Field Notes

689 Sugartown Road * Malvern, PA 19355 * 610-647-0130

July 2026

Eight St. Francis members Confirmed, Received, & Reaffirmed

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Vision and Mission

We aspire to be a growing community, worshipping together, celebrating our diversity and lay ministries, and offering God's healing love to all.

We seek to foster spiritual growth and renewal while spreading God's message of love, healing, and peace.

Check out our Website

The Right Reverend Daniel G.P. Gutierrez, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, celebrated the Eucharist and conferred the Rites of Christian Initiation on sixteen people from four churches on Saturday, June 6th at the Chapel of the Atonement on the Campus of the Church Farm School. Four members of St. Francis-in-the-Fields (Elizabeth Darnel, Carol Forte, Maureen Gunn, and Martha Taylor) were received; three (Dan Miller, Kimberly Ostermann, and Susan Vogel) were confirmed, and Hope Hoffman received reaffirmation.

Individuals receiving these sacramental rights made mature and public commitments to Christ and received strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying of hands by the Bishop. The Very Reverend Kevin Dellaria, our Rector and Dean of the Brandywine Deanery, delivered an inspired invited sermon, and members of our Music Ministry also contributed beautifully to the music of the service.

In this ceremony, all baptized individuals reaffirmed their baptismal vows. Those who were confirmed previously in other sacramental churches (eg, Roman Catholic, Lutheran) were received into the Episcopal Church, and those previously confirmed in the Episcopal Church were reaffirmed.

What's All the Buzz About in the Meadow?

If you have walked past the St. Francis Meadow recently, you

may have noticed a growing chorus of life—birds darting

among the grasses, pollinators moving from bloom to bloom,

and native flowers painting the landscape with color. Now in its

second full season of growth, the meadow continues to mature

and surprise us with new plants, new visitors, and new

opportunities to experience God's creativity at work.

The Meadow Minders invite you to join us this summer for a series of Meadow Reflections designed to help us slow down, pay attention, and discover what the meadow might teach us about God, creation, and ourselves. Each of the three reflections will be offered at a different time of day, allowing us to experience the meadow in varying light, sounds, and rhythms.

Our first gathering will take place on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 4:45 pm beside the Meadow. Together, we will spend an hour in quiet reflection, observation, prayer, and response as we

explore the gifts of this sacred space. We will conclude our time together with a cool drink. Please consider bringing a friend to enjoy this time together.

Whether you are a gardener, a nature lover, or simply someone seeking a moment of peace in a busy world, we hope you will join us. Bring a folding chair, an open heart, and a spirit of

curiosity.

You may be surprised by what the meadow has to show you.

“Consider the wildflowers, how they grow...” — Luke 12:27

~The Meadow Minders

In Giving, We Receive

St. Francis Blood Drive Success

In partnership with Willistown United Methodist Church, St. Francis collected 20 units during our quarterly blood drive hosted in our Parish Hall on Tuesday, June 23rd. We were able to collect both whole blood and Power Red blood donations. One whole blood donation helps to save three lives. A Power Red donation allows one donor to provide twice as many red blood cells in one donation than can be collected in a single whole blood donation. Thank you to all the donors and to Nancy Orlando who leads this ministry.

Harvest and Food Donations for West Chester Food Cupboard

God has provided us with beautiful weather and just the right amount of rain for our spring growing season, and the awakening of The Meadow has brought in many active pollinators and one not-so-active groundhog. The Vegetable Garden Committee, led by Judy Culver, has harvested over 112 lbs of lettuce, kale, beets, peas, scallions, cilantro, basil, and beans from the St. Francis raised beds, with Everett Warren adding broccoli and lettuce from his garden. All of our summer plants are finally in the ground with the exception of some melons that will be added in a few weeks. Stop by the Garden to cheer on our radishes, summer squash, potatoes, peas, beans, peppers, melons, and tomatoes over the next couple of months.

Mahala and Tom Renkey also recently organized a collection and delivered 147 lbs of non-perishable food and personal items to the Food Cupboard on our behalf. All the fresh produce grown in the garden and the non-perishable items collected were donated to the West Chester Food Cupboard to help address food insecurity and other needs of underserved people in our community.

VBS leads children on Irish Adventure through Psalm 23

Exciting adventures through Ireland's lush, green landscapes during our Emerald Crossing Vacation Bible School, July 13-16 from 9-11:30 AM, will introduce children ages four through 5th grade to the powerful words of Psalm 23 and the life of Shepherd King David. Through age-appropriate readings, crafts, and games, children will learn how to traverse from anxiety to peace, from fear to faith, and from uncertainty to a firm foundation in God's Word through a relationship with the Good Shepherd. A warm snack will be provided daily to all participants. Children older than 5th grade are welcome to join us as volunteers to help with crafts and games. The VBS registration link may be found on the St. Francis Website.

Memorial Golf Outing raises $26,090 for Cancer Care

The 6th Annual Jeff Quinn Memorial Golf Outing (JQMF), held on Monday, June 15th at the Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, raised $26,090 to support the HEADstrong Foundation that provides emotional and financial support to families struggling with cancer. The JQMF brought in 77 golfers, including 12 from St. Francis and 15 sponsors. Forty-seven additional dinner guests, many from St. Francis, also attended and contributed to the revenue raised from raffle ticket sales and the silent auction.

Nick's House in Swarthmore is just one of two respite homes supported by the HEADstrong Foundation; the other is located in Boston, MA. Nick's House offers fully furnished, cost-free, peaceful and comfortable lodging for families traveling 50+ miles for cancer treatments in the Philadelphia area. During the golf event, Drew Lenkaitis, St. Francis member and son of Mike and Sue Lenkaitis, gave an inspiring testimonial on how he personally had gotten involved with the HEADstrong Foundation and why it is an important philanthropy for him.

Jeff Quinn, son of Jill and Mike Quinn, was a longtime member of St. Francis. Tragically he was diagnosed with leukemia while a student at Penn State. Tragically, Jeff passed away in 2016 at just 22 years of age. His family and the St. Francis community annually honor his legacy through their participation and support of this Golf Outing.

Vestry June 9th Meeting Minutes

Accounting Warden, Lisa Buono, reported a sound financial condition overall. While some accounts are over budget, others balance those by remaining under-budget. Vendors should be monitored for timely invoices. Electricity charges remain high. (Solar panels are being considered as a way to combat rising electricity costs.)
The Neely family has contributed a piano for use by the Choir at rehearsals.
Vestry member of the month, Lisa Buono, reported on various ministries’ progress. Several ministries are selected each month to provide recognition and support for the work being accomplished. This month’s ministries indicated that their activities were running smoothly, but some called for some clarification of their mission or made an appeal for more participation by parishioners.
Fr. Kevin reported that pastoral care ministry is going well with numerous funerals and tending to the sick and those with special needs. Also, the Deanery Convocation at Church Farm School was a successful event, thanks in part to a strong presence by St. Francis parishioners. There was brief preliminary discussion of a “green burial” option for the St. Francis cemetery.

~ Respectfully submitted, John Groh

Safe Church Training & Background Checks July 15th

Whether you are Clergy, a Vestry member, Church Officer, or just a parishioner who is interested in ensuring that children and other vulnerable populations in your care or under your authority are protected, the background check assistance and Safe Church Training offered on July 15th at St. Francis is free and available to all. This training is required of all Clergy, Vestry, and church members working with children as mandatory reporters of abuse but also is strongly encouraged for any interested person in the Brandywine Deanery. Background Check assistance will be available from 5- 6 PM, followed by the two-hour training session (7-9 PM) led by the Reverend Kristen Ostendorf from Trinity Episcopal Church in Coatesville. Dinner will be provided, and registration will be required. An announcement of the registration will be sent to all members of St. Francis.

The Episcopal Church has embraced its obligation to seek and to serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being. It recognizes that there are inherent power imbalances in relationships between Church leaders and vulnerable populations under their ministry and oversight. This training is intended to be one of the opportunities provided by the Church, for guidance and grace to protect those vulnerable individuals in accordance with the 2017 Model Policies for the Protection of Children & Youth and the Model Policy for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.

Brandywine Deanery & Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

The Brandywine Deanery with its 15 churches is one of the ten deaneries encompassing the 136 Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The Right Reverend Daniel Guttierrez is the Bishop of the Diocese, and Fr. Kevin Dellaria is the Dean of the Brandywine Deanery. In addition to St. Francis located in Malvern, the other churches of the Brandywine Deanery are located in Kennett Square, Parkesburg, Paoli, West Chester, Glenmore, Oxford, Downingtown, Compass, Concord, Honey Brook, Warwick, Exton, and Coatesville.

Reading Fightin' Phillies Game - August 1st

Join us for the annual Parish summer outing to watch the Reading Fightin' Phillies take on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Saturday, August 1st for a 6:45 PM game at FirstEnergy Stadium. We again welcome all members of St. Francis-in-the-Fields to participate in our singing of the National Anthem before the first pitch. All voices are welcome no matter if you sing in the Choir or just wish to have some fun.

Announcements and Reminders

Mark your calendars and prepare to join us in celebrating Father Kevin's 10th Anniversary as Rector of St. Francis-in-the-Fields on Saturday, July 11th from 5-8 PM in the Church. More information will become available very soon.
In recognition of our support of their mission and work, Church Farm School will open its campus for tours for the St. Francis community on Monday, July 13th (10 AM) and Sunday, July 19th (1 PM) with Erika Gross, Director of Philanthropy. Sign up for one of these intimate group tour sessions (6 people/tour) on the sheet located in the Narthex. If you are interested in a personal tour, that also can be arranged with Cindy VanHefter (cvanhefter@gmail.com) who is organizing this opportunity. Please contact Cindy with any questions or concerns.
The deadline for submissions for the August Fieldnotes edition must be received by Paula Turocy (turocyp@gmail.com) by noon on July 24th. All submissions are welcomed.

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St Francis in-the-Fields Episcopal Church | 689 Sugartown Road | Malvern, PA 19355 US

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