January 28, 2026

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

from The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826.

A Message from the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

In spite of the snow and bitter cold we did have church last Sunday with 9 people at the 8 AM service and 42 at the 10 AM service. I am grateful to the folk who braved the treacherous road conditions to get to church. And I am grateful for everyone’s flexibility and understanding about moving our Annual Parish Meeting to this coming Sunday, February 1. In the end I think we made the right call. The Annual Parish Meeting is an important event in life of all Episcopal churches. So while on the one hand we want as many people to attend as possible we also want people to be safe getting here. Hope you can join us for our Annual Parish Meeting this Sunday, February 1 at 11:30 for lunch and the meeting starting at noon. And I’m hoping for better weather this Sunday. 

Faithfully,

Fr. Robert Harvey 

Rescheduled Annual Parish Meeting

Come to Calvary's Parish Meeting this Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Hughson Hall following the 10 a.m. service. We will celebrate where we have been, explore where we are headed, and enjoy a time of fellowship with friends old and new! Click here to read the Annual Parish Meeting Reports.

All are encouraged to attend the meeting. Those needing childcare during the meeting should contact Kelly Blackey.

Vestry Elections



The voting deadline for the 2026 Vestry Elections has been extended to February 1. All ballots must be turned in to the Ballot Box by 11:15 am on Sunday February 1 or be delivered to the church by mail by Saturday, January 31 in order for votes to be counted at the Annual Parish Meeting.

Read about the six candidates running for election here.

Annual Meeting Luncheon

A Light Lunch will be provided at the Annual Parish Meeting. Please sign up on the sheet in the Reception Room if you are planning to attend. We use this information to help us in projecting the food and room set-up that will be needed. 

Those who were originally asked to bring a dish for the luncheon last week should contact Lorrie Archdeacon or Amy Gorney. If you are also able to donate a “finger food” dessert to help us top off the meal it would be greatly appreciated.

Volunteer for Ashes to Go

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

Fr. Robert is looking for volunteers to help distribute ashes in one hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 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.

Coming Soon: Calvary Events & Meetings at a Glance

Good Grief Meeting: Saturday 1/31 at 9:30 a.m.

Annual Parish Meeting & Luncheon: Sunday 2/1 at 11:30 a.m.

Fundraising Meeting: Tuesday 2/3 at 6 p.m.

Outreach Meeting: Thursday 2/5 at 5:30 p.m.

Potluck Coffee Hour: Sunday 2/8 at 11:15 a.m.

Communications Meeting: Monday 2/9 at 4 p.m.

Property Meeting: Monday 2/9 at 6 p.m.

Pastoral Care Meeting: Tuesday 2/10 at 5:30 p.m.

Stewardship Meeting: Tuesday 2/10 at 7 p.m.

Hands to Hearts Meeting: Wednesday 2/11 at a.m.

Old Little Roses Mission Trip Meeting: Wednesday 2/11 at 7 p.m.

Great Music Concert: Sunday, 2/15 at 4 p.m.

Shrove Tuesday Dinner: Tuesday, 2/17 at 5:30 p.m.

Ashes to Go: Wednesday 2/18, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Good Grief

The Good Grief Support Group will meet on Saturday, January 31 at 9:30 a.m. in the Reception Room. We are a non-denominational Grief Support Group that offers fellowship and support to anyone who has suffered any type of significant loss. For more information, contact Ellen Marshall, 716-689-2133.

Fundraising Meeting

The Fundraising Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 3 at 6 p.m. to brainstorm ideas to raise money for the Parish Operating Budget. Please join us! If you cannot come to this meeting but would like to receive future emails about fundraising, please contact Emily Sityar.



Outreach Meeting

The Outreach Committee will meet next Thursday February 5 at 5:30 p.m., in person in the Reception Room, online through Zoom or by calling (646) 931-3860. The Meeting ID is 851 3261 7312, and the passcode is 576417. Come join us if you are interested in getting involved. Contact Amy Gorney or Emily Sityar with questions.

Coffee Hour Potluck Update:

We are designating one Sunday each month to be a Potluck Sunday. Our next Potluck Coffee Hour will take place on February 8th.

We need 6 volunteers to sign up to each bring a treat of their choice on that date. Both store bought and homemade treats are welcome. Although we love our baked goods, we try to have a variety of items available so fruit or cheese and crackers are a nice option as well.

There will be a sign-up sheet with six slots in the reception room. If you have never donated to a coffee hour before this is an easy way to contribute. You are also welcome to email lorrie.archdeacon@gmail.com if you have questions. 

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 on Wednesday, 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.

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.

Calvary's Children's Service

Thanks to Anjali, Kiran, Nolan, and Naomi for their active participation at last Sunday's Children's Service.

Dash's Tapes Update

Calvary Church just received a $540 check for redeeming the Dash's grocery receipts collected last year. Dash's Market contributes $2.00 for every $100 in Dash’s Market register receipts. If you shop at Dash's, please save your receipts and turn them into the collection box in the Reception Room. Many thanks to all who sent in their receipts.

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. 

Messages from Bishop Lane and Presiding Bishop Rowe

Both our Bishop Steve Lane and Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe have written to us. Read Bishop Lane here. Read Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe's statement here.

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 January 25, online viewers for the 10 a.m. service came from NY, OH and MA.

Insistent God, by night and day you summon your slumbering people: So stir us with your voice and enlighten our lives with your grace that we give ourselves fully to Christ's call to mission and ministry. Amen.

from Daily Prayer for all Seasons.