The annual meeting of the Corporation of Trinity Church Oxford was held on Sunday, April 27, and a full copy of the annual report may be obtained online or by contacting the church office.  At the meeting we elected new Vestry members and various representatives to the diocese (a complete list may be found in the sidebar of this newsletter).  Father Robyn asked Lorraine Henry to remain as Rector's Warden and she accepted.  Many thanks to our outgoing Vestry members and all who agreed to serve in these important leadership roles that help our parish grow and prosper.

Please join us in welcoming a guest choir from New York City at the 10am service on Sunday, June 22.  The Transfiguration Boy Choir is the oldest Choir of Men & Boys in America, and they will be joining us as part of their tour of Philadelphia.  Formed in the 1850's, the choir has drawn hundreds of boys from a rich diversity of ethnic and economic backgrounds.  Those who pass the audition and commit to the demanding program learn music, discipline, performance skills, cultural history, and the value of teamwork.

The Church of the Transfiguration is where Father Richard served as a seminarian and was ordained a priest.  It is also where Pete Datos was received into the Episcopal Church and where Father & Mrs. Graff often attend church while visiting New York.

Our ever-popular Church School will close out the school year on Sunday, May 18.  Please come and support this important ministry.

Next year we have decided to try starting church school just before the 10am service to give the children more opportunities to participate in the Eucharist and Father Richard a chance to spend more time with them in religious formation.  As children are wont to do, they grow up fast, and we now have two distinct groups - one group of "tweens", another of babies & toddlers.  You can help guide the future leaders of our church by volunteering to be a Sunday School teacher - please see Lorie Henry.

Throughout the summer, there will be activities at church every Sunday for kids, so please don't forget that God doesn't take a vacation and we are always here for you and your family.  Please visit our website for pictures of last year's Church School graduation activities.

As far back as the 1790's, Trinity has been active in raising up leaders to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.  Our most recent ordinand, the Reverend Phil Geliebter, was ordained a deacon in Christ's one holy catholic and apostolic church on January 11, 2014, at the Cathedral of Our Savior in Philadelphia.

At the annual meeting we recognized Phil's accomplishment with a gift of a deacon's stole, which Father Robyn presented and blessed on behalf of the church.  Please visit our Facebook page for pictures and video of the ordination ceremony.

If you'd like to be informed about what is going on in our diocese, you can subscribe to the weekly newsletter or visit the diocesan website.

The Diocese of Pennsylvania is the second oldest diocese in the Episcopal Church. The first Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Most Reverend William White, was also the first Presiding Bishop in the Episcopal Church as well as Chaplain to the Continental Congress.  Bishop White ordained at least two rectors of Trinity, Henry Hobart and Edward Buchanan.  This historic diocese is comprised of 142 worshiping congregations located in the southeast portion of the state, throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, & Chester counties.

Holy Week at Trinity began with Palm Sunday, where Father Richard blessed the palms followed by our traditional procession and reading of the Passion by our congregation.  A simple mass was held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week.  Please visit our Facebook page for pictures of Palm Sunday.

On Maundy Thursday evening, the altar was stripped reverently by the acolytes and ceremonially washed to represent the tomb - everyone then processed from the dark and empty church to the Buchanan Building, where an altar of repose (representing the Garden of Gethsemane) provided an opportunity for silent meditation.

On Good Friday evening, an ancient service of Tenebrae was held, where candles were gradually extinguished typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil, but then the light of one candle returns - it symbolizes the Lord and guides the faithful to partake of the reserved sacrament and depart in silence.  The Good Friday readings were interspersed with hauntingly beautiful choral movements from "A Service of Darkness" by Dale Wood.

The joy of Easter Sunday arrived with a large congregation eager to hear the good news of the resurrection!  Beautiful flowers and music filled the church, including a fine brass ensemble and a rousing rendition of Handel's Halleluiah Chorus by the entire congregation.  After the service, the children participated in the annual Easter egg hunt in the churchyard.  Please visit our Facebook page for pictures of Easter Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who gave so generously at Easter for the beautiful flowers and music that filled the church.  We are truly blessed at Trinity by generation upon generation.  Please see the end of this newsletter for a full list of the gifts given in memory or thanksgiving of loved ones.

On Saturday, May 17, the Women of Trinity will host a Flea Market from 9am to 2pm (no rain date) in our parking lot behind the Gibbons PAL Center (Rising Sun & Longshore Avenues).  Spaces are $10 each and no tables will be provided.  To reserve a space or for more information, please call (215) 745-3739 or (215) 745-4186.  Mrs. Betty Graff has graciously offered to host a white elephant table - if you have any items you're not using, please bring them that morning and Betty will do her best to sell them, with allproceeds to benefit Trinity.  Visit our website for pictures of last fall's festive flea market.

On Saturday, May 3, the member of Girls Friendly Society gathered at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville for GFS Day.  They celebrated the service of GFS members with skits, ribbons for crafts, and other fun activities.  Genni Anderson won first place for her Stencil Craft and second place for her Felt Animal.  Grace Franczyk won second place for her Yarn Art.

Local historian Michael Krasulski is on a quest to uncover the history of Philadelphia through the lens of the Episcopal Church, and he has discovered Trinity.  We have long had a sense of our place in the history of the Anglican Church in the New World.  Our archive is teeming with records and ephemera documenting Philadelphia's history from the colonial era to the present.  Please visit Michael's blog to see posts about Trinity Church Oxford's impact on history, along with other historic Philadelphia churches.

I hereby publish the banns of marriage between John Blakeley and Amy Annand-Furlong of Doylestown.  If any of you know cause or just impediment why these persons should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it.  Father Rob�n

Our own parishioner Megan McGee will be starring as Dorothy in the Northeast Players production of the Wizard of Oz from May 7 to 9 at the Northeast High School auditorium.  All are invited to attend.

The agenda for the annual meeting included a special order topic to update everyone on the progress of the Redevelopment Committee, which was charged last year with finding a development option for the Rising Sun Avenue frontage of our property.  The committee reported that, after working with the diocese on several options, they have selected a partner who will market the property for lease as a commercial development.  Though we will have to say goodbye to our old Parish House building, redevelopment will mean financial stability without selling any of our land.  Please contact chairs Sarah Putterman or Chuck McGee with any questions you may have.  At the meeting, the people of Trinity thanked the committee for their hard work, recognizing how difficult yet brave this project is!

In order to take advantage of cool temperatures and maximize attendance, there will be one service at 9am on Sundays during the summer months, from June 29 thru August 31.  This change was very well received last year and even forged some new connections between parishioners who typically attend only one of the services.  Also, please note that church office hours from Memorial Day thru Labor Day are Tuesday thru Thursday, 9am to 1pm.

Please join your parish family and neighbors in celebrating our 316 birthday on Trinity Sunday, June 15, with a festive choral Eucharist at 10am followed by our annual church picnic.  This year, our picnic will be held in the churchyard and will include fun things for kids as well as a chance for people to check out the church building and our historic graveyard.  Plus, Father Richard promises ice cream!  Please visit our website for pictures of last year's festivities.

At the April meeting of the Vestry, we discussed property matters related to the church furnace and security around the church vestibule.  We also reviewed and approved the monthly financials.  The next meeting of the Vestry will take place after coffee hour on Sunday, May 18.