The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Field Notes

For Pastoral Care 

Call 215-247-7466 and leave a message. If you are experiencing a pastoral emergency text or call the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber at 845-527-9545.

Have you had an address, email, or phone number update?

Send us your update here.

Field Notes submission requests must be emailed by Tuesday at noon to ndiskan@stmartinec.org.

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Sunday, May 3rd, 2026:

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Spoken)

9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist for Children, Youth, and Families

10:30 a.m. Instructed Choral Holy Eucharist

Also via livestream here

Followed by Worship Reflections in the Houston Room

5:00 p.m. Joint Evensong with St. Paul's Episcopal Church

At St. Paul's

22 E Chestnut Hill Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118

This Sunday's Readings

Acts 7:55-60 | 1 Peter 2:2-10 | John 14:1-14 | Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

Rector's Note

The Easter season is rushing by quickly! It is time to officially announce St Martin’s Annual Meeting, to be held on Sunday June 7 following the 10:30 am service. Mark your calendars and plan to be there to hear about what is happening in the life of our church. 

There will be more news ahead about a ministry fair and hospitality for the day of the Annual Meeting, so stay tuned for that!

At Annual Meeting, we elect a new vestry class, the board that helps steward and guide the care of our budget and properties, as well as to discern with the rector how to move on a variety of issues. We will be seeking four new vestry members, led by the Nominating Committee of Carolyn Green, Kelly Martin, Lydia Ogden, Victoria Sicks, Carol Duncan, and Pam Prell. If you think you may wish to be nominated, please get in touch with one of these folks by May 10. They can answer your questions and let you know what it’s like to serve in this way.

In the meantime, we can try to enjoy the signs of spring. Summer is right around the corner!

Mary+

Features

Upcoming Memorial Services

Polly Randall Award Presentation: Susan Randall MacBride

This Sunday, May 3rd

Please join us this Sunday, May 3, at the 10:30 a.m. service as we honor Susan Randall MacBride with The Polly Randall Award for extraordinary service to St. Martin’s during

the service. A reception will immediately follow the service in the Parish Hall.

The Polly Randall Award is awarded to those members of the St. Martin’s community who exemplify, through years of consistent giving of time and talent, the meaning of

stewardship to the church and to God, in the spirit of Mary Lear (Polly) Randall.

Polly Randall was a long-time parishioner and office administrator of St. Martin’s – and mother of long-time faithful St. Martin’s parishioners – John Randall, Mary Hopkins and Susan MacBride.

St. Martin's Mother's Day Coffee Hour

In the Columbarium (weather permitting) & on the Lawn

Rain Space: Parish House

Next Sunday, May 10th

Please come for coffee, tea, small bites and fellowship after the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services on Sunday, May 10th to celebrate Mother’s Day in the Mary Hare Taylor Knight Memorial Columbarium.

+ Save the Date: Father's Day Coffee Hour

Sunday, June 21st following all three services.

Honoring St. Martin’s Graduates

If you have a high school or college graduate in your life that you would like us to honor at St. Martin's services in June, please submit their name and information using this form.

Snapshots

Visit from St. James School

Church Pollinators

"Waking Up Old" Book Launch Reception

Photos courtesy of Gillian Golson, Wendy Leaver, and the Rev. Luke Selles

Children, Youth, & Families

Artpreneur Kids Club Intro Session & Party

Tomorrow, May 1st

4:00-6:00 p.m. on St. Martin's Lawn

Over the summer, an art & entrepreneurship class for kids ages 6-11 will be taking place at St. Martin's! Students will make and sell their own art, learn real world business skills, and more! We are excited to offer our campus for these classes, led by a mother and daughter (age 8) leadership team and open to all. Classes will take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting June 1st, and there will be a free introductory session and craft party tomorrow, May 1st. Learn more here.

St. Martin’s Families Volunteer Day

Saturday, May 16th 

8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. James’ School

3217 W Clearfield St, Philadelphia, PA 19132

Volunteer with other St. Martin’s families at the St. James School Welcome Table on May 16th as we support their weekly Farmer's Market, a service of free food distribution to the neighborhood community. Bring a canned good to distribute and a smile!

Support Parish Family During Surgery Recovery

Please consider supporting one of our parish families, the Hagan-Bryants, as Stephanie Hagan recovers from surgery. Options for support include bringing a meal and helping to provide childcare. Click here to sign up/learn more.

Joint Evensong with St. Paul's Episcopal Church

This Sunday, May 3rd

5:00 p.m. at St. Paul's

22 E Chestnut Hill Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118

Members of First Presbyterian Church

of Philadelphia demonstrated at the ICE office earlier this year as part of the New Sanctuary Movement's Wednesday witnesses.

It’s Time to Bear Witness on May 6

For the dead and the living, we must bear witness. In the spirit of those famous words, written by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, St. Martin’s will bear witness to the cruel and inhumane treatment of our immigrant neighbors as we gather as a church community outside the Philadelphia field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, May 6.  



All parishioners are invited to the witness, which will be from noon to 1 p.m. on the sidewalk in front of the ICE office at 114 N. 8th St. in Center City. Nothing is required of you other than showing up and joining in prayer and song. Ours will be one of 40 such witnesses sponsored by the interfaith New Sanctuary Movement. Each Wednesday, a different faith organization in the Philadelphia area hosts a witness. 

Our rector, the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber, will lead us with a Bible reading, artwork, a mini-sermon, call-and-response prayer and song. St. Martin’s immigration ministry encourages everyone who is able to join in this peaceful and nonviolent demonstration of our religious values – and invites you to bring your friends! The more people we have, the more impactful we will be. Continue reading here.

Capstone Event for Need in Deed: Shout Out

Tuesday, May 12th and Wednesday, May 13th

Tired of bad news? Come to the Need in Deed Shout Out on either Tues, May 12 or Wed, May 13 at the Arch Street Meetinghouse from 4-6 p.m. and feel the rush of joy that comes from seeing how passionate kids are about making positive change in their communities. 

This annual event is a chance for representatives from 3rd-8th Philly public schools to showcase the projects they have worked on to address social issues that concern them. Picture a Science Fair—but for social issues facing Philadelphia.

These students have tackled the such problems as immigration and ICE, gun violence, environmental pollution, grief and loss, and the impact of screen time on young people, among others. And now they are eager to have an audience of caring adults to celebrate with them. 

Click here to RSVP. Carpooling from St. Martin’s is available. Questions? Contact Barbara Dundon or Pam Prell.

Clean Out for God

From Lydia Ogden

If, like me, you have been seized with a mad desire for wholesale spring cleaning and have found you have a lot of … stuff … you don’t want or need, then let’s join forces. I’m thinking of organizing a tag sale with proceeds to benefit St. Martin’s. This is very much in the beginning stages of planning — no date as yet, but Rev. Mary suggested we might look for other events in Chestnut Hill that we could piggyback on to increase our traffic. If you’d like to discuss, please drop me a line at lydia.ogden@icloud.com or grab me at church. Thanks so much. - Lydia

Sermon

The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

April 23, 2026

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Last week, my wife Alleyne and I were in Thailand visiting our younger daughter. We slept in Bangkok the first night, and then our plan was to travel north to Nakhon Sawan where our daughter lives and works as a fourth grade teacher. Continue reading here.

Coming Up

Diocese of Pennsylvania Men's Fellowship BBQ

Saturday, May 30th at 4:00 p.m.

St. David’s Episcopal Church Fairgrounds

Bishop Gutiérrez invites you to a barbecue on Saturday, May 30 at 4:00 p.m. The event takes place on the fairgrounds near the original (smaller) church at St. David’s located at 763 S. Valley Forge Road in Wayne, PA. In addition to grilled meat, salads, sides, and refreshments, roundtable discussions will be held on how to start and grow men’s fellowship groups at church. Click here to RSVP.

St. Martin's To Be Honored at St. James School's Dr. Audrey Evans Benefit Event

Wednesday, May 20th, from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

St. Martin's will be honored at the 2026 Dr. Audrey Evans Benefit, alongside the Epiphany School of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

This year’s theme, “Sharing the Spark,” reflects how small acts of kindness and faithful service can kindle lasting hope and inspire others to share their spark. Members of St. Martin’s are invited to take advantage of early access to tickets and sponsorship opportunities here. If we confirm 20 folks coming from St. Martin's, St. James' will send out a school bus to drive us to the benefit and back! For questions, contact Gillian Golson, Annual Giving Manager at ggolson@stjamesphila.org or (484) 224-3891.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)

Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m. (Library)

Al Anon

Sundays 6-7 p.m. (Houston Room)

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

1 - Tuesdays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)

2 - Thursdays 7-8 p.m. (Houston Room)

3 - Sundays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)