March 18, 2026 Trinity Parish Weekly Update

Prayers on the Eve of Palm Sunday:

Commemoration of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Service at Old Swedes Church:

5:00pm

†

The Liturgy of the Palms and Choral Eucharist

March 29, 2026

Services at Trinity Church:

8:00 am Holy Eucharist

10:00 am Holy Eucharist with Choir

12:00 pm Santa Eucaristía

Directions to Trinity Church and Old Swedes Church

can be found on our website: https://trinityoldswedes.church/directions-parking/

Please note, the sign for our 11th Street lot only notes Colonial Parking. You can park there without issue after 5 pm during the week and on Saturday and Sunday.

Link to Live Streaming Services

Streaming on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@TrinityParishDE

Streaming on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinityparishde

Bulletins can be found on the homepage of our website next to the Live Stream links.

Introductions to Today’s Lessons

Liturgy of the Palms

Matthew 21.1-11

Jesus has started his journey to Jerusalem in Galilee. He has travelled south to Jericho, where he has healed two men who were blind. Not only are they now able to see, they have become followers of Jesus. He and his disciples have then turned west, towards Jerusalem.

Liturgy of the Passion

Isaiah 50.4-9a

Our passage is one of four servant songs found in Isaiah. The first begins “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen ...”. In late Judaism, the servant was seen as the perfect Israelite, one of supreme holiness, a messiah. In the gospels, Jesus identifies himself as the servant (or slave), the one who frees all people.

Philippians 2.5-11

Paul has just urged the Christians at Philippi, through “encouragement in Christ”, and moved by God’s love for them, to “be of the same mind[set], having the same love, being in full accord ...” They are to “regard others as better than ... [themselves]”, freely adopting a lowly, unassertive stance before others, replacing self-interest with concern for others.

Matthew 27.11-54

Jesus has shared the Last Supper with his disciples. He has very humanly asked the Father to allow him to simply die, but has decided to be obedient to the Father’s will, to God’s plan. Judas has betrayed him to the religious authorities, and Jesus has been arrested, tried by the Sanhedrin, found guilty of a capital offence and handed over to Pilate, the Roman prefect, for trial under Roman law.

Easter Flowers: Using flowers to celebrate the Risen Christ is an ancient custom in the church. At Trinity, we continue this custom by inviting parishioners to contribute memorial flowers honoring loved ones. The minimum contribution is $35; please include a list of those you are honoring with your check, and mark the memo line ‘Easter flowers.’

If you choose to give online, please send an email to office@trinityparishde.org with the list of those you are remembering. The deadline is Friday, March 27 for both donations and names. Questions? Please call Ashlin Bray at 302-658-5821.

Thank you for participating in the celebration of Easter.

MUSIC AND DRAMA ON PALM SUNDAY

On Sunday, March 29, at our 10:00 am Service of Eucharist, our worship will feature the sparkling brilliance of our handbells as their ringing prepares the way for our opening processional, and with the poignant and reflective sounds of violin and trumpet, as these instrumentalists join the organ and piano in accompanying the choir and congregation in the music of Palm Sunday. The choir will offer Mary McDonald’s jubilant “That’s Where Love Will Find Me,” Patti Drennan’s meditative “Echoes of Golgotha,” and Benjamin Culli’s stunning arrangement of “My Song Is Love Unknown” for choir and congregation. The service will also feature a dramatic reading of the Passion Story by our parishioners.

We hope that you and your family and friends can join us for this moving service as we begin our journey through Holy Week.

EASTER MORNING MUSIC

The 10:00 am Festival Service of Eucharist on Easter Sunday will feature the full Trinity Choir, accompanied by brass quartet, timpani, violin, handbells, piano and organ! A pre-service instrumental music recital will begin at 9:45 am that morning. During the service, soloists and choir will present an eclectic mix of choral music, including Jonathan Willcock’s joyful and carol-like “Easter Rejoicing, ” Dan Forrest’s reflective “This Is The Day” and Allen Pote’s triumphant “Risen Indeed!” Invite your friends and family to join you for this celebratory service as we raise our voices in song in praise of the Risen Lord!

Red Wagon Ministry

For the month of March, we are collecting for Our Future Christian Child Care Center at Old Swedes for their Easter Egg Hunt. Supplies needed: Plastic Easter Eggs, Small Candies, Stickers, Temporary Tattoos, Small Items that will fit in the eggs. The Children at Trinity Parish bring the Red Wagon with your generous donations to the Altar to be blessed during the Offertory Procession on Sundays!

For more information, please contact Sarah Berninger (berninger59@comcast.net).

Thank you.

We are in need of someone to prepare the meal for Epiphany House on April 15th.

Please contact: berninger59@comcast.net, or 302-351-2422.

Come As You Are - Worship at Old Swedes

Every Saturday Evening at 5:00 pm

Old Swedes Church

606 N. Church Street Wilmington, DE 19801

ALL ARE WELCOME!

CREATING SPACE FOR GOD IN THE "BUSY'NESS OF LIFE

Ministry of Aging at Trinity Parish

Ministry of Aging will meet on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 2.00pm in the Dining Room at Trinity Church. If you are unable to join in-person, you may participate virtually via Zoom.com. Please click on “Join a Meeting” and enter Meeting ID: 810 5241 1884 and password 445882. Please keep this Zoom link handy for use every Monday through March 9^th when a new link will be issued. For more information, please contact Jerry Lucas (jermeloh@yahoo.com).

Holy Week Worship at Trinity Parish

Come, See…Go and Tell

Click For More Information

5th Annual

Parish Communications Conference

Friday, March 27 | 9:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Dover, Delaware

Whether your parish is promoting an event, launching a fundraising appeal,

planning a pledge drive, or tackling a “we really need to fix that” project,

this year’s Parish Communications Conference is designed for you.

Real Skills. Real Tools. Real Results.

Plan a campaign + Track progress + Create consistent messaging + Build a communications calendar + Understand church-friendly database + Canva + Brand Basics + Email platforms + AI tools

Click For More Information

Watch at the Altar of Repose

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, COULD YOU NOT WATCH WITH ME ONE HOUR? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

(Matthew 26:36,40-41)

The WATCH will be kept before the Blessed Sacrament at the Altar of Repose in the Chapel at Trinity Church from the end of the Maundy Thursday Liturgy on April 2 until 12 o’clock midnight, and then from 5 o’clock in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Good Friday, April 3. You are invited to come for silent prayer and meditation before the Sacrament at the Altar in the Chapel. Since the Holy Eucharist is not celebrated on Good Friday, the Blessed Sacrament will be brought back to the Nave Altar for the Administration of Holy Communion toward the end of the Good Friday Liturgy at 7.00pm.

Sign-up sheets are in the Lobby and Table at Rear of Nave.

The Serafin Ensemble closes out 25-26 TAAT Season with fireworks!

REVOLUTION & INDEPENDENCE

April 19 – 4:00 pm

Old Swedes Church & Historic Site

In celebration of our nation’s 250^th birthday, the Serafin Ensemble performs chamber works from our nation’s late colonial and revolutionary period, including Benjamin Franklin’s String Quartet and John Antes’ String Trios, as well as a Trio Sonata and the La Folia Variations by Arcangelo Corelli, in the beautiful and historic Old Swedes Church which has been in continuous use since its construction in 1699.

As with all TAAT concerts, admission and parking is FREE, including a reception to meet the artists on the historic grounds of Old Swedes after the concert.

Invite a friend or two to join you on an April afternoon and immerse yourself in great music in a beautiful and historic space.

Let’s get started planning for The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on

May 2nd!

Join us in support of The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on May 2nd!

It’s a fantastic fundraiser for our friends at Friendship House, and every donation in their name goes straight to them. Let’s keep up the great work Trinity Parish has been doing to support Friendship House. Click on the link below to donate or register as a walker.

Join your fellow Trinity Parish members for some fun and fellowship you have any questions, please see Sarah Berninger or Brian Embriani.

https://secure.walkforahealthycommunity.org/p2p/fundraising/394011/team/trinity-episcopal-parish/en-CA

Annual Women’s Retreat

Women's Retreat is the weekend of May 8-10 and we invite you to join us. Our theme, facilitated by Beth Jones (www.deepgreenjourney.com), is Rooted and Renewed: Step away from the routine and into a sacred space where we will gather to listen, ten and prepare the soil of our lives for what God is growing next.

This retreat invites us to gently explore: What can we do to ready the ground of our hearts for God's movement? How might we cultivate a spirit of openness so our gifts can be used with courage and joy? Through reflection, conversation, and quiet moments we will create room for renewal and discover together how to nurture a heart that is expectant, rooted and ready for God's unfolding work.

Contact Kim Denhardt to express your interest or ask any questions at kdenhardt@gmail.com or 302-367-4408. To reserve your space at the retreat, you can pay by check to Trinity Episcopal Church with 'Women's Retreat' in the memo line or through the church website. For scholarships to pay for the retreat, just email Fr. Kirtley with the request to 'attend the women's retreat' at FrKirtley@trinityparishde.org.

We hope you can join us!

Building Community, One Sip At A Time!

Meet Fr Kirtley for a chat at our Trinity Vicinity neighborhood café, Bean Head Coffee bar, 714 W 11^th Street (diagonally across the street from Trinity Church), Tuesdays 2.00pm until 3.00pm.