February 11, 2026

Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear; that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servant Absalom Jones, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

from Holy Women, Holy Men

A Message from the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

“We all complain about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” That’s a quote attributed to Mark Twain, and it captures his sense of humor. Yeah, after the bitter cold this past weekend, I complained about the weather too. In a funny way, Mark Twain is reminding us how often we complain. Complaining is epidemic in our world and can be detrimental to our happiness and well-being. Most of what we complain about can’t be changed anyway, like the weather.

Have you ever tried to go a full twenty-four hours without complaining about anything? It’s not as easy as it sounds. It takes effort and forethought about what you say before you say it. Give it a try today. Start with just one hour, then add another hour. Then try to go a full day without complaining and see what happens. You may find your day a lot brighter, your mood a lot better, and the little things you can’t change won’t matter so much. 

Faithfully,

Fr. Robert Harvey 

Wanted: Last Year's Palms

Do you have any palm branches or palm crosses from a previous Palm Sunday? If so, please bring them to the church before Shrove Tuesday. We will be burning them to make ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Hola friends of Our Little Roses in Honduras!

Are you interested in visiting Our Little Roses (OLR) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras? Read more about Our Little Roses. If so, you are invited to attend an informational session at Calvary Episcopal Church tonight, February 11 at 7:00 p.m.

There are two trips scheduled to OLR this year:

Trip One:        Team Advent                                            

Travel Dates:  May 12 – 20                                              

Team Leader: Larry Mazuchowski                                

                        (716) 228-8960                                                       

Trip Two:        Team Calvary

Travel Dates:  October 19 - 26

Team Leader: Norine Eaton

           (716) 866-4920

It does not matter what parish you belong to ... you are welcome to join either (or both!) trips. Family members and non-parishioners are also welcome. The only requirement is a loving heart and open mind.

Team Calvary is almost full. If you are interested in attending in October, please let Norine know ASAP.

FINAL REMINDER:

Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras Dinner

Our annual Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras Dinner will be held Tuesday, February 17th from 5:30 -7:30 pm in Hughson Hall.  This is a family friendly event. The meal will include jambalaya (with or without shrimp), salad, cornbread, and pecan pie. Our wonderful Calvary kitchen crew will also be making a Macaroni & Cheese casserole with or without bacon as a main entree alternative. Nonalcoholic beverages will be provided. 

In order to help us properly plan for the amount of food to prepare, please sign up on the reservation sheet in the reception room or using this Sign up Genius link by Friday February 13th.

There will be a variety of activities for the children to enjoy both before and after dinner. They will also have an opportunity to decorate a cupcake for their dessert.

Everyone is also invited to help decorate this year's Alleluia Banner which will then be hidden throughout Lent. Weather permitting, we will end the evening outside with a burning of last year's palms to use for Ash Wednesday the following day.

Volunteer for Ashes to Go

Calvary Church will once again be doing "Ashes to Go" for our local community on Ash Wednesday, February 18.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to help distribute ashes in one hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are still a few slots left on the sheet. Please sign up on the sheet in the Reception Room. It's best if there are at least two people signed up for each hour.

Free will offerings will go to FeedMore WNY.

Lenten Potluck Dinners and Study: Wednesdays 2/25 - 3/25

In the Gospel readings this Lent we will encounter Biblical characters whose lives were changed by their encounter with Jesus. But they had to do something first. They had to pause. They had to stop what they were doing and set aside preconceived notions and expectations of who Jesus was. They had to pause, then reflect, reset and only then respond. 

Here are the examples of the ones we will hear about this Lent:

Lent 1 – Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)

Lent 2 – Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-17)

Lent 3 – Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. (John 4:5-42)

Lent 4 – Jesus’ encounter with man born blind. (John 9:1-41)

Lent 5 – Jesus’ encounter with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. (John 11:1-45)

At our Lenten study this Lent we will focus on these Gospel stories we’ll hear in church. On the Wednesdays of Lent starting on Wednesday, February 25 running through Wednesday March 25 we will begin each evening with a potluck dinner at 6 PM and then have our Lenten study starting at 7 PM.  In the study we’ll have table conversations about these Gospel stories. We’ll consider how each encounter with Jesus began with practicing a pause that lead to a response. I hope you can join us for our Lenten study.

Fr. Robert Harvey

10:00 A.M. Ushers Needed

We are looking for men and women to volunteer as ushers for the 10:00 a.m. service. No previous experience is required.  

Duties consist of distributing bulletins at the beginning of the service, assisting with the collection during the service and releasing members for communion.  

Ushers are assigned on a 6 week rotation and can change with other ushers as personal needs arise. Magnetic name tags are provided.

Please contact Brad Archdeacon (716-432-4691) or email at brad.archdeacon@gmail.com with any questions or to sign up.

Front? Back? Left Side? Right?

You may have found your pew, but have you found where you fit at Calvary? Calvary Church is much more than four services a week, and there are many ministries and activities where you would fit perfectly. 

Do you like to cook and/or bake? Do you like to arrange flowers? Do you like to chat on the phone or write notes? Do you knit or crochet? The Pastoral Care Ministries Committee not only has a place for you, but we need your talents! 

If you like to cook, you could help provide Healing Meals for someone recovering from an illness. 

• If you like to bake, you could help provide treats to serve at Funeral Receptions. 
• If you like to arrange flowers, the Altar Flower Ministry would welcome your help making and/or delivering bouquets to parishioners following the 10 o’clock service on Sunday. 
• Our elderly and homebound parishioners would love to hear your voice on the phone or open a card from you. 
• And who wouldn’t love your handiwork in the form of a crocheted hat or a knitted worry doll? 

These are but a few examples of how you can go beyond our worship services and serve as God’s hands and feet on earth. To learn more about what you can do, please contact Elizabeth Harten or any member of the Pastoral Care Ministries Committee. Don’t just sit at Calvary—fit at Calvary!

"CODE BLUE" Donation Drive for Friends of Night People

Due to the severity of this snowy, frigid winter, the clothing closet at Friends of Night People (FONP) has been depleted of many much-needed cold weather items. Thus, Calvary's Outreach is running a "Code Blue" collection drive of new or gently used men's winter clothing, especially winter boots, hoodies & jackets, gloves/mittens, as well as packaged "HotHands" hand warmers. 

In just the past week, we have collected 9 pairs of boots, 5 winter jackets, 4 heavy hoodies, and some "HotHands" plus assorted gloves and mittens. We will be taking these items to FONP later this week, but the drive will continue through Tuesday, February 24. Please drop off your donations in the bins in the Reception Room. Any questions about the "Code Blue" drive can be directed to Ellen Marshall or Ro Cherpak. Thank you for your compassionate generosity!

Calvary Team 2 volunteers will be serving dinner at Friends of Night People on Tuesday, February 24. Please sign up in the Reception Room. Volunteers will meet at Calvary's parking lot at 4 p.m. to carpool and return by 8 p.m. Click here to watch training videos for volunteers. For more information for FONP Team 2, contact Betsy Greno (716) 864-4817 or Ellen Marshall (716) 689-2133.

Deacon Leann's Pysanky Egg Decorating Class

Deacon Leann McConchie will be teaching a class on Ukrainian Egg Decorating, a.k.a. "Pysanky," on Saturday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Deacon Leann if you are interested or sign up here. She has enough supplies for a class of 10 students but is willing to offer another Saturday class during Lent if more people are interested.

Luncheon and Basket Raffle to Benefit

Our Little Roses

Our Little Roses luncheon and basket raffle will be held on Saturday, March 14^th, 11:30 at Calvary Episcopal Church. This is a major fundraiser to supply the girls in the orphanage with activities while the missionaries are visiting Honduras

Tickets are on sale after the 10 a.m. service for $30. We will also be collecting white socks, underwear and sports bras to take with us. 

Please contact Norine Eaton (716) 866-4920 if you can donate a gift basket for the basket raffle.

Thanks to Our February Potluck Coffee Hour Hosts

Thank you to Janet Metcalfe, Deacon Leann, Norine Eaton, Karen Davidson, Larry Bernhard, and Pam Agostinelli who provided the treats for our February Potluck Coffee Hour. Watch for an announcement and new sign up sheet for our March Pot Luck Coffee Hour.

Congratulations

Many Calvary parishioners surprised Ellie and Larry Yuhasz at a 66th Wedding Anniversary party in their new home at Canterbury Woods last Friday evening.

Resources for Lent

Forward Day by Day

Forward Day by Day is a 3-month booklet for parishioners to use as a simple and effective daily prayer practice. Each day features a Bible verse from the daily readings and a related reflection written by a different author each month, all in less than 200 words. It even includes the daily feast days, as well as prompts to take faithful action in your daily life. These booklets are available year-round in the tract rack in Calvary's Reading Room, but Lent is a good time to develop a new prayer practice. Anyone can take a booklet. If you wish, you may leave a small donation in the lockbox to defray costs.

ERD Lenten Meditations: Holy Habits

Episcopal Relief and Development presents Holy Habits, 2026 Lenten Meditations written by Sister Monica Clare, an Episcopal nun, author and unlikely TikTok star. The meditations offer an invitation to rediscover—or deepen—holy habits of prayer, worship and engagement with Scripture. These "holy habits" provide a path to a life that is given shape, meaning and direction by being rooted in a deeper relationship with God. Click here to subscribe to read the meditations.

Lent Madness

Click here to play Lent Madness, in which 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint and learn more about them. Click here to find out more.

Diocesan and Church News



• For more news about the Diocese of WNY and to sign up for emailed newsletters, go here.
• The Episcopal Church website offers resources for individuals, congregations, and various ministries. 

Worship at Calvary

In-person worship

• Sunday 8 a.m. Holy Communion
• Sunday 10 a.m. Holy Communion. This worship service is also live streamed.
• Saturday, 4 p.m. Holy Communion
• Wednesday, 7 a.m. Holy Communion

Online worship

• Sunday 10 a.m. Holy Communion is also live streamed. The link to Calvary's 10 a.m. service can be found on the Calvary website or streamed on Facebook and YouTube. All three places will have the recording to watch later.

Attendance

On February 8, online viewers for the 10 a.m. service came from NY, MA and FL.

[Jesus said,] "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."

John 13:34