Dr. Eric W. Gritsch

The Reverend Dr. Eric W. Gritsch Memorial Fund, Ltd

January 25, 2018

In May 2013, the Eric W. Gritsch Memorial Fund, Ltd. was formed to honor the memory of Dr. Gritsch as a teacher, pastor, and author, and continue the legacy of his Lutheran fellowship and scholarship.  We are a non-profit organization, registered with the State of Maryland and exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501 C(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN: 46-3113613).  The Board of Directors  works to raise funds which benefit and support our local educational endeavors and ecumenical scholarship in keeping with the legacy of this beloved and respected teacher.  Our efforts seek to reach those who knew Eric and those just becoming familiar with him through his writings.

By sending you this letter we give our sincere thanks for your support through your contributions and participation in various events over this past year, and look forward to seeing you at upcoming events in the new year.

We are proud to update you on some of the major activities of the fund from this past year:

1.  Two successful ‘Behind-the-scenes’ tours and talks that introduced new people to the Fund’s activities and offered old friends a chance to gather for presentations at local museums: “Books, Books, Books” with Dr. Lynley Herbert, gave us the chance to learn about beautiful religious manuscripts from the Walters Art Museum and some of the treasures of the George Peabody Library with Paul Espinosa.  We also enjoyed a talk and tour with curator Yu Na Han of the Walters’ small, but impactful, Luther exhibit, “Uncertain Times: Martin Luther’s Remedies for the Soul,” which focused on Luther’s pastoral role as comforter and friend to his contemporaries.

2. In March we hosted the Fourth Annual Eric W. Gritsch Symposium, “Reformation 500: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in Renewed Dialogue” with esteemed speakers Gordon Lathrop, who spoke on ‘Reformation and Liturgical Reform: Ecumenical Perspectives,’ and Susan Wood, SLC, who spoke on ‘The Intersection of Ecclesiology and Liturgy as an Ecumenical Resource.”  Both speakers were highly engaging and the event was well attended and brought about a good discussion.

3. This year we were pleased to announce the first “Gritsch Fellow,” awarded to Yale Ph.D candidate, Thomas Santa Maria, in the amount of $7,500.  Thomas will happily use these funds to further his dissertation research abroad in archives in Rome investigating both Catholic and Lutheran prescriptions on the role and care of the senses in relation to artworks and theological precepts of the time.  We look forward to Thomas presenting his research at a Gritsch-sponsored event in the future, so stay tuned.

4. The continued expansion of our website www.ericwgritsch.org by our ever-capable webmaster, Randy Yoder, kept current with the Fund’s activities, and includes video, texts, and photos.  The archives section allows one to view past presentations and essays.  We encourage you to have a look.

5. The LutherFest at Zion Church in the historic Adlersaal saw another successful year.  The Rev. Dr. James Cobb, retired pastor and former Gritsch student, spoke on ‘Gleanings and Glimpses of Grace,’ over our usual delicious fare of bratwurst, potatoes, sauerkraut, and, of course, beer.  We appreciate all the help and attendance for the evening.

6.  The fund was also happy to donate $1,000 in November for the restoration of the famous Eagle, sculpted by Hans Schuler in 1912, at the Parish Hall entrance of Zion Church.  We also contributed $300 to the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology in memory of the Rev. Dr. Robert Jenson, a close friend and colleague of Dr. Gritsch, who recently passed away.

All to say, a very successful and rewarding year for the Fund; and the board offers special thanks to all the volunteers and attendees who made all these events possible.  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions, contacting Bonnie Brobst, the widow of Dr. Gritsch, at bonbmore@comcast.net or 410-342-0643, and be sure to check the website (www.ericwgritsch.org) for upcoming events – they are sure to be fun and rewarding.

Please keep the fund in mind in your giving this year and together we can continue to keep Eric’s memory alive in what he liked to call the “mean meantime” of the twenty-first century.

Sincerely,

Paul Espinosa, President                                                               Helga Penner, Treasurer

Dr. Karl H. Schuleri, Vice President                                           Bonnie Brobst, Secretary