Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Weekly Field Notes

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 or the Rev. Laura Palmer at 267-418-0123.

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 Worship

May 25th, 2025

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Spoken)

In Person

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

In Person

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

In Person & via livestream here

Please note: the Parish Office will be closed this upcoming Monday,

May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day.

Features

Annual Meeting & Vestry/Convention Elections

Sunday, June 1st following the 10:30 a.m. service

We are pleased to announce the following nominees for election on June 1st at the Annual Meeting:

Vestry:

Anthony Campisi, Al Good, Dani Reed, Rich Welch (4 year terms)
Victoria Sicks (1 year term to fill vacancy)

Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternate:

Carolyn Green, Debby Schaff, Grace McGinley

Additional nominations by parishioner petition are permitted. Each nomination must be supported by the signatures of at least ten (10) voting members* of the parish, not including the nominee. Petitions must be submitted to the Secretary of the Vestry, David Collins (DHCollins@gmail.com; 609-240-2400). Petition nominations will be accepted through THIS Sunday, May 25th. *The bylaws of the church do not permit nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting. If valid petition nominations are received, the vote at the Annual Meeting will be by paper ballots. --Nominating Committee: David Collins, David Dieck, Rita Downs, Dick Haggard, Rob Jennings, Paula Wineland, Mary Barber

Raymond "Skip" Lynch, Sr. Funeral Homily & Service Recording

Those unable to attend the memorial service for Raymond "Skip" Lynch, Sr. this past Sunday can click here to read a transcript of the Rev. Laura Palmer's homily. You can also watch a recording of the service on our YouTube page here .

Next Week's Adult Forum:

Addressing Environmental Justice at our State and Local Level

Led by Barbara Sheehan

Wed., May 28th

7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room and via Zoom here. (Passcode 074688)

The Climate Action Team invites Barbara Sheehan, a member of the Laudato Si’ Circle at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill, to share their process of learning about and advocating for environmental justice in our area. Barbara is also on the leadership team of EcoPhilly, a coalition of Catholic creation care teams in the Philadelphia area. She will be joined by Maurice M. Sampson II, the Eastern Pennsylvania Director for Clean Water Action and a grassroots environmental activist since the 1970s. Together they will put environmental activism in a historical as well as faith-based context and share the Penn Enviro Screen, an incredibly useful tool developed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection to identify the degree and sources of pollutants throughout the state, especially as they affect vulnerable populations.

Welcoming Guest Musicians Yiguo Zhang and David Park on Sunday

We are delighted to welcome two outstanding young musicians from The Primavera Fund to St. Martin-in-the-Fields this week: Yiguo Zhang, violin, and David Park, viola. We welcome these young performers as part of our collaboration with The Primavera Fund, an organization founded and directed by Rachel Segal—member of our Resident Ensemble, Fairmount String Quartet. The Primavera Fund empowers young artists through mentorship, performance opportunities, and holistic support.

Yiguo and David will share their talents with us in a special musical offering featuring selections by J. S. Bach and Johan Halvorsen.

It is a joy to welcome these young artists into the life of our parish as we continue to grow and expand our music and arts ministries, particularly with children and youth. Their presence is a beautiful reminder of the power of music to connect generations, inspire hearts, and build community.

We are grateful for this partnership and excited for the music to come this Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist.

— Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts

"The End of the Victor's Parade"

Written by Parishioner Scott Robinson

We invite you to check out Scott Robinson's insightful article on Faithful Resistance, which discusses how to address the trauma experienced by many LGBTQ+ people against whom Christianity was, and still often is, weaponized. Continue reading below for an excerpt.

'“Cheap grace,” said Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “is the grace we bestow upon ourselves. If we are to heal our rift with sexual minorities and others whom the Church has harmed, the grace we need will be, to use Bonhoeffer’s word, “costly.”

One challenge as we move forward is going to be not invoking the fable of the blind men and the elephant to suggest that the wounded are only seeing part of the big picture. To say “not all Christians” and “but my church” would likely be heard as dismissive of Othered people’s experience.'

Safe Church Training

Tuesday, June 10th OR Saturday, June 14th

9-11 a.m.

At St. Martin's we are catching up with The Episcopal Church’s “Safe Church, Safe Communities” certification. This essential training provides participants with the tools and knowledge to prevent abuse and ensure that everyone, especially vulnerable and marginalized members, is welcome and protected within our church community.

This training is part of our commitment to uphold the dignity and safety of all who gather at St. Martin’s, fostering a culture of respect, care, and accountability. Whether you're a lay leader, volunteer, staff or clergy member, your participation is vital in helping us uphold these values. Virtual/asynchronous completion of this training is possible. To learn more or to register please contact Rev. Luke Selles, lselles@stmartinec.org.

Children, Youth, & Families

Youth Interest Survey (ages 8-18)

Honoring Our Graduates

If you have a high school or college graduate in your life that you would like to honor at St. Martin's services on Sunday, June 15th (Father's Day), please submit their name and information using this form.

VBS 2025:

Come Grow with Us!

Monday, June 24th-Friday, June 27th

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Please register by June 3rd to have your children join us this summer for a week of growth and discovery through storytelling, service-learning, gardening, and song. Click on the poster to learn more!

Volunteering for VBS 2025

If you are interested in supporting VBS this summer either the week of or with preparation before, please fill out this in-take form. Thank you!

Fairmount String Quartet: Voices of Spring

Next Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Martin's

Repeat performance Sunday, June 1st at 12:00 p.m at Main Line Unitarian Church

Pay-what-you-can at the door admission. $30 for adults and $8 for students is suggested.

A Meet the Artists reception follows these concerts.

Click here to reserve your seats!

Program:

Franz Joseph Haydn – String Quartet in Bb, Op. 76, #4, “Sunrise”

Elena Ruehr – String Quartet #8, “Insect Dances”

Giuseppe Verdi – String Quartet in e minor

You're Invited: All-Ages LGBTQ+ Dance Party!

Wednesday, June 4th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Come celebrate Pride Month with joy, movement, and connection at our All-Ages LGBTQ+ Dance Party! Whether you love to dance or just want to be in community, this is a celebration for everyone—all ages, all identities, all are welcome.

Join us for an evening filled with:

Great music to get you moving;
Delicious food and refreshments;
A safe, joyful space to celebrate love, identity, and community.

Let’s honor Pride month with energy, inclusivity, and a whole lot of fun. Bring your friends, family, and your dancing shoes—we can't wait to see you there! All are welcome. All belong. Bring your friends and family!

Take Action

Your Generosity Matters! Please Help Our Neighbors Support Their Pets

Too much of a good thing is wonderful! Our Pet Pantry donations are soaring thanks to contributions from Blue Bell Elementary school and a nearby pet store. We have a week to continue to gather supplies for our neighbors who need help feeding and caring for their pets. You can make a big difference! The first Pet Pantry ran out of food/supplies in 90 minutes—before the event was even halfway over and stood in line for four hours before it started! Let’s help make sure that doesn’t happen again! Thank you, thank you!!

The deadline for donations here at St. Martin's is Monday, May 26th. There's a desperate need for food, medicine, pet supplies, and new or lightly used toys. You can also view the pet pantry's Amazon wish-list here.

Guatemala Student Scholarship Fundraising Campaign 2025

St Martin’s Guatemala Companion Parish Committee will be collecting pledges for the 2026 San Juan Apostol Scholarship Fund and the Totonicapán Scholarship Fund from Sunday, June 1st through Sunday, June 29th. In 2024 St Martin’s parishioners generously pledged and donated to support 34 young learners otherwise unable to attend school due to economic hardships. The annual awards of $550 per student support tuition, uniforms and healthy nutrition for students and provide families with hope for bright futures. Education is making a difference to break a cycle of poverty with student graduates making a difference in their families and local community. The young people we sponsor and their families are so very thankful for our support.

This year our goal is $15,000. Please consider pledging a contribution to this scholarship fund for the 2026 school year. Pledges beginning at $25 dollars can be made. A full scholarship for a student is $550. Committee members will be available at the end of all services with clipboards for you to sign up or you can contribute directly online or via the plate. Contributions of pledged funds are expected to be paid on or before Sept. 30th.

Volunteer at Face to Face

Second Sunday of Each Month

St. Martin's scheduled day for volunteering at Face to Face is the second Saturday of every month, starting June 14th and continuing for the remainder of 2025. The commitment is for the Meal Prep crew, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. each time. (Earlier departure is possible if other commitments conflict). Please continue volunteering at other times as well, but we will be looking for at least six volunteers from St. Martin's for each of those Saturdays. If you are able to volunteer on a second Saturday, please contact Mark Birdsall mdbirdsall@gmail.com or Jason Martin jason.martin.temple@gmail.com to sign up.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

May 18, 2025

Prophets are people who speak the truth. It can be a truth many of us are aware of, but no one really wants to face it. Prophets wake us up out of our denial, they force us to see the signs, the red flags, around us. They tell us, get moving, stop being a bystander.

Continue reading here.

Coming Up

Book Talk: "Happenstance” by Parishioner David Contosta

Next Saturday, May 31st, at 4:30 p.m.

At Booked, 8511 Germantown Ave

Long-time St. Martin's member David Contosta has recently published a novel entitled "Happenstance." He will be giving a book signing and reading from it on Saturday, May 31 at "Booked," a bookshop in Chestnut Hill. The event is free and open to the public. The novel unfolds during the years from 1916 to 1938 and is set mainly at a picturesque orphanage in a village just outside Philadelphia, as well as more briefly in Center City Philadelphia, Greenwich Village, New York, and suburban Boston. David's new novel, "Happenstance," represents his 26th published book.

The Philadelphia Eleven Film Screening

Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall

The Philadelphia Eleven tells the story of the first group of women to be ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church. Join us June 22nd at 4:00 p.m. for a screening of the film to learn more about this historic group of women and the lasting impact they made in the Episcopal Church and beyond.