house to house to tell us of immediate danger of flooding. In addition to the houses, city workers went to each of the homeless camps near us to be sure that our unhoused neighbors were also prepared. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many homeless living under bridges and in culverts near the river where they are in danger as the water rises. We are watching the water levels on the NOAA map.
City of San Jose, CA, flood notice
U.S NOAA flood map
San Jose’s Guadalupe River, Alma bridge, with homeless camps.
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In this paper, as an extension of our weekly class discussions this semester on similarities and differences in theology between Islam and other faiths, I engage with selected historical and contemporary Muslim scholars with regard to how they communicate, by means of theological polemics at one end of the range, through pluralism and interfaith dialogue at the other. I focus on communication by Islamic scholars in their interactions with two other Abrahamic faiths, Christianity and Judaism. I find that some contemporary Muslim scholars value and promote concepts of religious pluralism in the Quran, which may be a sign that Islam is moving away from the polemical rhetoric of its most famous historical scholars.
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