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. Luke Selles at 267-571-9876.

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, April 12th, 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

This Sunday's Readings

Acts 2:14a,22-32 | 1 Peter 1:3-9 | John 20:19-31 | Psalm 16

Rector's Note

What a glorious and deeply moving Holy Week and Easter it has been. All I can say is, thank you. To the worship leaders and altar servers, Altar Guild and Flower Guild. To the musicians and choir. To our fantastic staff -- Luke, Tyrone, James, Lorie, Noor, Connie, Kate, and Sean. To the front desk volunteers.

And to everyone who came to a service, to a concert, or perhaps to many services and concerts over the past week. Your attention, your energy, your responding and moving and singing as part of one body helped everyone feel the Spirit in these days. Your silence and laughter and tears and sighs helped us all feel the wonder of this week.

I’ll be away next week. Alleyne and I are making a long-overdue trip to our daughter living in Thailand. Pray for us! The week after that, I’ll be at clergy conference with the Diocese for the first part of the week. Then back at St Martin’s by the end of the week and in Sunday services again on April 26.  

I will take all of the warmth and spirit of this St Martin’s community with me in my travels, and can’t wait to see all of you again!

Mary+

Features

Next Week's Adult Forum

Wednesday, April 15th

7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room & via Zoom here

Led by Meg Cruz, POWER

Meg Cruz, the Northwest Philadelphia organizer for POWER Interfaith, will discuss what POWER Interfaith is about & in particular about what this important organization is doing to help fight for affordable housing in Philadelphia. POWER stands for Pennsylvanians Organized to Witness, Empower & Rebuild, and it works to advance social and economic justice in Philadelphia and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania.

Thank You to Our Food & Fellowship Volunteers!

First a thank you to our dedicated weekly volunteers, Sue Bell and Jill Monohan, who help prepare, serve, and clean up for our community meal on Wednesdays. Your energy and joy are so appreciated!

Secondly, we want to thank all who made or sponsored a soup or bread this past Lenten season. Your contributions of delicious and satisfying food set the stage for good connections and conversations around the tables. Thank you to: Susan Bell, Barbara Dundon, Carolyn Green, Paula Hansen, Susan Kaufman, Brandi Ou, Dani Reed, Audrey Reid, Debby Schaaf, Lorie Simmons, Molly Sponsler, Anne Swoyer, and Lorraine Webb

Monday Evening Bible Study: The Book of Isaiah

7:00 p.m. via Zoom

Our Monday Zoom Bible Study group will start reading the Book of Isaiah, a major prophetic work in the Bible. It delivers messages of divine judgment against sinful nations and promises of future redemption, restoration, and a messianic kingdom. For the link, please contact Cathy Glazer at cathyglazer@verizon.net.

Snapshots

Holy Week and Easter

Lamb cake courtesy of Kim Kopple.

Photos courtesy of Mary Barber, Tyrone Whiting, and Noor Diskan.

Easter Eggs courtesy of Easter Bunny.

Children, Youth, & Families

Climate Action Team: Annual Eco-Fair

Sunday, April 19th

9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Co-hosted by the Climate Action Team, CYF Ministries, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee

Celebrate spring and Earth Day with the Climate Action Team (CAT) and Building and Grounds (B&G). Join us for tasty treats, seed-planting and fun activities with CYF, and information on future eco-friendly projects with B&G.

For more information, email Jason Martin at jason.martin.temple@gmail.com 

or Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org 

Spring Family Work Day

Saturday, April 25th

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Join Rev. Luke, St. Martin's Climate Action Team (CAT), and the Buildings & Grounds Committee (B&G) for food, fellowship, and fun as we identify spring flowers with a scavenger hut, clean off memorial benches, remove invasive species, and tend to our flower beds. We'll start at 9 o'clock with donuts and coffee, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee will treat us to a cookout at noon. If you’d like to participate in any planting or invasive species removal, please bring your own hand trowel or gardening gloves. We will have a few spares. If your family can attend, please RSVP with the number of folks coming by emailing Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org so we can ensure there’s enough food for everyone.

Guided by Prayer: A Confirmation Retreat

Friday, May 8th to Saturday, May 9th

4 p.m. on Friday to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday

Daylesford Abbey: 220 S Valley Rd, Paoli, PA 19301

Join Mother Mary and Rev. Luke for an overnight retreat and time of prayer and reflection on the topic of prayer. Open to all seeking a deeper relationship with God through prayer, but designed specifically for those who are recently confirmed and those interested in joining the Confirmation Class that will be offered in Fall 2026. 

Please note that all youth under 18 will have their cost waived, but we ask that all youth travel with a chaperone. The cost for adults is $150 each, but scholarships are available -- please email Mother Mary for more details (mbarber@stmartinec.org).

Please register here soon so we can get a sense of numbers, and we will send a follow-up email in late April with information about payment.

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, driving Stephanie to and from physical therapy, and helping to provide childcare. Click here to sign up/learn more.

Save the Date: Joint Evensong with St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Sunday, May 3rd

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

22 E Chestnut Hill Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118

Take Action

Philadelphia City Council Hearing to Put Limits on ICE

This Upcoming Monday, April 13th

Should federal immigration agents in the City of Brotherly Love be allowed to conceal their identity behind face masks? Should they be allowed to use parks and other city property as staging areas for immigrant raids? Should they be allowed to detain immigrant parents and children at public schools without a judicial warrant? 

These are among the questions that Philadelphia City Council will begin to consider on Monday, April 13 as it holds its first committee-of-the-whole hearing on proposed legislation aimed at reining in overly aggressive tactics by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol as they carry out President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

The legislation, dubbed ICE Out, will be introduced during an all-day session from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in council chambers on the fourth floor of City Hall. The proposed measures have been endorsed by St. Martin’s Vestry as well as other religious groups. New Sanctuary Movement, the interfaith immigrant rights group to which Saint Martin’s belongs, is encouraging the faith community to make a strong showing at the hearing.

Leaders of St. Martin’s immigration ministry invite you to attend any portion of the hearing that works for your schedule. If you want to travel as a group to the morning session of the hearing, we will meet up at the church parking lot at 7:45 a.m. on Monday and catch the 8:02 a.m. Chestnut Hill West from St. Martin’s Station to Suburban Station. Continue reading here.

Advocates rally at City Hall to support proposed legislation to limit overly aggressive tactics by federal immigration agents in Philadelphia. (Photo courtesy of New Sanctuary Movement.)

Holy Week & Easter Sermons

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. 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)